Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. Peter begins the content of his epistle with a blessing toward God. “Blessed” (eulogētos - worthy of praise; i.e. blessed, Eng. “eulogy” - speak well of) means to give praise to God alone for His worthiness. This particular Greek word is used only of God and Christ in the NT (Lk 1:68; Ro 1:25; Ep 1:3). The other Greek word for the term “blessed” is makarios which describes those whose spiritual qualities bring spiritual joy and contentment (Mt 5:3-9).

2. Peter’s blessedness is directed toward God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The relationship between Christ and His “Father” (first person of the Godhead) has always been one of sonship even before Christ took on humanity. Therefore, it is an eternal sonship and ascribes deity to Christ (Jn 10:29-33; Jn 14:8-11; Jn 20:17; 2Jn 1:3).

3. Why is the Father to be blessed by believers? The answer is that the Father “caused us to be born again.” The phrase “caused us to be born again” is the word anagennaō, which literally means, “born (gennaō - give birth) “again” (ana - as a prefix denotes up or again). It is the blessed God and Father who caused believers to be born again spiritually, which is also called “regeneration.” Peter included himself in the Spirit’s work of regeneration by using the pronoun “us” (hēmas).

4. Jesus spoke of the new birth in John chapter 3 when conversing with Nicodemus (Jn 3:3-8).

a) Jesus used the term “born again” which literally is “born from above” (above - anōthen - from above or again).

b) Without being born again, no one can see or enter the kingdom of heaven.

c) A man can only be born physically once, but then must be born spiritually (Jn 3:4-5).

d) The Holy Spirit produces spiritual birth (Jn 3:6-8) and consequently their faith is placed in Christ (Jn 3:14-16).

5. In the context of Peter thus far, we have to understand that the process of salvation began with God who chose the elect before the foundation of the world (1Pe 1:1; Ep 1:3-4) and foreknew them (1Pe 1:2; Ro 8:29). The work of convicting sin and the producing of faith in Christ are attributed to the Spirit (2Th 2:13-14). So that, in the course of the lives of the elect, God causes spiritual birth and regeneration through the Spirit (Tit 3:5).

6. Salvation was ascribed by Peter as “great mercy.” “Mercy” (eleos - compassion toward the helpless and undeserving) is something we receive from God. We do not deserve it nor are we able to earn it (Tit 3:5).

7. The believer was regenerated “into” (eis) a “living hope.” Unlike the unbeliever who is “without hope” (Ep 2:12), the believer was given a “hope” (elpis - confidence or expectation) by God. When hope is given by God, it is certain and is an anchor for the soul (He 6:19). The believer’s hope is not in himself or in man, but in God alone (1Pe 1:13, 21).

8. Unlike the unbeliever who will only experience “death” (Job 8:13) the believer has received a “living” (zaō - life, physical or spiritual) hope that is eternal (Tit 1:2; 3:7). The believer’s instruction from the Word is living (1Pe 1:23). Christ is the living Stone (1Pe 2:4) and believers are living stones (1Pe 2:5). The gospel allows men to live spiritually according to the will of God (1Pe 4:6).

9. The believer’s living hope and salvation was provided in the death and resurrection of Christ. It is because of man’s sin and judgment that the believer has no hope. Since Christ took man’s sin and judgment on the cross, man can have a hope in Christ. Therefore, Christ is the believer’s hope, now and forever (1Ti 1:1).

10. The person and work of Christ (cf. Peter’s statement in Mt 16:16-17) is the basis for the believer’s living hope of salvation and upon which Christ is building His church (Mt 16:18).

B. Received a Heavenly Inheritance (1Pe 1:4)

1. The living hope of salvation also includes an inheritance for the believer. The word “inheritance” is klēronomia and usually means a gift, portion, or an inheritance from someone who had died (Lk 12:13). It was used for Israel’s inheritance of the land of Canaan (Jos 1:5; 11:23). It is also used of the believer’s heavenly possession.

a) Even the believer’s inheritance was predestined by God (Ep 1:11).

b) The indwelling Holy Spirit is the pledge of the believer’s inheritance (Ep 1:14).

c) It was the Father who made the believer qualified to receive an inheritance (Col 1:12).

d) The inheritance that the believer receives is to share in Christ’s glory (Ro 8:17).

e) Christ will receive all the saints as His inheritance (Ep 1:18).

2. Unlike treasures on earth, the believer’s heavenly inheritance is “imperishable” (aphthartos - not subject to decay, death, or destruction cf. Ro 1:23; 1Co 9:25). The reason that the inheritance is imperishable is that it comes from the “immortal” (same word) God (1Ti 1:17). The believer’s salvation is from an imperishable seed of the Holy Spirit through the Word (1Pe 1:23).

3. The believer’s inheritance is also “undefiled” (amiantos - unsoiled in a moral sense) which means that it will never be tainted with sin, not even the believer’s sin.

4. This heavenly inheritance “will not fade away” (amartanos) and will never lose its pristine heavenly quality or precious nature. The believer will never become bored, tired of, or ungrateful of his heavenly inheritance.

5. The heavenly inheritance is awaiting the believer’s entrance into heaven. The believer need not fret that he will lose his inheritance because it is “reserved” (tēreō - to cause something to be kept, preserved, or reserved cf. 2Pe 2:4) for him in heaven. The verb is a perfect passive participle and can be translated, “having been and continuing to be reserved.” The believer’s heavenly reservations will never be canceled or given away.

C. Retained Securely by God (1Pe 1:5)

1. Not only is the believer’s inheritance secure, the believer himself is eternally secure. Verse 4 ends with “you,” that is, the believers to whom Peter has written. Verse 5 begins with “who” (masculine article not neuter) as “the ones who…” not “the things that….”

2. The reason believers are secure is that they are “protected” (phroureō - military term for guarded or garrisoned) and garrisoned securely by God. It is God’s invincible “power” (dunamis - resultant dynamic power) that keeps the believer secure whereby no one is able to pluck the believer out of His mighty hand (Jn 10:28-29).

3. The phrase “through faith” does not mean that the believer himself keeps himself secure. That interpretation would turn the strong words and the entire context on its head. It means that God will keep the true believer secure by keeping his faith in Christ from faltering.

4. This salvation then, from beginning to end, will be fully revealed in the last time when Christ who is the believer’s hope, will return as the blessed hope (Tit 2:13).

II. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Understanding Election - Peter wanted the recipients of his letter to experience all the rich and varied blessings of being Gods elect. Today, however, the tendency is usually to avoid elections profound implications. Christians often justify such an attitude by claiming the doctrine is too deep, too confusing, and too divisive. But believers ought to rejoice over the glorious advantages that an understanding of election [and security] provide. (MAC)

B. Saving Faith - The Christian’s response to God’s election and the Spirit’s conviction is faith, but even faith is empowered by God (Eph. 2:8, 9). Moreover, the Christian’s continued faith in God is the evidence of God’s keeping power. At the time of salvation, God energizes faith, and continues to preserve it. Saving faith is permanent; it never dies. (MSB)

C. Conclusion - The living hope of salvation we have from God is found in the believer’s regeneration to a living hope, reception of a heavenly inheritance, and the reservation secured by God. If the world cannot take our salvation from us, then it will never be able to take away our living hope.

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516