Christmas is over. The presents are unwrapped, the leftovers are dwindling, and the tree is already looking a little droopy. Now what?
That post-holiday letdown is real. But Pastor Josh White pointed out in this week’s sermon that the most important “now what?” question we face isn’t about New Year’s resolutions — it’s about salvation itself. The moment we give our lives to Jesus, we immediately ask: Now what do I do?
First Peter 1:13 gives us the answer. Peter has just spent several verses describing our salvation — how it was promised through the prophets, announced by the apostles, and secured through Christ’s suffering and resurrection. Now he turns to practice: Therefore, prepare your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)
Hope: Our Response to Being Saved
Peter starts with hope — and it’s no accident. Hope is our attitude toward the future. Faith is our trust in God today and in what He’s done in the past; hope is what we expect from Him in the days ahead.
Here’s the tension: we live in a world that promises satisfaction in all the wrong places. Pastor Josh humorously walked through the disappointments we all know too well — our favorite sports teams letting us down (Suns fans, you’re nodding), a highly-anticipated meal that doesn’t live up to the reviews, a “perfect” holiday that falls short in some way. We put our hope in things, events, people, and places — and we are inevitably disappointed.
But Peter tells us to set our hope fully — not partially, not reluctantly — on something else. Specifically, on the grace that will be brought to us when Jesus is revealed.
The Grace Already Given
Here’s what makes this hope secure: God has already been gracious to us. He hasn’t been stingy with His grace in the past — He’s given us three remarkable gifts already:
1. Forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1:7 says we have redemption through Christ’s blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses “according to the riches of His grace.” We don’t deserve this. But God, in His kindness, cancelled the record of debt that stood against us and nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14). Past, present, and future sins — covered.
2. Transfer into God’s kingdom. Colossians 1:12-14 tells us God “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” We are no longer just citizens of this earth. We have new citizenship — in heaven.
3. The indwelling Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-14 describes how, when we believed the gospel, we were “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance.” The Spirit illuminates God’s Word for us, empowers us to obey, and produces fruit in our lives. We have the presence of God Himself living in us.
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
— Ephesians 1:13-14
The Grace Yet to Come
And yet — there is more. Peter says our hope is set on grace that will be brought to us at Christ’s return. Three things we don’t yet have but absolutely will:
1. Resurrection bodies. Romans 8:23-25 speaks of “the redemption of our bodies.” These weak, tired, aching bodies will be redeemed — transformed into glorious, resurrected forms like Christ’s own body. That is grace.
2. Eternal weight of glory. Second Corinthians 4:17 says this life is preparing for us “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” We live in a world fading and polluted by sin, and we sense things aren’t the way they should be. But God is preparing something far better — and we’ll see it was worth every moment of waiting.
3. Fellowship with the Father and the Son. Revelation 7:15-17 gives us a glimpse: no more hunger, no more thirst, no more pain — because “the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd.” We will be with Christ forever. That present reality will be so overwhelming that it will be hard to remember what life was like before.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
— Revelation 7:17
How to Fix Your Hope
Peter doesn’t just tell us what to hope in — he tells us how. First Peter 1:13 gives us two commands:
Prepare your minds for action. The original language literally means “gird up the loins of your mind” — tighten your belt, tuck in the loose edges, get ready to run. Peter is saying: discipline your thoughts. Take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). How much of our thinking is spent on things that will matter for eternity? When we let our minds wander to temporary pleasures, it becomes impossible to fix our hope on the future God has prepared.
Be sober-minded. This means not losing spiritual control of our minds by chasing after the world’s pleasures and promises. Romans 12:1-2 puts it plainly: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Don’t let the world set your priorities. Don’t let instant gratification lead you astray.
So What?
As we stand on the edge of a new year — wondering what 2022 will bring, uncertain about health, finances, relationships, or what happens next — Peter gives us a firm foundation: we get to choose where we set our hope.
The world will disappoint. Jobs, health, relationships, governments — none of these are reliable. But the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ will not disappoint. Our bodies will be resurrected. We will inherit an eternal weight of glory. We will be with the Father and the Son forever.
That is what we hope for. Fix your hope there — and watch everything else fall into perspective.
Scripture References
- 1 Peter 1:13 — Preparing our minds and setting our hope on future grace
- Ephesians 1:7 — Forgiveness through Christ’s blood
- Colossians 2:13-14 — The record of debt cancelled and nailed to the cross
- Colossians 1:12-14 — Transferred into the kingdom of God’s Son
- Ephesians 1:13-14 — Sealed with the promised Holy Spirit
- Romans 8:23-25 — The redemption of our bodies
- 2 Corinthians 4:17 — An eternal weight of glory
- Revelation 7:15-17 — Fellowship with the Lamb forever
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 — Taking every thought captive
- Romans 12:1-2 — Be transformed by the renewal of your mind