³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

What does it mean to you to have a living hope? Really contemplate that for a moment in relation to faith and communion with God.

The living hope is the resurrection. Without it there could be no real faith. Our belief system would just be like so many others that harbor only good teachings. However, the resurrection makes Christianity unique. We have a God who came to earth to live as we do and suffer a most terrible death for each of us and was resurrected on the third day. This singular fact cannot be over looked nor taken lightly. It is the cornerstone of our faith.

Thus, this living hope should make us want to be better. It should bring out in us a humble nature and a divine desire to do good works, not because either justify us, but each is a fruit of the spirit. The indwelling of the Spirit will bring about good fruit as we become rooted in Jesus Christ. This may bring out in us a strong sense of justice, of which the world may not conform to. It is in this delta between life in Jesus and in the world we see our faith manifest.

Reflect on: How this living hope is changing your life every day and not just on the day you converted.