Holy Hope - 1 Peter 1:1-5
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/21/11
HOLY HOPE 8-21-11
Over my lifetime I’ve heard phrases like “holy mackerel” and “holy moly” and “holy Toledo” and “holy cow” used as expressions of surprise by people, not only in comics, cartoons and TV shows, but even in regular conversation; yet I still haven’t been able to figure out what makes those things holy. Even the dictionary defines the word “holy” as referring to something sacred or godly, and is normally used in the context of service and devotion to God. Yet people have the uncanny ability to take meaningful and significant words and turn them into meaningless slang and trivial expressions, which at best blurs and obscures the substance and importance of the word.
The word “holy” in the Bible is used to identify God; and to identify and set apart people and things that are related to God in special or significant ways. As Christians we profess a sure and certain hope in a holy God, who makes us holy. The connection between “hope” – the certain hope we have in Christ – and the fact that on the basis of this Christian hope God has set us apart as “holy,” is what I want us to look at this morning from I Peter chapter 1. We have a “Holy Hope” and in verses 1 – 5 Peter tells us why this is true. So follow along with me: I Peter 1:1 – 5:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, 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.
Peter begins his letter, which is written to Christians all throughout Asia Minor, by reminding us of the blessed and holy hope we have as God’s elect people because of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. We have a “holy hope” first because we have been set apart as God’s people; and second because we have been made spiritually alive as God’s people.
Our Christian hope is based upon what God has already done and accomplished for us in Christ – He has declared us holy because of Christ’s holiness – we have a sure hope because we stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ. But our Christian hope is also based upon what God is still doing in us now – He is making us holy by conforming us to the image of Christ. The first two verses of chapter 1 speak about the fact that our holy hope sets us apart as God’s people. God has taken the initiative to set His love and mercy upon unholy people – people like us – and through Jesus call us into His family in order to be holy.
So when we think about and talk about our Christian hope, we must do so first on the basis of God’s redemptive plan. In a world that doesn’t offer any real or lasting hope; and in a world that often disappoints us for various reasons, God has done something great for us. God has selected us out of the world. Peter opens the book in verse 1 by calling us “God’s elect” or God’s selected ones; and then in verse 2 he tells us why: we have been chosen by God. For Peter’s first readers this great truth wasn’t so much about theology, but it was about hope. In a first century context of persecution and suffering for their faith, it was a tremendous comfort to know that God chose them. God chose them, just as He has chosen us, out of the world’s system, to be His people in this world. This is who we are.
Paul says in Ephesians 1 that God chose us in order to be holy; and to live out this holy hope in the world. This becomes a little clearer when we realize that God has made us strangers in the world – verse 1 – “To God’s elect, strangers in the world.” The word “strangers” refers to sojourners; to people who are temporary residents, and as those who are “just passing through” we are not to be attached to the things of this world. God has selected us out of this world, not literally or physically, but spiritually; thus the way we live in this world should reflect the fact that our true citizenship is in heaven. We are not there yet, so as Peter tells us in the next chapter: “Live as strangers or sojourners in the world by abstaining from sinful desires . . . and live such good lives among the pagans that they see your good deeds and glorify God.” Our holy hope as Christians sets us apart – not geographically – but by the way we live our lives.
This leads to a third point: God has scattered us throughout the world. The early church was scattered first because of persecution, as we read in Acts, and God used this to spread the good news of the gospel. God’s design is for His people to be scattered and spread out among all the nations.
We are to go into all the world with the gospel, and to spread our holy hope as Christians – the true hope of Jesus Christ – as salt and light to a world that has no true hope. God has not only selected us out of the world to be His people, but He has also sanctified us in order to go to the world as His people. Verse 2: “Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.” God has set us apart for His purpose and has qualified us to be His representatives in this world. As Peter goes on to say in verse 2, this sanctifying work is for obedience to Jesus Christ. Like Paul said in Ephesians: we have been set apart for holiness.
