1 Peter 1:21-22 - “Through [Christ] you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

These two verses speak of three outcomes of new life in believers:

1 - Faith. We now believe in God, when we could not, did not, before. We trust in Him; our confidence is in Him. We now turn to God in our times of trouble and joy, because we believe that He exists and will reward us when we seek Him.
2 - Hope. We have a living, breathing expectation that God has promised to come for all who trust in Him. And with this hope comes the cry, “Come, Lord Jesus. We want to see You, to be with You in full.”
3 - Love. Love for God’s people cannot be separated from love for God. Where we were once cold, indifferent, even hating, we find that we now actually care about and want to be with God and His people.

If while reading these verses and/or these descriptions, your heart says, “Yes, that has been given to me with this new life,” I encourage you to respond with thanksgiving to God. Ask Him to cause this faith, hope, and love to increase and bear even more fruit in your life.

If while reading, you are not sure, or faith, hope, and love seem like muted memories, I encourage you to recall the message of “This Love.” Proclaim and pray the truth of John 3:16-17. New life comes from God, who so loved the world. Ask Him for this new life to be made real and evident in you.

-BR