DEVOTION – DAY 593

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Living Hope” 

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”

The apostle Peter begins his letter of 1 Peter by praising God, the Father, for out of His great mercy, He has given all believers of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, a new birth. This refers to being born again. All Christians also have a living hope even though they may face suffering and persecution. In the Bible, hope is not just wishful thinking. Hope is a confident expectation that God always keeps His word and promises.  

Just as God resurrected Jesus Christ, Christ’s resurrection secures for all believers their new birth and the hope that they will be resurrected just like Jesus one day. Christians are born again with a living hope grounded in the confident expectation that one day, they will receive an eternal inheritance. This inheritance will never perish, spoil or fade as they spend eternity with the Lord.

As we approach Easter, we remember the death of Jesus Christ on the cross on Good Friday and rejoice in His resurrection on Easter Sunday. We thank the Lord Jesus for His sacrifice on the cross to atone for our sins. We rejoice that the Lord had conquered the power of sin, death and Satan. We thank God for His assurance that just as He had resurrected the Lord Jesus, He will resurrect us too one day, when it is our time to do so. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 confirms this. Let us approach this Easter with grateful thanksgiving to God for His grace, mercy and love. Let us rejoice that we have His love, joy, peace and blessed hope.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we worship you for are merciful, gracious and loving. You have redeemed us from judgment for our sins by the shed blood of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your gift of salvation. We pray for all unbelievers that whilst there is still time, everyone will come to call on Jesus as their Lord and Savior so that none will perish. We humbly pray in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Discuss why these verses give you the hope that of a future resurrection and why it is important to you.
  2. What are some steps you can take to help your loved ones and friends come to hear the gospel and to have opportunities to receive their gift of salvation?
  3. What kind of inheritance do you think awaits you in eternity? Read Revelation 21-22. Discuss.