NT Promise 76: Faith and Hope in God

1 Peter 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

It is by him that you believe in God. Saving faith in God is a gift, given and worked in us by the Spirit through the Gospel. We did not make it up, think it up, work it up; we did not decide to believe by our own effort, reasoning, or strength. It is only by Christ that we can come to the true god. Coming to God outside of Christ is coming to a false god, an idol, or a demon, ”No one comes to the Father but by me.”

The one true, Almighty, Creator God that we believe in by Christ is the God who raised Jesus up from the dead, and gave him glory. We who believe in Jesus will also be raised up from the dead and given a share of Jesus’ glory. All this salvation and resurrection to glory we have as a hope and a promise is designed by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and granted by the Spirit.

This great and glorious promise is worked by God in us for this purpose: that our faith and hope might be in God. This is the promise. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and hope will not let us down or disappoint us. The hope is in God, who has proven to be faithful to His promises. We take this hope as an anchor of the soul with the other end of the rope securely fastened in heaven. This hope, gifted by the Lord, gets us through every day with joy and peace.