Tag Archives: 1 Peter 1:13

Hope by Jesus’ work

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In my first two posts on hope, I introduced this description:

Hope is going somewhere good, by the work of Jesus and for the glory of Jesus.

It does not go without saying that Jesus is the one whose work produces real hope. We need to say – again and again – that hope comes from Jesus. That’s what this post is about.

The wonderful hope of every Christian is ‘through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (1 Peter 1:3). This hope becomes public ‘at the revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 1:7). Hope is of Jesus from start to end. Believers do not create our own hope, but we set our hope completely on Jesus’ return and unveiling (1 Peter 1:13).

This hope is absolutely unlike all other hopes in our world.

The football team hopes to win: their hope looks like training, strategy and years of effort. The movie director hopes for an Academy Award: her hope looks like obsessive attention to detail and passionate communication of vision. The student hopes to graduate: his hope looks like study, assignments and exams.

Any hope in this world depends upon human achievement. And therefore is exceptionally flimsy. Only one team wins the grand final. Most movies bomb. No student ever achieved 100% in every assignment of every course. Human hopes are often seen, justifiably, as close to dreams.

But Christian hope is different because gospel hope comes from Jesus.

Jesus has done it: death is defeated, sin’s sting is gone, the believer’s future is guaranteed. (See my first post.)

Therefore Christian hope has confidence and assurance. Our hope is already safe, so our hope is justified. Jesus is alive, so to trust his hope is right. Jesus guards our hope in heaven, so Christian hope is realism not escapism.

They say that receiving a terminal diagnosis concentrates the mind. That makes sense! “I will die soon – what should I make of my remaining time?”

Hope is just like that, but 100% good. Because of Jesus, every Christian has an ‘eternal life’ diagnosis. It should remove all fear and doubt. “I will live forever by the work of Christ – how assured I am!”

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The next post:
Hope for the sake of Jesus


 

Hope ahead

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The Bible’s idea of hope is a wonderful treasure of many parts. This post is the first in four I plan to write, all based on the following description.

Hope is going somewhere good, by the work of Jesus and for the glory of Jesus.

Hope looks ahead, because hope is going somewhere. Hope is a sure future.

This future includes the resurrection of all, just and unjust, for God’s final reckoning (Acts 24:14-15). This hope is our Christian inheritance, currently under guard in heaven until its unveiling (Colossians 1:5; Hebrews 6:19; 1 Peter 1:3-4). We hope for the glory of God (Romans 5:2). When all boiled down, our hope is Jesus himself (1 Timothy 1:1) – we long for him and we will see him.

There are, of course, false hopes in this world. Money is a greatly deceptive hope (Acts 16:19; 1 Timothy 6:17). Such worldly hopes will fail.

But Jesus does not fail and cannot fail. Hope, when it’s hope in the Lord, does not disappoint us. This hope is already won, already secure, already waiting.

Therefore, putting this into practice, we look ahead.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:13

 

We expect this hope, and teach ourselves about it. As we look ahead, we dedicate ourselves to learning what God has said about this hope. We will ever ask: What does our Father say?, Which things has he taught us?, What is the promise of God?

After all, angels long to look into these things (1 Peter 1:12). We would be fools to be uninterested or uncaring! As much as God has said to us about our hope – and no more than God has spoken – let us learn, and so hope well for the guaranteed future we have in God.

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Future posts in the series:
Good hope
Hope by Jesus’ own work
Hope for sake of Jesus


 

Thinking, New Testament-style

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Some observations on thinking in the New Testament. Here are some of the ways the Bible expresses what thinking involves. Some of the associations and links surprised me – and certainly warn against viewing ‘thought’ as pure rationality in operation.

  • You love with your mind, as well as with heart and soul (Matthew 22:37,  Mark 12:30 also adds strength)
  • You think with your heart (Luke 1:51)
  • Arrogance is a manner of thought (Luke 1:51)
  • Body and mind together have desires, which are not under control but drive us – the ‘passions of the flesh’ (Ephesians 2:3)
  • A dark mind is a relationship problem. More than not knowing it is not knowing God (Ephesians 4:18)
  • Christian unity is a thought, being ‘of the same mind’ (Philippians 2:2)
  • Humility is a matter of the mind, having ‘the mind of Christ’ (Philippians 2:5)
  • A mind can be actively hostile, a long way from cool rational detachment (Colossians 1:21)
  • The mind – like the heart – is a place for God’s law to live, by God’s generous gift (Hebrews 8:10)
  • The mind is the place to prepare for action (1 Peter 1:13)
  • A prod towards remembering motivates endurance despite scoffing (2 Peter 3:1ff)
  • Understanding is a gift (1 John 5:20)

There is plenty more to add to this. Yet these verses alone are enough to expand our thinking about thinking.

To me, there are two major reflections on this. One, our thoughts are intimately connected to the whole of what we are (our desires, loves, beliefs, actions, etc). Two, our thoughts are never neutral or impartial. We always think from a perspective and from relationships. Those relationships may be loving, or they may be broken – supremely our thinking flows from our relation to God.

Our minds will not save us. Only the gospel can save our minds.