Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 KJV
The Foundation:
Remember Peter? He was not always this bold. His name was actually Simon, which means reed - something not firm; easily swayed. He had his moments, but then came his encounters with Jesus, who renamed him Peter, which mean rock. That encounter stayed with him for the rest of his life, and this encounter must be the experience of all who want to speak like Peter here. How would a man recall the mercy of God if he has not had a personal experience of it? I do not just want to read about or talk about the mercy of God; I need to experience it on a personal level. It is mercy that keeps, guides and preserves. It is mercy that gives an assurance of eternal life with God. It is mercy that makes the difference between death and distinction. Have you had the experience? Have I had the encounter?
The Expectation:
Jesus is the focus here. Peter is blessing God for the gift of the Son, given for the forgiveness of sin, and the seal of eternal life. He is God's recipe for all of life; He is the seal of approval from God. He gave His life so I could have life; He extended mercy to me so that I could also flow out with mercy to other people. His mercy is abundant; the whole earth has enough supply to last it for as long as it remains, because no demand on earth can exhaust the resources of heaven. It is mercy that birthed the plan of salvation, laid out at the scene of the first sin. It is also mercy that continues to operate till today, cleaning up the worst of men and bringing them into the saving grace available in and through Christ. What a great hope that we have; it is not a wonder that it is described as a 'lively hope'.
The Conclusion:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. I know He owns and holds the future, because He designed the future to suit His purpose. He has begotten us; given us new birth. This new birth is only possible and available in and through the One called the Life. He is Life and He gives life too. If God is powerful enough to raise the dead, or to reverse a situation that was physically impossible, then know that with God, there is no situation so far gone that it is beyond the intervention of God. If God could change Simon the reed to Peter the rock, there is no one who is beyond the grace of God. He wants to do His work in me, so that my life can then reflect His grace. Would I let Him? God's time of favour is here.
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