Peter speaks with great power concerning our
hope. Let us consider …
I.
The availability of hope, v3.
a. Hope
is available to those who are born of God,
born again or born from above. Jesus’
words to Nicodemus in John 3 makes it clear that this is the work of the
Sovereign God. God, through His Holy
Spirit, works in ways that accomplish His purposes and bring Him the glory He
deserves (Jn. 3:8; Eph. 1:5-6). But when
we say that we are not saying that God has not revealed how this happens. It is the result of the work of the word of
God in the life of the believer. Peter
says we have been born again … through
the word of God. In other words, as
Paul says, the new birth requires the preacher, one who proclaims the gospel of
Christ (Rom. 10:14-15). Further, the new
birth is the result of faith, as Jesus said: those who receive Him, who believe in
His name, these have authority to be God’s sons; they are born spiritually,
of God (Jn. 1:12-13).
b. Hope
is available on the basis of God’s mercy.
The emphasis is on God’s work in the life of the sinner. Titus 3:5 is very clear: not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His
mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration (the new
birth) and renewing of the Holy Spirit. For this to happen required abundant mercy, as Peter says.
c. Hope
is available by the means of Christ’s resurrection. God’s abundant mercy led Him to devise an
extreme plan, one unique in all of history.
The most hope-less thing for mankind is
death. It is inevitable for all
men. But by God’s determined purpose and foreknowledge God raised up Jesus, having
loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held
by it (Acts 2:23-24). Truly Jesus is
the resurrection and the life (Jn.
11:25-26). Do you believe this?
In what do you place your hope? Your confidence? What assurance does it give you in the matter
of your upcoming death? God’s abundant
mercy alone gives hope!
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