mind, a vast, vast mind of the
riches and the mercy of God, God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit. according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you
and peace be multiplied. Now last week when we started
this study, we looked at verse 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Now, who's the author of this
book? Well, the scriptures declare Peter, and we know it's Peter,
the apostle of Jesus Christ, one who walked with the Lord
and talked with the Lord, who saw the Lord, saw his miracles. Who was it written to? It's written
to the strangers who are scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, Bithynia. And we know from verse two that
these are the elect of God. the church, the blood-bought
saints of God. And we looked at how this book
is a blessing to the elect of God from the time of the writing
of this book right to us today. It's a blessing and it will continue
to be a blessing to God's church as long as the Lord cares, as
long as the Lord cares. We considered also that this
book in each chapter mentions the Christian suffering while
journeying through this world, and it's written to encourage
God's people. It's written to encourage the
suffering saint in their pilgrimage upon this earth. And we see that
as we go through this book. We see that every single chapter
mentions suffering to encourage God's saints. And then we considered
how at one time we were strangers to the things of God, but now
we're no longer strangers. Now we're no longer strangers.
We were strangers to God and we were strangers to the gospel
of His sovereign grace and we were strangers to the mercy of
God. We had no idea. And I'd like this to be our starting
point today. Why are we no longer strangers
to God? We are no longer strangers to
God because it is He who has ordained us to eternal life. And it is he who has gave us
faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. So we're no longer
strangers. We're no longer strangers to
God. Because God calls us with a personal
holy calling. Bringing life and immortality
to light under the preaching of his gospel. And let us always
remember that he knows his people from eternity. We were strangers
to him. We didn't know him. We didn't
know we were his sheep. But by his calling, by his effectual
calling, personal holy calling, bringing life and immortality
to light under the preaching of the gospel, now we know him. We're no longer strangers to
him. And our works had absolutely
nothing to do, nothing to do with this, nothing to do with
the salvation of God's elect in Christ Jesus our Lord. It's
all according to His sovereign grace and His sovereign mercy. And this is why we are no longer
strangers to God. We're strangers to the world,
aren't we? And to the people in the world. We're strangers
to the people of this world because they don't know us. And they
don't know the Christ of God who chose us out of this world. My brothers don't know what to
think of me. Because they look at me and see the same way. But
they know there's something different. I'm not the same person. I'm
a new creature in Christ now. The things that I used to like
to do with them, I don't want to do anymore. The things that
I hated before, now I love. Reading the scripture. Being
with God's people. I didn't want to be with the
Lord's people before. But now, God's people, is not God's people
the only people you want to be with? It's wonderful. It's wonderful. We come here,
we hear the gospel preached, we love that which we once hated.
It's a miracle of grace, beloved. It's a miracle of grace. So we're strangers to the people
of this world. And religious people who don't
know the Christ and the Holy Scriptures, they hate us with
the same hatred the religious Jews had for Christ when he walked
on this earth. Believers are strangers to the
people of the world. We're a paradox to them. We're
puzzling to the world. Because we're rich in Christ,
but poor in spirit. We're happy in Christ, but heavy
laden by trials and troubles, which we go through in this world.
They don't understand that. They don't understand that. We're
strong in Christ, who is our strength, but we're so weak in
ourselves. So weak in ourselves. They don't
understand that. I didn't understand that before
I was saved. We're confident in Christ, but
yet we tremble. at our own sinfulness. We're
confident in Christ, but yet we tremble at our own sinfulness
and our own weakness. Old Testament saints were given
the same faith that our Lord Jesus Christ has given to us.
They received the same promises we have received, and they saw
them afar. They look to the cross. They
look to Christ. We look to Christ too. We look
back at what He's done for us. Now we look to Him all the time.
