Hope Series Week 2 : Day 3

Hope: Devotional series

Week 2: Verses from 1 Peter 1:3-21

Day 3

Welcome to day 3 of the 2nd week in our series about Hope. Today we focus on 1 Peter 1:12 as Peter continues to write about the prophets.

“It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”

Let’s quickly play a game of word pairs. A word pair is two words that are usually mentioned together. For example, Cause and effect, or lost and found. So, I will say the first word, and then you complete the pair: Knife and …… yes fork. Cup and ………….. yes saucer. Fish and ……. Bread and ……. Heaven and ……….. (pause)

For a very long time, people have heard the pairing of “heaven and hell”. This was the punchline of many sermons, and for many, the bottom line of what salvation was all about. The Bible definitely mentions hell. Maybe not so much as some people think, but it’s certainly there. Yet not once is “hell” mentioned with heaven. From Genesis to Revelation, the word that goes with heaven is earth.

This is how God created reality: the pairing of heaven and earth. Jesus announced the Gospel that the Kingdom of Heaven is arriving on earth and taught us to pray: Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.

In this letter, Peter often refers to heaven. In the first verses, he writes that God stores the future He has planned for us and His whole creation in heaven. What is this future? The living hope of new creation. Jesus has accomplished a salvation that brings the renewal of everything.

In today’s verse, Peter writes that this salvation is now announced to us through the Gospel by the Holy Spirit that comes from heaven. In other words, the Spirit brings this living hope of new creation to earth. Heaven and earth joined together through Jesus and by the Spirit so that what is in heaven can come on earth. Hope: As it is in heaven, so be it on earth. And we who believe are caught up into the living hope of this wonderful pairing. We are called to live in the intersection of heaven and earth.

At first, his way of viewing the world may seem strange. But once we learn to think like this, it really makes sense. Maybe an illustration can help. If we make an investment in a bank, we don’t go to live in that bank. The bank is where our investment is kept safe so that we can live off the dividends where we are. We share on earth, by the Spirit, in the living hope Jesus made possible with the investment of His life. Consider this as a calling, a way to live, wherever you are: at home, at work, and in your community.

So, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your grace and your Spirit that joins us to the living hope of new creation. Teach me by your Spirit about this heavenly life on earth. In Jesus' name. Amen.