Our Living Hope
(1 Peter 1:3-5)
I. The Description of Our Hope
A. Hope defined
B. Living hope
II. The Source of Our Hope: The God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 3)
A. By the mercy of God (v. 3a)
B. By the new birth (v. 3b)
C. By the resurrection of Christ (v. 3c)
III. The Inheritance of Our Hope (v. 4)
A. Incorruptible in substance (v. 4a)
B. Undefiled in purity (v. 4b)
C. Unfading in beauty (v. 4c)
D. Reserved in heaven (v. 4d)
IV. The Assurance of Our Hope (v. 5)
A. Kept by God’s power (v. 5a)
B. Guarded through faith (v. 5b)
C. A salvation ready to be revealed (v. 5c)
Introduction
The eighteenth century German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, tells us that there are three questions which mankind has always been asking: “What can I know?” “What shall I do?” and “For what may I hope?” (15K-WS).
One of the issues that God has been speaking to me about for some time is the obvious “hope deficit” that exists within our culture. You don’t have to look very far to find people who are ready to quit because they find themselves in seemingly hopeless situations. This has only been compounded by the atrocities that occurred in our nation on September 11th and the continuing fallout as a result of those events: the instability of Wall Street, the massive layoffs in the workplace, the ongoing war in Afghanistan, the growing unrest in the Middle East, and the list goes on.
Yet the saddest thing to me is that this is no longer just an adult phenomenon. A pervading sense of hopelessness is profoundly affecting our teens, and even young children drudge through life merely eking out a tolerable existence.
It used to be that we had to “pull the reins” on our youth to hold them back because they were so filled with excitement about the future. They used to serve as the counter-balance to adult stagnation and comfortableness with the status quo. Today, however, it is becoming increasingly common that our children are in need of a “jump start” to get them to attempt new things, to believe in the possibility of a better tomorrow, and to dream dreams again. Like never before, the truth of Solomon’s words ring so clearly, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).
There are a host of reasons as to why we find ourselves in this condition. Although the cause of our culture of hopelessness is an important and emotive topic to consider, it is not my purpose today to delineate a list of reasons. Instead, I would like to look at what the Bible has to say about the believer’s hope. I want to emphasize at the beginning that what we are exploring today refers only to the hope that is the right and privilege of those who have placed their confidence in God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Peter 1:3-5, we discover the description of our hope, the source of our hope, the inheritance of our hope, and the assurance of our hope. It’s a rich and exciting passage of scripture that will raise us to a higher level of experience in the Christ-life when we choose to embrace its truth on a daily basis. Please join me in reading 1 Peter 1:3-5.
The Description of Our Hope
Hope Defined
Before we look at Peter’s specific description of our hope, we need to take a moment to define hope. What is the biblical definition of the word hope? The NT word translated as “hope” in our Bibles means a “favorable and confident expectation [of good]. It has to do with the unseen and the future” (W. E. Vine, NT Words, p. 311). The “original word [specifically] denotes a joyful and contented expectation of eternal salvation” (NUBD-WS). In other words, our hope is a confident expectation of the full realization of all the promises of God for our lives—this is what we confidently look forward to.
Living Hope
Peter describes our hope as being a living hope. “The word ‘living’ denotes that which is dynamic, vital, [and] alive. The hope is like living waters flowing from a perennial spring which never runs dry.” (Paul Cedar, MTNT, vol. 11, p. 114).
I want you to note that a living hope “means that it is not a dead, lifeless hope. It is not the kind of hope that we use to stir positive thinking for the moment but does nothing for us beyond the grave; not the kind of hope that gives us meaning and motivation for life but is dead and lifeless beyond this life” (POSB-WS).
I also want you to recognize that a living hope “means that it is not a probable hope; it is not the kind of hope that may or may not come to pass” (POSB-WS).
In contrast to our common conceptions of hope, the “hope that God gives is a living hope, a hope that is real and true, [a hope] that actually exists. A living hope is active and functioning; it acts and works both within the heart of the believer and within heaven apart from the believer. Eternal life is a living hope because it is reality; it is a life that really exists in another world, the spiritual world, that is more real than the world in which we live. The believer’s hope for eternal life lives, acts, and works within the believer now, even while he is on earth. It is not that the believer is going to receive eternal life; he has already received eternal life. His hope for eternal life is living, acting, and working within him right now. This is the glorious hope of the believer, the living hope of living forever with God face to face” (POSB-WS).
