Read: 1 Peter 1:1-9
1 Peter is one of the general epistles of the Bible, the others being James, John, and Jude.
Written by Apostle Peter between 64 AD and 65 AD, 1 Peter was written shortly after the burning of Rome in July of 64 AD to strengthen the believers who were undergoing escalating suffering.
When the city of Rome burned, the Romans believed that their emperor, Emperor Nero, had set the city on fire, probably because of his incredible lust to build. In order to build more, he had to destroy what already existed.
The Romans were totally devastated. Their culture, in a sense, went down with the city. All the religious elements of their life were destroyed – great temples, shrines, and even their household idols were burned up.
The people were homeless and hopeless. Many had been killed. Their bitter resentment was severe, so Nero realized that he had to redirect the hostility.
The emperor’s chosen scapegoat were the Christians because they were seen as being hostile to the Roman culture. Nero spread the word quickly that the Christians had set the fires.
As a result, a vicious persecution against Christians began, and soon spread throughout the Roman Empire. The Christians all over the Roman Empire needed strengthening because of their sufferings. And so, Apostle Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, wrote 1 Peter to encourage them.
Apostle Peter lists one blessings after another in 1 Peter. In Chapter 1 he talks about the believers’ inheritance in God, their inexpressible and glorious joy, and the goal of their faith which is the salvation of their souls. In Chapter 2, he writes about the believers being the chosen nation of God, God’s royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.
In 1 Peter 1:3, Apostle Peter talks about one of the blessedness of the believer – their living hope.
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
As believers in the 4th Watch, in the end of the last days, we, too, are faced with different kinds of sufferings. Joblessness, illnesses, family-related problems, immigration concerns, persecutions. These are just a few examples of what we modern Christians have to struggle with. We may not be being blamed for a destructive fire, but we are nevertheless living in a fallen world. In fact, our time is so much more evil compared to the time of the Romans, as the Bible says in Matthew 24:12, wickedness will only increase i the end time.
But as the Bible says we do have hope! So whatever you’re going through right now, or whatever you will go through tomorrow, be reminded today that you do have hope, a living hope. You are not hopeless!
The hope we have was spawned, generated, produced, or brought about by no less than the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! Indeed, the resurrection of Christ brought about a living hope! A living, breathing hope! A living expectation and desire! A living aspiration! Not a dead hope.
So in your trials, I want you to remember the fist century believers, who endured and never gave up. God gave us a living hope to encourage and strengthen us – the hope of glory, the hope of our inheritance in Christ, the hope resurrection. Because He lives, we are more than conquerors.
Reflect:
What struggles are you going through right now and how do you see them in the light of the living hope you have in Christ?
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