There is something special about sitting down with your Bible, a pretty colored pen, and a sheet of paper to see what happens. It feels like treasure hunting. And the nuggets I’ve found while studying 1 Peter chapter 1 is akin to striking gold.
In the first half of the chapter, Peter celebrates the work of God, begun before the foundation of the world, to purchase His children out of bondage with the precious blood of Jesus and to give them (us) an eternal inheritance at the end of days. His language is exuberant, his tone congratulatory.
In the second half of the chapter, he directs his readers into the proper response after receiving the precious gift of salvation and in the waiting of the full realization of our salvation in the life to come. He refreshes commands from the Old Testament to be holy as God is holy and to love others with a pure heart. But the one thing that struck me the most as I studied settled in my heart as a question.
Where is your hope?
Peter doesn’t explicitly ask this of his readers, but hope is woven throughout the whole chapter. In verse 3 he speaks of “living hope” rooted in the resurrection of Jesus, and then in verse 13 he commands them to “set your hope” on the graces waiting for them after the second coming of Jesus.
The fact that Peter commands them where to place their hope implies a possibility to set their hope on things other than Jesus. He seems to offer three possibilities for the focused attention of their/our hearts: 1) the “passions of your former ignorance” in verse 14, 2) the current trials of life in verses 6-7 and implied in verse 24, or 3) the outcome of our faith rooted in the imperishable Word of God in verses 9 and 25.
I feel as if Peter is taking on the role of Big Brother, putting his arm around our shoulders and saying, “Listen, if you focus on your past you’ll get stuck in guilt and shame and trapped in bad habits. If you focus on the current trials and persecutions, you’ll be discouraged and afraid. But, if you focus on the wonderful riches of your salvation both now and in the days to come, you can have hope and joy that defies understanding.”
I looked up the meaning of the word “hope” in the Greek these readers would have read his letter in. It means: “to wait for salvation with joy and full confidence.” (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1679/kjv/tr/0-1/) I don’t know about you, but when I am going through difficult times, I often feel frustrated, afraid, and worried that the future is going to bring more harm than good. My focus is inward, on how I’m going to escape from this trial so life can feel easy again. I don’t have have confidence that God is going to come through for me in the ways I’d like. That’s not the kind of waiting Peter wants us to engage in. He wants us to “set our hope” or in the words of Paul, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2)
If you find yourself turning to old habits for comfort or bemoaning your current circumstances, I would join Peter in encouraging you to “set your hope” on the eternal Word of God which promises a glorious inheritance waiting for you in Heaven. I know for me, this is harder than it sounds. But it is always worth it when I take the time to refocus my mind away from self and onto Jesus. I find my spirit lifted, my hope restored, and my smile returned to my face. I believe the same will happen for you.
This world is full of brokenness and broken people. You can find heartache anywhere you look. But if you keep your eyes on Jesus and your thoughts filled with gratitude for all you have in Him, you can endure any trial with joy and hope and peace. And in so doing, you will be a testimony of God’s grace to those around you. May it be so Lord Jesus.