What gives you hope? Hope comes from an expectation that comes from something that has already been done or that we know to be true.  I hope my team can win because they have won before or because I know they have been training and working hard.  I hope that a new restaurant is delicious because I have heard good things about it.  What about hope in God?  Where does it come from and what does that mean for us?  Let’s look together at Peter’s words about hope and what our responsibility is to do with hope.

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

Peter says that we need to always be ready to talk about the hope we have in Jesus.  He goes on to say we should do this in a gentle and respectful way.  To do it in a way that in fact points people to Jesus and attracts them to Him as well.  We have hope in Jesus because of the work He did on the cross and because of the work He continues to do in our lives.  We have this great hope and are told to share it with others.  May we do that and do it well.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave