Hope - "Peace on Credit"

Two cultures are juxtaposed against one another in 1 Peter, the culture of the Christian and the culture of the world. When the world is judged by Christ it will be found empty (i.e. “shame”), and guilty. When the Christian is evaluated by this worlds values and beliefs he will be found nuts at best or more likely guilty. So when someone asks a Christian, “What in the world are you doing? Why are you doing things that are going to bring you pain?” the Christian needs to be prepared to testify of the hope within.

What is this hope? Hope is best understood as peace on credit. Peace is a matter or resolution or of something being “resolved.” We live in conflict as long as we are sojourners living in a godless culture. Despite the present conflict, we are still able to live in peace because of the hope we have in future resolution.

What muddies the water is the inner conflict that exists as long as we have a sin nature. This internalizes the war. God brings along others to act as helpers rather than persecutors as we strive to defeat the flesh on a daily basis.

Internal or external, the pain and distress still assault our spirits and can lead us to discouragement and low morale. We have the choice again of enduring or regretting, running the hill or walking it, enduring or quitting. Run with patience. Run with hope. It WILL be resolved in God’s time.

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” Lance Armstrong

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5-8

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:18, 25

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God . . . Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls . . . By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me . . . Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. From Psalm 42

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 2 Corinthians 1:10b