March 21st, 2024
by Dr. Josh Franklin
by Dr. Josh Franklin
Pulitzer Prize winner, Joseph Hallinan, wrote an article on hope, in which he shared research done in the 1950s by Kurt Richter, professor at Johns Hopkins University. He wrote:
In the 1950s, he conducted a gruesome experiment with domesticated and wild rats. He first took a dozen domesticated rats, put them into jars half-filled with water, and watched them drown. The idea was to measure the amount of time they swam before they gave up and went under. The first rat, Richter noted, swam around excitedly on the surface for a very short time, then dove to the bottom, where it began to swim around, nosing its way along the glass wall. It died two minutes later.
Two more of the 12 domesticated rats died in much the same way. But, interestingly, the nine remaining rats did not succumb nearly so readily; they swam for days before they eventually gave up and died.
Now came the wild rats, renowned for their swimming ability. The ones Richter used had been recently trapped and were fierce and aggressive. One by one, he dropped them into the water. And one by one, they surprised him: Within minutes of entering the water, all 34 died.
“What kills these rats?” he wondered. “Why do all of the fierce, aggressive, wild rats die promptly on immersion and only a small number of the similarly treated, tame, domesticated rats?”
The answer, in a word: hope.
“The situation of these rats scarcely seems one demanding fight or flight—it is rather one of hopelessness,” he wrote. “[T]he rats are in a situation against which they have no defense … they seem literally to ‘give up.’”
Richter then tweaked the experiment: He took other, similar rats and put them in the jar. Just before they were expected to die, however, he picked them up, held them a little while, and then put them back in the water. “In this way,” he wrote, “the rats quickly learn that the situation is not actually hopeless.”
This small interlude made a huge difference. The rats that experienced a brief reprieve swam much longer and lasted much longer than the rats that were left alone. They also recovered almost immediately. When the rats learned that they were not doomed, that the situation was not lost, that there might be a helping hand at the ready—in short, when they had a reason to keep swimming—they did. They did not give up, and they did not go under.
“After elimination of hopelessness,” wrote Richter, “the rats do not die.”
There are obviously many differences between humans and rats. But one similarity stands out: We all need a reason to keep swimming.[1]
We are looking at First Peter, where the writer is telling his audience to “keep swimming,” or “remain hopeful”. In the previous blog post, we looked at how Peter encouraged Christians to look at how big our God is.
Peter does not complain but gives them a reason to “keep swimming” and lets them know that they can have hope for tomorrow. He writes,
1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Peter is writing to them in First Peter because the persecution is getting worse in Rome and will intensify in the colonies where they are living as well. In the first century, it was a dark time politically. Nero was on the throne, continuing the persecution of the Christian body. It was a dark time economically. 50% of the people in that society were enslaved. The Christian Church had both slaves and masters represented in their bodies. Peter is writing to people who are experiencing dark days, but he doesn't start with their problems.
In this passage, Peter is encouraging Christians to look beyond their current circumstances and find hope in their new life through Jesus Christ. After he expresses praise to God, he describes the reason Christians can be hopeful. 1 Peter 1:3-4 says that God has given us new life and a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The reason for this hope is threefold: firstly, we have been born again and regenerated by the Holy Spirit; secondly, we have been begotten by God; and thirdly, we have the assurance of eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ.
Have you ever wondered if you are truly a child of God? Well, let me ask you a question. How can you be sure that you were ever born? You might say that you have pictures of yourself as a baby, but how do you know those pictures aren't fake? You might say that your family members have told you that you were born at a certain time, but what if they were lying? You might even show a birth certificate, but what if that was forged? And even if you have prints of your baby feet, your feet are grown now and don't look the same. But the simple answer is that you are alive today, and that's all the proof you need that there was a time when you were born.
Someone may ask the question, "how do I know that I'm born again?" In John 3:3, Jesus said that unless you're born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. To be “born again” means to receive God's life on the inside, to become a new creature in Christ. The old has passed away, and the new has come (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). But how do you know if you've truly received the life of God on the inside? How can you be sure that you've been born again, begotten by the Holy Spirit?
Walking down an aisle, raising your hand, getting baptized, or signing a card are all outward signs of your faith, but they do not necessarily prove that you have been born again. You can do all of those things and still not experience the life of God on the inside. So, how do you know you're born again? It is because you have new life on the inside. You have been begotten by God.
1 John 3:9 says, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin," but this does not mean that you will never sin again. The Greek tense of the word “sin” here expresses a lifestyle of sin. It means that you will not continue a lifestyle of sin. We all stumble and fall, but as believers, we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, and God is faithful to forgive us. The person who is lost has a lifestyle of sin. However, though a child of God may sin, it can be the exception to the rule. It is not the lifestyle of the believer.
One young man was struggling with his salvation, questioning whether he was a Christian or not. When his godly father asked him how he felt about sin, the young man replied that he didn't want to sin. His father told him that this desire not to sin was a sign that he had experienced the life of God on the inside, making him a child of God.
There are three reasons why we can rejoice and be confident in our faith. First, we have experienced new life within ourselves. Second, we have a living hope that gives us confidence and assurance. Third, we have a living Savior in Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day to prove that He is the Son of God and that He is able to forgive our sins.
As a child of God, you have experienced a new birth, and nothing can change that. You also have a living hope that gives you confidence and assurance in your faith. And you serve a living Savior in Jesus Christ, who forgives your sins and gives you a destined home in heaven. So, no matter how bad things may get in this life, you can be optimistic about your tomorrow because you have a promised home in heaven.
“Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to give me a living hope. I trust You for salvation, and I have been born again by the Holy Spirit. I pray You remind me of this hope as I go through my day. I pray that I remember the promised future I have in heaven with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope, accessed 3/19/2024.
