Are You Living in the Hope of Jesus?

April 21, 2023

By Brooke Holt

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 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.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

On Easter day, we celebrated a new reality. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ conquered death, sin, the powers of darkness, and Satan. Casting Crowns sings a song entitled Glorious Day which powerfully speaks to this new reality: “One day the grave could conceal him no longer. One day the stone rolled away from the door. Then he arose, over death he had conquered. Now he’s ascended, my Lord evermore. Death could not hold him, the grave could not keep him from rising again.” From death to life, from darkness to light, from victim to victor. Jesus overcame, and his victory becomes your victory as you look to him in faith.

Peter writes to remind his readers of this new reality, a reality that Jesus offered to them. The followers of Jesus Christ are equipped with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead as the Holy Spirit now dwelt within them. Peter admonishes them to grasp the power of this new reality for their lives: “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). Just as the grave could not hold Jesus, there was and is no earthly power that could hold God’s people. Through Christ, these believers were offered new life and a living hope - and not a fading hope or a distant hope - but a real, tangible, and available to God’s people right then and there.

This new life and living hope are still real, tangible, and available to you today. Are you living this new life? Are you experiencing this living hope? Satan loves to deceive you into thinking you are forgiven but not free. Consequently, he seeks to keep you in bondage, to make you feel stuck – stuck in sin, patterns of thinking, unforgiveness, guilt, or shame. A believer in bondage does not threaten the kingdom of darkness.

You are forgiven and free! No bondage exists in this world from which Jesus cannot set you free. His Spirit is alive and at work. He can break every chain that binds you and release you from the grip of sin and Satan. You have a new life in him, a living hope, and a faithful way forward. May you experience this Glorious Day of freedom today!

Reflection:

Do you feel stuck in a pattern of sin today? Speak this truth to yourself, trust in God’s mercy and power to overcome, and then surrender to the Holy Spirit’s work within you. If you need help, seek out a trusted pastor, mentor, or professional counselor. Jesus wants you to live in freedom and hope today! We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Recommended Resources:

Let's face it, the Christian life is hard. Relationships take work. Christians forget. Sometimes it is tempting to go back to the days when God was not the center of our lives - to backslide. We are all faced with tremendous pressures to drift away from intimacy with Jesus and the community of the Church. However, the Lord invites us to pay attention, to move forward, to draw near, and to live lives of worship. Draw Near: Hebrews on Christian Worship is a small group Bible study on the Book of Hebrews intended to lead participants into a deeper intimacy with the living God in the context of New Testament worship. Draw nearer to God in authentic worship today!