1 Peter 1:2 - Forerunner Commentary

1 Peter 1:2

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I Peter 1:2
Excerpted from: Truth (Part 3)

What Peter wrote here is intended not merely to instruct, but also to encourage. We are here listening to God's Word because God Almighty Himself personally chose us to be here. That needs to sink into our brain and become part of what we operate our lives by. We are the chosen of God, elect according to His foreknowledge. That is, before we ever knew of the true God, He was watching our lives. He was monitoring it and waiting for the opportunity, that at just the right time, He would reveal to us Himself in just the right circumstance, just the right environment, so that we would have the best opportunity to respond to His truth.

We expand this whole thing out to include the whole church. The church exists because God willed it so. The church does not exist because of human goodness or in human hopes and aspirations or vision or dreams. It exists because of the eternal purpose of God and that is a tremendous honor, and responsibility. It is both at the same time.

So it is God working through His Spirit (notice that in that verse, “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification or setting apart or consecration of the Spirit”), who sets us apart or consecrates us or makes us fit for His calling. God is a Creator. That is what Peter is explaining here. It is God who is making us fit for His calling. His calling is to have us inherit His Kingdom. Let us not limit the calling just to the time that He entered into our lives and we began to understand. The calling includes the whole process.

The goal He has in mind is stated here as "obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." It is the Spirit of God which makes the calling of God effective. His calling is a singular act, but at sometime in our lives, you might say He messed with our brain and He turned the light on and we began to respond. That was a singular act in time that He did that, but that calling is also a process that begins with that singular act and ends with a resurrection into His family.

The process is both at the beginning and the end and everything that comes in between, and it is the Spirit of God which ties all of these things together. It ties in the initial act by God to open our mind, the beginning of sanctification. I should go back to another word. You hear the Protestants using this. It is not one that we have used frequently, but it is the word "regeneration," and it does appear in the Bible. It is like having a second start—being regenerated. And then comes sanctification which has to do with growth, overcoming, and becoming more like God; and finally there is glorification.

So we have a whole process that is encompassed by the calling of God. It is the Spirit of God that ties all of these together.

I Peter 1:2
Excerpted from: Free Will or God's Sovereignty?

So, Peter agrees with Paul. His audience—which now includes us—was elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Other translations say, “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God,” “chosen and destined by God,” and “chosen and foreknown by God.” This verse doesn’t say “from the beginning,” but it nevertheless teaches that God chose us based on His foreknowledge. These passages all point to a specific and deliberate plan involving individuals—with names that He knows ahead of time—and not just that there would be a church.

Notice that Peter gives a couple of reasons for why we have been chosen. He says, “for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” So, we were chosen to have His blood applied to us. As we know, the Lamb was also slain from the foundation of the world. In other words, it indicates that God knew from the beginning that a Savior would be needed, and He knew from the beginning who the Savior’s blood would be sprinkled on. It really is incredible.

But Peter also says we were elected or chosen for obedience. It is part of the same package with justification—they are both part of God’s purpose. The fact that we were chosen for obedience should keep us from thinking that, because of God’s foreknowledge and election, we will just float into eternity. This declaration that we were chosen for obedience introduces the question of what happens if there is not obedience. Well, Paul answers that in Romans 2:8-9, where he says that those who do not obey will receive indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish. So, this brings us back to earth by showing that with God’s choosing from the beginning comes a responsibility.

Articles

After Pentecost, Then What?
Are You a Christian?
Can We Win People For Christ?
God's Sovereignty and the Church's Condition (Part One)
Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Four)
The Christian Fight (Part Seven)
The Elements of Motivation (Part Five): Who We Are
Why Hebrews Was Written (Part Seven)  (2)

Bible Studies

What Must We Do When We Recognize Our Guilt?

Booklets

What Do You Mean . . . the Unpardonable Sin? (2)

Essays

The Covenant of Blood (Part Two)
Whither the Holy Spirit? (2)

Sermons

Teaching the Good News of the Promise
God's Investment in You
Our Hope
Defining Trials
We Must Work for What We Believe
A Trustworthy Relationship
Trumpets Is a Day of Hope
God's Calling and Election
Hope!
Don't Be a Prudent Agnostic
Change and Hope
The Resurrection From the Dead
Who Are We and Where Do We Fit (Part Two)
Hebrews: Its Background (Part Five)
Shrugging Off Scoffers (Part One)
Facing Times of Stress: Grieved by Various Trials
The Faithfulness of God (Part 3)
The Faithfulness of God (Part 2)
Faith and the Christian Fight (Part 7)
New Heavens and New Earth
Defining Trials
Belief with Obedience
Feast of Tabernacles Basics
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part 9)
Preparing to Rule (1993)
Preparing to Rule (1993)
Inclusivity?

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