Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV
This passage praises God for what He has done for us. He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus and into an imperishable inheritance that is kept in heaven for us. Both of these, our living hope and inheritance, relate to what lies ahead of us. This coming salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
It is common for believers to speak of our salvation in the past tense; I was saved 55 years ago. And there is a sense in which that is true. I started on a journey with God that will culminate in my salvation. But my salvation is not complete until I have left this world behind and the judgment awaiting it. And then I will receive the inheritance that has been kept for me. That is the living hope that I was born into. A hope that looks to my coming salvation and all that it brings.
And now, while we wait for that coming salvation, we are shielded by God’s power. We may suffer physical harm while traveling on this journey of salvation. But as we walk by faith, we can trust that He will bring us safely to the journey’s end, where hope will become a reality. Praise God for all He has done, is doing, and will do for us.
