He needs some immediate help to get down out of this double back flip onto his feet instead of his head. The coach gave him that help, and now he has landed. He walks sheepishly over to the coach and knows now that he needs something else too. Notice three steps to the inheritance in verse 12. First, faith, second, patience or longsuffering, and third, the inheritance.
Faith is foundational, it leads to patient endurance in a life of holiness or righteousness.
And that life then is the sure path to the inheritance. That's step three, the inheritance that you reach on the road of obedience to the will of God empowered by faith. In my picture, inheriting the promises corresponds to getting the medal at the end of the gymnastic routine. And patience in doing the will of God corresponds to finishing the routine without breaking your neck or walking off the mat in disgrace. And faith corresponds to that sense of stability and confidence and assurance that you will finish.