As John says in I John 3:3: “Everyone who has this hope in Christ – this holy hope – purifies himself just as he is pure.” This position of being sanctified or set apart by God leads us as Christians to the practice of sanctification, and the desire to be holy because He is holy. The only reason that we can go to the world with this message of hope is because God has sanctified us and cleansed us through the blood of Christ – this is the hope we profess and proclaim – and it’s this same hope that continues to cleanse us and forgive us as we live in this world. And so at the end of verse 2 we see that God has sprinkled us in order to stay clean in the world. The blood of Christ’s sacrifice has saved us; it’s redeemed us and set us apart as God’s people, but this sprinkled blood of Jesus continues to provide ongoing forgiveness and cleansing as we live in this world, and strive to live holy and godly lives as God’s people. We are to practice our position. (Ex. of Josiah)
God’s redemptive plan for us through His Son Jesus Christ is the basis or foundation for our hope; our holy hope as Christians. So in his introduction, Peter points out these five great truths that God has done for us as Christians: He has selected us to be His people; He had made us strangers in this world; He has scattered us throughout it; He has sanctified us in order to go to the world; and has sprinkled us with the blood of Christ in order to be cleansed as we live in this world. We are now spiritually alive and active in this world as God’s people. God’s redemptive action on our behalf is designed to now make us active in this world. We are not to remove ourselves from the struggles or the conflicts; we are not to give up or give in to the temptations of this world, but rather our holy hope is to be focused on Jesus Christ our Living Savior. Thus in verses 3 – 5 Peter gives praise to God for the hope of our salvation; and the great implications it has for us as Christians. Beginning in verse 3 Peter writes:
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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, 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.
The emphasis of these verses is that because we have a living Savior as Christians we now have a living hope which affects the way we live our lives as Christians in this world. Peter’s point is that this living hope is not just a future hope – it’s not something that we just sit back and wait for – but it’s also a present hope that makes us alive and active as God’s people in the present. According to these three verses, our Living Savior gives us five things. First, He gives us a new and abundant life – verse 3: “In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope.”
Jesus Christ makes us spiritually alive – this is what Jesus meant when He said you must be born again – He gives us a new life, but Jesus also gives us quality of life. When most people talk about “quality of life” they are not thinking spiritual, but physical. Jesus said that He came that we might have life – spiritual and eternal life – and that we might have it abundantly, meaning that it would be full or rich. In other words, our hope in Christ makes us rich; it gives us the spiritual resources to live holy and make an impact on this world for Christ. Paul says in Ephesians 1 that we have been blessed by God with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Second, our living Savior gives us a new and genuine hope. This hope we have as Christians is not an empty hope or a false hope. It’s not the kind of hope that the world offers, which is short-term and then fades away or changes, or one that never comes. Our hope is as genuine and true as Christ’s resurrection, for that is what it’s based upon. Again, biblical hope in not the type of hope that we are accustomed to hearing people talk about. Our Christian hope doesn’t depend upon the promises or actions of people; it doesn’t rest upon the uncertainties of life; but it rests firmly upon the Word of our God, and the actions of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. This hope never disappoints us because it’s true and genuine; and because of our new birth in Christ, we have this hope in our hearts.
Third, our Living Savior gives us a new and guaranteed inheritance. This genuine hope has secured for us a guaranteed inheritance or future with God.
Verse 4: “And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you.” As God’s children we now have a legal right to our Father’s inheritance. Jesus Christ has earned this right for us and has made us joint heirs. In contrast to an earthly inheritance that will ultimately spoil, perish or fade, we have a heavenly one; and the fact that Jesus is already in heaven guarantee this for us. His resurrection from the dead to eternal life in heaven, guarantees our resurrection from the dead and our eternal life in heaven. Since our future is guaranteed, we see a fourth point in verse 5: our Living Savior gives us a new and assured protection in the present – “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.”
Peter is encouraging his first readers, as well as us, that in view of the present difficulties and suffering they are going through, God Himself will be your protector; He is your shield and fortress. Peter uses the imagery of a military battle, as does Paul when he talks about the armor of God, and reminds us that there is no power greater than God’s power; thus we need not be afraid to take up the sword of the Spirit to defend the living and holy hope we have within us as Christians. By faith in Christ we stand upon the promise of God and the protection of God for as long as it’s necessary. God has His own timetable for the final completion of His redemptive plan, but as God’s people in the first century or in the 21st century, we have a holy hope that cannot be defeated. It’s a living hope that should make us active in the present and excited about the future.
This then is the fifth point to see from the passage: Our Living Savior gives us a new and exciting future. The point that all the New Testament writers make about our future hope – the hope of Christ’s final coming and the fulfillment of our inheritance in heaven – is that this exciting, tremendous and awe-inspiring future should produce in us holy and godly lives now, in the present, as we wait for this amazing and fantastic time to come. Paul says that we are to live upright and godly lives as we wait for this blessed coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter says that we are to live holy and godly lives as we look forward to that day.
As Christians we have a holy hope because we have a holy God who has identified Himself with us through Jesus. He has saved us from our “unholiness” by giving us His righteousness. And so now we identify with Christ by faith, and through the process of sanctification we are being made holy, as we are conformed more and more to the image of our Savior.
© You’re welcome to recycle these resources for your church free of charge. However, if you find them useful, please consider making a donation to the ministry of GCC.
