Good morning. It's good to see
you all. If you would, please open your
Bibles with me and let's turn to 1 Peter 1, where our brother
just read from. I'll begin reading there in verse
1. I think about what the Apostle
Paul said, I think it was in Philippians, if I'm not mistaken. He said, it's not grievous for
me to repeat the same things to you, or therefore read or
preach, so I trust it will grieve none of us to hear the same portion
as I read through it again with you. Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia." And verse 2, notice, the people he's writing
to are elect. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, and beloved, that word foreknowledge is the
same word as foreordination. Peter's writing to those who
were foreordained. Through sanctification of the
spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.
And he writes, grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Amen. Now, God the Holy Spirit gave
these precious words to a sinner named Peter. This is the very
Word of God, beloved. Indeed, by divine inspiration,
we see here Peter writing to the elect of God. And he describes
these believers as strangers scattered throughout these different
regions and areas. And no doubt, this was in reference
to the believers of the early church that were persecuted in
Jerusalem for the gospel. And through that persecution,
they were scattered. And what happened? Beloved, they
went everywhere preaching the gospel, being a witness to the
grace of God in Jesus Christ. And Peter addressing them as
strangers here, but there are certainly no strangers to God
because he describes these people as elect. These people were believers
who were scattered throughout the area because of the gospel
and for the gospel's sake. And we notice again, he describes
these strangers in verse two as elect. And then onward in
verse three through to verse five, he gives us a description
of what they have in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So let's take a few
moments this morning and look at these verses together. In
1 Peter 1, verse 2, we notice that these strangers are described
as the elect of God, and they're elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father. Now, these strangers were believers
of the gospel, but the title that Peter gives them here is
the elect of God, the elect of God. Indeed, the elect of God
the Father. How that God from eternity, in
the covenant of His grace, how that He chose a people out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Why did God
do that? Simply this, beloved, to give
them into the saving arms of His well-pleasing Son, our Lord
and God, Jesus Christ. Our Lord referred to them as
all that the Father hath given me. Remember, our Lord said,
of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but raise
it up again at the last day. Now, elect means simply that
we're chosen, beloved. God's elect people are chosen.
And it's God that does the choosing. Remember what our Lord said to
the disciples? You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. You didn't choose me. No, I have
chosen you. You see, beloved, we're elect
according to the foreordination of God. God, the Father from
all eternity, chose his people unconditionally by his decree,
by his foreordination. And he gave them to his son.
the Lord Jesus Christ to save not halfway, beloved, completely. Indeed, he saves all those who
come to the Father by his Son to the uttermost. And remember,
Christ is their surety. Christ is their representative,
their substitute for sin. We read in the book of Acts,
known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
You see the foundation of God's standard sure beloved having
this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his there elect according
to God's for ordination of them chosen according to the decree
of God. My friend, believers believe the gospel. And they
do so because they were ordained unto eternal life in Christ Jesus. I trust we all love that verse
in Acts chapter 13. I love it. It speaks there about
the elect of God. And it says there in the book
of Acts chapter 13, beginning in verse 48, in the latter part,
as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. That is, as many
as God has chosen, they are the very ones who are going to believe
and do believe the gospel of God concerning his son, Jesus
Christ, our Lord. God's word declares unmistakably
how that as many as were ordained to eternal life believe the gospel. all owing to him, all owing to
his mercy and his grace and his power and his might to save wicked,
damned, dirty sinners like you and like me. So how exactly do
these people who are referred to as strangers and called the
elect of God according to God's four-order nation, according
to God's decree, how do they know anything about being chosen
to salvation in Christ? We read in the next part of verse
two that it's through sanctification of the spirit. You see, God has
a people that he chose in eternity. And just as our Lord Jesus told
us, his father gave them to him, to our Lord Jesus Christ. And
Christ died on Calvary to put away the sin of those people
for whom he represents. But in time, they're made to
