Proverbs 10.28
“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”
The fate of the righteous and the wicked are again contrasted. Both the righteous and the wicked have hope for the future, but when the future arrives, the wicked’s hope is dashed, while the righteous experience joy because what they expected comes to pass.
The word “hope” in English is usually distinguished from certainty. We normally say, “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I hope it happens.” For the Christian, however, hope is a matter of confidence and certitude, because it is attached to Jesus himself.
“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, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1.3-5)
Christians are people who have trusted in Jesus and are thereby “born again to a living hope.” This hope is a certainty for the Christian; not merely a possibility. Peter describes the hope of the Christian in powerful terms: “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
In other words, “the hope” of the Christian is salvation and citizenship in the kingdom of God. It is the grace-gift of God. It is not something we earn or achieve, it is something we receive by faith.
The living hope should shape how we live today. This is Peter’s message a few verses later:
“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. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1.13-16)
Whenever you see the word “therefore” in scripture, be aware that the following passage is teaching something based on the previous passage. Peter is telling us that because we have been born again to a living hope, we should therefore be obedient to God’s standards and live in a way that reflects the holiness of God.
May the people of Jesus fully grasp the living hope that we have in Christ.
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” (Hebrews 10.21,23)
