In this sermon, we looked at Peter's call to rejoice in the midst of suffering and persecution because of the living hope and eternal inheritance we have been given in Christ. In 1 Peter 1:3-9, Peter reminds believers that we have each been supernaturally regenerated as a new creation: the old has been buried with Christ and we have been born again to walk in new life. The same power that worked to raise Jesus from the dead is also working in us. This power is described as a “living hope” because it can’t be spoiled or put to death by the suffering in our lives; even when we face things that are hard and discouraging, our hope isn't diminished by circumstances. In saying this, Peter wasn’t minimizing the intensity or length of time that these exiled Christians were suffering; he was directing their focus to something that far outweighed what they were going through and maximized the glory and goodness of their salvation. Peter ends this section by calling suffering Christians to rejoice because our born-again hearts are anchored in a salvation and inheritance that is untouched by death, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time. We are free to rejoice in our sufferings now while we await Jesus' return and the eternal salvation of our souls.