know of their election. And that's because of the sanctifying
work of God, the Holy Spirit. You see, God, the Holy Spirit,
comes in the preaching of the gospel. He comes not just in
word only, but all mightily in power as well. Remember when
Paul wrote under the church of the Thessalonians? He says, in
effect, we know your election is of God because you just didn't
hear the word with the ear. Oh no, you heard the word of
God with the heart. And you heard that word by the
power of the Holy Spirit. In 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13,
Paul writes these words. We are bound to give thanks all
the way to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit. That's election, beloved. And
that election is by God's choosing, and that includes conviction
of sin, regeneration, and the fruit of that is belief of the
truth, whereunto God called you by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And these strangers in
this world, these believers, they're called, elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father. And we know of our election
and we know of our salvation, how that God has chosen a people
unto salvation, a people out of I love that, out of. Out of
every kindred, tongue, and nation. And by this setting apart, by
this work of the Holy Spirit, he's revealed unto us what it
says there next, unto obedience. You see, he gives us faith and
grants us faith. And that faith is a result of
the new birth. Is that not what our Lord told
Nicodemus? You must be born again. That
faith, beloved, the faith that gives his people, is a result
of the new covenant in his blood. That is the blood atonement of
Christ. Full atonement, can it be? I think it's Philip Bliss
that wrote that hymn. Full atonement, can it be? Oh,
yes, it be, beloved, full and free. You see, it's the gift
of God unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ. Now notice again, these believers
are described as elect, and they're described as those who have been
convicted by the Holy Spirit, who have been born of God from
above by the Spirit of God, and they've been made new creatures
in Christ Jesus, and they acknowledge and know that the only atonement,
the only pardon for their sin, the only propitiation is by the
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. And we see here the work
of God the Father. He chose us in His Son. And His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, He redeemed us from the curse of
the law being made a curse for us. And He shed His blood to
put away the sin of God's elect. And we're made to know this by
the regenerating work of God the Holy Spirit. It's a revelation
from on high, a revelation from above. And we see here the whole
work of the triune God, beloved, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. So that's who these people are,
beloved, by God's grace, a redeemed, regenerated, elect people. Remember,
beloved, by grace ye are saved, through faith, and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man
should boast. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Now, beginning in verse three,
we see what they have. We've looked at who they are.
Let's take a look for a little bit more this morning in verse
three and onward and see what God's elect have. We read in
1 Peter 1, verse three, Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten
us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. Beloved, here's what we have
in Christ Jesus. And notice, it's according to
his abundant mercy and not our merit. Indeed, we know nothing
of merit in the economy or the scheme of God's salvation. I
hope not, for you see, it's all of his grace and mercy that we're
saved. All owing to him that loved us
and washed us of our sins in his own precious blood. All owing, beloved, to his grace
and mercy and not to us. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto
us, but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's
sake. In the latter part of verse 2,
Peter writes, You see, it's not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to his mercy he hath saved us. It's according to his mercy that
we're begotten from above. It's all owing to his grace and
mercy that we're born anew. That's the work of God. And we've
been begotten unto a living, lively hope, beloved, by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And this living
hope, speaking here of a living person, and that's the Lord Jesus
Christ. For you see, he's all our hope
of salvation. Indeed, we have an everlasting
consolation and good hope through the grace of God. And this is
a living hope because of our living Lord by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. You see, we have a living hope
because we have a living Savior, beloved, who died to put away
all the sin of God's covenant, elect people. Our Lord said. I am he that liveth and was dead,
and behold, I am alive forevermore. And in John chapter 14, he tells
us, and because I live, ye shall live also. So here's what we
have in Christ Jesus, beloved. According to his mercy, we have
a living hope. We have a sure hope. We have
a real hope. And it's because of our living
savior, Jesus Christ. You see, he's our hope beloved.
