inexpressible and glorious

Having endured the shame and humiliation brought on by his very public denial of Jesus, Peter—through the power of the Holy Spirit and the redemptive love of His Christ—has become not only a powerhouse preacher but also a champion encourager. His words here nearly burst off the page with the unbridled passion of his love for his Lord. He clearly desires to stir the same hope in his readers. I invite you to soak in his words with me:

“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 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

~ 1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV

born into hope

Reading the phrase “new birth into a living hope” kindles my expectancy. “New birth” calls to mind salvation with such freshness and vibrancy, the very awakening to life from the dead. This is not only present restoration but also future resurrection, following in the pattern of Jesus. In both cases, we have the privilege of stepping into hope. Matthew Henry’s commentary defines this as “a lively hope, a living, strong, quickening, and durable hope … Hope invigorates and spirits up the soul to action, to patience, to fortitude, and perseverance to the end.”

Is it just me, or does it seem to be taking greater “fortitude” than ever just to make it through one day and into the next? Put simply, fortitude is “courage in pain or adversity” (New Oxford American Dictionary, Second Edition). I’ve never considered myself to be especially courageous, nor do my life circumstances involve a constant barrage of catastrophes. Yet when life manifests as a daily battle, making a firm decision to hold onto hope can be an act of considerable bravery. 

When life manifests as a daily battle, making a firm decision to hold onto hope can be an act of considerable bravery. 

This truth is invigorating, giving us great cause to rejoice. Yet Peter doesn’t belittle the griefs and trials of his readers, somehow expecting our faith to make us impervious to pain. Rather, he acknowledges our struggle, while illustrating its great worth in the outworking of our faith. For even gold refined in the fire eventually passes away, he admits, but not so our faith. Indeed, the fire we are now enduring serves to reveal faith’s genuineness, proving it to be a source of praise, honor, and glory in the presence of Jesus.

hope as our inheritance

I want to know this kind of living hope: to cling to it, breathe it in, immerse myself in its stirring, sustaining potency. The only way to access this hope, Peter reveals, is by the mercy of God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our life comes by way of His life; our hope is bestowed as part of our inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. Amen!

Unlike Peter, we have not had the indescribable privilege of seeing and walking with Jesus in the flesh. Still, he uplifts us with the reminder: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy …” As if joy wasn’t enough on its own, this is joy INEXPRESSIBLE and GLORIOUS—“for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Right now—right this very moment!—our faith is playing out, accomplishing its goal. We are being saved … even as we walk through trials, even as we wait to see Jesus face to face, our salvation is taking shape. What a glorious reason for HOPE!

Oh, friend … I hope all my exclamation points and italics are not proving a distraction from the beauty and power and glory of these words, of this living Word of God. Perhaps that’s why Peter himself used the word inexpressible: all our feeble attempts to capture and communicate the fullness of God’s glory and goodness fall far short of the mark. Yet the more I have meditated on this passage of Scripture, and the more I have wrestled with how to tease out its significance for our present reality, the more my own sputtering hope has been stirred and strengthened.

So often, I find myself dwelling on my current situation, trying to wade through the morass toward some elusive hope hovering up ahead. Instead, I need to fully embrace the blessing that I often share with others: to keep looking up. Or, as Peter goes on to instruct us just a few verses later, “… fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13b NASB, emphasis mine).

seeking a living hope

This living hope I seek cannot be found while sifting through my circumstances. I need nothing less than the resurrecting grace of Jesus to lift me out of the muck and mire, to set my feet upon the Rock and give me a firm place to stand (see Psalm 40:2). Only from this heavenly vantage point can I see clearly the wide and spacious hope laid out for me. From here, troubles are indeed “light and momentary” and joy rings out “inexpressible and glorious.”

Beloved, I know that “now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials …” I feel it, too. And yet … “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 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!”

Yes, and amen!