The Source of Our Hope: The God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 3)
Peter tells us how this kind of hope is possible—it is due to the source of our hope: the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Our living hope finds its source in the Living God in whom all things “live and move and have their being” (Acts 17:28). God gives us our hope by means of three things.
By the Mercy of God
First, it comes to us by his great mercy. “The word ‘mercy’...means feelings of pity, compassion, affection, and kindness. It is a desire to [help]; to tenderly draw unto oneself and to care for. Two things are essential in order to have mercy: seeing a need and being able to meet that need. God sees our need and feels for us… [Paul describes our natural condition in Ephesians 2:1-3 in these terms: we are dead in our sins, the objects of God’s wrath, completely helpless to change our situation.] Therefore, He acts; He has mercy upon us. How? By doing two things: 1) God withholds His judgment; and 2) God provides a way for us to be saved.
“[The Bible declares in numerous places that] God [possesses and demonstrates] abundant (great, overflowing, endless, boundless) mercy. His mercy just flows on and on; it is ever covering us and creating the living hope and presence of eternal life within our hearts” (POSB-WS).
By the New Birth
Second, our living hope comes to us by the new birth. “There is no hope for eternal life unless a person is born again by the Spirit of God. A person has to be regenerated and made into a new man [or a new woman] before [he/she] can ever live forever” (POSB-WS). This is why I stated at the beginning of this message that the hope we are talking about today is the right and privilege limited to those who have placed their confidence in God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must accept God’s gift of eternal life and experience the new birth by the Holy Spirit in order to know this living hope as a living reality.
By the Resurrection of Christ
Third, our living hope comes to us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
“The word ‘hope’ is a uniquely Christian word. It makes no sense without the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (Paul Cedar, MTNT, vol. 11, p. 114). As Paul writes in 1 Corin-thians 15:17-19, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But thanks be to God that the tomb where they laid Jesus’ body is empty, he has risen, just as he said (Matthew 28:6).
“In Jesus Christ, God has given us a ‘living hope’ which is not dependent upon our environment or outward circumstances” (Paul Cedar, MTNT, vol. 11, p. 114). In the same way that Christ was not bound by the humanly observable conditions surrounding his sacrifice on Calvary, so too, by virtue of His resurrection, we have been given a living hope that cannot be affected by life’s many twists and turns. As the book of Romans declares, the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you…giving you life (8:11).
The Inheritance of Our Hope (v. 4)
In v.4, Peter proceeds to inform us about the inheritance of our living hope.
“The concept of inheritance is one of the major Bible themes and stresses family connection and gift” (EBC, vol. 12, p. 220). “The word can mean a property already received as well as one that is expected. But in the present passage the ‘inheritance’ is kept for the believer, not on earth, but in heaven, and is another name for that salvation that is ready to be revealed” (R&R, p. 744).
The inheritance of eternal life involves the most wonderful gifts imaginable: it involves an inheritance of a new nature or state of being—adopted as children of God, blameless, given the knowledge of Christ, made priests; it also involves an inheritance of work or position and rule—exalted with Christ, being given the kingdom of God, given rule and au-thority over cities, standing in judgment over angels; and it involves an inheritance of wealth—being an heir of God and co-heir with Christ, given the blessings of God and treasures in heaven (POSB-WS).
Peter employs several adjectives in this passage to describe our inheritance.
Incorruptible in Substance
The first word he uses means “imperishable, not corruptible, not liable to pass away” (R&R, p. 744). “The word means that it cannot perish; it does not age, deteriorate, or die; it does not have the seed of corruption within it” (POSB-WS).
Matthew Henry points out that everything on earth changes from better to worse, but not our inheritance. It is perfect and incorruptible. It never changes, and it shall never cease to be the most perfect inheritance and gift imaginable (Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Vol.6. Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, p.1005.).
Undefiled in Purity
The second adjective conveys the idea of “unstained, undefiled. The thought here is being unstained by evil” (R&R, p. 744). “The word means that it cannot be polluted or defiled, dirtied or infected. It means that our inheritance will be without any flaw or defect; it will be perfectly free from sickness, disease, infections, accident, pollution, dirt—from any defilement whatsoever. There will never be any tears over what happens to oneself or over the damage or loss of some possession” (POSB-WS).
