The Blessed Hope

1 Peter 1:3-5. "The Blessed Hope". Safe Haven Community Church. Sunday January 31st, 2021. 1 Peter 1:3-5 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 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (ESV) Right now, when you talk to people, there are a lot of things that people miss. Due to all the restrictions people miss getting together with family and friends. They miss travel and attending public events like concerts and sporting events. People miss going out shopping and having a meal in a restaurant. Our provincial state of emergency has just been renewed to at least February 9th, and most expect it to continue. People say they hope this all ends soon so they can resume some normality of life. For the Christians to whom the Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter, they had lost hope. They were facing the threat great persecution from the Roman government and were fleeing for their lives. They were dispossessed from their homes and seeking hope. Peter writes a letter of hope. The hope he proclaims is not what we call a 'fond hope'. We cherish fond hopes because they are so fragile. We 'hope against hope' because we do not really expect what we hope for. But Peter writes of a sure hope, a hope that holds the future in the present because it is anchored in the past. Peter hopes for God's salvation, God's deliverance from sin and death. His hope is sure, because God has already accomplished his salvation in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (Clowney, E. P. (1988). The message of 1 Peter: the way of the cross (p. 44). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) Naturally, 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 ? God here calls us a prophetic posture: to simultaneously see what is broken and have a biblical hope for what is being made new. 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 difficulty 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 eulogēios) 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. The term 'Father', as applied to the first person of the Trinity, signifies not that the Father in any way created the Son or caused him to exist (for the Son has always existed and was never created, John 1:1-3; 8:58; 17:5, 24; Rev. 22:13), but that he relates to the Son as a father relates to a son normally: the Father plans and directs, the Son responds and obeys; the Father 'sends', the Son comes from the Father (Gal. 4:4; John 3:16, 18; 5:19, 22, 26-27, 30). The Father creates 'through' the Son; all things come 'from' the Father 'through' the Son (John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). ( Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 59). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) 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 ḥesed, 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 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 (He will specify in 1 Pt. 3:15). 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 will we will sing concluding our look at this passage: "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 difficulty 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.) Please turn to Numbers 18 The concept of Inheritance has its roots in the Old Testament, which the Jewish Christians in Peter's audience would have easily identified with. In fact, the same Greek root (klēronomia), 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; Cf. 1 Pt. 1:13-21). The events leading up to Numbers 18 demonstrated the necessity of properly appointed mediators between God and Israel, if the nation's sins are not to lead to her destruction. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 293). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.). Here God describes the concept of Inheritance: Numbers 18:18-24 19 All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the LORD I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you." 20 And the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. 21 "To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, 22 so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore, I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel." (ESV) * Pictured through the description of compensation for ministry among the people of God, God directly explains about the nature of inheritance. Unlike other tribes, the Levites had no tribal territory, only 48 cities scattered through the land (35:1-8). The portions of Canaan were 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; Cf. 1 Pt. 1:13-21). (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 294). 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.) * Given the apparent transience of the human condition and the seeming permanence of creation, it is good to be reminded that believers shall outlive it all in a place that can never be destroyed. Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "When the Stars Are Gone" states it well: "The stars shine over the mountains, The stars shine over the sea, The stars look up to the mighty God, The stars look down on me; The stars shall last for a million years, A million years and a day, But God and I will live and love When the stars have passed away (Robert Louis Stevenson as quoted in Helm, D. R. (2008). 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: sharing christ's sufferings (p. 32). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.). 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. Peter invites contemplation of a heavenly inheritance unpolluted by sin and containing nothing unworthy of God's full approval. ( Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 62). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) 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 (tetērēmenēn) 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 difficulty 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. (ESV) 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. Believers reading Peter's letter could rest in the fact that God would constantly protect their faith, thus enabling them to receive their promised inheritance. We may have to endure trials, persecution, or violent death, but our souls cannot be harmed if we have accepted Christ's gift of salvation. We know we will receive God's promised rewards. (Barton, B. B. (1995). 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude (pp. 29-30). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Pub.). God is using his power to guard Christians until they receive their inheritance. Christians appropriate that protection through faith. (Black, A., & Black, M. C. (1998). 1 & 2 Peter (1 Pe 1:5). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.) 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 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 (sōtērian) 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" (apokalyphthēnai) 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). Salvation means that believers have been forgiven from the (past) penalty of sin, we are (present) no longer under the power of sin and we will be (future) delivered from the presence of sin. (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.) 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. This earthly life is tough, and its wealth doesn't last. For Christians there is also the pain that comes through taking a stand for Jesus, and perhaps being abused or persecuted. But, with the eyes of faith, we can see beyond these short-term sufferings, and live with joyful hope (Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 675). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.). Our hope is anchored in the past; Jesus rose! Our hope remains in the present; Jesus lives! Our hope is complete in the future: Jesus is coming!'(Clowney, E. P. (1988). The message of 1 Peter: the way of the cross (p. 46). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.) (Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2004). 1 Peter (pp. 29-38). Chicago: Moody Publishers.) Closing Hymn #406: "My Hope is in the Lord" (Verses 1, 3, 4) Benediction: Our Heavenly Father, blessed is your name! The inheritance you have planned astounds us. Help us, even before we receive it in full, to live lives that are undefiled. It is in your Spirit and the power of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead that we place our hope. Amen. ( Helm, D. R. (2008). 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: sharing christ's sufferings (p. 35). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.)