Pastor Dennis Bone
8/21/11
HOLY HOPE 8-21-11
Over my lifetime I’ve heard phrases like “holy mackerel” and “holy moly” and “holy Toledo” and “holy cow” used as expressions of surprise by people, not only in comics, cartoons and TV shows, but even in regular conversation; yet I still haven’t been able to figure out what makes those things holy. Even the dictionary defines the word “holy” as referring to something sacred or godly, and is normally used in the context of service and devotion to God. Yet people have the uncanny ability to take meaningful and significant words and turn them into meaningless slang and trivial expressions, which at best blurs and obscures the substance and importance of the word.
The word “holy” in the Bible is used to identify God; and to identify and set apart people and things that are related to God in special or significant ways. As Christians we profess a sure and certain hope in a holy God, who makes us holy. The connection between “hope” – the certain hope we have in Christ – and the fact that on the basis of this Christian hope God has set us apart as “holy,” is what I want us to look at this morning from I Peter chapter 1. We have a “Holy Hope” and in verses 1 – 5 Peter tells us why this is true. So follow along with me: I Peter 1:1 – 5:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, 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.
Peter begins his letter, which is written to Christians all throughout Asia Minor, by reminding us of the blessed and holy hope we have as God’s elect people because of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. We have a “holy hope” first because we have been set apart as God’s people; and second because we have been made spiritually alive as God’s people.
Our Christian hope is based upon what God has already done and accomplished for us in Christ – He has declared us holy because of Christ’s holiness – we have a sure hope because we stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ. But our Christian hope is also based upon what God is still doing in us now – He is making us holy by conforming us to the image of Christ. The first two verses of chapter 1 speak about the fact that our holy hope sets us apart as God’s people. God has taken the initiative to set His love and mercy upon unholy people – people like us – and through Jesus call us into His family in order to be holy.
So when we think about and talk about our Christian hope, we must do so first on the basis of God’s redemptive plan. In a world that doesn’t offer any real or lasting hope; and in a world that often disappoints us for various reasons, God has done something great for us. God has selected us out of the world. Peter opens the book in verse 1 by calling us “God’s elect” or God’s selected ones; and then in verse 2 he tells us why: we have been chosen by God. For Peter’s first readers this great truth wasn’t so much about theology, but it was about hope. In a first century context of persecution and suffering for their faith, it was a tremendous comfort to know that God chose them. God chose them, just as He has chosen us, out of the world’s system, to be His people in this world. This is who we are.
Paul says in Ephesians 1 that God chose us in order to be holy; and to live out this holy hope in the world. This becomes a little clearer when we realize that God has made us strangers in the world – verse 1 – “To God’s elect, strangers in the world.” The word “strangers” refers to sojourners; to people who are temporary residents, and as those who are “just passing through” we are not to be attached to the things of this world. God has selected us out of this world, not literally or physically, but spiritually; thus the way we live in this world should reflect the fact that our true citizenship is in heaven. We are not there yet, so as Peter tells us in the next chapter: “Live as strangers or sojourners in the world by abstaining from sinful desires . . . and live such good lives among the pagans that they see your good deeds and glorify God.” Our holy hope as Christians sets us apart – not geographically – but by the way we live our lives.
This leads to a third point: God has scattered us throughout the world. The early church was scattered first because of persecution, as we read in Acts, and God used this to spread the good news of the gospel. God’s design is for His people to be scattered and spread out among all the nations.
We are to go into all the world with the gospel, and to spread our holy hope as Christians – the true hope of Jesus Christ – as salt and light to a world that has no true hope. God has not only selected us out of the world to be His people, but He has also sanctified us in order to go to the world as His people. Verse 2: “Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.” God has set us apart for His purpose and has qualified us to be His representatives in this world. As Peter goes on to say in verse 2, this sanctifying work is for obedience to Jesus Christ. Like Paul said in Ephesians: we have been set apart for holiness.
