"Predestined, Justified, And Sanctified Elect Of God” Series

Title: “Predestined, Justified, and Sanctified Elect of God”

Subtitle: “All Because of Christ’s Love for His Sheep”

Text: 1 Peter 1:1-2

1 Peter 1:1–2 (ESV)

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

I. The Elect of God are Chosen By God, by His Will.

a. Apostle Peter starts out his letter to the 5 Churches that are dispersed with an important aspect of God’s sovereignty regarding His elect saints. Those who are members of God’s Kingdom, not of the will of mankind, but the will and choice of God whom drew those whom He chooses.

b. The use of the word “election” emphasizes that membership of God’s people is due to God’s initiative, prior to all human response, made before time began.

c. It is God who has called men and women to be his people, and those who respond are elect.

d. The amazing concept is that God already has predestined His elect even before the beginning of time!

e. Scripture reinforces scripture in this matter!

i. Ephesians 1:4–5 (ESV)

ii. 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

iii. 5he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

iv. John 15:16 (ESV)

v. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide,…

vi. John 15:19 (ESV)

vii. 19If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

f. Remember God is sovereign and does what He wills to do in His providential domain. God’s call does not depend on any virtues or merits, works of humankind. We cannot earn salvation, there is nothing any fallible human can do to achieve justification apart from God!

g. Apostle Paul as well reinforces Apostle Peter’s writings and mentions this important premise in his letter to Corinth regarding the importance of boasting in the Lord, not ourselves or any humankind. God does not call someone because they are wise in their own ways, in a worldly sense but God even chooses the foolish things to shame worldly wisdom:

i. 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (ESV)

ii. 26For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

iii. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

iv. 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

v. 29so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

vi. 30And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

vii. 31so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

h. In addition Apostle Peter declared that those who were dispersed were Jewish believers who were converted to be of the Way of Christ and departed out of Jerusalem due to the persecution of those who were of Jesus.

i. The effect of election is to leave no grounds whatever for human boasting in achievement and position.

j. Whoever the elect is, they owe entirely to God.

k. Why?

l. Because God gets the glory, without God drawing, calling His elect, and opening the eyes, those who are not of God, nonbelievers remain in darkness and lost.

m. Here is more scripture in supporting this biblical premise:

i. Romans 8:28–30 (ESV)

ii. 28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

iii. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

iv. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

n. Illustration:

i. "In the wounds of Jesus is predestination understood and found, and nowhere else."

ii. A History of Christian Doctrine, p. 317.

iii. Prophesied centuries early by Isaiah and others.

o. Application: Has God predestined you for His call, justification, to sanctification, and eventually to glorification?