All the time. They were persuaded by the same
God who has persuaded us. And they embraced God's promises
with the same assurance that moved us to embrace them. We're
born again by the Holy Spirit of God. He's given us new desires
and we praise His holy name. The Lord Jesus Christ, our great
Deliverer. They confess that they were strangers
and pilgrims on this earth with the same God-given faith that
has moved us to make that same confession. Every one of God's
people say the same thing. And all the saints of God die
in faith with our affection set on Christ. And those things God
has reserved in heaven for us, by His grace, we'll continue
to confess that we're strangers on this earth until the Lord
is pleased to call us home. Where's our citizenship? It's
in heaven. It's in heaven, beloved. And
when faith gives way to sight, we'll see our Lord Jesus Christ
in all his glory, and in all his majesty, and we will enjoy
his presence forever. Now that's something to look
forward to, isn't it? after going through this world and the trials
and tribulations. So with that in mind, let us
consider verse 2, where we see the whole Trinity in action in
our salvation, and in our sanctification, and in our redemption. Peter
is writing to strangers, to God's saints throughout the world,
not only those who were living in his day, but to all God's
saints in every generation since, because we read this book, and
it speaks to us, doesn't it? It speaks to us. Peter's writing
to me. To us, we who are God's elect,
the Holy Spirit identifies us in the next verse by these holy
words from God Himself. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father. Through sanctification of the
Spirit and obedience and a sprinkle in the blood of Jesus Christ,
grace unto you and peace be multiplied. There's the whole Trinity in
action. Right there. So we'll look today at the great
work of our God. Set forth in verse 1. We're going
to spend a couple of studies on this. In this one verse, the
Apostle declares the work of all three persons in the Holy
Trinity. the Son and the Spirit in the
affair of our salvation. Then he assures us of the fact
that we, that all who are indeed chosen, redeemed and sanctified
shall be constantly blessed with multiplied grace and peace in
Christ. Look at the verse here. Elect
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification
of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. My God's people have this blessed
assurance that all our sins are forgiven For Christ's sake and
he who has begun a good work in us will perfect it beloved
He will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ And this
is very comforting to God's people because we're sinners by birth
nature and choice Oh my Comfort ye comfort ye my people And this
is exactly what God's preachers are to do by the preaching of
the gospel. We don't comfort God's people
by laying heavy burdens on them. That's religion does that. And
it ain't comforting. Because they lay burdens on people
that they're not able to bear themselves. We don't comfort God's people
by telling them that salvation can only be accomplished by something
you do. That's a lie from the pit of hell. We don't comfort God's people
by telling them they'll lose their salvation if they fall
into some sinful trap that God will just all of a sudden toss
them away because of something they did. That's not comforting. Because we fall all the time.
We sin all the time. I sinned enough sitting in my
chair at home to damn a thousand souls. I know it's so for all
of us, just in our thoughts. We're sinners. Oh my. Spurgeon said, Spurgeon used
to say, getting up from his bed and going to the breakfast table.
He used that analogy. He said he sinned enough getting
up from his bed to his breakfast table to damn a thousand souls.
It's true. We're sinners, beloved. My goodness. But praise God. Praise God. God tells his preachers to comfort
his people, and this is what he says. Comfort ye, comfort
ye my people, saith your God. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. It's finished. Payment for sin is finished.
The battle's over. We have peace with God now. Through
Jesus Christ our Lord. That our iniquity is pardoned.
How much? All of it. Praise God. All of it. For she
hath received in the Lord's hand double for all our sins. Isaiah
41. God's people are comforted when
the Holy Spirit reveals to us that salvation is of the Lord
from start to finish. We're comforted by that. We're
comforted We're comforted by the fact, in our verse here,
that God the Father chose us in Christ before the world began. We're comforted that our salvation
was purposed by God before the world was created. We're comforted
by the fact that God shall do what is purposed. That He's going
to accomplish what is purposed. And that God does according to
His will. Whatever He's pleased to do, He does. and heaven and
earth and absolutely no one can hinder His work. And these truths,
what do they do? They bring comfort to God's people,
don't they? When we look at this in the Scriptures
declared that we're elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, that comforts my soul. My, these truths bring great
comfort to God's people. When we see through the eye of
faith that Christ has obtained eternal redemption for us, that
He by Himself has purged our sins, that the blood of Jesus
Christ cleanses us from all sin, and that absolutely nothing can
be laid to the charge of God's elect, that's comforting. That's comforting to this sinner. And that He, that God Himself
has justified us. We couldn't justify ourselves.
He's justified us. This brings great comfort to
God's people. Those whom the Father has chosen
in Christ. Those who have been redeemed
by the blood of Christ and those who are sanctified by the Holy
Spirit of God. Now look at the here this morning.
