“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” — 1 Peter 1:1–9
This scripture is pure gold. It strikes me in three ways.
1. Give up your hope! It’s hopeless!
…I mean, of course, to give up your hope in this world and its offerings. In this world you will have trouble. For a little while — however long your life is, it is mathematically zero in length, relative to eternity — you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. So don’t let the world’s allures and promises of better distract you — it will ultimately disappoint (though we still enjoy its reflections of God’s goodness and grace).
But ultimately:
2. Your inheritance is kept in heaven
Your inheritance is kept in heaven (with God) for you, who through faith — obedient trust and belief — are shielded by God’s power (his Holy Spirit) until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
3. And so we greatly rejoice
Our faith will be proven, if we hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering — for he who promised is faithful.
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” — Hebrews 10:23
Then the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.
What a prize to look forward to. Praise, glory, and honour in the presence of King Jesus, the most wonderful and amazing and powerful human in the universe, seated at the right hand of the God of the universe, to whom we owe everything.
May God bless you and speak to you and convict you and inspire you today, for the sake of His glory, which will be revealed in us who are called according to His purposes.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” — Romans 8:18