A NEW BIRTH INTO A LIVING HOPE 

1 Peter 1:1-12 / Keywords 1:1

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,

1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

1. Peter identified himself as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and sent this letter to God’s elect. He praised God for his great mercy in giving us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this world, there is nothing that will last forever, but in Christ Jesus, we have an inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade. We can cling to this living hope while in this world because our hope, Jesus Christ, will never die.

 

2. While in the world, we face several hardships and challenges. It is easy to feel discouraged. However, we can rejoice, not only because of the living hope of our inheritance that is kept in heaven for us, but also because through our trials, our faith is being refined. Through all kinds of trials and hardships, the genuineness of our faith, which is of greater worth to God than gold, is being tested, and it will result in praise to God. May we not lose hope. The result of our faith will be the very salvation of our souls. May we keep our eyes on Jesus and put our hope in the eternal inheritance.

 

Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for your death and resurrection to not only give me hope in this world, but indeed a living hope to be with you for eternity. May our lives in this world grow in faith in you.

One Word Living hope in Jesus