The work of God the Father is what I want us to consider this
morning. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
Elect means to choose in the Greek. Chosen. Election's a wonderful
truth for the believer. It's a wonderful truth for the
believer. And all who enjoy the blessings and gifts and benefits
of God's grace in Christ are the objects of his eternal choice. It's undeniable. The scriptures
declare it, and it's so. The Bible turns that choice is
called election. And those people are called the
elect. The election, the election of
grace, and contrary to popular religious opinion, election or
elect is not a bad word. It's a blessed word of grace
to God's people. It's a wonderful word, elect,
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Oh, what peace
that brings my soul. Now, the doctrine of election
cannot be denied by any honest reader of the Holy Scriptures.
I'm going to read a few different portions here. I'll give you
the addresses if you want to write them down. It cannot be denied by any honest
reader of the Holy Scriptures. This doctrine is a God-honoring
truth. And it's set forth many times,
both in the Old and the New Testament. Here's some examples. Thou art
an holy people unto the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath
chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people
that are upon the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7 verse 6. And then over in Psalm 65 for
the scriptures declare this. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causes to approach unto thee that he may dwell in
thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the
goodness of the house, even of thy holy temple. Blessed is the
man whom thou choosest. And in Ephesians 1, 3 and 4,
we all know these ones. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he has
chosen us. That word means to choose. Chosen
is chosen. In him in Christ before the foundation
of the world that we should be holy and without blame before
him And then turn if you would the second Thessalonians all
of us turn here second Thessalonians And I'll read first Peter 2 9
which says but you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood
and holy nation Peculiar people that you should show forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light. I And in John 15, 16, the scriptures
declare, you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. That's
the words of the master. That's the words of the master.
Look at Second Thessalonians, chapter two, verses 13 and 14.
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning what?
Chosen. Chosen. To what? To salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. Now look at our verse
in 1 Peter after reading that. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father. This is the truth all through
scriptures. It cannot be denied. It cannot be denied. My sheep
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give
unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave them
me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out
of my father's hand. I and my father are one. John
chapter 10 verses 27 to 30. All the father giveth me shall
come to me and him that cometh to me I will no wise cause cast
out. John chapter 6 verse 37. And then Acts 13 48. Turn there
if you would. Acts chapter 13 verse 48. What
a precious truth this is. It's undeniable. And there's
many more scriptures in this. This is just a small sampling.
There's many more scriptures. The doctrine of election cannot
be denied by any honest reader of the Holy Scriptures of God.
It just can't. But yet, people who do not know
the Lord deny this precious truth. Look at this, Acts chapter 13.
And lest we get too high up. We didn't know this until the
Lord revealed it to us. And then what happens? We're
just in awe. We're just in awe at this precious
truth. This precious truth. Look at
Acts chapter 13 verse 48. And when
the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word
of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. As many as were ordained to eternal
life, believed. Now let's go back to our, with
that in mind, let's go back again to our passage. Elect according
to the foreknowledge of God the Father. We were ordained to believe
the gospel. We were granted faith to believe
the gospel. Today, in the main message, we're
looking at a man who's laying in the lane. I'm not going to
say too much, but he has no ability to do nothing. And God puts his
eyes, Christ puts his eyes upon him. Why? Because he's one of
the ones who was indebted before the foundation of the world.
Oh, my. To believe on Christ Jesus. So the doctrine of election cannot
be denied by any honest reader of the Holy Scriptures of God.
