Living Hope

Written in times of suffering and persecution

This letter has many valuable suggestions for practical Christian living. Christians are to keep their hearts in right relation toward God and man. This involves social, family and spiritual relations. We are not promised immunity from hardships, but consolation and assurance.

1 Peter is written to encourage believers to stand fast while they endure suffering and distress in the present evil age. One said the letter is intended to strengthen the readers in the now of their sufferings and persecution by assuring them that the future of glory will transform their present condition.

Peter introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ—an authoritative messenger and interpreter of the gospel.

The letter is written to God’s pilgrim people who are exiles in the world.

The Recipients

vs1-2

—Strangers-

Scattered-

b) Elect-

c) Sanctified-

d) Obedient-

e) Sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ-— it is the blood shed for us on Calvary—Sprinkling- the application of this sacrificial blood; unless it is applied tot he sinner, he remains in his sins.

—“without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin”-

So, the people had experienced the grace of our Lord, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Living in Obedience and constantly being cleansed with Christ’s blood, we are what God intends us to be—total strangers to the world of men around us.

II. Rewards of Safe-Keeping (Salvation)

Our Hope-

vs3

Our hope is :

-living- not a wishfulness, but a dynamic confidence that continues. Not dead!!

-not only an objective thing—but a subjective hope on the part of the believer.

-it is both an attitude of expectancy as the Christian looks forward to the inheritance waiting him in heaven and a hopefulness of present blessing from god in this life.

-made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ- it is through our identification with Him in the resurrection that we have hope, regeneration.

Our Inheritance

v3-4

--Incorruptible--Imperishable- not liable to corruption or decay. All things earthly have in themselves the seeds of decay and death.

--Undefiled—perfect— unstained- free from anything by which the nature of a thing is deformed or debased. It is pure

READ Revelation 21:27

--Unfading- Our heavenly inheritance is not something that will be beautiful for just a short time and then fade away. It is forever. The delight of heaven will never lessen or grow stale

--Reserved- it is secure, beyond risk, out of reach of Satan--he cannot rob them. It is a fixed and abiding state

Our Protection

v5

“kept by the power of God”- You will not be forgotten or lost in the midst of this suffering. No disorder, nor disease can weaken or threaten God’s purpose and plan for your life. Today, we are guarded in the world and our inheritance is kept in heaven. The inheritance will be only those who persevere to the end.

“kept…through faith “-When Christ shall be revealed, it shall be revealed.

Our Living Faith

a) We have a growing faith- v6-7 “though now for a season”- this indicates that our joy is unconditional. It does not depend on circumstances. Joy comes in spite of suffering.

—“temptations”= trials testing your faith—which is greater than gold

If gold, perishable though it is, being only of earthly, temporal value is tested out and proved genuine, how much more should faith with its eternal value for us not also be tested and proved genuine?

TRIAL—testing, the state of not being fake or counterfeit

-a temptation or an adversity, the enduring of which proves the merit of an individuals faith.

a)Trials are often necessary— proving the genuineness of your faith, and teaching us humility. Trials put our face before God.

b)Trials are distressing—teaching us compassion.

c)Trials come in “manifold” various forms—variegated, “many colored”-Trials come in a variety of forms and colors.

God uses the trials to burn off our dross, to temper or soften us, according to our needs. Stress deepens and strengthens a Christian’s faith and lets its reality be displayed. TRIED means proved genuine, test for the purpose of approving.

Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good—God tested them and found them worthy of Himself, like gold in the furnace, He tried them and accepted them.

The focus here is on the value of genuine faith in God’s sight on the day of judgment.

The idea is that the sufferings believers experience are not the result of fate or impersonal forces of nature—they are the will of God.

Read

1 Peter 4:19 KJV 1900

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

BUT, WHY IS IT GODS PLAN FOR CHRISTIANS TO SUFFER? Vs 7 gives the answer.

“be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”- VS7

imagine what the reward of grace will look like when we see Jesus—

praise of their fidelity of faith—Matt 25:21; 1 Col 4:5; Romans 2:7

2) the honor which Christ promises to His faithful servants and shows to them by honorable position—John 12:26

Our Unseen Savior

vs8

Peter is letting us know that we have a Savior who is standing alongside us in the furnace. He is present even though we cannot see Him.

LOVE

“whom having not seen, ye love”-

We usually love one whom we have seen and have in this way to prize. BUT—Peter’s readers had never seen Jesus. So, therefore, they could not love him in this way. Although they had never looked on Jesus with their natural eyes, THEY CONTINUE TO LOVE HIM! They love Him with the high love of intelligence.

Love—(agapao) present tense indicating a continual for regular activity. Even though they had never seen Him, they continue to love Jesus! This implies a daily relationship with the ascended Lord—a relationship through prayer and worship.

FAITH

Note, Peter mentions LOVE first, and FAITH second.

“yet believing”- the Hebrew thought is referring to a person in a stable stance—feet positioned so he could not be pushed over. The thought is pointing to a person who is dependable, loyal or trustworthy.

—to trust or to rest one’s confidence in or to depend on!

Faith is expressed by a participle—“yet believing, you continue”

Peter must have had in mind the word of Jesus in John 20:29.

NOTE— the act of believing carries a sense of resting oneself in Jesus Christ.

How do we believe in Him?

JOY

--joy inexpressible---physical expressions such as shouting, dancing—even in the midst of suffering.

“rejoice”— present tense and is translated—“continually rejoice”—

“inexpressible”—this describes a joy so profound as to be beyond the power of words to express.

Read 4:14—IF you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you because the Spirit of the divine glory and of God is resting upon you.

We rejoice with a joy which is beyond poor human utterance.

JOY IS ALSO—

--full of glory—joy and glory cannot be hidden—a joy that has been infused with heavenly glory and still possesses the radiance of that glory.

It is a flowing fountain produced by the Spirit—it is a witness to the power of the Gospel and to all who come in contact with Gospel people under pressure.

Peters main point is clear—Believers who suffer are not overwhelmed by their troubles.. They love Jesus Christ and rejoice in Him, even though they have never seen Him and do not see Him now. Their lives are characterized by a Hope that fills the present with Love and Joy.

Our Guaranteed Salvation

vs9

when it comes to spiritual delivery, we don’t have to worry. God guarantees the deliverance of our souls—a deliverance from our present sin, and also the glorification of our physical bodies as well.

Salvation is present as well as future—

“And you receive the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls”-

Can you hear Peter? He is explaining why believers are filled with love and joy for Jesus Christ—-They have love and joy because of the prospect of future salvation!

Before us is the ENTIRE PROCESS of growth in the Christian life—

Jesus is Resurrected

We have a lively Hope in Him

We have an inheritance awaiting us

We are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation

Our Faith is Tried

Yet, we Love, have Faith in and Rejoice in Christ

And at last, Faith will run its race and then Salvation will step in.

This is why we can have HOPE!!