Living Hope Day 12

Living Hope Day 12 Reading:

1 Peter 3:18-22

Ponder

In yesterday’s passage, Peter implored believers to make Christ their focus. In today’s verses, he tells us why Christ is worthy of our honor and devotion. 

Parts of this particular passage (namely verses 19-20) are difficult to understand, and scholars have put forth a wide array of interpretations trying to explain it. But rather than focusing on the things that are unclear, let’s pay attention to the things that are. 

• In seasons of suffering, remember the gospel. Peter very succinctly reminded his readers of what Jesus has already done to set them free from the bondage of sin. He: 

• Suffered for the unrighteous to bring believers to God (v. 18). 

• Was raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit and proclaimed victory over death and sin (vv. 18-19). 

• Is now exalted on high as the resurrected and ascended Lord and has authority over all things. 
  

• In a season of suffering, it may feel like the end of the story, but you don’t have to fear. Jesus, who never sinned, suffered on our behalf, but his suffering led to something greater: victory over sin and death. In this world, you will have trouble, but, take heart, Christ has overcome the world. 
  

• Your future is secure in Christ. Like Noah, you are “an embattled minority in a hostile world,”1 but your future in heaven is guaranteed. You may face difficult seasons, persecution and live in a world that rejects everything you hold most dear, but if you have placed your faith in Jesus’ finished work—his life, death and resurrection—you can live with hope in the face of it all.
  

Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 180.

Journal

• Has there ever been a time in your life when you placed your faith in Jesus’ finished work—his life, death and resurrection—for salvation? If not, let today be the day. 

• If you are a believer, how would refocusing on the gospel and what Christ has already accomplished on your behalf change the way you deal with suffering? 

• Are you more focused on your daily troubles or the reality that you’ll spend eternity with Christ? How could focusing on the reality of that future help you to live differently today? 

• Whatever season you’re in, take a moment to journal an honest prayer to God, thanking him for his plan of salvation and the hope you have because of it.