On Thursday, Dr. R.C. Sproul, one of this generations greatest theologians and teachers, went home to be with the Lord around 3 p.m. surrounded by his wife, Vesta, and family in his hospital room in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The audio that was scheduled months ago to be aired a few hours later was entitled “The Believer’s Final Rest”. In the original introduction to that teaching, there is an explanation of one of the hymns that Dr. Sproul wrote, entitled “Highland Hymn”. The next to last verse reads: “We know not yet what we will be, in Heavens final blessed state. But know we know that we shall see our Lord at Heaven’s gate” As that broadcast was being aided, Dr. Sproul was seeing that very one for whom he lived, and pointed to. Although this is a time of unparalleled peace and joy that Dr. Sproul is experiencing, for his family and those who remain, it is a time of grief and sorrow. Their comfort is from the one who Dr. Sproul is now in the presence of and The Blessed Hope of being reunited one day with him before Christ’s presence. (http://renewingyourmind.org/)
In 2017 we come to Advent after a year filled with natural disasters, mass shootings, and a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations. It can be particularly challenging to be hopeful when faced with difficulty. When difficulties occur, we face obvious questions: How can we find hope when: We are tempted, when family is threatened, when life seems unfair, or when all hope seems to be lost Advent teaches us a prophetic posture: to simultaneously see what is broken and hope for what is being made new. (http://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2017/december-web-exclusives/feeling-ugh-at-christmas.html?utm_source=leadership-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=22762429&utm_content=553655379&utm_campaign=email)
For the Christians to whom the Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter, they had lost hope. They were facing great persecution from the Roman government and were fleeing for their lives. They were dispossessed from their homes and seeking hope. Peter knows that the source of hope in the midst of difficulty is to focus on the person of God and the assurance of being secure in Him. Therefore, he follows the introduction of his first letter with a sweeping doxology regarding the wonder of salvation. The passage is a hymn of worship designed to encourage Christians living in a hostile world to look past their temporal troubles and rejoice in their eternal inheritance.
In 1 Peter 1:3-5, the Apostle Peter comforts those who face difficulty by explaining the nature of our Blessed Hope. In that, he shows 1) The Source of our Blessed Hope (1 Peter 1:3), 2) The Surety of our Blessed Hope (1 Peter 1:4), and 3) The Salvation of our Blessed Hope (1 Peter 1:5)
We can be comforted even in the midst of difficult because of:
1) The Source of our Blessed Hope (1 Peter 1:3)
1 Peter 1:3 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (ESV)
Peter, … starts with a doxology A doxology is a hymn of praise. The word comes from the Greek doxa, which refers to glory that is ascribed to God, because it belongs eternally and intrinsically to Him. The concept of glory in the Bible refers to the weightiness of God, the depth of His character… Singing praise to God is a central significance of worship; the primary dimension of godly worship is not the offering of our money, time, or body but the sacrifice of praise. Doxology is at the very heart of true worship, and this is how Peter begins (Sproul, R. C. (2011). 1-2 Peter (p. 26). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.).
Peter assumes it is necessary for believers to bless God. The intention is so implicit that the Greek text omits the word be, which the translators added. (In the original, the sentence literally begins, “Blessed the God,” which conveys Peter’s expectation that his audience “bless God” as the source of all spiritual inheritance.) The apostle adores God and implores others to do the same. The word blessed (Gr eulogeios) is the word from which we get “eulogy,” and means “to be well spoken of” or “to be praised.” Peter is expressing a desire that God should be praised by all believers everywhere ( Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2601). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
Peter further calls Him the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a phrase that identified God in a distinctly Christian way. Historically the Jews had blessed God as their creator and redeemer from Egypt. His creation emphasized His sovereign power at work and His redemption of Israel from Egypt His saving power at work. But those who became Christians were to bless God as the Father of their Lord Jesus Christ.
