By Roy E. Ciampa, Ph.D., S. Louis and Ann W. Armstrong
Professor of Religion, Samford University
The Basis for Our Hope
1 Peter 1:1–9
Our hope is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus. (1–3)
Peter writes to believers scattered throughout various Roman provinces and refers to his readers as exiles in the “diaspora,” the term used for Jews who were displaced from their homeland.
Christians are like those displaced Jews: as aliens in this world we don’t fully belong in the cultures in which we find ourselves. Rather, our lives find their meaning and hope in God and His promises and provision in Christ.
The “hope” referred to in verse 3 is hope in the sense of something we confidently look forward to that gives us strength to endure present difficulties.
Thanks to our relationship with the Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit (all three of whom are named in v. 2), Christians have a hope that steels our souls in even the most challenging times.
By raising Christ from the dead, God has demonstrated His power over all enemies. We endure with hope since nothing can thwart God’s plans for us.
The Father has chosen us, the Spirit has sanctified us, Christ has cleansed us with the blood of His sacrifice, and we have been given a new birth, which Jesus said was needed to enter God’s kingdom (John 3:3, 7). Peter is emphasizing that God has done all that was needed to achieve our salvation. It is all the work of God, leaving nothing that depends on us.
Our hope is secure for eternity. (4–5)
Peter focuses on the inheritance God has in store for those who believe in Christ.
The inheritance “kept in heaven” for us is the one Jesus spoke of when He talked about inheriting the kingdom of God, eternal life or treasure in heaven (see Mark 10:17–21; Matt. 19:29; 21:38–43; 25:34).
Peter emphasizes that the inheritance awaiting us is incorruptible in every way: it is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. In other words, it will never end, be tarnished or weaken with time.
Furthermore, it is kept or preserved in heaven for us, where nothing can possibly harm it.
The reference to our inheritance is related to the references to our new birth in the previous verse and to God as Father in verses 2–3. An inheritance normally comes from one’s father.
It is because God the Father has given us new birth that we are His children and look forward to an inheritance that reflects the wealth and generosity of our heavenly Father (see Ps. 2:7–8).
Not only is our inheritance safe, we ourselves “are shielded by God’s power” until our ultimate salvation is fully realized. Our Father is committed to protecting us and providing us with the inheritance He has prepared for us.
Our hope is displayed through genuine faith. (6–9)
Peter goes on to explore other ways in which faith in Christ transforms our experience of living in a world in rebellion against God and those who seek to honor Him.
Peter stresses the difference faith makes in the midst of suffering, grief and various trials. It allows one to rejoice sincerely and thoroughly in light of the knowledge of what can never be lost.
The genuineness of one’s faith will be made even more obvious than gold that has been refined by fire, and its value — more than gold — is revealed in its ability to lead people to love a Lord they have never seen and to prepare them to experience “praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
We can endure temporary suffering with a joy that comes from the knowledge that one’s reward will be unimaginably greater than anything that can be lost or taken away in the struggles of this life.
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