A Living Hope – The Secure Inheritance of Exiles (1 Peter 1:3-7)
In these verses, Peter continues to offer encouragement and assurance to the exiled believers who are scattered, marginalized, and suffering.
Peter calls these exiles to look beyond their immediate circumstances and to anchor their souls in the living hope they have in Christ. This hope is not like the fleeting hopes of this world; it is a living, unshakable hope grounded in the resurrection of Jesus.
Peter directs the exiles’ attention to their inheritance, reminding them that their future is certain, and it is being guarded by God Himself. The apostle’s words here are rich in theology, reminding the believer that the hope of salvation is not merely a future expectation but a present reality that is being secured and maintained by God’s sovereign power.
A Response of Praise: God’s Initiative (v. 3)
In verse 3, Peter begins with an expression of worship: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
This declaration is more than just a theological point; it’s a call to worship, an exhortation to recognize the greatness of God for who He is and what He has done. The apostle begins with praise because, as he will explain, all of the promises and blessings that belong to the exiles stem from the initiative of God Himself.
This is the reason that in many liturgies, this is the pattern we follow: God speaks to us, and we respond with praise and adoration. God initiates all of the blessings we enjoy in Christ, and our response is to give thanks.
In the Christian life, we do not act in a vacuum; our entire existence is a response to the sovereign grace of God. Thus, every prayer, every song, and every act of worship is a response to the God who is the Creator, the Savior, and the Sustainer of our lives.
Peter’s praise in verse 3 centers on God’s mercy. This mercy is not a passive but an active work that has brought about our new birth. Peter describes this new birth as being born again into a “living hope” through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
The significance of this new birth cannot be overstated. It is the action of God’s mercy that has brought us to life spiritually, securing for us an unshakable hope that can never be taken away. Unlike the fleeting hopes of the world, this is a hope that is tethered to the living, resurrected Christ and is rooted in God’s eternal, unchanging mercy.
The Inheritance (v. 4)
In verse 4, Peter directs our gaze to the inheritance that God has prepared for us as His children, which is described as “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.” This is not an inheritance that the believer has earned; it is a gift given by God. The believer does not have to perform or work for this inheritance; it is already theirs by virtue of their new birth in Christ.
This is a fundamental truth of the gospel: salvation and the promises of God are given to us freely by grace and received through faith.
The inheritance is “imperishable,” meaning it will never fade, grow old, or be consumed. Unlike the earthly treasures that can be stolen, damaged, or lost, this inheritance is impervious to decay.
It is “undefiled,” meaning it is untouched by sin, corruption, or contamination. It is as pure and holy as the God who has promised it.
And it is “unfading,” meaning it will never lose its value, its beauty, or its excitement. This is the inheritance awaiting all who are in Christ—an eternal, glorious, and secure possession that will never fail, disappoint, or become boring.
Moreover, this inheritance is not just a concept. It is something that has been “reserved” for the believer in heaven. Peter makes it clear that it is ready for us. God has already prepared it, and it is waiting to be revealed at the proper time.
This inheritance is not a distant or uncertain reality; it is a present possession for the believer, secured by Christ, and waiting for the fullness of God’s timing. The certainty of this promise is a source of immense hope for the exiles, especially in the midst of their suffering.
Kept by God’s Power (v. 5)
Verse 5 offers a powerful assurance for the believer: “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
The inheritance is not only reserved for the believer, but the believer is also being kept for the inheritance. The security of the believer does not rest on their ability to persevere or maintain their faith but on the power of God to guard and preserve them.
It is God’s power that keeps the believer secure in their salvation, and it is by His power that the believer will be brought to the full realization of their inheritance. The apostle emphasizes that this preservation is not passive but active. God is actively guarding and keeping His people through faith, which is the means by which we continue to trust in His promises.
Our perseverance in the faith is not due to our own strength but to God’s power working in us and through us.
Peter’s words echo the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, which teaches that God will not allow His people to fall away but will keep them secure until the end.
The believer’s assurance of salvation is not based on their ability to remain faithful but on the fact that God is faithful to keep them. This brings immense comfort to the exiles, who are facing trials and persecution. Their security is not contingent on their circumstances or their efforts but on God’s unchanging and all-sufficient power.
The Instrument of Hope (v. 6-7)
Peter moves on to describe the role of faith in the life of the believer. In verses 6 and 7, he writes, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 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.”
Peter acknowledges the reality of suffering. The exiles are enduring trials, and these trials are not to be minimized or ignored. However, Peter reframes their suffering in light of the greater reality: these trials are serving a divine purpose.
The trials do not prove faith in God—God does not need to be convinced of our faith, because He is the one who authored it (Heb. 12:1)—but they serve to prove our faith to ourselves and those around us. The trials of life reveal the authenticity of our trust in God.
As Gerhardus Vos points out in his sermon on this text, our faith is the substance of our hope. The Apostle wants his readers to understand that if they have faith, it is proof that they have a hope waiting for them. As the author of Hebrews states, it is the substance of our hope, and it is the evidence that our hope is sure. If you have faith, it is proof positive that you have a hope being reserved for you, and you are being reserved for your hope.
The more the believer’s faith is tested, the more it proves to be genuine and precious. This is why Peter emphasizes that our faith, though tested by trials, is of greater worth than gold. Gold may perish, but faith is eternal, and it has the power to bring us to our ultimate hope.
Moreover, Peter points out that this faith will result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Our faith, tested and refined, will be vindicated at the return of Christ. This is the ultimate hope—the day when our faith will be rewarded, and our inheritance will be fully realized.
The Person Who Secures Us (v. 8-9)
Finally, Peter points the exiles to the person who enables all of this: Jesus Christ. In verses 8-9, Peter writes, “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, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
The exiles have not seen Jesus in the flesh, but they love Him. They do not see their hope in its fullness, but they believe in it.
This is the nature of faith in Christ—it is a faith in the unseen, a hope in what is not yet fully realized. The fact that the exiles love and believe in Jesus, even without seeing Him, is a testimony to the strength and reality of their faith. It is a faith that is grounded in the unseen realities of the gospel, and this faith will be vindicated when Jesus returns.
Peter emphasizes that this faith, which loves and believes in Jesus, leads to an inexpressible joy that is filled with glory. This joy is the result of a certain hope we have in Christ, and it is a joy that transcends the temporary hardships of this life. The outcome of this faith is the salvation of our souls—the ultimate and final redemption that will be realized when Jesus is revealed in glory.
Conclusion
In these verses, Peter paints a vivid picture of the believer’s hope—a hope that is living, secure, and certain.
The inheritance of the believer is reserved and guarded by God’s power, and it is through faith that we lay hold of this inheritance. Trials and suffering are not meaningless but serve to purify our faith and prepare us for the day when Jesus Christ will be revealed in glory.
As we look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we can be assured that our future hope is as secure as the faith we have in Him today. Our joy, though not fully realized yet, is inexpressible because of the certainty of the salvation that awaits us. Let this hope, anchored in the person and work of Jesus Christ, fuel our perseverance through the trials of this life as we await the glorious revelation of our inheritance in the age to come.