NEW BIRTH INTO A LIVING HOPE

MONDAY 31 JANUARY 2022

Beloved we have our new birth in Christ through the living and abiding Word of God. In other words, we are born again, neither through a natural means nor by human nature but by God Himself. Let's find out more!

Reference: 1 Peter 1:3 New English Translation (NET)

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

This new birth ushered us into a living hope. Its a new birth to joy and holiness. New birth simply means placing our faith in Christ and His divine power which is superior to nature and all it represents, thereby making us alive to God and quickening us into living the supernatural life.

Why did Peter specifically mention "a living hope"? It is because hope that is humanly or earthly based does not last and so, will definitely come to an end (become dead). Mankind can only experience a "living hope" through the perfect sacrifice and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. A living hope also involves a further faith in the fulfilment of God's promises in or through Christ. For comprehensible enlightenment, our confession and belief in the death and resurrection of Christ gave rise to our "New birth" and then, our living hope involves faith in all that Christ's resurrection and His glorification signifies and assures to us. By His glorification, I mean, Christ being filled with the glory of the divine after His resurrection.

The New birth is a result of the power of the divine life and nature in Christ, that regenerates and quickens the spiritually dead, thereby bringing or creating the same new life out of their dead zone. Romans 6:10-12 (NIV) reads, "The death he (Christ) died, he died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." That's how our living hope and eternal redemption came about.

Beloved, experiencing a new birth into a living hope means that we don't actually belong to this world, but to a better and glorious country, which is heaven. Philippians 3:20-21 reads, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself" (NKJV).

Our citizenship is in heaven, and there, we shall have our everlasting residence. In a nutshell, the strength of our Christian faith is based on our living hope in spending eternity with God. Therefore, like Peter, we should remain thankful and grateful to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and continually seek after the highly prized and valued heavenly realities, setting our affections on them often (see Colossians 3:1-3 NIV). Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 12:12; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Romans 15:13.

Guided Prayer:

Gracious Father in heaven, thank you for your great mercy by which you granted me a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Christ. By the mystery of godliness and complete process of glorification, Jesus was endued with all divine power, far greater than any power that exists in this world and beyond. I fully function with this power and living hope and I constantly emerge with the divine nature, as there is no longer any separation between me and Christ. This consciousness wields for me an enormous godly influence and a multi-layered advantage in Christ. Thus my life is shaped and transformed to experience the benefits of my new birth with all sensibility and visibility in Jesus' Name, Amen!