With one exception (when the Father forsook Him on the cross, Matthew 27:46), every time the Gospels record that Jesus addressed God, He called Him “Father” or “My Father.” In so doing, Jesus was breaking with the Jewish tradition that seldom called God Father, and always in a collective rather than personal sense (e.g., Deut. 32:6; Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Jer. 3:19; 31:9; Mal. 1:6; 2:10). Furthermore, in calling God His Father, Jesus was claiming to share His nature. While speaking with the Jews at an observance of the Feast of the Dedication, Christ declared, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Later, in response to Philip’s request that He reveal the Father, Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9; cf. vv. 8, 10–13). Jesus affirmed that He and the Father possess the same divine nature—that He is fully God (cf. John 17:1, 5). The Father and the Son mutually share the same life—one is intimately and eternally equal to the other—and no one can truly know one without truly knowing the other (cf. Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). No person can claim to know God unless they know Him as the One revealed in Jesus Christ, His Son. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him” (John 14:6–7).
In his writings, the apostle Paul also declared the Father and the Son to be of the same essence: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 1:3; cf. Eph. 1:3, 17). Likewise, John wrote in his second epistle: “Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love” (2 John 3). Whenever the New Testament calls God Father, it primarily denotes that He is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 7:21; 10:32; 11:25–27; 16:27; 25:34; 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 10:21–22; 22:29; 23:34; John 3:35; 5:17–23; 6:32, 37, 44; 8:54; 10:36; 12:28; 15:9; 17:1; Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 11:31; cf. John 14:23; 15:16; 16:23; 1 John 4:14; Rev. 1:6). God is also the Father of all believers (Matt. 5:16, 45, 48; 6:1, 9; 10:20; 13:43; 23:9; Mark 11:25; Luke 12:30, 32; John 20:17; Rom. 1:7; 8:15; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 2:18; 4:6; Phil. 4:20; Heb. 12:9; James 1:27; 1 John 2:13; 3:1).
One commentator calls Peter’s use in verse 3 of Christ’s full redemptive name “a concentrated confession.” All that the Bible reveals about the Savior appears in that title: Lord identifies Him as sovereign Ruler; Jesus as incarnate Son; and Christ as anointed Messiah-King. The apostle personalizes that magnificent title with the simple inclusion of the pronoun our. The divine Lord of the universe belongs to all believers, as does the Jesus who lived, died, and rose again for them, and as does the Christ, the Messiah whom God anointed to be their eternal King who will grant them their glorious inheritance. Since “Jesus is Lord” was the central confession of the early church (e.g., Acts 2:36; Rom. 10:9–10; cf. 1 Cor. 16:22), this expression encapsulates the core of Christian theology (Davids, P. H. (1990). The First Epistle of Peter (p. 51). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
His great mercy was the motive behind God’s granting believers eternal life—sharing the very life of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Mercy focuses on the sinner’s miserable, pitiful condition. The gospel is prompted by God’s compassion toward those who were dead in their trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1–3). All believers were once in that wretched, helpless condition, compounded by a deceitful heart (Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Eccl. 9:3; Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21–23), corrupt mind (Rom. 8:7–8; 1 Cor. 2:14), and wicked desires (Eph. 4:17–19; 5:8; Titus 1:15) that made them slaves to sin, headed for just punishment in hell. Therefore, everyone needs God, in mercy, to show compassion toward their desperate, lost condition and remedy it (cf. Isa. 63:9; Hab. 3:2; Matt. 9:27; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:78; Rom. 9:15–16, 18; 11:30–32; 1 Tim. 1:13; 1 Peter 2:10). Believers deserve judgment and wrath, but God is a God of mercy and grace, bestowing life upon those who are opposed to him (cf. Eph 2:4–5) (Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, p. 61). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
The specific act for which Peter blesses God is regeneration, which is not something deserved or produced by human beings, but a free act of God because of his character as a God of mercy or covenant-faithfulness (e.g., Exod. 20:6; 34:7, where the Hebrew term ?esed, translated “lovingkindness” (Davids, P. H. (1990). The First Epistle of Peter (p. 51). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.) In order for sinners to receive an eternal inheritance from God, they must experience His means of spiritual transformation, the new birth. Peter affirms that truth in this last portion of verse 3, when he says God has caused His elect to be born again (cf. 1 Pt. 1:23–25; 2 Cor. 5:17). In John 3, Jesus effectively explained the necessity of regeneration—the new birth—to Nicodemus, a prominent Jewish teacher: To illustrate the means of the new birth, Jesus referred to the episode of the bronze serpent (Num. 21:4–9), an Old Testament narrative Nicodemus would have known well. When the snake-bitten Israelites in the wilderness acknowledged their sin and God’s judgment on them for it and looked to the means He provided to deliver them (a bronze snake on a pole), they received physical healing from their poisonous bites. By analogy, if sinners would experience spiritual deliverance, they must recognize their spiritual condition as poisoned by their sin and experience salvation from spiritual and eternal death by looking to the Son of God and trusting in Him as their Savior. Jesus cut to the core of Nicodemus’s self-righteousness and told him what all sinners need to hear, that they are spiritually regenerated only by faith in Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:12–13; Titus 3:5; James 1:18). The focus therefore is on God’s initiative in producing new life. No one takes any credit for being born. (Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, p. 61). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Please turn to Romans 5 (p.942)
