what it means to have a living hope bible
Editor's Note: This article was first published at Servants of Grace
When people are at their lowest, nosotros often say they accept "lost hope," every bit though the individual was losing their power to hope. Nonetheless, such statements say more near the source of their hope than the strength of their promise.
Health, finances, influence, friendships, security, and other things may provide a ray of hope, but such promise is like the flame of a candle which flickers in the wind and eventual goes out.
Such hope is vastly unlike than the Christian's hope which, as Hebrews 6:19 tells us, is "a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul."
So how can a person exchange a fragile promise for the unshakeable hope that Scripture speaks of? How can the laic maintain their heavenly promise in hard times?
We find the respond to these questions in the volume of 1 Peter. This epistle was written to believers facing insults, slander, beatings, sporadic violence, and societal force per unit area for their faith.
In the midst of this suffering Peter wanted them to know that Jesus Christ provides hope fifty-fifty in the midst of difficult circumstances.
1 Peter 1:3-5 shows us:
- The Souvenir of our Hope
- The Ground of our Hope
- The Goal of our Hope
The Gift of Our Promise
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused the states to be born again to a living hope…"
Hope is a souvenir made available past God'southward great mercy. Charles Spurgeon commented on this passage that "No other aspect could have helped us if mercy had refused…information technology is from the mercy of God that all our hopes begin."
This gift of living promise actually comes every bit the result of our receiving something else from God. "Co-ordinate to His corking mercy He has caused u.s.a. to be born once again to a living promise."
No dubiety, Peter was recalling Jesus' teaching recorded in John 3: "Y'all must be born over again." Jesus was talking about a spiritual rebirth, going from one who is spiritually dead to beingness spiritually alive.
Those who would obtain living hope practice then past style of being born again.
To be perfectly plain: Apart from Jesus, there is no anchor which will concur in the violent storms of life. There is no enduring, steadfast, living promise.
Why is this the instance? Because the force of our hope is determined by the footing of our hope.
The Ground of Our Promise
Look at poesy three in its entirety:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us over again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
Isn't it interesting that Peter does not say "through the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross" or something like that? Why does he speak of our new birth and living hope equally being through the Resurrection?
Continue in heed that Peter is addressing believers who (similar you and me) had never seen Jesus with their own eyes (i Peter 1:viii). So when circumstances became increasingly difficult, and doubts crept in, where were they to expect for a reminder of why they notwithstanding had reason to hope? The Resurrection!
The Resurrection is the linchpin of our faith, it holds together all of the claims and promises of Scripture. As the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19:
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and y'all are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen comatose in Christ take perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Simply thank you be to God, we do not have hope in this life just. The Resurrection proves that Christ'south atoning sacrifice on our behalf was accepted. It proves to usa that Jesus Christ is who He says He is!
Jesus is our hope. If our source of hope was in our finances, or in our health, or in our relationships whatsoever number of things could enter our lives and take away our promise. Not so for the Christian!
In Jesus Christ, we have an unshakeable and living hope even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
But our hope is not simply based on Christ'due south work in the past. Information technology is a strong and confident expectation for what is nonetheless to come up.
The Goal of Our Hope
To spur his readers to reflect on their hope in Christ, Peter reveals what it is that we can gear up our sights on when we are enduring difficult circumstances:
Blessed be the God and Male parent of our Lord Jesus Christ! Co-ordinate to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born once again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the expressionless, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept in heaven for you…
As children of God and joint heirs with Christ, nosotros accept a spiritual inheritance that is yet awaiting u.s.. This inheritance is cypher less than the fullness of our conservancy in Christ, when we volition be made perfect in holiness and blessed with the full enjoyment of God for all eternity. Our inheritance is the completion of our salvation.
Philippians i:6 says that "he who began a skilful piece of work in you will bring information technology to completion at the solar day of Jesus Christ."
All that hinders united states of america from total enjoyment of God will be removed. We will be free from sickness. Gratis from brokenness, depression, anxiety, and doubt. Free from loss, free from failure, complimentary from doubt. Free from hurting those we beloved and existence hurt past them.
This is the goal of our living hope! This is why we tin can remain hopeful during times of difficulty! Our inheritance is so slap-up that the circumstances of this life grow dim in comparison to the joy of the adjacent!
The apostle Paul, who was well acquainted with hardship, says in Romans viii:xviii:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparison with the celebrity that is to be revealed to united states of america.
So we hope with an eager, strong, and confident expectation as we await that day when we are free from sin's influence and are with our Lord and Savior forever.
This wonderful inheritance—this completion of salvation which awaits united states—is what enables us to endure whatsoever circumstance without losing hope.
Not simply is this inheritance wonderful, it is too guaranteed to the believer.
Our inheritance is imperishable: The storehouse of our heavenly treasures tin never exist exhausted. It is an eternal, never-catastrophe inheritance.
Our inheritance is undefiled: Even the greatest of treasures in this life are marred by sin and fallenness. Not so in the next. Aught of sin or abuse shall impact our eternal inheritance.
Our inheritance is unfading: You will not go bored with your inheritance. When you are in a perfect relationship with your Savior your enjoyment of existence in His presence will only increment.
This is non all. This inheritance is "kept in heaven for you." Kept here is a armed services term, meaning that it is being guarded for u.s.. This inheritance is not simply fix aside with your name on it, like a package at the post office. Information technology is secured and kept specifically for you lot, like a deposit in a loftier-security bank vault.
What a stiff and confident promise we have! Merely what skilful is a cracking inheritance if you are somehow prevented from receiving it? If yous take baseball tickets set bated for you at will call, but circumstances forbid you from making it to the stadium, what adept did the tickets practise?
Thankfully, our inheritance is not the only affair kept secure. Look again at verse 4 and v:
….to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,who past God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation set up to exist revealed in the last fourth dimension.
Annotation that poetry five speaks non of our inheritance just of the states as children of God. We are being guarded by God's own power through faith, for a salvation ready to exist revealed in the last time.
What hope this must have given to those on the brink of trigger-happy persecution! What hope this should be to each of usa in our difficulties!
Our complete conservancy is guaranteed not by our power—as though salvation was obtained by grace but held on to past works. No! Jesus said "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John ten:28).
We will persevere in the faith by God's power! No affair the trial, no matter the struggle, no matter the tragedy which may befall us, our eternal inheritance is secure and then our hope remains. Our inheritance is being guarded for us, and we are being guarded for our inheritance.
What hope and comfort that is in our weakness! The security and certainty of our salvation is our living hope in any circumstance.
Conclusion
Living hope is God's souvenir to those who are built-in again in Christ. This hope is grounded in the Resurrection of our Lord, and information technology points u.s. to the day when we shall exist with Him, both torso and soul, forever.
This eternal inheritance that awaits the states is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Information technology is kept safely in heaven for you, and you are being safely guarded for your inheritance.
This is why we, as Christians, need not lost hope – no affair what storms assault us.
The strength of our hope is determined by the source of our hope. In Jesus Christ we have a living hope fifty-fifty in the midst of difficult circumstances.
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Source: https://reasonabletheology.org/a-living-hope-in-any-circumstance/
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