1 Peter 1: 1 - 12

Read 1 Peter 1: 1-12

Verses chosen for meditation: I Peter 1:3 - 4, 6 - 8 ESV:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 

Reflect

Is faith of any value if it is not tested?

What is a living hope?

How is hope different from faith and how are they related?

Relate

It's interesting that Peter, the most talked about disciple in the gospel, should start his letter on a rather difficult, if not the most difficult, subject: trials. This is way different from what some churches are touching on or emphasizing today.

Trust Peter who had been there, done that, from casting net to where Jesus had specifically told him to after a fruitless night's empty catch to walking on water, from witnessing the feeding of the 5000 to the transfiguration, and from denying Jesus to reaffirming his love for him, to know exactly what's important and what's not, and what’s real and what’s not about the Christian faith.

Faith is the very foundation of our Christian belief. Without faith, there will be no salvation to speak of. And without trials, there will be no testing of faith either. Such untested faith is as good as the faith of any man on the street.

So, for Peter to zero in on faith and trials at the outset says a lot about the fundamentals. He chooses not to sugar-coat it. Instead, without mincing words, he bears out the hard fact that we are as strong as our faith, the test of which is the trials of this life.  A faith that has never been tested is simply untried while a faith that has been tested is more precious than gold.

On the other hand, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. In the same way, all trials and no joy make Peter or John a drained man. It was never intended that way. There is hope, a living hope for all who believe. And an inexpressible joy awaits us beyond the trials.

What then is a living hope? A hope that is evident even in the midst of trials. A hope that more than sustains the believer. A hope that breaks forth into joy where words fail and spirit speaks. A hope that looks beyond the present into the promised future. A hope like no other. A hope that does not disappoint.

Of late, I've been thinking about the difficulty of sharing hope with another. While love can be shared in a certain tangible way, we're often at a loss when it comes to sharing hope, especially with those whose situation seems utterly hopeless.

Most certainly, we can share hope by sharing the gospel. For the gospel offers eternal hope. And what can possibly beat that? I don't think there's anything that can top that.

Since we all have this hope of eternal life, we should be expecting every believer to be brimming with hope, but somehow that's not the case. We're weighed down by the disappointments, frustrations, setbacks and limitations of this life.

What hope then are we talking about? Ask anyone who is experiencing great distress and pain, anyone who is barely surviving in the midst of all the hopelessness, and the list could go on.

The ancient Greeks had two kinds of stories: comedy and tragedy. A comedy is fun, but it isn't real. If we take a hard look at life, it is sad. But if we ignore life, then it is funny. 

But tragedy doesn't have to have the last word. God saves the best for last. Besides wanting us to focus on knowing him, he is also concerned about our situation. He is, after all, the God of hope. (Excerpt from Paul E. Miller: A Praying Life)

Importantly, before we can share hope with another person, we need to radiate hope ourselves. For we are the best advertisement there is of hope. Others should be asking us to account for the hope that we have.

I remember someone asking me some fifteen years ago about the hope that I had when all he could see was a sinking ship. It's been a while since someone had asked me about the hope that I have. Suppose it’s high time to rediscover hope for myself.

Through the years, I have learned that hope is being sure of an outcome. It's like 'seeing' the future, but not necessarily through a vision. It could be visceral like having a strong gut feel. The closest description is that of a foretaste. 

A classic example is the 18th century composer, Fanny Cosby. Despite being blind, it didn’t stop her from penning one of the most beautiful lyrics. A line from the hymn 'Blessed Assurance' goes like this: Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.

Faith, on the other hand, is being sure of who God is. It is how well we know God, so much so that we are willing to put our whole trust in him. No matter what happens, God is still who he is. It does not shift our understanding, but only deepen it. 

Therefore, faith helps us to trust and even rest because we know who God really is while hope helps us to wait for the day because we know it will surely come to pass. Meanwhile, we see it taking place in our mind's eye. 

The relationship between faith and hope is intricately intertwined. A living hope is dependent on an absolute faith in God. The ability to persevere under stressful and unfavourable circumstances is dependent on that hope in return.

When absolute faith and living hope finally meet, there is joy, inexpressible joy. Is it any wonder that no one displays it better than Christ (Hebrews 12: 2)?

Rest

Lord, grant us your grace as we go through trials in this life. May our faith grow to be absolute as it is being tested. In hopelessness, too, may we find hope. Not just a straw - clutching hope, but a living hope. So that when our tested faith meets our living hope, inexpressible joy bursts forth from deep within us.

Naville Chia