Elect

Would you turn to 1 Peter chapter 1? If you remember last week, we just considered Peter, what the Bible says about him, and now we're going to look at this first epistle of Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1. an apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, five Roman provinces. That is what I have entitled this message, this 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. Let's pray. Lord, how we, through the name of thy son, thank you for your word. We thank you for who you are. We thank you for your salvation. Lord, we ask in Christ's blessed name that you would be pleased to meet with us and to speak with us from your word, speak to us, make yourself known to us, deliver us from merely hearing the words and opinions of a sinful man, but may we be enabled to hear from you that your son would be exalted, that we might be found in him. Lord, we pray for forgiveness and cleansing. Pray for your spirit. We pray for your presence here and wherever your people meet together. Accept our thanksgiving for who you are, for your salvation. In Christ's name we pray, amen.

Peter, an apostle. What's an apostle? Someone sent by Christ. who was taught the gospel directly by Christ. Peter, an apostle. There are only 12 apostles. Paul took the place of Judas. We read of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. When someone claims to be an apostle, it's a false claim. There were only 12 apostles. And I think it's interesting, only four of the apostles were writers of scripture.

Peter, John, Paul, and Matthew, and how beloved Peter is to us. Peter, an apostle. And who's he writing to? Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. five different regions under Rome to the strangers scattered throughout these Roman provinces.

Now, I think it's interesting to note that Peter wrote this epistle when Nero was the emperor of Rome. And during this time, when Peter was writing, this is when part of Rome had been burned down And Nero blamed the Christians for it. And this was a time of great persecution where many believers were being tortured, murdered, put to death. That's what was going on at this time.

And Peter is writing to these people who were suffering this great persecution. And he calls them strangers, scabs. And indeed, every believer feels themselves to be a stranger in this world. We're passing through looking for our great homecoming with the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're just passing through. We're strangers. Now look at the first thing he says to this group who needed comfort. What a horrible time this was and how they needed comfort. And what does he say to them who needed comfort?

Elect. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit. Elect. First word he brings to him. Elect. I think it's amazing how there are institutions called churches that never even mention election. They don't believe or preach election. And yet, Peter begins elect. Now, let me remind you what election is.

Ephesians 1, 4, according is, he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Who chose who? He chose us. When was this choice made? Before the foundation of the world. Why did he choose us? To the praise of the glory of his grace. How did he choose us? In Christ.

Never divorce election from Christ. It's not some arbitrary choice on God's part. I'm going to save this one. I'm going to damn that one. No. He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. What a thought to think I've never been viewed independently of God's Son, Jesus Christ.

Elect. Now election says two things that are very precious to us. Number one, election says God really is God. A God that's not the God of election's a false God. A weak God, a pygmy God, a worthless God that can't do His will. Election tells us that God is God.

He's in control of everything. He controls who will be saved. That's great, glorious. God's God. It's also a reminder to us that salvation really is all of grace. That's what election says. Salvation is all of grace. Now, denial of election is a denial of grace. Failure to preach election is failure to preach grace. Failure to believe election is failure to believe grace. I love the way it was part of the everyday speech of Christ and the early church. Listen to these words by the Lord Jesus Christ.

You have not chosen me, but I've chosen you. And the word is actually elect. You have not elected me. I elected you. He said that to his people in his last address. He said that no flesh should be saved, but for the elect's sake. These are the words of the Lord. No flesh should be saved, but for the elect's sake. He said false prophets shall rise and deceive, if it were possible, the very elect. It's not possible for the elect to be deceived, could be deceived. False prophets would deceive them. Then shall he send his angels and gather his elect. Shall not God avenge his own elect?

You know in the Lord's great high priestly prayer in John chapter 17, seven times he refers to those you have given me. Speaking of the elect, I love what Paul said, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? He said, I endure all things for the elect's sake. He spoke of the faith of God's elect. When Peter closes this epistle, he speaks of the church of Babylon elected together with you. When John writes, I don't know if this is to an individual or representation of the church, but he wrote to the elect lady. I don't know if that represents the church or just an elect lady.

He said, the children of thy elect sister greet thee. Now I feel certain that in the early church, if you denied election, you wouldn't have been received as a brother. They'd say, what planet are you from? Where did you come up with something like that? Oh, this is something that God's elect delight in. The elect love election. And when Peter comes to these people who were being persecuted, being put to death in hiding, how does he first address them? Elect. Isn't that a precious word? God's Word. Elect according to, now let's go on reading, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.

Now that word is used only one other time in the New Testament, this word foreknowledge. It's when Peter began that great sermon on the day of Pentecost and he said, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Talking about the crucifixion of Christ, he was delivered according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.

Now obviously, this doesn't mean that God looked down through the telescope of time and foresaw his son would be crucified. This is God's eternal purpose. He's the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. God's foreknowledge is God knowing before because he decreed before. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning. God knows before because God has decreed before.