Peter goes on to declare that regeneration results in believers receiving a living hope. It is not so much that believers are now living “full of hope,” but that they have a fixed “hope,” a clear vision of what God will do for them in the future (McKnight, S. (1996). 1 Peter (pp. 70–71). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
We should note that the word hope is used in the Bible with the distinctive meaning “confident expectation.” Today, of course, hope means merely to “want” something to happen, without having any real assurance that it will happen, as in the sentence, “I hope tomorrow will be a sunny day.” The resurrection is the central hope of Christianity; it is not merely something that we want to happen, but an assurance we have. We know we shall rise!( Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2601). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.) The unbelieving world knows only dying hopes (Job 8:13; Prov. 10:28; Eph. 2:12), but believers have a living, undying hope (Pss. 33:18; 39:7; Rom. 5:5; Eph. 4:4; Titus 2:13; Heb. 6:19) that will come to a complete, final, and glorious fulfillment (Rom. 5:2; Col. 1:27). Christian hope is everliving because Christ, the ground of that hope, is everliving. The present reality of the Christian’s life is defined and determined by the reality of the past—the resurrection of Jesus Christ—and is guaranteed into the future because Christ lives forevermore. ( Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 85). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)
As Paul explained it to the Romans:
Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV)
• The hope of the glory of God refers to the promise that Christians will be glorified and perfected at the last day—a hope that results in joy, even in the midst of present difficulties.(Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2165). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
The means of Christians’ appropriating this living hope and eternal inheritance is spiritual birth, and the power for that appropriation was demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus told Martha, just prior to the raising of her brother Lazarus from the grave, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25–26; cf. 14:19). Paul instructed the Corinthians concerning the vital ramifications of the resurrection, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). Even if one hoped in Christ in this life, but not beyond it, he would be lost (v. 19). However, Christ rose from the dead, forever securing the believer’s living hope in heaven by finally conquering death (vv. 20–28, 47–49, 54–57). Their hope, in other words, is the hope of resurrection, triumph over death; hence, whatever happens to believers in this world is trivial compared to the blessing of the future resurrection.( Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, p. 62). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Hymn: Peter believes so deeply that we should live the life of hope, that he instructs us to be ready to give an answer to the person who asks us the reason for that hope. That reason is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ experienced in our own lives as we are born again of the Spirit. Such hope finds expression in many ways including the singing of a marvelous hymn about hope: My hope is in the Lord, Who gave Himself for me, And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary. For me He died. For me He lives, And everlasting life and light He freely gives. (Cedar, P. A., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1984). James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude (Vol. 34, p. 114). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
We can be comforted even in the midst of difficult because of:
2) The Surety of our Blessed Hope (1 Peter 1:4)
1 Peter 1:4 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, (ESV)
The key word of this entire passage is inheritance, which is wealth passed down, or a legacy one receives as a member of a family. In English usage ‘inheritance’ is inseparably related to wills and death, and only becomes effective on the demise of the testator. However, the Greek word is not as specific and means simply ‘to receive by lot’ and thus does not require the demise of the donor for the beneficiary to benefit; (Mills, M. S. (1997). I Peter: a study guide to the First Epistle by Peter (1 Pe 1:3). Dallas: 3E Ministries.)
The concept had roots in the Old Testament, which the Jewish Christians in Peter’s audience would have easily identified with. In fact, the same Greek root (kleronomia), rendered inheritance here, is used in the Septuagint, the Greek NT to speak of the portions of Canaan allotted by God to each tribe in Israel except Levi, for God Himself would be their inheritance and hope (cf. Num. 18:20–24; Josh. 13:32–33).
