Sojourners and Exiles: 1 Peter 1:22–2:3 by Isaac Serrano - Feb 24, 2019

“Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” This famous quote comes from a 14th century poem by Dante Alighieri called Inferno. He wasn’t speaking of this world, but he could have. Where is hope found? Peter reminds the “elect exiles” that their hope should be set fully on Jesus. Our plans may fail, our retirement vanish, our loved ones leave, our homes come to ruin, our bodies weaken and waste, and nothing in this world can guarantee immunity or preservation from any of it. We need help and assurance that “all is well” when life is at its hardest. But our eyes are lifted because our lives have been given new birth into a living hope. God’s “word” is the source of this hope. Because His gospel promises never fail. It is the believers’ food, growing and changing us. Peter not only wants us to long for it, but to be motivated by it in every circumstance. 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for“All flesh is like grass    and all its glory like the flower of grass.The grass withers,    and the flower falls,25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.