Hope When Life Is Hard
Sunday, October 9 th 2022

1 Peter 1:1-12
Introduction

The only way to view life in hard times, is through HOPE in God and His promises

I. Peter’s Audience
Peter designates himself as an ‘apostle’ an authoritative messenger of Jesus Christ and
he is writing to Christians living in Asia Minor – modern day Turkey. Peter calls these
‘Gentiles’ the ‘elect exiles of the Dispersion’ or those who put their faith in Jesus and are experiencing persecution.

Peter uses the Trinity in his opening:
‘according to the foreknowledge of God the Father’
‘in the sanctification of the Spirit’
‘for the obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood’

II. Peter’s Living Hope (v.3-5)
‘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.’
The living hope for the Christian is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this
hope that is able to sustain us through suffering/persecution.
v.4,5 – “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.”

Our inheritance is imperishable – it will never die; it will remain forever
Our inheritance is undefiled – it is not corrupted; spoiled
Our inheritance is unfading – it will not wither or fade

III. Peter’s Hope in God’s Promises (v.6-12)
v.6 – “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.”

Why does Peter mention our salvation as inheritance THEN moves into trials and
suffering? Because our temptation when trials come is to question our salvation
or God!

‘rejoice…grieved by various trials…”

‘tested genuineness of your faith’  A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted!

‘result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ’
v.10-12 – Even though the OT prophets did not see clearly when their prophecies would be realized, they did foretell that Christ would suffer and then be glorified. The OT prophets were not ‘serving themselves but us’ concerning Christ and even the angels long to understand fully what has been accomplished.

IV. Conclusion