Commentary on 1 Peter 1:3-9

Living as strangers, sojourners, and exiles in a world larger than one’s imagination can deprive Christian believers of the essence of faith. The Bible reminds us of our faith ancestors in the persons of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Jacob, and that suffering accompanied them as they responded to the call of God (Genesis 12–22). To lose faith and hope in moments of suffering makes God’s promises irrelevant, and as such, having confidence in the promises of God means believers are not exempt from the trials of this world. Hence, Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Jacob did not lose their hope in God but were made stronger in the process. 

In the context of suffering, Apostle Peter writes to exhort, encourage, summon, and plead with ancient and contemporary Christians to never lose or neglect their hope in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world (1 Peter 1:3–4). In a world where people are dying each day due to wars, natural disasters, various forms of sicknesses, lack of proper healthcare, and with Christian leaders preaching false ideologies, the message of the apostle Peter holds power and assurance that the only hope is in the one who rose from the dead. The one who sits in heaven at the right hand of God, the Father, is the foundation of human hope. 

The question embedded in 1 Peter 1:3–9 is simple: Where is human hope if it is not in Jesus Christ? In Jesus Christ, God acted to save the human family, as well as to offer continued hope throughout salvation history until the second coming of Jesus. Hence, the apostle Peter exhorts Christian believers to respond faithfully to God’s actions in Jesus Christ and calls on believers to live morally, ethically, and spiritually in this world. Right living in a hopeless world means modeling oneself as a true disciple of Jesus Christ by not neglecting the gift of salvation (Hebrews 2:1–4). In a hopeless situation, it is possible—and, at times, even easy—to drift away from faith because human souls need an anchor.

Peter’s audience probably wondered where God was as they were confronted with suffering, trials, and tribulations. In the Global South—that is, Africa, Asia, and Latin America today—Christians face all kinds of painful circumstances, such as hunger, disease, death caused by HIV/AIDS, cultural oppression, ethnic fighting, and human animosity, which can metastasize into violence against children, women, and the powerless. Amid all these calamities, Christian believers will long for peace, and the New Testament, as the book of hope, always provides answers to the true nature of faith and salvation. 

The apostle Peter calls on despairing Christians to look to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as the only source of hope, peace, and eternal love. In other words, people are used to praising God when things turn out good, but the message of Peter is that in trials, hopelessness, sickness, and tribulation, Christians should continue to praise God. 

The reason Christians praise God amid trials is that God gave the world a redeemer in the person of Jesus Christ. All who believe in Jesus and call on his name shall not perish but have true life in this world and the eternal heaven (Romans 10:13; 1 Peter 1:3–4). The message of Peter assures Christians that faith in Jesus Christ is a living legacy that ushers them into their heavenly home. When Christians lose hope, they will forfeit their legacy of faith and their eternal heavenly inheritance. 

In the 21st century, many churches have led people into thinking there is no God, and even no need to repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Ideologies and rationalization of sin have become rampant in the church of our time, with many Christians compromising their faith by becoming complacent and accommodating of all forms of false teachings. The message of true hope needs urgent attention and must be taught in all contemporary congregations, and people must be taught never to succumb to fear, trials, or temptations, but to know that in suffering we experience God, Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, the hymn of hope is sung, reminding Christians of the benefits of salvation and resurrection. Faith in Jesus Christ assures believers that a new relationship is made possible by the shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God, and that in our new relationship, we go through trials and heartbreaks. In a word, suffering does not mean the absence of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Instead, the presence of God is manifested through the hardships we endure in the world. 

As justified believers and citizens of heaven, Christians have peace, a gift made possible through grace. Apostle Paul goes on to say, “And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).

The impetus for Peter’s words are that God is present in and through the suffering of believers, and through the power of baptism, Christians are shielded from inner pain, and their souls are kept safe by the hand of God. In the here and now, as in the eschatological times, God is at work. Salvation is not just a future reality, but is always in the present tense. 

In the early 1800s, hymnwriter Edward Mote penned a song that begins, “My hope is built on nothing Less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Indeed, it is in Jesus Christ that we have hope, security and life everlasting. All in all, Peter assures Christians that suffering has a purpose, planting people on a solid ground and confirming their faith, spirituality and essence of being a heavenly citizen. 

As Jesus suffered on the cross, endured the pain of the grave, and rose from death on Sunday morning, Christians should not fear going through suffering. For without suffering, pain, sorrow, headaches, and trials, there is no resurrection. Through resilience and overcoming worldly pain, God will always come true, and that is the essence of Peter’s message (1 Peter 1:9).