As John says in I John 3:3: “Everyone who has this hope in Christ – this holy hope – purifies himself just as he is pure.” This position of being sanctified or set apart by God leads us as Christians to the practice of sanctification, and the desire to be holy because He is holy. The only reason that we can go to the world with this message of hope is because God has sanctified us and cleansed us through the blood of Christ – this is the hope we profess and proclaim – and it’s this same hope that continues to cleanse us and forgive us as we live in this world. And so at the end of verse 2 we see that God has sprinkled us in order to stay clean in the world. The blood of Christ’s sacrifice has saved us; it’s redeemed us and set us apart as God’s people, but this sprinkled blood of Jesus continues to provide ongoing forgiveness and cleansing as we live in this world, and strive to live holy and godly lives as God’s people. We are to practice our position. (Ex. of Josiah)
God’s redemptive plan for us through His Son Jesus Christ is the basis or foundation for our hope; our holy hope as Christians. So in his introduction, Peter points out these five great truths that God has done for us as Christians: He has selected us to be His people; He had made us strangers in this world; He has scattered us throughout it; He has sanctified us in order to go to the world; and has sprinkled us with the blood of Christ in order to be cleansed as we live in this world. We are now spiritually alive and active in this world as God’s people. God’s redemptive action on our behalf is designed to now make us active in this world. We are not to remove ourselves from the struggles or the conflicts; we are not to give up or give in to the temptations of this world, but rather our holy hope is to be focused on Jesus Christ our Living Savior. Thus in verses 3 – 5 Peter gives praise to God for the hope of our salvation; and the great implications it has for us as Christians. Beginning in verse 3 Peter writes:
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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, 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.
The emphasis of these verses is that because we have a living Savior as Christians we now have a living hope which affects the way we live our lives as Christians in this world. Peter’s point is that this living hope is not just a future hope – it’s not something that we just sit back and wait for – but it’s also a present hope that makes us alive and active as God’s people in the present. According to these three verses, our Living Savior gives us five things. First, He gives us a new and abundant life – verse 3: “In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope.”
Jesus Christ makes us spiritually alive – this is what Jesus meant when He said you must be born again – He gives us a new life, but Jesus also gives us quality of life. When most people talk about “quality of life” they are not thinking spiritual, but physical. Jesus said that He came that we might have life – spiritual and eternal life – and that we might have it abundantly, meaning that it would be full or rich. In other words, our hope in Christ makes us rich; it gives us the spiritual resources to live holy and make an impact on this world for Christ. Paul says in Ephesians 1 that we have been blessed by God with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Second, our living Savior gives us a new and genuine hope. This hope we have as Christians is not an empty hope or a false hope. It’s not the kind of hope that the world offers, which is short-term and then fades away or changes, or one that never comes. Our hope is as genuine and true as Christ’s resurrection, for that is what it’s based upon. Again, biblical hope in not the type of hope that we are accustomed to hearing people talk about. Our Christian hope doesn’t depend upon the promises or actions of people; it doesn’t rest upon the uncertainties of life; but it rests firmly upon the Word of our God, and the actions of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. This hope never disappoints us because it’s true and genuine; and because of our new birth in Christ, we have this hope in our hearts.
Third, our Living Savior gives us a new and guaranteed inheritance. This genuine hope has secured for us a guaranteed inheritance or future with God.
Verse 4: “And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you.” As God’s children we now have a legal right to our Father’s inheritance. Jesus Christ has earned this right for us and has made us joint heirs. In contrast to an earthly inheritance that will ultimately spoil, perish or fade, we have a heavenly one; and the fact that Jesus is already in heaven guarantee this for us. His resurrection from the dead to eternal life in heaven, guarantees our resurrection from the dead and our eternal life in heaven. Since our future is guaranteed, we see a fourth point in verse 5: our Living Savior gives us a new and assured protection in the present – “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.”
Peter is encouraging his first readers, as well as us, that in view of the present difficulties and suffering they are going through, God Himself will be your protector; He is your shield and fortress. Peter uses the imagery of a military battle, as does Paul when he talks about the armor of God, and reminds us that there is no power greater than God’s power; thus we need not be afraid to take up the sword of the Spirit to defend the living and holy hope we have within us as Christians. By faith in Christ we stand upon the promise of God and the protection of God for as long as it’s necessary. God has His own timetable for the final completion of His redemptive plan, but as God’s people in the first century or in the 21st century, we have a holy hope that cannot be defeated. It’s a living hope that should make us active in the present and excited about the future.
This then is the fifth point to see from the passage: Our Living Savior gives us a new and exciting future. The point that all the New Testament writers make about our future hope – the hope of Christ’s final coming and the fulfillment of our inheritance in heaven – is that this exciting, tremendous and awe-inspiring future should produce in us holy and godly lives now, in the present, as we wait for this amazing and fantastic time to come. Paul says that we are to live upright and godly lives as we wait for this blessed coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter says that we are to live holy and godly lives as we look forward to that day.
As Christians we have a holy hope because we have a holy God who has identified Himself with us through Jesus. He has saved us from our “unholiness” by giving us His righteousness. And so now we identify with Christ by faith, and through the process of sanctification we are being made holy, as we are conformed more and more to the image of our Savior.
© You’re welcome to recycle these resources for your church free of charge. However, if you find them useful, please consider making a donation to the ministry of GCC.