And he had by himself purged our sins. He sat down on the
right hand of the majesty on high. Now notice what else Peter
describes here of who believers are and what they have. He tells
us further here of who believers are and what they have. They
have a living hope by their living Lord and God. And then in verse
four, Peter writes, to an inheritance incorruptible. Beloved, we have
an incorruptible inheritance. Now, an inheritance is not something
you earn. Rather, an inheritance is something
that is given to you. If you're included in someone's
will, for example, It's not because you have merited or earned that
inheritance. Rather, it's simply earned by
someone else and it's a gift to you. You see, our salvation
is by inheritance, beloved, and we've been made heirs of God
and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Beloved, our inheritance
is based upon the merit of our substitute Christ Jesus that's
given to us. And that's by the inheritance
of his grace. And notice it's incorruptible. You see, this inheritance we
have is eternal. And why is that? Simply this,
beloved, his salvation is eternal. And this redemption we have in
Christ is eternal because he obtained for us an eternal redemption. So it's an inheritance that we
will never corrupt for it's holy and being found in Christ beloved,
we're holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. And
then it says this inheritance is undefiled. as this inheritance
is pure and holy. It's undefiled by sin. And then
it says here this inheritance that we have is in Christ. It's in Christ beloved. Now this
is talking about what we have according to his abundant mercy.
According to his abundant mercy we have a living hope. Indeed,
we have a resurrection hope because our Lord lives, and we're heirs
of God with an incorruptible inheritance that is undefiled. You see, it's not tainted by
sin. Rather, it's holy, perfect, and pure, just as pure as God
himself is in Christ. And then it says this in verse
four, this inheritance that we have, fadeth not away, fadeth
not away. And beloved, it will never fade
away because it's reserved for you in heaven. He's purchased
for us an everlasting salvation. The blessings and gifts of God
are eternal blessings. And he gives eternal life to
his sheep and they shall never perish. Remember, our Lord said,
I go away to prepare a place for you. And if I go away, I'll
come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there
you may be also." These people who are described as strangers
in this world are God's elect, who are the very ones who shall
enjoy eternal salvation forever and ever with the Lord. Paul
said, I am in a strait betwixt two. I am in a straight betwixt
two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which
is far, far better. And this inheritance is incorruptible.
It's undefiled and it does not fade away. And beloved, that
means it's eternal and this inheritance is reserved. Indeed, it's kept. You see that in the latter part
of verse four. to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled,
and that faith not away, reserved for you, kept for you in heaven."
Beloved, this inheritance is a reservation. Indeed, it's an
inheritance by reservation kept by the Lord. So who made this
reservation? How is this reservation made?
Who paid for it? Who appointed it? Beloved, it's
a reservation by God's eternal decree according to God's purpose
in Christ. And further in verse five, it
describes that these people who are the very elect of God, how
that they're kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last day. So we have an inheritance
that's incorruptible, and undefiled, and it's eternal, and it's kept
by reservation. And then Peter writes here that
our salvation is guaranteed. You see, our elections of God,
beloved, our justifications of God, our sanctifications of God,
our glorifications of God, indeed, our salvation is of God. Look
again at verse five. Peter writes of God's elect as
those who are kept by the power of God. Now, we're kept by the
power of God through the gospel, because the gospel is called
the power of God unto salvation, unto everyone that believeth. We're kept by the power of God
through faith. And faith is a gift of God, and
faith that's true and real A faith that's true and real ever and
only looks to the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking unto Jesus the
author and finisher of our faith. Those who are kept by the power
of God through faith unto salvation. Now this faith receives Christ
who is our savior. Who is all our salvation. And this salvation is ready to
be revealed right now in Christ Jesus by the gospel. And this
salvation is revealed through the preaching of the gospel and
by the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm so thankful for our faithful
Savior, aren't you? We love to sing of his faithfulness,
do we not? We love to sing of his perfect
salvation. Jesus provides a perfect salvation,
does he not? His perfect salvation, His perfect
love, I pray we'll shout with the millions on high, singing
of His perfect salvation to tell, singing of how we're kept by
the power of God through faith, through our faithful, never failing,
perfect Savior, Jesus Christ, unto salvation, ready to be revealed
in the last time, in that day. Amen. I pray the Lord will bless
the words that he set forth before us this morning to the hearts
of his people. Amen.