Living Hope 1 Peter 1:3-5

J.R.R. Tolkien, in The Lord of the Rings, wrote, “Where there is life there is hope.” Hope is more than simply a nice thing to have as you try and navigate the twists and turns of the joys and disappointments of life. Hope is a basic, fundamental need for all people. I don’t know if high school kids are still studying Abraham Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs, which was developed in 1943, but surely any college student who takes Psychology 101 is familiar with the theory that describes what drives human behavior and what makes people feel fulfilled. Maslow said there are five key human needs that people must meet in order to feel fulfilled. They include physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. The definition of a basic need is anything that is fundamentally connected to an individual’s physical or mental well-being. Abraham Maslow believed that only when the more basic needs are met can we then seek fulfillment in the areas which lead to self-actualization. I’m certainly not going to argue with Abraham Maslow, but I do think that there is a need that is inherent in all people that are found in every level of need and yet transcends all of the needs he lists, and that is the need for hope. Tolkien said, “Where there is life there is hope,” but Viktor Frankl might say, “Where there is hope there is life.” Viktor Frankl was an accomplished psychiatrist and neurologist when he, his wife, and his parents were arrested by the Nazis in 1942 and transported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. His mother was immediately murdered in the gas chamber. Viktor’s wife, Tilly, and his father would die in the concentration camps as well. Viktor survived those long grueling days and nights in four different concentration camps before the Germans were defeated and he was released to go back to his home in Austria. When Frankl made his way back to Vienna, Austria he began working on a book, Man’s Search for Meaning, which came out of his experience in the concentration camps. In his book, Viktor Frankl tells how hope for the future was the single most important factor in determining whether his fellow prisoners survived the Nazi concentration camps in World War II. Viktor Frankl saw so many men and women lose hope in the camps and simply give up, not caring at all what happened to them. Frankl wrote in his book,

The prisoner who had lost his faith in the future—his future—was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual health and hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay. Usually this happened quite suddenly, in the form of a crisis, the symptoms of which were familiar to the experienced camp inmate. (Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning.)

There are many today who are losing hope. Study after study, released in 2023, reported that the rates of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness are on the rise in young and old alike. They have lost hope that a better day is coming. A series of disappointments can unravel and exhaust our hope. We can’t live without hope, but where can we find a hope that will endure the disappointments of life? That will be the focus of our study this morning.In our study of 1 Peter we have learned about those Peter had in mind when he penned his letter. They were going through difficult days. They were strangers, exiles in the society in which they lived, and even more difficult days were ahead. And yet, Peter wanted to remind them they had a “living hope.” Their hope was not in the power of the Roman Empire, their own strength to turn lemons into lemonade, or a change of address. Their hope was a living hope rooted and grounded in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Let’s look at our Scripture for this morning found in 1 Peter 1:3-5.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV)

In verse 2, Peter had reminded the followers of Jesus who were scattered throughout five provinces of the Roman Empire that though they were suffering and their prospects for the future didn’t appear to be any better, they were not victims, they were chosen by God from the foundation of the world. They were not forgotten by God, but they had been set apart by the Holy Spirit and that same Holy Spirit was continuing His work in them, to mold them and shape them into the image of Jesus. They were not an afterthought in a random universe, but they had been chosen for a purpose and that purpose was to be obedient to Jesus, to live out His call upon their lives as they made their way to their heavenly home, a home far greater than any home this world could offer. This is the reason Peter bursts out in praise in the opening sentence of verse 3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” Look what God has done! Peter goes on to describe what God has done on their behalf in verses 3-5. Read it again with me.

3 …In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3b-5 NIV)

Peter tells us that God, “in His great mercy,” has done all of this for us. In Ephesians 2:4, Paul reminds us that God is “rich in mercy.” Take a look at Ephesians 2:4-5 with me.

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV)

God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions,” while we were yet sinners wanting nothing to do with God–God did this and He did it for you and for me. I was talking to someone last week that told me they had heard someone say, “God helps those who help themselves.” I’ve heard that line my whole life. I bet you have as well. I don’t know where it came from, but it didn’t come from the Bible. The Bible teaches a totally different truth. The Bible teaches that God helps those who are helpless. God helps those who don’t have what it takes to help themselves. God helps those who are bent over, run down, and are being crushed under the weight of life. God helps those who have gone too far, who have done too much, who believe they could never come back, are not worthy of forgiveness, and have thrown in the towel. Through His great mercy, His great mercy, He gives these kinds of people “new birth into a living hope.” One night a Pharisee, a man with a long list of degrees in theology named Nicodemus sought out Jesus in the shadows, out of the public’s eye. The right reverend doctor Nicodemus said,

