Living Hope: Strength in Trials Through Christ

Devotional

Day 1: The Imperishable Hope in Christ

The hope we have in Christ is described as imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us. This hope is not merely a distant promise but a present reality that sustains us through life's trials. These trials, though difficult, serve a purpose in testing the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold. As we endure these challenges, our faith is refined, leading to praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This living hope is a source of strength and encouragement, reminding us of the eternal inheritance that awaits us. [01:06]

1 Peter 1:4-5 (ESV): "to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Reflection: In what ways can you actively remind yourself of the imperishable hope you have in Christ during your daily routine?

Day 2: Understanding Our Total Depravity

Understanding our total depravity is crucial to grasping the doctrine of salvation. We contribute nothing to our salvation; it is entirely the work of God through the Holy Spirit. This realization shifts our reliance from ourselves to God, who is the guardian of our faith. By acknowledging our own sinfulness and inability to save ourselves, we come to appreciate the depth of God's mercy and grace. This understanding humbles us and leads us to a deeper dependence on God, recognizing that our salvation is a gift that we could never earn on our own. [08:16]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV): "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you still rely on your own strength rather than God's grace? How can you begin to shift that reliance today?

Day 3: Our Identity as Children of God

Our identity as children of God brings comfort and assurance, especially in times of suffering. God is actively guarding and sustaining us, even when we feel hopeless. The early Christians faced persecution and hardship, yet they were reminded of their identity as God's children. This identity is not just a title but a reality that brings comfort and assurance. It is a reminder that God is with us, actively working in our lives, and that our trials, though painful, are temporary and serve to draw us closer to Him. [20:15]

Romans 8:16-17 (ESV): "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

Reflection: How does knowing your identity as a child of God change your perspective on a current challenge you are facing?

Day 4: Trials for God's Glory

Trials are not just for our benefit but for God's glory. They are a means by which God draws us closer to Himself, revealing His sufficiency and our dependency on Him. In our weakness, His strength is made perfect. As we endure trials, we are reminded of our need for God and His ability to sustain us. These experiences refine our faith and character, ultimately leading to a deeper relationship with God and a greater understanding of His glory. [36:59]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Reflection: Can you identify a recent trial where you saw God's strength in your weakness? How did it change your understanding of His sufficiency?

Day 5: Present Reality of Hope

The hope we have in Christ is not just a future promise but a present reality that transforms our perspective on suffering and trials. It is a hope that does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This hope gives us the strength to endure and the assurance that God is with us, working all things for our good and His glory. As we embrace this hope, we are empowered to face life's challenges with confidence and peace, knowing that our future is secure in Christ. [30:24]

Romans 5:3-5 (ESV): "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Reflection: How can you actively live out the present reality of hope in Christ in your interactions with others today?

Sermon Summary

In 1 Peter 1:3-9, we are reminded of the profound hope and assurance found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This passage speaks to the living hope we have been born into through God's great mercy. It is a hope that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us. This hope is not just a distant promise but a present reality that sustains us through trials and tribulations. The trials we face, though grievous, serve a purpose. They test the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold. These trials refine us, leading to praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The journey to understanding this hope and assurance is not always straightforward. Many, including myself, have wrestled with the doctrines of salvation and God's sovereignty. It is a journey that often involves a deep confrontation with our own sinfulness and the realization of our total depravity. We must come to terms with the fact that we contribute nothing to our salvation; it is entirely the work of God through the Holy Spirit. This understanding is crucial because it shifts our reliance from ourselves to God, who is the guardian of our faith.

Peter's message is particularly poignant for those who are suffering. The early Christians faced persecution and hardship, yet Peter reminds them of their identity as children of God. This identity is not just a title but a reality that brings comfort and assurance. It is a reminder that God is actively guarding and sustaining us, even when we feel hopeless. Our trials, though painful, are temporary and serve to draw us closer to God, refining our faith and character.

Ultimately, our trials are not just for our benefit but for God's glory. They are a means by which God draws us closer to Himself, revealing His sufficiency and our dependency on Him. In our weakness, His strength is made perfect, and we are reminded of the eternal hope that awaits us. This hope is not just a future promise but a present reality that transforms our perspective on suffering and trials.