Look down to verse 13 (p.1014)
This is the same relationship that Peter went on to explain that New Testament believes have:
1 Peter 1:13-21 13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (ESV)
• God is in the process of maturing His children and conforming their behavior so that it is increasingly consistent with their spiritual inheritance (cf. 4:12–13, 19; 5:10; Heb. 12:5–12; James 1:2–4; 5:11). Our sure hope, according to verse 18-19, is that, as believers, we were ransomed by Christ’s precious blood. “Ransom” recalls Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (Deut. 7:8; 9:26; 15:15; 24:18), which in turn points to the greater deliverance accomplished by Jesus Christ. We should be full of hope for Christ’s being raised reminds us of our future reward. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2406). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
In 1 Peter 1:4, Peter adds three descriptive terms, giving reason for our hope, to further define the kind of inheritance believers obtain: it is imperishable, undefiled and unfading/will not fade away. Imperishable (aphtharton) refers to what is not corruptible, not liable to death, or not subject to destruction. Since wealth and inheritance were most often vested in land in the first-century world, a displacement from one’s homeland meant that whatever property one stood to inherit would be of uncertain benefit, if any. (This is not unlike, for instance, the situation faced by Cuban exiles, who must leave property and wealth behind in Cuba when they surreptitiously emigrate to the United States.) Thus, the loss of inheritance and family rights could lead directly to feelings of hopelessness. But even if the Christians to whom Peter writes have not been physically displaced, their new life as Christians affected their social status. It may even have jeopardized their inheritance as members of pagan families, much as some Muslim, Hindu, or Jewish families still today will disinherit a family member who converts to Christianity. Such experiences may understandably result in feelings of hopelessness.( Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 85). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)
• But believers’ spiritual inheritance will never be subject to destruction. It is in heaven, yet to be revealed in the future, is a glorious treasure that will never be lost. That is our sure hope
Second, undefiled (amianton) describes things that are unstained or unpolluted. Everything in the fallen creation is stained and polluted by sin (Rom. 8:20–22; 1 John 5:19), and therefore it is all flawed. That is what the apostle Paul referred to when he wrote, “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now” (Rom. 8:22). All earthly inheritance is defiled, but not the undefiled inheritance believers have in Jesus Christ (cf. Phil. 3:7–9; Col. 1:12). It is flawless and perfect.
Finally, the believer’s inheritance is unfading/will not fade away. That phrase translates the word amaranton, which was used in secular Greek to describe a flower that did not wither or die. The term in this context suggests that believers have an inheritance that will never lose its magnificence. None of the decaying elements of the world can affect the kingdom of heaven (Luke 12:33; cf. Rev. 21:27; 22:15). None of the ravages of time or the evils of sin can touch the believer’s inheritance because it is in a timeless, sinless realm (cf. Deut. 26:15; Ps. 89:29; 2 Cor. 5:1). Consider how precious this is: Even the greatest masterpieces in the world, like those in Milan, Italy, The Last Supper, the great masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci. Thousands of dollars are being spent in an attempt to restore some of the fading colors. But even the greatest of masterpieces ultimately fade. But the heavenly inheritance that our Lord provides for us will never fade. (Cedar, P. A., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1984). James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude (Vol. 34, p. 114). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
Having pledged that the believer’s spiritual inheritance was permanent in nature, Peter adds to his readers’ security by declaring that the believer’s inheritance is kept/reserved in heaven. Its nature is fixed and unalterable and so is its place. Kept/Reserved (teteremenen) means “guarded” or “watched over.” The perfect passive participle conveys the idea of the already existing inheritance being carefully guarded in heaven for all those who trust in Christ. Not only will that inheritance not change, but no one will plunder it (Mt. 6:19-21). While the Christians’ adversaries might destroy all we have in this world, there is a reward that no force on earth can touch. This inheritance should give believers hope in the darkest times (Davids, P. H. (1990). The First Epistle of Peter (p. 53). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Song: The assurance of heaven is a great help to us today. As Dr. James M. Gray expressed it in one of his songs, “Who can mind the journey, when the road leads home?” If suffering today means glory tomorrow, then suffering becomes a blessing to us. The unsaved have their “glory” now, but it will be followed by eternal suffering away from the glory of God (2 Thes. 1:3–10). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 392–393). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Finally, we can be comforted even in the midst of difficult because of:
3) The Salvation of our Blessed Hope (1 Peter 1:5)
