Born Into a Living Hope – 1 Peter 1

Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #223.  Today we’ll read 1 Peter chapter 1 together: Peter extols that we have been born into a living hope and makes a call to holy living.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

Welcome

I am so excited about starting the two letters from Peter.  He is one of my favorite men in the Bible.  There is never any wondering who Peter is or what he’s thinking.  He’s totally transparent and an incurable blurter.  He is impulsive – well, at least he was during his three years with Christ – and had a habit of acting before thinking.  He’s totally relatable to me because, well, he and I share a lot of the same traits.  

To Be Expected

Peter’s first letter is almost totally about bearing up under the weight of suffering.  It was written in the mid-60s AD, apparently just before or just after the city of Rome burned, probably at the hand of Nero.   Nero deflected the blame onto the Christians, and they were forced to scatter.  Peter even addresses this first letter to the exiles.  His purpose in writing this letter was to encourage and strengthen these Christians.  Paul had likely just been beheaded and people were most likely feeling hopeless.  It fell to Peter to teach them how to live hope-filled Christian lives in the midst of persecution.  

Suffering is to be expected.  This world is not our home.  The wisdom that Peter pens is as useful for us today as it was for those early believers.  I pray that you love this book as much as I do.  Please let me know you thoughts as we go along at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

1 Peter Chapter 1

Greeting

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ:

To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

A Living Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith  — more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire  — may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

A Call to Holy Living

Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy. 

If you appeal to the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in reverence during your time living as strangers. For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times for you. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other, from a pure heart love one another constantly, because you have been born again  — not of perishable seed but of imperishable — through the living and enduring word of God. For

All flesh is like grass,

and all its glory like a flower of the grass.

The grass withers, and the flower falls,

but the word of the Lord endures forever.

And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.

Closing Thoughts

As I read the book of James again for my own personal reading, I realized that Peter doesn’t just draw from Paul’s letters and teaching but also from James.  Did Peter’s greeting sound familiar in light of James?  They both spoke to believers who had been scattered by persecution…the first led by Paul and the other initiated by Nero.  They both also quoted Isaiah 40:6-8 in each of their first chapters:  All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field.  The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass.  The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.”

But regardless from which of his mentors he draws or from the Holy Spirit directly, Peter lists reason upon reason why any believer – regardless of persecution – can glean encouragement from what they know about their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  And we can too.  

He has given us new birth into a living hope through Christ’s resurrection.  Yes, we have died with Christ and to our old selves.  But we have risen to a new life and landed squarely in the eternal arms of Jesus the Christ…our sustainer, our redeemer, our Savior, our Lord.  We have nothing to fear.  What can man do to us?  Our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and kept in heaven for us.  We are guarded by God’s power.

For A Little While

We may have to be patient for a little while.  We may have to suffer grief and various trials.  But this will prove the character of our faith.  These trials will refine us as fire refines silver and gold, but our faith is much more valuable and will result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus comes again.    We haven’t seen Him, but we love Him.  And even though we can’t see Him now, we believe in Him.  And the inexpressible and glorious joy we feel carries us through with hope, knowing that we will receive the goal of our faith which is the salvation of our souls, something we cannot do by ourselves.

The prophets who believed and studied and foretold about Jesus and the angels themselves have longed to see these things that have been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit that resides in us if we believe in Jesus Christ, repent from our old way of life, and chase after Him for the rest of our days.  Let’s pray.

Prayer

Father God, what wonders You have prepared for those who love You!  It’s true what Paul wrote to us…we see through a glass darkly.  But we have rock-solid faith that someday in Your good time, we will see You face to face.  Indeed, what joy that will be and the memories of any sufferings we endured will fade in the light of Your glory and grace.  Therefore, Lord, as Peter writes, help us to be sober-minded, to keep our eyes and hope continually on Your coming again.  Help us to be obedient children.  Help us to be holy because You are holy.  Spur us on, Holy Spirit, not only to encourage others who are like-minded, but to share this gospel with all who will listen.  We want to share this hope with a hurting world.  Break our hearts for what breaks Yours.  Amen.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.