Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)
One of the main themes of 1 Peter is hope for those who suffer for Christ. He is writing to Christians that are under persecution. We see in these three verse the rock solid foundation of our salvation. He is praising God because we have a living hope in the resurrection of Christ.
Christ is the first-born of the resurrection, just as Christ arose from the dead so shall our bodies arise from the dead on the last day. Christ resurrection serves as an assurance to us that our hope is real and true. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states,
Question 38: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
Answer: At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.
Application: Following Christ is worth the cost! Though we might suffer here on earth for a short time, God in his power is watching over us and guarding us until the return of Christ. At the general resurrection of the dead on the last day, we will enter into the victory that Christ has won for us. Pray for those Christian that suffer around the world all sorts of persecution that they will remember this truth.