1 Peter 1:5 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Not only is the inheritance divinely guarded, those who possess it are also guarded/protected by God’s power from doing anything to forfeit it or be severed from it. “Guarded/protected” (phrouroumenous) is a military term, used to refer to a garrison within a city (Phil. 4:7 uses the same Gr. word). What greater hope could be given to those undergoing persecution than the knowledge that God’s power guards them from within, to preserve them for an inheritance of salvation that will be completely revealed to them in God’s presence (Raymer, R. M. (1985). 1 Peter. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 841). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
• Christians are painfully aware of what is being taken away from them, such as their freedom, their dignity, their health, or their money, it is comforting to remember which treasures cannot be taken from them: the mercy of God, the new birth, and the heavenly inheritance that cannot perish, spoil, or fade away. The stock market may crash; buildings burn down; banks may fail; doctors may fail; businesses may fail; the love of family members may fail; but the good things that Christ gives will never fail because they are based on irreversible historical fact—Christ’s resurrection from the dead. He lives; and because he lives, hope lives too. That hope does not ride up and down like stock prices on Wall Street. That hope is valuable because it is derived not from our achievements but from God’s; it is God’s gift of love, not something he sells us or owes us. And so the eternal life that God promises is kept in heaven for you, and in the meantime, he shields you (Jeske, M. A. (2002). James, Peter, John, Jude (p. 74). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.).
God’s power is His sovereign omnipotence that continuously protects His elect. Since God is for believers, no one can successfully oppose them (Rom. 8:31–39; Jude 24). All the details of this promise are to provide the believer with an undying hope of heaven, so as to provide joy and endurance.
The Christian’s continued faith in God is evidence of His keeping and protecting work (John 8:31; Col. 1:21–23; Heb. 3:6, 14; James 2:17, 20–26; 1 John 5:4, 11–13). At conversion, God energizes faith in believers’ hearts, and as He keeps them He continues to energize their faith (Ps. 37:24; John 10:28; Phil. 1:6). By His grace, God’s omnipotent, protecting power and the believer’s perseverance of faith always work hand in hand (cf. Dan. 6:1–23). The faith that alienates them from their society is the same faith that provides the resources by which they may endure the alienation (Jobes, K. H. (2005). 1 Peter (p. 87). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)
Please turn to Titus 2 (p.998)
This security for the believer and our inheritance both look beyond this life and human history for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Salvation (soterian) means “rescue” or “deliverance,” and here it denotes the full, final, eternal life God has not yet consummated. This is our eternal hope that we await, because of the work of Christ. The passive of the verb “revealed” (apokalyphthenai) is a divine passive, indicating that God will disclose this salvation on the final day (Schreiner, T. R. (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, p. 64). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) Salvation is described with reference to the past (Christians have been given new birth by God’s mercy), to the present (Christians are being shielded by God’s power) and to the future (at the last time will come the final deliverance from evil). (Wheaton, D. H. (1994). 1 Peter. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1374). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
• Salvation means that believers have been forgiven from the penalty (past) of sin, we are (present) no longer under the power of sin and we will be (future) delivered from the presence of sin.
As Paul explained to Titus:
Titus 2:11-14 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (ESV)
• Waiting for the return of Christ, our blessed hope, is not idle speculation. It is a sure hope reflected in disciplined holiness. The more we realize what Christ had done, what He presently expects of us, and what He has provided for that expectation, we will be active in living out that hope.
The future aspect of salvation is particularly said to be ready, that is, complete and already awaiting the believer’s arrival. But future salvation is also connected to the end of human history. Peter concludes 1 Peter 1:5 saying that it is to be revealed in the last time. God will not make believers’ inheritance fully complete until the last episode of redemptive history, namely the return of Jesus Christ (cf. Matt. 25:34). Christians possess some of the benefits of salvation in this life, but the great fullness of redemption is yet to come. God has promised unfathomable glories in the eternal perfection of heaven that will one day be the conscious experience of every believer. He is the source of the believer’s inheritance; it came because of His mercy and by the gracious means of the new birth; and it remains perfect and eternally secure, a reality all believers can fix their hope on. That is the hope of this Advent, celebrating not only the arrival but awaiting the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2004). 1 Peter (pp. 29–38). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