And here's a simple question for us. What is it about these
verses we just read that are so difficult to understand? Well, you have to have spiritual
eyes to see. But it's very plain, isn't it? It's spoken very plain. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believe. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father. Now in religious circles, the
false notion that God looked down through time and saw who
would have faith in Him and then chose them is very popular in
religious circles, but it's a lie. Because we know that when God
looked down through time, all He saw was us dead in trespasses
and sins. And He had mercy upon those who
need have mercy. He chose us when we were dead
in our trespasses and sins. And we know that God knows the
end from the beginning. But note in our text, the word
foreknowledge is referring to what, not referring to what God knew,
but whom God foreknew. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father. Who? Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God. It's speaking of whom God foreknew. Whom God foreknew. He foreknew
his people. He knew, he ordained his people
to eternal life. He chose them in eternity. And
it's all his choice. It's all his choice. And here
in our text, Peter is declaring unto believers, and we know that
this is authored by the Holy Spirit of God, The Holy Spirit of God teaches
us that election here, just as it is in all the rest of the
scriptures, is by God's pure, free, sovereign, and eternal
grace and mercy. The only reason you and I believe
is because God's had mercy upon us, because God chose us in eternity. And note here, note this too,
it's a personal act of the Father. He chose every one of his sheep
in Christ. Now, here's something to stun us. We were chosen the same
time Peter and Paul were chosen. All God's people are chosen in
Christ. It's wonderful. And it's a personal
act of the Father. He chose every one of His sheep
in Christ. The same Greek word for foreknowledge
is used over, turn if you would to Acts chapter 2 verse 23. Acts
chapter 2 verse 23. The same Greek word for foreknowledge
is used over there in Acts chapter 2 verse 23 where it says this
about Christ's death upon the cross. Some folks will tell you that
when Adam fell, God went to plan B, right? You ever heard that?
I used to hear that in religious circles. It's horrible. It's
horrible. Or they say, oh, when when the
Jews rejected Christ, then he then he went off to the Gentiles.
I used to hear that, too. And I used to even promote that
when I was in religion. It's awful. It's a lie. God never
had a plan B. God, God allowed the fall to
happen, right? that his son might come into
the world and redeem his people from their sins. Nothing happens
outside of God's permissive will. Now he's not the cause of evil,
is he? What does he have to do for us to be evil? Just leave
us alone. Man, we run to it, don't we?
People say, well, all the things that has happened in this world
and all these things we see happening, that's God just leaving people
where they are. My, that's a scary thought to
be left where you are. Look at this, the same Greek
word for foreknowledge in our text is used over in Acts chapter
2 verse 23. Him being delivered up by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. God didn't go to plan
B when Adam fell. Christ came into this world to
die upon the cross for His people. According to the foreknowledge
of God, by His determinate counsel and foreknowledge. You have taken
him by wicked hands of crucified and slain. Why did Christ have
to die? Amen, brother. Amen. Yes. He came to save his
people from their sins. Otherwise, we could never be
saved. My, what a great God we have. What a great God we have. So election's not based upon
anything that God foreknew in man. God didn't look down through
time and see who would choose him, because then that's works.
That's then based upon man's work. No, God looked down through
time and saw us all dead in trespasses and sins, and by his mercy and
his grace, he bestowed mercy and grace to whom he chose. In
the elect of God, we say, me, me. God had mercy upon me. Praise His mighty name that He
did. Praise His mighty name that He didn't leave me where I was. That He chose me in eternity
because I never would have chosen Him. That's the truth. Praise God that He chose us because
we never would have chosen Him. And this God-honored truth is
revealed to God's chosen people. when He calls us with a holy,
personal, inward, effectual call through the preaching of the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the call of God comes to
us under the preaching of the gospel, the gospel of His sovereign,
amazing grace. Oh, God's sovereign grace and
His sovereign mercy is bestowed upon His chosen people through
the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and through His merits
alone. Because we cannot save ourselves. But he came, praise
God, he came to save his people from their sins. And he did it.
He did it, beloved. What a great God and Savior we
have. God has pardoned all the sins
of his people because of the perfect obedience of the Lord
Jesus Christ who laid down his life for his sheep. honoring
God's law perfectly, perfectly for us, and satisfying God's
holy justice for all His elect when He died on Calvary Street.
This is what God's preachers declare, and God calls His lost
sheep under the preaching of the Gospel. And God's sheep are
comforted by this precious truth. Even so, then at this present
time, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And
if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is
no more grace. But if it be of works, Then it
is no more grace. Otherwise work is no more work
turn if you would there to a Romans chapter 11 I'll read it again.
