April 28, 2013
M. Kelly
1 Peter 1:3-5
Title: A Living Hope
It's a living hope, not counterfeit, or because of some event or circumstance, but a hope that is based on gospel realities.
What is living hope?
A hope that is made alive and kept alive by the power of God. It is active, employed, always at work even when it seems gone, it's sustaining and sure, it's over-ruling of our circumstances, it's comforting, conforming (conforming us by the truths), it's focused, future hope based on past realities.
1. A living hope is a powerful hope. Why is it living? It's living because of who God is and what He has done. Who can give hope and keep it alive in the believer? Only God can! He is the author of life. There is never time when life began. It has always been because God has always been alive.
Peter was an eyewitness to the resurrection. It was the efficient cause of our new birth and our hope. Eph 2:4-9. We are seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places because of His resurrection.
Why? So that in the ages to come He might show us His surpassing grace and riches in Christ Jesus.
No one is the author of their own hope or life. This is a gift from God. It's alive by His power. Eph. 1:18-20
The resurrection is the reason we are made alive spiritually and have a living hope.
When we are convicted of sin and conformed to the image of Christ Jesus, it is the power of God at work in our lives. The power of God is God Himself working in our lives. Phil. 2:12-13
Rom 5:1-5~we exalt in hope
A relationship with Jesus Christ does not exempt us from suffering, indeed it guarantees it! But through those sufferings our hope shines.
This hope needs to be powerful in light of our corrupted natures.
V. says protected while some translations say kept
It's military....prevent from escaping, prevent us from being separated from God's love.
What kind of power can raise someone from the dead? We do not have that power. We can never do it. Can we change someone's view on something? Can we change a man's heart? NO! Only God can do this!
It is all praise to God for what He has done to maintain this living hope, to give this living hope!
What would we use the power of God for if we had it? We would probably use it for destruction instead of maintaining some else's hope!
God is always pleased with our praise for who He is and we should praise Him for this living hope.
2. It's an exclusive hope. It does not exist outside of Christ. Man hates that fact. v. 4 It's reserved in heaven for you! v. 1-2 Peter is writing to the chosen ones....the elect according to the foreknowledge of God.
We are born again to something....to a living hope! It's exclusive and it's inclusive of all those who are chosen. It includes the seasons of life. It's part of the new birth, a gift of God.
v. 3 according to His great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope. It's His mercy, not our own efforts!
Eph. 1:3-14
The passages that talk about election are not written to proof texts for the doctrine of election. They are written that we might rejoice in what we have in Jesus Christ! It's written to praise of the glory of His grace!
3. Our living hope is a rich hope.
v. 4 we have an inheritance!
Our hope is tied to this inheritance that is safe, protected, imperishable and undefiled. No bad investment can take that inheritance away!
Our earthly inheritance is not guaranteed. We may lose it. We can not lose our heavenly inheritance!!
We can be promised an earthly inheritance but we might die before we even get it! Or it may not be there when we think we might get it.
Our inheritance will be there, guaranteed! We have a sure hope of it!
*Ask, what do you hope happens when you die?...a good question to ask people. Ask by whose power will that happen? How will you avoid the punishment for your sins? By whose power will you avoid the judgment day?
4. It is a believing hope.
What is faith? Believing the promises of God concerning His Son. v. 5 We are protected by the power of God through faith... No blind faith in Christianity. It's never blind. It has an object always. It is reasonable. We hope in the promises of God and who God is. It's a focused hope.
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
5. It is a patient hope.
Hoping is disciplined waiting. Waiting for our inheritance that is reserved. It is future. Salvation is to be revealed in the last times. It has not come to its full completion. We have but the first fruits, the pledge of our inheritance. We don't always feel like we have this hope because we have seasons in our lives, but our hope keeps going even when we don't feel it.
6. It's a righteous hope.
It's based on the righteousness of another. Matt. 6:31-33. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Why do we have so little assurance? Because we seek our own righteousness instead of His righteousness.
*We are either puffed up in our well doing or cast down in our failures because of our sins. We miss the mark. It's his righteousness that we must seek, not our own!
Ps. 22:30-31 He has performed it! It's His righteousness!
Ps. 7:17 give thanks according to His righteousness!!
We too often think our Christian life lies in feeling bad enough long enough for our sins to get back in God's favor. We forget about His righteousness that he gives to us. Let us praise Him for his righteousness.
Eph 6 loins girded with truth and breastplate of Christ's righteousness!
His obedience is our obedience! It's His righteousness and we are righteous in Christ!!!
7. It's a hope that Changes us!
Col. 3:1-5 Raised up with Christ. Keep seeking things above.
Signs of life: Prayer, conviction, desire for Christ's righteousness.
It all exalts Christ.
*The Holy Spirit always exalts Christ and humbles us.
8. This living hope is a weapon. Part of our armor.
v. 5-6 Peter immediatly goes into trials. Our hope sustains us in the midst of afflictions. It comforts us and helps us to be content in our circumstances. It gets sharper with use.
9. It's a not yet completely fulfilled hope.
2. Cor. 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:2-7
We groan, longing for our inheritance in heaven.
We are prepared for this purpose by God.
We walk by faith not by sight.
10. It's a hope that will surpass our expectations.
It will never die. v. 4
*Our best years are ahead of us! Don't sigh because you are aging. That is a worldly view. You are moving toward heaven!
11. This hope is always accessible.
You must go to the word of God to be fed by this hope! If you never go to the Word and think about these things and apply them, we will not grow in this hope.
12. It is a renewable hope.
It's living, does not die. We may have seasons where we feel like we lost it, but this hope can be renewed, revived, strengthened by the word of God. 1 John 2:1-2
🌹🌺🌻Marsha🌻🌺🌹
He is the Α and Ω and everything in between. Îστιν ÏŒ Α Ω. (Revelation 22:13)
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