Our Faith and Hope in God Is Through Christ

HYMN

#133- “All Glory Be to Christ”

REVIEW

We began our workout by trying to recite 1 Peter 1:1-20 from memory.

STUDY & PROPOSITIONS

1 Peter 1:21

We believe in the true God through Christ.

  • Christ is essential for faith in God. We believe in God through the redeeming work of Christ. We can try to believe in God all we want, but if it is not through Christ and the ransom He paid for us, it is impossible to even approach Him.

    • John 14:6 - “… no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

    • Hebrews 4:14-16 - we cannot enter into the kingdom of God except through Christ, our High Priest.

  • God is Christ’s Resurrector. God’s identity is defined by His work in raising Christ from the dead and giving Him glory. People might miss the mark in their faith in God if they don’t have a proper Biblical understanding of who God is. For example, one might put more emphasis on their subjective experiences that they interpret as God’s power/presence/peace/etc. However, true faith in God is founded on the literal objective revelation of Scripture.

  • Christ always had glory, “even before the world was” (John 17:5). But in His earthly incarnation, it was set aside (Philippians 2:5-7). At His resurrection, He was restored to glory by God (Hebrews 1:1-4).

Faith and hope go hand in hand.

  • Hebrews 11:1 and 1:13-16 help us further understand how faith and hope are tied together (explicit in Greek grammar). In essence, faith in God includes a hope in the fulfillment of His promises and what awaits us in eternity. We are people who believe in God - not only for what He has done in the past, but also for the promises He will fulfill in the future. We must trust in God, trust in His word, and wait in anticipation and longing for the fulfillment of what He has promised.

  • What does a wise disciple of Christ do to keep stoking His faith and hope in the Lord and the future to come?

    • Be immersed in the Word. Read Scripture daily, and always be mindful of our future hope in heaven with God, which is incomparably greater than any temporal hope that can be found in this world.

    • Talk with other believers about our God’s promises. “Encourage one another day after day.”

1 Peter 1:22

Conversion obedience and purification from sin are complete.

  • Peter describes our conversion in terms of obedience. Obedience to the truth is the means of purification.

  • To be converted is to submit oneself under the authority of God in His truth. When we became converted, we became obedient to the truth, which is the Word of God as per vv. 23-25 (“the living and enduring Word of God,” “Word of the Lord,” “word which was preached to you).

    • John 14:15 - “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

    • Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:33 - the New Covenant promises a transformation of heart for those who come to God

  • In order for anyone to be saved, they need the Word of God.