Read 1 Peter 1:1-25

What are you holding on to for hope?

Are you holding on to what’s in your retirement account or the next election? Perhaps you don’t have hope in anything and are just trying to keep yourself distracted with what this world has to offer. I have good news for you, whether you have misplaced hope or no hope at all, God’s word gives us the answer for what, and more specifically, for who we should hold on to for hope.

The book of First Peter was written to Christians who were exiled from their homeland and were scattered throughout many different places. The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:6 that they were suffering griefs and trials. These Christians were not in their familiar places, and they were amongst people who were hostile to them. They didn’t have safety or security and they were probably scared. Can you imagine that for a minute? I think of the refugees from war-stricken Ukraine, people from places that were just displaced by Hurricane Ian, or Christians in countries that suffer persecution and are forced to leave their homes and hide.

All of these things can cause hopelessness.

In chapter one of Peter’s first letter to these scattered Christians, he reminds them that they have a living hope (v.3). If you’ve trusted in Christ as your Savior, you have received a new birth. You have been born again into a living hope and this is only possible because Jesus was raised from the dead. The resurrection is what gives us hope. Without it, our faith is in vain. Because Jesus arose from the dead, we can have hope that we will be resurrected together with Him!

Not only that but Jesus has given us an eternal inheritance that is kept in Heaven for us (v. 4-5). This should give us hope because it is something that can’t be taken away from us by thieves, rust, decay, or a bad economy. Our inheritance in Heaven is eternal! We will receive it because God keeps it for us. If you know Jesus as Savior, this world is not the end for you. Because of our eternal inheritance of salvation, we will spend eternity with Him!

God has given us a living hope to hold on to. He has given us His Son Jesus that died and was raised from the dead for us. Because of this, we have an eternal inheritance that will never go away because it is kept by God Himself in Heaven.

So, what are you holding on to for hope? If you’re holding on to anything but Jesus for hope, it will fade. I want to challenge all of us this week to evaluate whether we are holding on to Jesus alone for hope. If there are other things that we are holding on to, let’s forsake them and hold on to Jesus alone.

Ethan Cline