He has given us new birth into a living hope
1 Peter 1:3 - We are given new birth — born again — into a future in which we have eternal life in our Savior, who conquered death and showed us the way.
An older Peter stands overlooking Jerusalem and the garden tomb at sunrise years after the resurrection. His face reflects gratitude and awe rather than sorrow. Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.
“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,”
1 Peter 1:3 NIV
Exactly four years ago today (5/18/22), I published a podcast for Heaven On Wheels that had 1 Peter 1:2-9 as the topic. Barb had joined me in the blessing of being able to study scripture just a month earlier (4/10/22), and we were both learning (with the help of some folks we had done Bible study with). I’m no longer doing podcasts (too much effort for too little audience) and I’ve learned a lot about the Bible and Jesus since 2022, so when God picked this verse for me to study today, I jumped at the chance.
Much of the first half of 1 Peter 1 is the apostle giving thanks to God. When a Christian really puts some thought into the significance of the salvation God gave to us through the resurrection of Jesus, it should give that person the impetus to drop to his or her knees in an enormous outpouring of praise… or at least quietly offer a prayer of gratitude and thanks.
D. Edmond Hiebert provided this insight, cited in David Guzik’s commentary on Enduring Word:
i. Hiebert says of the extended passage 1 Peter 1:3-12: “This beautiful passage is the outpouring of an adoring heart. Only one who has devoutly contemplated the greatness of our salvation could utter such a magnificent paean of praise, one that prepares and encourages the suffering soul to steadfastly continue the spiritual battle.”
Peter begins by praising God — always a good way to initiate an epistle!
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Guzik says of God’s mercy (quoting Spurgeon):
ii. All His goodness to us begins with mercy. “No other attribute could have helped us had mercy been refused. As we are by nature, justice condemns us, holiness frowns upon us, power crushes us, truth confirms the threatening of the law, and wrath fulfils it. It is from the mercy of our God that all our hopes begin.” (Spurgeon)
Peter praised God for giving “us new birth into a living hope.” The Precept Austin commentary on 1 Peter 1:3-4 examines the new birth — the thought of being “born again” — in extreme detail. Peter is pointing out that when a person becomes a believer and receives the salvation given by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, they are made a new creation in Christ as noted by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
While “a living hope” sadly sounds like a remake of the first Star Wars movie, it’s infinitely more profound than that! We are given new birth — born again — into a future in which we have eternal life in our Savior, who conquered death and showed us the way. In the Enduring Word commentary, Spurgeon is quoted as saying:
i. “It is also called a ‘living hope,’ because it is imperishable. Other hopes fade like withering flowers. The hopes of the rich, the boasts of the proud, all these will die out as a candle when it flickers in the socket. The hope of the greatest monarch has been crushed before our eyes; he set up the standard of victory too soon, and has seen it trailed in the mire. There is no unwaning hope beneath the changeful moon: the only imperishable hope is that which climbs above the stars, and fixes itself upon the throne of God and the person of Jesus Christ.” (Spurgeon)
I loved this inspiring sermon note found on Precept Austin from Pastor Alan Carr that further explains what is meant by “a living hope”:
Alan Carr - Our hope is a “living hope” that is sure, certain, and real, as opposed to the deceptive, empty, false hope the world offers. You see, many in our day are pinning their hopes on their 401K plan. Many have their hope in the stock market. Some have their hope in their health or their family. This is a hope based in wishful thinking! When the New Testament uses the word “hope” it does not refer to a fond wish or desire. It means, “a confident assurance based on the Word of God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that produces an excited response.” Do you get it? When we, as believers, speak of our hope of heaven, we are not talking about “pie in the sky, by and by.” We are talking about a sure thing! We are talking about something that is more solid that the ground under our feet. We are referring to something that is settled by the inerrant, infallible, Word of God! Friend, the world may be in turmoil today, but those who are saved possess a hope that is out of this world!
This living hope is made possible “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” To explain the necessity of Christ’s resurrection to produce this hope in believers, we once again go to Precept Austin and this devotional from 19th century minister J C Philpot:
J C Philpot Devotional (June 21)…
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was God’s grand attestation to the truth of his divine mission and Sonship, for by it he was “declared to be the Son of God with power.” It therefore set a divine stamp upon his sacrifice, blood shedding, and death; showed God’s acceptance of his offering; and that sin was thus forever put away. Now, just think what would have been the dreadful consequences if Christ had not been raised from the dead, or if we had no infallible proofs (Acts 1:3) of his resurrection. There would have been, there could have been no forgiveness of sin (1Co 15:17); and therefore, when the conscience became awakened to a sense of guilt and condemnation, there could have been nothing before it but black and gloomy despair. But Christ being raised from the dead and having gone up on high to be the High Priest over the house of God, and the Holy Spirit bearing witness of this both in the word and through the word to the soul, a door of hope is opened even in the very valley of Achor. The Holy Spirit, who would not have been given had not Christ risen from the dead and gone to the Father, now comes and testifies of him to the soul, takes of the things which are his, reveals them to the heart, and raises up faith to look unto and believe in him as the Son of God, and thus, according to the measure of the revelation, it abounds in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ro 15:13-note).
There is so much packed into this one verse! Thanks to God, and thanks to the apostle Peter for expressing the enormity of what God did for us in his mercy and grace through the resurrection of Jesus!
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
Dear Heavenly Father, how I worship You for Your overflowing grace and abundant mercy. Thank You that through faith in the death and Resurrection of Jesus, You have brought me into Your family and set before me the living hope of heaven. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
More and more I think new Christians think that rebirth means God doing more things for them, rather than them doing more things for God. And going to heaven instead of hell is far back in their minds to be considered after "today" is taken care of. I am trying to adjust my teaching methods to prepare them better.