Set your hope

In 1 Peter 1:13 we reach the first command, the first imperative in this epistle. Some preaching definitely needs a bit more application, but some preaching keeps loading people with things to do when the passage is all about what God has done!

Since verse 3 Peter has been praising the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has told us of our hope—the promise of resurrection and an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

He has told us this hope is certain, for we are shielded by God’s power. He has told us that this hope is only deepened through suffering.

He has told us that this hope and salvation was long foretold by the prophets because the Spirit of Christ was pointing them to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

As these words of hope continue to ring in our ears, Peter finally tells us to do something. And what does he tell us to do? 'Set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.' The first thing we should do is to go back to what God has done and what God will do!

A friend wanted to learn not to worry, so he wrote out all the 'do not worry' phrases from Matthew 6 and stuck them on his fridge. He also left out all the reasons that Jesus gave for why we should not worry!

If you want to avoid worry, do not spend all your time meditating on 'Do not worry.' Spend your time meditating on: 'Are you not more valuable than the birds that your Father feeds?' Or: 'Your heavenly Father knows what you need.'

In a similar way, Peter will give us things to do. There are plenty of commands and imperatives to come in the rest of the letter. But our first action is to consider God’s action.

Yes, we must prepare our mind for action; yes we must be fully sober. But these two participles in verse 13 are not direct commands but descriptions of the way we obey the direct command, which is to 'Set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.'

So, is your mind ready for being activated by the grace of God? What a thrill that we are being commanded to run further into the marvel that is the gospel! Are you fully sober and ready to consider the depth of meaning in the Apostle Peter’s command?

Here we go:

Set your hope on the grace and joy of arriving home after a life in exile.

Set your hope on the grace of resurrection, when death is defeated and banished.

Set your hope on an inheritance that cannot perish, spoil, fade or be taxed.

Set your hope on the day when suffering is over and your faith has been fully refined like pure gold.

Set your hope on the day when the malicious speech of the world is finally silenced by God’s word that says you are chosen and precious to him.

Set your hope on the God of grace who will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

What a commandment! What liberation comes when our first response to God’s grace is to push deeper into God’s grace!

Set your hope on the more-than-inexpressible and more-than-glorious joy when you will finally see Jesus, revealed in all his glory.