Commentaries:
The strength of our hope rises or falls on how dependable we perceive our expectation to be. The reasons we believe our expectation to be dependable are thus decisive to whether we will be motivated.
Ours is a living hope because Jesus Christ and the Father are alive. They exert sovereign control, and They cannot lie. Because our hope is revealed, grounded, sustained, and directed by God, we can know that all things work together for good for those who are the called and love God (Romans 8:28). Our hope, then, should not be ephemeral wishes or dreams based on wishy-washy sentimentality, but the solid realities of God and His Word. Our hope flows from an inexhaustible Source, and therefore no trial should ever quench our optimism for future good. Hope is our response to His work in us expressed in trust, patience, endurance, and eagerness to continue.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Elements of Motivation (Part Three): Hope
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All of our hope resides in our election, added to the fact that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. The resurrection is the proof that we have hope, and since He lives at the right hand of God, He will discharge His duties as High Priest in our behalf. If hope is in us, it will invigorate us to action, strengthen our will, and give us courage and perseverance to endure.
Hope gives reason and substance to faith so that love can be produced. Thus, we can hope without futility. Hope is essential because man can remember, and what we remember is mostly bad, producing cynicism, scorn, and sarcasm. Man can also think spatially and anticipate and plan for a positive future. Yet, without a reasonable expectation of success, what good is education or experiencing the hard knocks of life? What good is preparing for receiving the future God promises? This is one of man's gravest problems today. He sees many problems but few correct answers; he feels he is being boxed into a corner without any reasonable hope for winning free. It is as if he has entered the proverbial dark tunnel, but no light flickers ahead.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Trumpets Is a Day of Hope
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There is no hope in this world. If we are looking for things to be resolved by the leaders of this world, it will never happen. If we are looking for hope from our own abilities to be clever, to think quickly, to say the right things, to skills that we have developed, to education that we have received, to friends in the world, whatever we might put hope in, we will be terribly disappointed because not one of them will be able to save us from what is coming.
Our hope has to be in God. It is hope that buttresses faith. Faith is the foundation; we believe. But because we see something worth driving toward, a worthy goal, it is hope that motivates us to act on what we believe.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Don't Be a Prudent Agnostic
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Jesus lay dead and buried three days and three nights. His resurrection is the foundation of our faith, and His glorification is God's pledge to us that there is hope for our future. I Peter 1:20 emphasizes that "He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world" to be that sacrifice. That is not merely foresight, that is planning! God's plan included redemption from the very beginning.
Verse 19 stresses the value of His sacrifice by using the word "precious," translated "honor" three times in chapters 2 and 3. The Greek word means "to place a value upon," and this is exactly what we are to do in preparation for Passover! We are to assess the value of His sacrifice to us personally. What would you be willing to pay for His sacrifice?
Verse 18 emphasizes "knowing." The Christian lives his life knowing the redemption Christ accomplished. The price of our redemption is the value we place on the Life given for our forgiveness. Our former lives were "aimless" because of the value we placed on possessions and our own satisfaction. Now our lives have direction because we count Christ's sacrifice as priceless!
John W. Ritenbaugh
Christ, Our Passover
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
1 Peter 1:17-21
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