2 …"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." (John 3:2 NIV)

It is an amazing admission isn’t it?! All throughout the Gospels we read where the Pharisees and the teachers of the law wanted to get rid of Jesus, they plotted and planned to kill Jesus, and eventually they accomplished their goal. Here is a Pharisee who went looking for Jesus and acknowledged that He had come from God. Jesus responded to Nicodemus in John 3:3 by saying,

3 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." (John 3:3 NIV)

“Nicodemus, you might have more degrees than a thermometer, you might be able to recite chapter and verse of the Torah, you might even have those who call you ‘Reverend or Rabbi,’ but if you want to see the kingdom of God…you must be born again.” Nicodemus didn’t understand so Jesus made it crystal clear for him and for you and me. Jesus said,

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:14-17 NIV)

Peter told those early followers, the “elect exiles,” that because of God’s great mercy He had given them “new birth” into a “living hope” through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” If Jesus were standing before you this very morning He would tell you the same thing He told Nicodemus, “You must be born again!” You may have grown up in a Christian home. That’s a wonderful gift, but you must be born again. You may be like me and didn’t have the blessing of growing up in a Christian home, still, you must be born again. You may have grown up in a home where your parents were atheists, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, or Hindu–still, you must be born again if you want to see the kingdom of God. For those who will trust in Jesus, He will give you “new birth,” you will become a new creation in Christ Jesus, into a living hope. Our having a “living hope” is not based on crossing our fingers and hoping things will get better, but our hope is living, it is vibrant and alive because it is based on an event that happened almost two thousand years ago–the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. You can travel the world today and find the graves of the greatest religious leaders in the history of the world, but you cannot visit Jesus’ grave because He is not there–He is alive! Because He lives, our hope is a living hope! Not only does the fact that Jesus lives give us a living hope, but it guarantees for all who will trust in Him, an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Read 1 Peter 1:4-5 with me one more time. 

4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:4-5 NIV)

We know about inheritances don’t we? For some of us our knowledge about inheritances is merely hearsay, we’ve heard stories about people who have received an inheritance even though we have never received one nor does there seem to be any hope of our receiving one in the future. Here’s the good news for all of us who are followers of Jesus, whether you have received an inheritance or not, you have an inheritance because of Jesus' resurrection from the dead and your inheritance can never perish, spoil or fade. This is beyond great news when you consider that most earthly inheritances are lost, they perish. Steve Hargreaves wrote an article for CNN Business titled Squandering the Family Fortune: Why Rich Families are Losing Money. He wrote,

Nearly 60% of the time a family's money is exhausted by the children of the person who created the wealth, according to Roy Williams, president of wealth consultancy The Williams Group. In 90% of the cases it's gone by the time the grandchildren die. (Steve Hargreaves, CNN Business, June 25, 2014)

Michael Klepper and Robert Gunther, in their book, The Wealthy 100, tell the story of the Vanderbilt family. In the 1800s the patriarch of the family, Cornelius Vanderbilt, amassed a fortune, over $200 billion in today’s money, in shipping and railroads. After he died Cornelius’ children and later his grandchildren chose to use their inheritance in lavish living. By the 1970s, the family held a reunion with 120 members of the family in attendance, and there was not one millionaire in the crowd. Peter says the inheritance which is kept in heaven for all of those who are followers of Jesus will never perish, neither can it spoil or fade. When Peter wrote about the believers’ inheritance he wasn’t thinking about the rich who leave vast fortunes to their children, but he had God’s chosen people in mind, the Israelites.When God brought those Hebrew slaves out of captivity in Egypt, He told them He would lead them to the Promised Land. In Joshua 13-22 you can read about how God divided Canaan, the Promised Land, among the twelve tribes of Israel. Actually, nine and a half tribes were given land in Canaan and two and a half tribes, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, were given land east of the Jordan river. The only tribe that didn’t receive an allotment of land was the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe. In Joshua 13:33 we read,

33 But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them. (Joshua 13:33 NIV)

The Promised Land that God gave to His people was a fertile land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and yet it became defiled when God’s people turned away from Him and began to worship idols. In Jeremiah 2:7, God told His people,

7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. (Jeremiah 2:7 NIV)

The very people God had delivered from the clutches of Pharoah’s oppressive hand, the people He had given such a rich and beautiful land, chose to turn away from Him and in so doing they defiled God’s good gift. Isn’t that the story of all people? We take God’s good gifts and turn them into something He never intended for them to become. We turn away from the Giver and make the idols of wealth, relationships, our own comfort, sex, and prominence our ultimate desire in life. We defile God’s good gifts. This is why Jesus said,

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)