God made one decree. And everything that was, is, and shall be is in that one decree. In Revelation chapter five, you remember the story of the book sealed with seven seals, written inside and out, front page, back page, nothing could be added to it. This speaks of the decree of God that only Christ could open. Everything God determined is in that book that only Christ could open. No man was worthy to open it, but that represents the decree of God. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Now, a word that comes out of that foreknowledge is foreknew.

Whom, not what, whom he did foreknow. whom he did for love. If you're one of God's people, he loved you before. He foreknew you. Before time began, he foreknew you. You had personality to God. He didn't foreknow a non-existent being. You've always been in Christ. He foreknew you.

Whom he did foreknow, them he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God. Now, once again, these people need comforted. I need comforted. Oh, to think that he foreknew me, that he's always known me. that I've always been before him. Let's go on reading. Verse two.

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. elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit. Now this is speaking of the sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit. Turn with me, hold your finger there and turn with me to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.

Now sanctification, I don't really understand God's salvation. I don't have some understanding of sanctification. The word means to take something common and ordinary and set it apart for holy purposes. Sanctified. I was sanctified by the Father in election when he set me apart to be saved. I was sanctified by the Son redemption when he made me holy I was declared to be holy by what he did on Calvary Street and I'm sanctified by the Spirit of God in the new birth.

Now look in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13. But we are bound Second Thessalonians 2 13, but we are bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation. There's election, but I want you to know that election is not salvation. It's unto salvation.

There's no salvation without it, but he said he's chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, the sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit. How's it known? The belief of the truth. If you believe the truth, if you really believe the truth, you've been sanctified by the Spirit of God and if you've been sanctified by the Spirit of God, here's the evidence, You believe the truth. That is the evidence, belief of the truth. Turn back to first Peter. The sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit is the new birth. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creation, a creative act of God.

How much did you have to do with the first creation? Nothing. How much did you have to do with the second creation? Nothing. This is the creative act of God. If any man being Christ, he's a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

Sanctification of the spirit. Now look what he says next. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Elect through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now let's camp here for just a moment. Most of the English translations, if you would read them, they'll say elect to be obedient. elect for obedience. Now while if you do obey and if I do obey the gospel, it's because we're elect. We know that. But would you put your obedience beside the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? Doesn't that sound offensive? I'm not elect to be obedient. I'm elect unto the obedience of Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of his blood.

Now, let me make that good from the scripture. Romans chapter five, verse 19. As a matter of fact, turn with me there. I want you to see it for yourself. There's two scriptures I want you to look at, so we'll understand this passage of scripture. For as, verse 19, for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Now that's not talking about my obedience, it's talking about his obedience. By the obedience of this one, the Lord Jesus Christ, shall many be made righteous.

Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 10. I'm amazed how, I shouldn't be amazed, but I'm still amazed by how long I read this scripture wrong. Verse three, 2 Corinthians chapter 10, for though we walk in the flesh, we don't war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Notice it doesn't say bringing every thought into obedience to Christ. I want every thought to be brought into captivity to obedience of Christ. Don't get me wrong, I want that. But what does he say? Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Now every thought has to be subject to this.

His obedience is my righteousness before God. Now that's the meaning of unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. We wouldn't put our obedience even enabled by God's grace next to his obedience. We're saved by his obedience. Thus it becometh us. Paul said to John the Baptist, referring to every believer, thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. I'm saved by the obedience of another. And I love it that way. And I wouldn't want it to be any other way.

The obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Now here's what you're elect to. obedience and the sprinkling of his blood which refers to the high priest on the great day of atonement sprinkling the blood on the mercy seat and God's people being accepted by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we sing that song my hope is built on nothing less than than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. I know you say amen to that in your heart. obedience of Christ and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now, that's the benefit of God choosing me. He chose me under the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Now, let's go on reading. Verse two, 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. Now here's the declaration of grace. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God Through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you and peace be multiplied.

If salvation really is all of grace, peace. If salvation really is because of the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, peace. If the new birth is the work of God, the Holy Spirit, the sanctification of the Spirit, peace. If salvation is according to the electing grace of God, peace. Now in these two verses, he gives the Trinity. The work of God the Father, the work of God the Son, the work of God the Holy Spirit. Salvation being all of grace.

Peace be multiplied unto you. I like the way Peter uses the word multiplied. I guess Peter was some sort of mathematician. Multiply. He uses this in the second epistle as well. Turn with me to 1 Peter, or 2 Peter chapter one. Simon Peter a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Grace and peace be multiplied. Our salvation really is all of grace and it doesn't have anything to do with some kind of work I need to come up with. I have peace and that peace is multiplied. Romans 4 25 says he was delivered for our offenses. He was raised again for our justification.

Therefore, being justified, having been justified, a completed act by what he did when he was raised from the dead, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. What a way to comfort these poor believers. What a way to comfort these poor believers. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace be to you, and peace be multiplied. Amen.

Elect

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