1 Peter 1:3
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)
While it is true that we will face all kinds of troubles in this world there is an underlying truth that in spite of all of our struggles we have hope. Peter reminds us here that we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. One could say, "What is the worst that man can do to me?" If we are killed we will only be raised to new life eternal.
The truth of this living hope ought to be the very thing that helps us get through the most difficult of times. Peter himself, as tradition tells us, was crucified upside down for his faith in Jesus Christ. We may or may not have to die in the same dreadful way. As horrific of a death as this was for Peter it did not nullify the living hope that he speaks of here in verse 3. Rather, he had hope as he passed from this life into the next.
Was Peter the recipient of this living hope because of his natural goodness? We know for certain that Peter denied Christ 3 times, just as Jesus said that Peter would do. Peter was far from a perfect man. Peter knew that his living hope was because of the great mercy bestowed upon him by his heavenly father. The means that enabled that mercy to be realized was the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is encouraging to realize that we today are recipients of this same living hope that the Apostle Peter had. Do we have access to this living hope because of our goodness? Of course not. Just like Peter had experienced, we have hope because God caused us to be born again. This is a result of the gift of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. It is a gift of grace, not works.
Take a moment and give God praise for the living hope you now have. Seek to live your day today in gratitude because of the great gift of salvation from God the Father, through the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ.
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