This is a wonderful portion of Scripture It's so clear so clear
that we're not saved by our works Because if if we were it's no
longer grace Grace is God's unmerited favor bestowed upon a sinner
Look at this in Romans chapter 11 verses 5 and 6. Even so then, at this present
time, also there is a remnant according to the election of
grace, according to God's choosing. And if by grace, then it is no
more of works. It's so plain. It's so clear. If you add a pinprick of works
to grace, it's no longer grace. Just a pinprick. Otherwise grace is no more grace,
but if it be of works if salvation is the works is no more grace Otherwise work is no more work
And this is written for our learning, beloved, that we might understand
that election is not based, and look it says, even so at this
present time there's a remnant according to the election of
grace. And then he goes on to expound that this is all by grace
and not works. That we might understand that
election is not based on our sinful works, and that unregenerate
man Any kind of work that unregenerate man tries to produce to save
themselves, salvation is not based upon that. No. Salvation is based upon Christ
and in Christ alone, by the grace of God alone. Alone. And it's by God's sovereign electing
grace that we are saved. If election was based on something
that God foreknew that we would do, it would cease to be grace. It would cease to be grace. Because
again, it would be based upon our works. And God's grace is
unmerited favor bestowed upon us, bestowed upon sinners. We are saved by grace alone,
plus nothing. Saved in Christ alone, plus nothing. And we come into this world wired
for works. That's why you see so many people
trying to work their way to heaven. But they're perishing in their
sins if they die without Christ. But the believer has revealed
to him and to her that salvation is by grace alone, through Christ
alone, to the glory of God alone. Because he gets all the glory
for it, doesn't he? He gets it all. He gets it all. Grace cannot be grace if we've
done something to merit God's favor. That's why God tells us,
if by grace then it is no more works, otherwise grace is no
more grace. But if it be of works, then it
is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. So our election
in Christ had nothing to do with anything that we do. It's all
by God's merit, grace given to us and unmerited favor bestowed
upon us. And anyone who tries to mix works
with grace does not understand the gospel. They don't understand. They're unregenerate. And the
unregenerate works-based religionist hates God's sovereign elects
and grace. Just tell people about it. You'll
find out real fast. Find out real fast. They hate
it. The first time I heard it, when I was unregenerate, the
first time someone told me about election, I told them they were
crazy. And I did that. But what did
God do? Well, God proved me to be a liar
then, didn't he? His election's all grace. It's
all grace. It's all by him. And now it's
a doctrine that I absolutely love and thrill. Thrills my soul. And so unregenerate men are as dead
spiritually as those who are dead physically. Lazarus being
raised from the grave, from the dead, is a picture of our spiritual
resurrection. And a dead man doesn't have a
free will. A dead man has a will that's bound to their nature.
But a dead man, a real dead man, don't have free will. A dead
man doesn't have faith in the scriptures. Dead means dead in
the scriptures. What does God tell us? That we're
coming to this world dead in trespasses and sins. Dead means
dead. But praise God, our God has mercy
upon His people. Mercy upon who He will. And it's
all by His sovereign will and all by His sovereign choice.
So then it is not of Him that willeth, there goes free will,
nor of Him that runneth, there goes works, but of God that showeth
mercy. If you're saved, it's because
God showed mercy to you. And God's saints rejoice in His
electing grace, don't we? We rejoice in His electing grace.
And we are told by the Savior to rejoice that our names are
written in heaven, in the Lamb's Book of Life, in Luke 10, verse
20. And we are told that the elect,
those spoken of in our text, were foreordained by the Father,
and that their names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life, in
the foundation of the world. And if God the Father, He should
be our delight. We should delight in this precious,
precious truth that I am chosen in Christ according to God's
foreknowledge, that He's ordained me to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ. If He chose us in Christ simply
because it pleased Him to do so, shouldn't we delight in His
sovereign electing grace? We should, eh? We should leap
for joy. Oh, brethren, if our Heavenly
Father had not chosen us, we can be sure that we never would
have chosen Him. Gracious Heavenly Father, we
thank Thee for this precious truce that we looked at today.
Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that you chose us in Christ Jesus,
your people, because we never would have chosen you, Lord,
left to ourselves. We'd still be dead in trespasses
and sins. And we praise thee, we praise
thee that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die
for our sins. And the Holy Spirit came and
regenerated us, fetched us, we who were dead in trespasses and
sins. And now we look to Christ our
Savior, our Redeemer, our hope, our all in all. And one day,
Lord, we will see Thee face to face, and our faith will be made
sight. What a glorious day that will
be. We pray You give us strength and grace to make it through
this life, through the time that we have upon this earth. We give
You all the glory and honor and praise. In Jesus' name, amen.