1 Peter 1:3-7 English Standard Version
Born Again to a Living Hope
3 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, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 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.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
The person who truly believes on Savior Jesus begins eternal life here on earth. (John 17:1-4)
He leaves the old sinful life of serving self and enters a new life of freedom from the bondage of sin.
He is free to serve the Lord.
As he walks with God and is faithful, he has the promise that this new life will continue right into heaven.
With the spiritual resurrection, there comes a new power, new interests, new joys, and a new and living hope.
God does not intend for this new life to grow old.
It cannot, for it is of Him.
The Christian is to walk (continue) in newness of life by abiding in Christ.
“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2).
The spiritual birth is marked by a new nature.
This is a divine nature (1 Pet. 1:4).
A few of the characteristics of this new nature are a soft and tender spirit, a humble evaluation of one’s worth, heartfelt knowledge of one’s helplessness and need of the Lord.
Such a humble and contrite spirit is precious in God’s sight (Ps. 51:17).
When Saul was anointed king of Israel, he had this spirit.
Sad to say, Saul later lost that state of being little.
Samuel asked him, “When thou was little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel…?” (1 Sam. 15:17).
The challenge of every Christian is to maintain the new, fresh spirit that he received at his conversion.
Transformation-empowerment
1 Peter 1:3-4 New Living Translation
The Hope of Eternal Life
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
How does transformation occur in our lives?
Any approach to transformation that puts self at the center is doomed to failure.
Self-improvement and self-enlightenment cannot produce any lasting personal transformation.
Divine empowerment is the only sure method to change.
That’s why the apostle Peter begins his letter by stating,
“[God] has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
We are empowered from the inside out as God gives us spiritual birth and causes us to grow in stature and grace.
A huge man stepped on the scale, not knowing it was defective.
A tiny boy watched closely to see how much this person weighed.
The needle rose quickly, but to the boy’s astonishment it stopped at 50 pounds, close to what the boy himself weighed.
The boy looked at the man, then at the scale, then at the man again, and said to his mother, “Mom, that guy must be hollow inside.”
A lot of us are hollow inside.
Without the power of Christ’s resurrection, we too are empty.
But if we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we have received imperishable treasure.
A treasure freely given by grace.
It is our brand new life of Jesus Christ, constantly, continuously, guiding, living, moving, shaping, reshaping, transforming us through His great love, within us.
The Newness of Eternal Life
John 3:16-21 English Standard Version
For God So Loved the World
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
The newness we celebrate at the start of each day pales in comparison to the ultimate newness we receive through Christ.
Eternal life isn’t just about a future promise; it’s about a present reality that transforms how we live today.
When we embrace the newness of eternal life, accept we are part of something far far greater than ourselves—an unshakable kingdom that will never fade.
I remember when I first understood this truth fully.
It wasn’t until a hard season in my life that I truly grasped what it meant to have eternal life through Jesus.
I realized that no matter what happened in the world or in my circumstances, the gift of eternal life could not be taken away.
This profound shift in spiritual perspective gave me the peace that surpasses understanding. I knew I had a forever hope beyond what this world could offer.
Eternal life changes everything.
It shifts our values, our priorities, and even the way we see hardship.
Each day becomes a step closer to the fulfillment of God’s promises.
So when the trials of life come, we can face them with the assurance, confidence that we are forever secure in the incomparable love of God, which never ends.
As we contemplate this resurrection journey, let’s remember the newness we experience now is just but a foretaste of the eternal life we have in knowing our Savior Jesus Christ that will never fade, never separated from, but last forever!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …
Praying,
Praise the Name of the Lord
148 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.[a]
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 