Unfading in Beauty
Our inheritance is further described as “unfading. [In the original language,] the word was used of flowers and suggests a supernatural beauty which time does not impair” (R&R, p. 744). Our inheritance “will last forever and ever. The splendor and beauty of it all—of life and of all the positions and possessions which God shall give us—none of the splendor and beauty shall fade or diminish whatsoever. Nothing, not even our energy and bodies, shall wear out or waste away” (POSB-WS).
Paul Cedar relates the following story: “This description reminds me of an experience I had recently in visiting Milan, Italy to view 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. Even the greatest of masterpieces ultimately fade. But the heavenly inheritance that our Lord provides for us will never fade” (Paul Cedar, MTNT, vol. 11, p. 115).
In combination, the “three verbal adjectives indicate that [our] inheritance is ‘untouched by death,’ ‘unstained by evil,’ ‘unimpaired by time;’ it is compounded of immortality, purity, and beauty” (R&R, p. 744).
Reserved in Heaven
Peter’s final description of our inheritance is that it is kept in heaven. The verb translated as “kept” in the NIV is in the perfect tense. “The perfect tense indicates the state or condition and underlines the fact that the inheritance already exists and is being preserved for those who are now being ‘guarded’” (R&R, p. 744).
“Our inheritance is in heaven; it is reserved there for us. It is actually being held there by God for us. God is simply waiting for us to finish our task here on earth and to come to Him. Then He will give us our inheritance” (POSB-WS).
Eric Barker was a missionary from Great Britain who had spent over fifty years in Portugal preaching the gospel, of-ten under adverse conditions.
During World War II, the situation became so critical that he took the advice to send his wife and eight children to England for safety. His sister and her three children were also evacuated on the same ship. Barker remained behind to conclude some mission matters.
The Sunday after Barker’s loved ones had left, he stood before the congregation and said, “I’ve just received word that all my family has arrived safely Home.” He then proceeded with the service as usual.
Later, the full meaning of his words became known to the people. He had been handed a wire just before the meeting, informing him that a submarine had torpedoed the ship, and everyone on board had drowned. Barker knew that all on board were believers, and the knowledge that his family was enjoying the bliss of heaven enabled him to live above his circumstances in spite of his overwhelming grief (15K-WS).
The Assurance of Our Hope (v. 5)
In v. 5, Peter concludes this passage by giving us the assurance of our hope.
“How do we know for sure that we will receive the inheritance? The temptations and trials of life are so forceful and threatening, how do we know that we will receive the living hope of eternal life and its glorious inheritance? How do we know that we will not fall and come short of the great day of redemption? There are two answers” (POSB-WS).
Kept by God’s Power
The first answer is that we are shielded by God’s power. This is the totally “God side” of the assurance equation. It indicates the activity of God on behalf of His children.
The word translated as “shielded” in the NIV means “to guard, to watch over. [It] is a military term indicating the guarding done by soldiers and the present tense emphasizes our need for continual protection in the unending struggle of the soul” (R&R, p. 744). “It has the idea of might and strength. The might and strength of God’s power protect us throughout our journey in life—through all the trials and temptations of life—and God will see to it that we shall reach the glorious end of life: salvation. God Himself, in His sovereign and omnipotent power, will see to it that we receive eternal life and the inheritance that is being reserved for us” (POSB-WS). “Until the day we claim our heavenly inheritance, God has promised to provide for us a living hope, and He has promised to shield us with His power” (Paul Cedar, MTNT, vol. 11, p. 115).
It is interesting to note that the “Assyrians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans had their many gods—gods of war, gods of industry, gods of agriculture, gods of cities, gods of towns, and various others. But in paganism’s entire galaxy of gods, there never was one called ‘god of hope.’
“In the ancient world, hope had become a despised delusion, long before our Lord was born in Bethlehem. The fact is, there is no hope for this sin-cursed world apart from the true God, the God of Christians” (15K-WS).
Guarded through Faith
The second answer Peter gives us regarding the assurance of our living hope and the reception of our inheritance is that it is guarded through faith. This is the activity of the believer in cooperation with the work of God in his/her life.
