Morning Manna | 1 Peter 1:13 | Hope to the end

1 Peter 1:13"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

This verse comes on the heels of Peter’s instruction concerning suffering. In light of the suffering that will surely come and purify you, gird up the loins of your mind. That is to say, prepare yourself for the battle ahead. The phrase “gird up the loins of your mind” should bring to mind a soldier about to go into battle or a man about to undertake strenuous labor. In those days, men wore robes, and when preparing for battle, they would bind a cloth around their midsection to ensure protection and strengthen their core for the long day of warfare or work.

So, Christian soldier or laborer, the Apostle has warned us—a battle is coming. It is a “fiery” battle, but God has provided us with the truth to strengthen us in the heat of it and to keep us fighting all the day. And that truth is this: this is a good battle!

Soldiers on the battlefield have been known to perform unnatural acts of heroism and strength when they truly believe in what they are fighting for. On the other hand, when soldiers forget why they are fighting, they tend to despise the war and even become deserters. I assure you—this trial of your faith is a good work and a noble cause. The enemy you fight will destroy your home, your heart, your nation, and this very world if Christians lay down their arms. So take hold of this truth:

“The trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

Now, gird up the loins of your mind, and don’t allow even one unsober thought to creep in. Live in the light of this reality and keep a level head. That is sometimes hard to do in the heat of battle, but this truth is sufficient to keep both your heart and mind.

Then, there is the hope we must hold on to: "Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Not only does the purpose for which we fight keep us going, but so does the certainty of the end of the fight—the glory of victory! So let this hope strengthen you as you work and war. Think of the world that is coming! Think of Jesus on His throne in Jerusalem, of the lion lying down with the lamb, of sin conquered, of a place where God and man, heaven and earth, time and eternity are reconciled! Look not just at what is coming—rather, look at who is coming! Greater than all the peace He will bring, greater than all the perfection He will establish, is the One who will bring these things. Jesus is coming, and His reward is with Him!

This is my greatest failure—not in hoping, but in failing to hope to the end.

We often hope for the end of the battle, for the end of a hard season, for a time when life is easier and our burdens are lighter. But that hope will fail us. We must hope to the end—to the end of this age, to the end of sin, to the end when Jesus comes to fulfill His reconciliation of all things! That is the Christian hope that will never fail.

Even now, we are receiving grace for the battle, but there is a greater grace reserved for that day. As the verse says, "the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Stop and consider all the graces He has given you in this life—think of the moment He saved you, of His protection over you, of His strength in your weakness, of His provision and providential care. These are graces bestowed upon us now—but there is more grace coming! A grace so glorious that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man" how wonderful it will be!

Oh, what hope! What joy! What a newfound desire to fight to the last day, to labor to the last day! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

1 Peter reminds us time and again that it is our Lord’s appearing we should be looking forward to—not merely the end of a hard season or trial, but the end of all things and the beginning of all things being made new. The believers Peter was writing to lived in terrible times, facing immense suffering for their faith in Jesus. Yet this was the Holy Ghost’s instruction to them: "Hope to the end."

If keeping their minds girded up with the truth of God’s providential hand and hoping for Christ’s return was sufficient for them, then I suspect the same instruction will be sufficient to carry us—no matter what work or war we may face in our Lord’s service.

So... "Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."