What Is Our Living Hope?

I Peter 1: 3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

We give credit to God the Father, the great God and Originator of the concept of Creation, the Head over all; who is Father to our Lord Jesus, our Christ. 

who according to His great mercy 

It is the Father's mercy that does not give us the punishment we deserve.

has caused us to be born again 

We receive our physical life from our mothers when we are conceived and born. But we are born with dead spirits, so we need to receive spiritual life, too. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again," spiritually (John 3:3-7).  

to a living hope 

The World sees hope as a wish, but our hope in the Lord is alive, it's knowing we can trust Him to do what He says He will do, He will keep every promise. Our hope is knowing that we just haven't seen it yet. 

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that everything He said is True, and we can trust Him implicitly. It's not blind faith, because we can see spiritually what the physical eye cannot. Because He lives I can face tomorrow.  

To obtain an inheritance 

An inheritance is received after the death of the one we inherit from. Jesus died, and we stand to inherit all His riches. We have already received this inheritance, we just don't see it yet.

which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, 

Everything in this World is temporary. It wears out. It breaks down. It decays. Science calls it the Second Law of Thermodynamics, entropy. It is the curse God put on the whole Universe as the consequence of sin. Because it is damaged, it must be done away with, so that the perfect can come in. 

The inheritance we have is not damaged, it is perfect, so God is keeping it safe for us with Himself where He lives, ready to give it to us at the right time, when we're ready for it. 

Who are protected by the power of God 

To make sure we will get it, He is protecting us, too, so that we will not miss receiving what He has already given to us, by His great power. 

through faith 

Through our trust, our reliance on Him.

for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

We have already been saved from the power of sin over our lives right now. This Salvation that we will experience is when God Redeems us out of this body of mortal flesh by changing it into a spiritual body, transforming us to be like Jesus in His Resurrection Body. Because He rose, we also will rise.  

In this you greatly rejoice, 

Anticipating this, we can feel happy, we can rejoice in knowing it's there waiting for us, we can be joyful in realizing what God has already prepared for us to enjoy.  

even though now for a little while, if necessary, 

Regardless of the circumstances we may find ourselves in right now.

you have been distressed by various trials, 

These Jewish Christians don't fit into either the Jewish society of their relatives, or the Gentile society of their neighbors. So they are vulnerable to mistreatment and persecution for being "different." 

Just like when we live as Christians in the midst of our secular societies today.

So that the proof of your faith, 

If our faith is genuine, we truly are trusting in God and Jesus' Sacrifice on our behalf; then no matter how others treat us won't matter or turn us away from God's ways in contrast to the World's ways. 

being more precious than gold which is perishable, 

The most valuable substance we have on this Earth has always been gold. But gold is of this Earth, so will one day be consumed by the fire of God. 

Our faith is more precious, has greater worth and value than anything on this Earth or in this World. We are more precious and we have greater worth and value than anything else God created including His holy Angels.

even though tested by fire, 

Just as gold is refined by fire, so we also are tested by the refining fire (not consuming fire) of trials and sorrows and troubles. 

may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

For the purpose of refining us, our lives, our attitudes, our thinking processes; so that it will be right and proper for us to receive all the honorable and valuable things He has already given to us, that we will experience when He returns. When He comes back to set up His Kingdom on this Earth, every eye will see Him, He will be manifested to the whole World, the whole Universe! And we will be with Him! 

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, 

Even though we have not seen Him with our eyes yet, we know him; and to know Him is to love Him, because He is Love and we cannot help but love Him back! 

and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, 

Even though we still haven't seen Him with our eyes, we still trust Him and lean on Him and depend on Him. In my weakness I must rely on His strength. 

you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 

The joyfulness we can enjoy right now cannot even be put into words!  

Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

We can experience this joy as the result of knowing that we are seen of God right now as already finished with this schooling and graduated into the position of kings and queens ruling the New Heaven and New Earth in the authority of King Jesus. 

Our souls are mentioned here, because that is where our minds and emotions reside, from whence come our attitudes and lifestyles. Our hearts are the wellspring from which our lives come (Proverbs 4:23). 

When Jesus "saves your soul," He saves all of you: your body, your soul, and your spirit. We are three-part beings, made in the image of God, and we are not complete without all three parts. 

Paul said that to be without the body is to be unclothed, and we don't want to be naked, but to wear the spiritual robe of our glorified, spiritual body (II Corinthians 5: 1-4).

So the Blood of Jesus shed for us, sprinkled upon the sides of His altar, the Cross, has such high value that He cleansed our whole selves, and bought the whole Universe. That's why He came. And that's why the Father put it all in His hand to own. And that's why He rules. 

O Father, You are the Great Originator. O Lord Jesus, You are the Savior and Redeemer and King over all. O Spirit, You are the Holy Being who lives in us, the Power that gives us victory over sin, and teaches us God's ways, and has sealed us up from ever getting lost or losing out on what God has planned for us.

O Holy Trinity, You are our Great God! There is no other! There could never be any other that could in the least even compare with You! You have shown us how to think, how to live, how to worship You, how to see ourselves as You see us, how to humble ourselves beneath Your great Awesomeness! 

You have done it all: You thought it all up, planned it all out, took care of every exigency, wrapped it all up in Your mercy and grace, and finished it to the very end. And now we are watching You work it all out in the line of Time. 

When Time is no more for this Universe, then You will go on to make other Universes and Worlds and Creations from Your limitless imagination! Forever and ever and ever.

You have told us that His Kingdom will never stop increasing! (Isaiah 9:6-7). 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!