Key Takeaways

1. The living hope we have in Christ is imperishable and kept in heaven for us. This hope sustains us through trials, refining our faith, which is more precious than gold. Our trials serve a purpose, leading to praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [01:06]
2. Understanding our total depravity is crucial to grasping the doctrine of salvation. We contribute nothing to our salvation; it is entirely the work of God through the Holy Spirit. This realization shifts our reliance from ourselves to God, who is the guardian of our faith. [08:16]
3. Our identity as children of God brings comfort and assurance, especially in times of suffering. God is actively guarding and sustaining us, even when we feel hopeless. Our trials, though painful, are temporary and serve to draw us closer to God. [20:15]
4. Trials are not just for our benefit but for God's glory. They are a means by which God draws us closer to Himself, revealing His sufficiency and our dependency on Him. In our weakness, His strength is made perfect. [36:59]
5. The hope we have in Christ is not just a future promise but a present reality that transforms our perspective on suffering and trials. It is a hope that does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. [30:24]
** [30:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:23] - Reading 1 Peter 1:3-9
[01:49] - Prayer for Humility and Growth
[03:17] - Wrestling with Reformed Theology
[04:46] - Crisis and Conversion
[07:00] - Understanding Total Depravity
[09:42] - The Suffering of Early Christians
[10:57] - Born Again to a Living Hope
[12:54] - Regeneration by the Holy Spirit
[15:04] - The Reality of Hope and Hopelessness
[17:50] - The Spirit's Role in Our Hope
[21:00] - God's Guardianship Over Us
[23:00] - Assurance and Perseverance
[26:18] - Trials and Eternal Perspective
[31:53] - The Purpose of Trials
[36:59] - God's Desire for His Children

Sermon Clips

"According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." [00:38:64]

"Though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ." [01:06:24]

"We have to understand that being dead in our sins and trespasses doesn't mean we are a little bit alive; it means we are dead. We can do nothing and we can contribute nothing to our salvation, and as Martin Luther via Dr. Sproul said that 'nothing is not a little something.' We contribute nothing." [08:04:14]

"Peter here is writing to Christians who are hurting. And oftentimes, we speak of the early church and the church in the first century as just the persecuted church, where the church has been persecuted in one form or another throughout history. But these people were hurting. Many of them had moved away from their homeland, from their communities, from their kinsmen, and from their families." [09:42:24]

"Regeneration, the quickening and making alive power of the Holy Spirit, is what gives us the will to believe. It is what makes us able to believe. Dead men can't do anything, much less believe. All that dead men do is remain dead. It is when the Spirit makes us alive and brings us up from the grave that He gives us the ability to believe." [13:27:12]

"Peter wants to encourage them by reminding them of their status of who they are as the children of God. You know, some of you didn't have a great upbringing with your mom and your dad. Some of you had a great mom. Some of you didn't have a great dad. Some of you don't even know your parents." [19:17:64]

"Peter is reminding these hurting, sad, and persecuted Christians who were being tempted by hopelessness and despair that, 'You are children of God. You have been born again by the mercy of God according to that demonstrative work of God in the raising of Jesus Christ. That same power by which He raised Christ is the same power at work in you in bringing you from death to life.'" [20:24:78]

"Too often we feel as if we have the whole world on our shoulders, that we have to guard and protect everything and everyone around us. Pastors, this is particularly true for us. We feel that we have to be the ultimate guardians of the church and while we are called to guard, and incidentally, our confessions help us to doctrinally guard the faith." [21:55:08]

"Trials are meant to humble us. We don't always know why we are getting a trial. We don't know if it is discipline. We don't know all the reasons. We can't read the mind of God. We can't always figure out a trial. And sometimes that is what we do. We think if we can just figure out the trial, then we will have the answer." [33:44:78]

"The purpose of trials is to break us. The purpose of trials is to make us cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The purpose of trials is to draw us closer to our Lord and Savior. How many times in our lives do we pray that God would increase our faith? How many times do we pray, 'Lord, make my faith be stronger'?" [34:36:06]

"One of the ways in which God draws us close to Him is through trials, because it is only through trials, it is only through our weakness that God helps us to recognize how truly needy and weak we are. It is only then when He draws us closer and we recognize that He has been there all along as our closest companion." [36:53:04]

"Peter is speaking to those among the persecuted who are truly born again, who truly know the Lord Jesus Christ, and whose faith is being truly and deeply tested, 'Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.'" [40:23:28]

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