Are you happy? Do you want to be happy? What makes you happy? What would make you happy? “Happiness” is often tied directly to exterior things: people we know here on earth, things we can do, stuff that we have and enjoy. There is certainly nothing wrong with any of that – in it’s proper place.
Yet, often we get distracted by these things and start thinking that this is what life is all about: being happy with what we have in this life. But that’s not how the apostle Peter saw things in 1 Peter 1:8-9. How can we experience this “indescribable joy”? Let’s see what Peter has to say about it.
JOY IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS – vs 6:
The Christians to whom Peter is writing were experiencing trials of various kinds. They were Christians who were living as aliens in a foreign country (see also 4:12-17). The Christians were suffering trials. But here in verse 6, Peter says that they can “greatly rejoice” in this. Why?
JOY COMES FROM SALVATION – vs 5:
Let’s begin with verse 3… Jesus Christ has caused us to be “born again” to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The new birth, the change from being a follower of the devil to being a child of God, is brought about by God the Father.
Just as a newborn baby (physically) enters into a new world, Christians enter into a “living hope.” A hope that is alive and well. What gives that hope reason for expectations is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
But, let’s examine this further, verse 4… Peter says we have an inheritance from our Father that is waiting for us and observe how he describes that inheritance: imperishable, undefiled, that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us.
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But, Peter goes on… vs 5. Man cannot take away our blessings nor can he take away our relationship with God. We are protected by the power of God. Yes, a Christian can lose his or her salvation but no one can take it away from him / her. Here, Peter says as long as our faith, our trust in God, holds out, we will be protected by God for that salvation that we are anticipating.
But that’s not all Peter talks about here…
TRIALS PROVE YOUR FAITH – vs 7
The distress that comes from various trials is the atmosphere in which you prove your faith. As with Job, if you lose everything, do you turn your back on God? If life is not going well, do you decide to change your convictions so you can fit in to the world’s culture? If you stay faithful through the trails of your faith, then you “prove your faith.”
THE LIFESTYLE OF JOY – vs 13ff:
In verse 13, Peter returns to the matter of staying faithful to receive that salvation that is promised to us. So, in this part of the chapter, Peter describes the “lifestyle” of joy. Observe the commands in verses 13-17: Prepare your minds. Keep sober in spirit. Fix your hope. Do not conform your mind to the world’s pattern. Be holy. Live your life in fear of God.
In verses 22-25, Peter brings up one more point that would help us have this “indescribable joy:” love people. Love people. We are all fallen creatures. We all have struggles and weaknesses that annoy others and sinful practices that offend God. But love one another. There are very few of us who are like Hitler and just wicked clean clear through. Love one another.
Indescribable joy is ours when we walk sincerely and contentedly with Jesus Christ each day.
–Paul Holland