In the 1950s, he conducted a gruesome experiment with domesticated and wild rats. He first took a dozen domesticated rats, put them into jars half-filled with water, and watched them drown. The idea was to measure the amount of time they swam before they gave up and went under. The first rat, Richter noted, swam around excitedly on the surface for a very short time, then dove to the bottom, where it began to swim around, nosing its way along the glass wall. It died two minutes later.
Two more of the 12 domesticated rats died in much the same way. But, interestingly, the nine remaining rats did not succumb nearly so readily; they swam for days before they eventually gave up and died.
Now came the wild rats, renowned for their swimming ability. The ones Richter used had been recently trapped and were fierce and aggressive. One by one, he dropped them into the water. And one by one, they surprised him: Within minutes of entering the water, all 34 died.
“What kills these rats?” he wondered. “Why do all of the fierce, aggressive, wild rats die promptly on immersion and only a small number of the similarly treated, tame, domesticated rats?”
The answer, in a word: hope.
“The situation of these rats scarcely seems one demanding fight or flight—it is rather one of hopelessness,” he wrote. “[T]he rats are in a situation against which they have no defense … they seem literally to ‘give up.’”
Richter then tweaked the experiment: He took other, similar rats and put them in the jar. Just before they were expected to die, however, he picked them up, held them a little while, and then put them back in the water. “In this way,” he wrote, “the rats quickly learn that the situation is not actually hopeless.”
This small interlude made a huge difference. The rats that experienced a brief reprieve swam much longer and lasted much longer than the rats that were left alone. They also recovered almost immediately. When the rats learned that they were not doomed, that the situation was not lost, that there might be a helping hand at the ready—in short, when they had a reason to keep swimming—they did. They did not give up, and they did not go under.
“After elimination of hopelessness,” wrote Richter, “the rats do not die.”
There are obviously many differences between humans and rats. But one similarity stands out: We all need a reason to keep swimming.[1]
We are looking at First Peter, where the writer is telling his audience to “keep swimming,” or “remain hopeful”. In the previous blog post, we looked at how Peter encouraged Christians to look at how big our God is.
Peter does not complain but gives them a reason to “keep swimming” and lets them know that they can have hope for tomorrow. He writes,
1 Peter 1:3–5 (NKJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Peter is writing to them in First Peter because the persecution is getting worse in Rome and will intensify in the colonies where they are living as well. In the first century, it was a dark time politically. Nero was on the throne, continuing the persecution of the Christian body. It was a dark time economically. 50% of the people in that society were enslaved. The Christian Church had both slaves and masters represented in their bodies. Peter is writing to people who are experiencing dark days, but he doesn't start with their problems.
In this passage, Peter is encouraging Christians to look beyond their current circumstances and find hope in their new life through Jesus Christ. After he expresses praise to God, he describes the reason Christians can be hopeful. 1 Peter 1:3-4 says that God has given us new life and a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The reason for this hope is threefold: firstly, we have been born again and regenerated by the Holy Spirit; secondly, we have been begotten by God; and thirdly, we have the assurance of eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ.
Have you ever wondered if you are truly a child of God? Well, let me ask you a question. How can you be sure that you were ever born? You might say that you have pictures of yourself as a baby, but how do you know those pictures aren't fake? You might say that your family members have told you that you were born at a certain time, but what if they were lying? You might even show a birth certificate, but what if that was forged? And even if you have prints of your baby feet, your feet are grown now and don't look the same. But the simple answer is that you are alive today, and that's all the proof you need that there was a time when you were born.
Someone may ask the question, "how do I know that I'm born again?" In John 3:3, Jesus said that unless you're born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. To be “born again” means to receive God's life on the inside, to become a new creature in Christ. The old has passed away, and the new has come (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). But how do you know if you've truly received the life of God on the inside? How can you be sure that you've been born again, begotten by the Holy Spirit?
Walking down an aisle, raising your hand, getting baptized, or signing a card are all outward signs of your faith, but they do not necessarily prove that you have been born again. You can do all of those things and still not experience the life of God on the inside. So, how do you know you're born again? It is because you have new life on the inside. You have been begotten by God.
1 John 3:9 says, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin," but this does not mean that you will never sin again. The Greek tense of the word “sin” here expresses a lifestyle of sin. It means that you will not continue a lifestyle of sin. We all stumble and fall, but as believers, we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, and God is faithful to forgive us. The person who is lost has a lifestyle of sin. However, though a child of God may sin, it can be the exception to the rule. It is not the lifestyle of the believer.
One young man was struggling with his salvation, questioning whether he was a Christian or not. When his godly father asked him how he felt about sin, the young man replied that he didn't want to sin. His father told him that this desire not to sin was a sign that he had experienced the life of God on the inside, making him a child of God.
There are three reasons why we can rejoice and be confident in our faith. First, we have experienced new life within ourselves. Second, we have a living hope that gives us confidence and assurance. Third, we have a living Savior in Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day to prove that He is the Son of God and that He is able to forgive our sins.
As a child of God, you have experienced a new birth, and nothing can change that. You also have a living hope that gives you confidence and assurance in your faith. And you serve a living Savior in Jesus Christ, who forgives your sins and gives you a destined home in heaven. So, no matter how bad things may get in this life, you can be optimistic about your tomorrow because you have a promised home in heaven.
“Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to give me a living hope. I trust You for salvation, and I have been born again by the Holy Spirit. I pray You remind me of this hope as I go through my day. I pray that I remember the promised future I have in heaven with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope, accessed 3/19/2024.
Posted in First Peter
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