“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy birthed us from above into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, being kept in the heavens into us who by the power of God are being guarded through faith, into a deliverance to be uncovered in the last time.” (personal translation)1 Peter 1:3-5
“… according to His great mercy He has birthed us into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” All of this greeting is linked organically together with each expression being dependent upon the next expression upon the next… you get the idea. They are all concepts of truth linked by their shared nature in Jesus Christ. To understand one is to open for the understanding of the other. Sometimes in teaching, in an effort to help reach for a fuller understanding of one, it can become an isolated thought instead of a piece of the whole. As we read and study, let’s reach for each without loosing sight of the whole. This we often call, “keeping things in their context.” It is one very important to understand. We can often misunderstand a portion of Scripture if that portion is not held in oneness with its surrounding portion.
In His great mercy – that which is out of Him, through Him, in Him, – He birthed us into a living hope. Our birth in Him (often called “born again” – best understood as “born from above) is into a living hope. First notice it is “into” not just “in.” There is a huge difference in the words. We are being born into something. Like being born into a family. In this family we are born into a living hope. Something living, eternal, never fading and the substance of this living thing is hope. Biblical hope is “confident expectation.” It is not a wish, as we might think in today’s usage.
We are always expecting Him and all His promises to unfold goodness and righteousness before our eyes and in our hearts. Hope is a vital element in continuing to live for without it the human spirit will quickly grow discouraged and begin to die. Hope is living in Jesus and it is in mercy, precious mercy and love that this is given and given in abundance.
We have been birthed into this marvelous expectation through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead. Once again, we are included in all He did. He did all not only for us but as us. This is a huge understanding that immediately enfolds us within.
Lord, thank you. We are so thankful to be included in You. As we enjoy today in You, may the emotional healing of belonging and inclusion in You begin to be our embraced placement in your heart with such living expectation of life.
Mannaword 