Tag: Mercy

Birthed into Hope

Iris Godfrey

“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.

   

Eternal – That’s Us

Iris Godfrey

“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

Our English translations do pretty well with this passage, but I have chosen to translate it for this post so I can bring out some interesting things that might easily be missed.

The word used for “Blessed” is the normal one used for that word. In essence it means “to speak well of” and we get our word “eulogy” from it. Many translations use “praise” here instead,  and although that carries the idea, I think to understand that when I bless my Father, I am speaking well of Him in every way. Indeed it is praise, and then some. It is a verbal pronouncement of His goodness and love in every dimension. So Peter begins with what is burning in his heart by allowing the blessing of the Father be to the Father. Such things begin to fill us to overflowing in gratitude and love as we ponder who He is to us and for us.

The next phrase, “who in His great mercy,” is again another form of blessing. (Have you noticed that as you bless Him you feel it both directions? I bless Him, but that is in reference to how He has and is blessing me – so the circle of fellowship in the word is complete). This is the heart of the matter. This entire passage (which we will study for a bit of time) is really all about fellowship in Him, with Him and through Him. He is relational – everything here is about fellowship in Him. His great mercy, expressed through our Lord Jesus Christ is awesome. Mercy is an entire concept that we so often just read over.

Our Father’s great mercy is Jesus Christ – In Him He has given us everything Jesus Is. None of it based on us, except for the fact that He loves us. All of it is based on the love action of provision from our Father that we would have fellowship with Him. And not just fellowship, but a recognition that we originate in Him. We have been “born again,” or better put, “born from above.” The actual Greek word means “regenerated.” So now through Christ Jesus, we are sons and daughters of the Most High God through birth.

Think of the awesomeness of that – we come from Him. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that He chose us before the foundation of the world. He is now my beginning – and He has no such thing – so we have no such thing either. He has no end, neither do we. Being born from above means we are also as He is – eternal.

That is awesome to contemplate – especially when one is my age. However, age really has nothing to do with anything. This is not a “time” belonging (although a close examination of “time” in Revelation will reveal that it does not end – eternity is endless time), but an eternal belonging, fellowship, inclusion. WOW! Just preached myself happy!

More later.