Characteristics of Our Living Hope

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Characteristics of Our Living Hope

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Introduction

When we have trials and tribulations or health issues, and it seems like life is hard; where do we look for hope?
Today we’re going to look at the book of 1 Peter.
1 Peter was written to Christians who were living in areas and regions that were hostile to believers and they were being persecuted.
The Christians living in these hostile areas were losing rights, and being vehemently persecuted, especially in the Roman provinces.
In July of 64 A.D. Rome burnt down and Nero blamed the Christians, so the hostility of the people focused on Christians.
It would be like if the authorities blamed the Pioneer fire on a particular family – that family would be harassed and persecuted.
So when we have trials and tribulations, when we have problems either with health or family or money or anything that gets us down, we can be encouraged by the same words that encouraged those persecuted Christians.
What does Peter point to in order to encourage them? Their living hope.
Their living hope.
READ
I’m going to focus on verse 3 to 5.
In these verses Peter encourages those persecuted Christians and us through:
The Source of Our Living Lope
The Substance of Our Living Hope
And the Security of Our Living Hope
When Peter mentions our “living hope” what is he referring to?
“Hope” is an expectation. We have a confident expectation, but this expectation is a “living” expectation. It’s dynamic not static because it isn’t based in some abstract idea or wish, it’s based on a person - Jesus Christ, who is living.
This hope is the expectation of our eternal home with the Lord. That’s what Peter encourages us with – our future home.
Jesus said:
Our eternal home with the Lord. That’s what Peter encourages us with – our future home.
(1)  "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
(2)  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
(3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
The cure for a troubled heart is to remember that we will, one day, be in the presence of the Lord.
Our eternal presence with the Lord is where we draw encouragement in times of trouble.
So in 1 Peter, let’s look at verse 3 and see:

The Source of Our Living Hope

Look at verse 3 again, notice that first of all the source of our living hope is a product of God’s mercy.
(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy
The starting point is to remember that it is God’s mercy, and it is an abundant mercy its out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude.
God’s mercy is the essential ingredient to any kind of hope at all.
Verse 3 also says: has begotten us again to a living hope
has begotten us again to a living hope
That phrase “begotten us again” is referring to being born-again.
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

The Substance of Our Living Hope

(4) to an inheritance
Incorruptible
and undefiled
and that does not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you,

The Security of Our Living Hope

(5) who are kept by the power of God
through faith for salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.

Conclusion

(13) Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
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