In Jesus, we have an inheritance that can never be defiled because our sinless King is undefilable. So, if you are a follower of Jesus, your inheritance can never be lost, become defiled, or fade. The Greek word translated “fade,” is the word “?????????” (amarantos), and it was used to describe the fading and withering of flowers. It is amazing how the treasures of this earth fade with time isn’t it? What was new and exciting, over time, loses its luster. That new car that you took such pride in, that caused you to be so excited, give it time and it will become just another car. As a matter of fact, give it time and you’ll want a new car. It brought you such satisfaction for a time, but over time its glory and the excitement it brought you faded. And such is the nature of all of earth’s treasures. “...Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” Our inheritance will be untouched by death, unstained by evil, and untouched by time! There is more to learn about the inheritance of our salvation through Jesus Christ’s resurrection and it is found in verse 5. Let’s back up and read the last sentence of verse 4 as well. 

4 …This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:4b-5 NIV)

Our inheritance, our salvation, is “kept” in heaven for you. The Greek word, translated “kept” meant “to be guarded” or “watched over.” It is the same word used to describe the centurions who were guarding Jesus as He hung on the cross in Matthew 27:54. It was used to describe the expensive perfume kept by the woman who poured it on Jesus’ feet and then wiped them with her hair in John 12:7. It is the same word Paul used when he wrote to the church in Ephesus and urged them to commit themselves to keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace in their congregation in Ephesians 4:3. Your salvation, found in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, is kept in heaven for you by God Himself. I’ve known people who felt, because they had failed to be “good enough,” that they had lost their salvation. I want to make something perfectly clear–salvation is not yours to lose, it is the free gift of God given to you because of His great mercy. We are all sinners who have failed miserably, and over and over again, but it is not our goodness that has saved us, it is Jesus’ willingness to pay the price of our redemption that saves us. Jesus told His followers in John 10:27-29,

27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (John 10:27-29 NAS)

Not only is our salvation kept in heaven for us, but Peter says that God’s people are “shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” We are shielded by God’s power, the strongest strength, the greatest power in all of creation. Nancy Jobes writes,

Peter’s choice of verbs here suggests that though the heirs may be in peril, nothing less than the power of God himself protects them. Certainly God’s power does not exempt Christians ‘from persecution or suffering. Believers may suffer agonizing pain, both physical and psychological, because of the faith. God preserves believers so that they will receive the final inheritance and experience the joy of eschatological salvation.’ (Schreiner 2020: 64) (Jobes, Karen. 1 Peter. pg. 90)

I mentioned to you when we started our study that we cannot live without hope. I didn’t need to remind you of the importance of hope, but what I have attempted to do this morning is to cause us to think deeply about the source of our hope. H.G. Wells’ hope was in the potential of humanity to create a better world. The heirs of Cornelius Vanderbilt had placed their hope in their wealth and the things it could provide for them to bring them happiness and contentment. What is the source of your hope? Are you hoping that this year you will turn the corner in your marriage? Are you hoping that your child will experience a breakthrough and experience freedom from those things which are keeping your home in turmoil? Are you hoping that your new life in America will bring stability and peace to your family? Are you hoping that your anxiety will be quieted and replaced by the peace that you long for in life? Are you hoping that those you have hurt will forgive you and life can get back to normal? I want to encourage you to keep hoping and praying. At the same time, I want to ask you a question: “What if nothing changes? What if this is as good as it’s going to get in this life?” Can you join Peter in praising God for all that He has done for you? If not, then your hope is a dead hope that will die with unmet expectations. You see, the one who wrote this letter, Simon Peter, was experiencing the weight of a dead hope after he denied he knew Jesus and then they laid Jesus’s lifeless body in a borrowed grave. Peter had failed the One he loved at His greatest time of need and now He was dead. When Jesus died, so did Peter’s hope…that is until God raised Jesus from the dead and He came and sought Peter out. Edward Clowney writes,

Hope was reborn in Peter’s heart with the sight of his living Lord. Now Peter writes to praise God for that living hope. The resurrection did much more than restore his Master to him. The resurrection crowned the victory of Christ, his victory for Peter, and for those to whom he writes. With the resurrection of Jesus and his entrance into glory, a new age has begun. Peter now waits for the day when Jesus will be revealed from heaven. Peter’s living hope is Jesus. (Clowney, Edward. 1 Peter. pg. 28) 

And the living hope of Jesus’ resurrection, that transformed Peter’s life, would transform the lives of those scattered people of God all across the Roman Empire. It is the living hope that can transform your life this very morning. Won’t you receive the gift of trusting in Jesus this morning?Mike HaysBritton Christian ChurchJanuary 28, 2024