“A true faith is a continuing faith and trust in God’s power. And a continuing faith is diligent and vigilant. It is a faith that loves Christ with all its heart and life. It is a faith that seeks to follow Christ and to please Him in all that it does. Therefore, a continuing faith is a faith that lives a holy, righteous, and pure life and that serves the Lord Jesus Christ. Simply stated, the person who truly believes in Jesus Christ gives all he is and has to the Lord Jesus Christ: he gives all that he is and has to spread the love of Christ around the world. True faith is a real commitment that obeys and follows Christ and that trusts the power of God to deliver him through all the trials and temptations of life. This is the kind of faith that keeps a person. The person who has this kind of faith has the assurance that he will receive eternal life and the promise of the inheritance. God gives the true believer this kind of assurance” (POSB-WS).
A Salvation Ready to be Revealed
Peter ends this passage with this final word of assurance about our living hope. He tells us that it is being preserved until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. “This shield of faith will keep us by God’s power until our salvation is ready to be revealed in the last time” (Paul Cedar, MTNT, vol. 11, p. 116).
“The word [salvation] indicates deliverance or preservation bestowed by God, more specifically deliverance from His wrath at the final judgment” (R&R, p. 744). As believers, we are no longer objects of God’s wrath. Rather, we have been made alive with Christ and raised up with Christ and seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:5-6).
“The salvation ‘ready to be revealed in the last time’ looks at the final aspects or realization of what Christians already have and enjoy” (EBC, vol. 12, p. 220). This final revelation of our salvation will be brought about by the power of God with the expressed purpose of drawing a conclusion to this present time of partial fulfillment and the commencement of the coming ages when He will fully show the incomparable riches of his grace (Ephesians 2:7).
“The word ‘time’ indicates the fit or appointed time or sea-son for some particular thing, whether it be a period or a moment. The word ‘last’ means simply ‘last in order of time’” (R&R, p. 745). “Peter is speaking about the apocalypse—the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ when He returns to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords” (Paul Cedar, MTNT, vol. 11, p. 116). This is the revelation that every believer looks forward to with eager anticipation: we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).
Conclusion
I’m going to conclude this message with a recent story of that illustrates the reality of our living hope. For about the past month, our District family has been praying for a young woman named Lisa. She is the daughter of Jack and Joy Herman, Alliance missionaries to the Philippines. Lisa has been struggling with an aggressive cancer that has grown to the size of two man-sized fists and has attached itself to her heart and lungs. Over the course of these weeks, we have seen many ups and downs. On Tuesday, April 9, 2002, I received the following e-mail:
Dear Friends,
Thank you all so much for your prayers, love and concern for Lisa. We just want to let you know that Lisa has gone to be with Jesus and is free from her struggle and suffering (Monday morning, 6:26 AM).
While this was not the deliverance that we were asking the Lord for originally, we have come to see it as His mercy. It is very difficult to see Lisa go and we will miss her terribly, but we are most assured that for her this is gain (Phil. 1:21). We’ll write more soon, but right now we’re very tired. Thank you for lifting us to the throne of grace at this time of sorrow for us as we anticipate our years without our very, very precious daughter. We rejoice in the midst of our sorrow because we know that Lisa is delighting in the presence of her Savior in that far better place to which He has called her.
With our love,
Jack and Joy
Words of hope and faith like that don’t come from “psyching oneself out” by positive thinking. Jack and Joy can stand so confidently because they have resident within them a living hope given to them by the Living God who has promised to keep them and their inheritance in Him safe and secure. They can stand with confidence because they have been and continue to exercise faith in the God who keeps His promises. They are standing so confidently in the midst of such deep sorrow because they know that their final salvation is close at hand, waiting to be revealed.
The living hope that Peter is talking about, the living hope that Jack and Joy are living out is not something that is just for a few. It is not an extraordinary experience reserved for an exclusive group of believers. It is the right and privilege of all believers. This living hope belongs to all who have placed their trust in God through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit for salvation. This living hope is maintained by the daily experience of continuing to place our trust in God through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
How would you describe your level of hope today? Is your “hope tank” on full or is it dangerously close to empty? Is the hope your experiencing right now one that is merely based on positive thinking or probability, or is it a living hope resting on the promises of God? God’s design is for you to know and experience this living hope. He has done everything necessary to make it available to each of us as a living reality. Will you accept His offer today?
