1 Peter 1:3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
These three verses comprise one sentence, and, oh, what a sentence it is! Follow the progression:
1. Praise/blessed to/be God
2. His abundant mercy
3. Begotten us again
4. A living hope through the resurrection
5. To an inheritance that is:
• Incorruptible/imperishable
• Undefiled
• Does not fade away
• Reserved in heaven
6. Kept by the power of God through faith for salvation
7. Ready to be revealed in the last time
This amazing sentence is the story of salvation for humanity. It rightfully starts with blessing and praising God for His love and devotion to us. Next, Peter acknowledges it is due to God being abundantly merciful that despite that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The next step of the story promises that by our faith in His only begotten Son and what He did on the cross, we are begotten again – or born again as a new creation with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
This newly begotten life brings with it an eternal living hope, which is made possible through Christ’s resurrection which was the “stamp of approval” from God the Father that what He accomplished on the cross fully satisfied the penalty of the sin for those who believe. The resurrected Jesus proves God’s power over death.
With that hope comes an inheritance – we become joint heirs with Jesus as adopted children and enjoy all the blessings of being a true child of God. This inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, is permanent, and secured in heaven. Satan can make all the accusations against you he wants to put doubt into your mind regarding your inheritance, but when you look at what God’s Word says about its certainty, how it’s kept by God through His acknowledging your faith, you have nothing to fear. Finally, this story – your story – will be revealed at the end of this age. You are a living testimony to God’s promise.
One final point about this glorious verse – note how it is broken out in seven segments. Seven is the number of perfection in Scripture. Our perfect God (2 Samuel 22:31) offers the perfect plan to all of His creation. It’s a plan worth reading, but it’s a better plan worth living. His merciful plan offers you a living hope as His beloved child that He will never let go or abandon. Are you interested?