Victor Zhu
8 April 2025
“20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,
“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1. 20-25)
Before the creation of the world, Christ was chosen by God. In the last days, He was revealed to the world, entering history and making Himself known to humanity. Through Him, we come to know the Almighty God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, so that He might also raise and glorify those who place their hope in Him. By trusting in Christ, we are redeemed from sin and will ultimately be brought into glory. True faith and hope find their foundation in knowing God and trusting in Christ.
The Puritan theologian John Owen believed that the cause of regeneration and redemption is the substantial Word of God—Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. The source of knowing God is the written Word of God—the Holy Scriptures, inspired by the Holy Spirit. The motivation for living a holy life comes through the proclaimed Word of God—the ministry of the Church through Word and Sacrament.
The Word endures forever. We have believed in this Word, and one day, we will see Him with our own eyes. It will not be a solitary encounter; rather, you and I will stand together—shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, face to face with the Lord.
Read more: Hope through a different lens
Because of this hope, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we ought to love one another sincerely, relating to each other with honesty and openness. As Peter exhorts, we should love one another from the heart “unremittingly,” with a love that is constant and enduring, unshaken by adversity or changing circumstances.
Thus, trusting in Christ, obeying the truth, and loving our brethren are all interconnected as expressions of our faith and hope in God. If we abide in the love and faith of the Lord, eagerly awaiting the day when we shall see His glorious face alongside our dear brethren, then even now, we must relate to one another with open and honest hearts.
This eschatological hope is essential. After all, human life is fragile and fleeting. No matter how lovable, beautiful, talented, or wealthy we may be, in the end, we are like flowers and grass—swept away by the wind, vanishing without a trace, forgotten even by the places we once inhabited. Therefore, our faith and hope rest in God, and we need not fear. Though the burdens of life and the weight of our trials may press upon us, may the Lord’s mercy be with us, that we may face each new day with hope and courage.
The Reverend Dr Victor Zhu is assistant curate, St James Ivanhoe and lectures in Church history.
This article is part of a series of reflections under Hope25, a national evangelism initiative that equips Anglicans to share their hope in Jesus. They aim to encourage us to have a sure and certain hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We encourage you to look out for these weekly reflections and share them in your parishes.
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