One Foot in Heaven, One on Earth
1 Peter 1:1-2
• As Jesus’ disciples, we live in two worlds.
• One of those worlds is characterized by foolishness, incredulity, darkness, despair, and evil, and leads to hell.
• The other is filled with wisdom, belief, light, hope and good, and it leads to heaven.
• One foot in heaven, so to speak, and one foot on earth.
• Since we must, at least for a time, live in both worlds simultaneously, it leads to all kinds of problems that have no easy answers.
• What we’re going to cover over the next few months in 1 Peter is that finding a lasting solution to those problems begins with answering two questions:
1. Which world is my true home?
2. How did I become a citizen of that world?
• We’ll start this week by answering both those questions this morning.
• But first, let’s take just a few moments to consider the context of Peter’s letter that we’ll be studying.
• I’ll be brief here because we have so much to cover this morning.
• Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 1 and follow along as I read the first two verses:
(1 Peter 1:1-2 ESV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according 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. (Prayer)
• We can see that the writer claims that the author is Peter.
• There is relatively little debate that Peter actually wrote this letter.
• What little doubt there is generally arises due to the classical style of Greek employed in the letter which some claim would not come from an “unlearned” fisherman.
• There is far more evidence to support his authorship.
• Peter identifies himself as “an apostle of Christ”.
• As we’ve discussed before, the word “apostle” is used in the New Testament in two different ways; in the general sense, and in the specific sense.
• The word “apostle” means “one who is sent”,
• it sometimes describes the responsibility of every disciple of Jesus to be His ambassador here on earth and share the gospel with others.
• So certainly, Peter was an apostle in that sense.
• But the word “apostle” was also used to describe an authoritative office in the New Testament church.
• Only the 11 who had been with Jesus, some say add Matthias, who was chosen to replace Judas, and for sure Paul, held that position for the Gentiles.
• The qualifications of an apostle are, you had to see Jesus, be called by Jesus, and be able to perform miracles like Jesus.
• That disqualifies any who would claim the office of Apostle today.
• It is likely that Peter is using the term in that sense here.
• This is a serious book, and he wanted the readers to take it seriously.
• This letter was probably written around 65 AD during a time of tremendous persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
• The Roman Emperor, Nero, had set the city of Rome on fire, and then blamed it on the Christians.
• They were already hated because of their association with the Jews and because they were considered to be hostile to the Roman pagan culture,
• So, it’s not surprising that vicious persecution of Christians spread throughout the Roman Empire.
• There are many parallels to our world today.
• The details and the reasons for the persecution may be different.
• Nonetheless, the attack on Christianity is present and growing today.
• That is why it is so appropriate and relevant for us to study this letter.
• Peter and his audience, like us, lived in a culture which was literally on its way to hell because of its love for this world and its rejection of God’s kingdom.
• So, there is much for us to learn from his letter about how to live for heaven during that kind of culture on earth.
• In just these two verses, Peter clearly lays out the two worlds in which we live as disciples of Jesus.
• Paul calls the people the “elect”, signifying their heavenly Kingdom.
• He calls them “Exiles of the Dispersion”, pointing to their earthly existence.
• In the Old Testament, The Exiles of the Dispersion, or Diaspora, were those who were taken away from Israel into the captive lands to work as servants.
• Remember Daniel was one of the young men taken to Babylon. (Daniel 1).
• Nehemiah was a Cupbearer of King Artaxerxes as part of the Diaspora, but returned to rebuild the wall.
• So this concept was commonly understood by the Jews, but Peter applies it to the Christians living in a wicked world, in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
• There were a number of churches in that region, Modern day Turkey.
• At least 8 mentioned in the New Testament.
• In Revelation chapters 2 and 3 we find letters from Jesus to seven churches in that region.
• We also know there was at least one other church in that region in Colossae because Paul wrote a letter to that church.
• Paul is saying, these citizens of Heaven are aliens in the kingdom of this world.
• That is true for us.
• This answer the first question for believers, my true home.
• But look at this key word in verse one.
• Elect. = Chosen, selected.
• This opens a whole can of worms in Christianity.
• The juxtaposition between the sovereignty of God is the choice of mankind.
• It has been a battleground in Christianity nearly from the time the Apostles graduated from Heaven.
• This is important because we said the key to this book is wrapped in two questions.
• 1. Which world is my true home?
• 2. How did I become a citizen of that world?
• In this word “election” rests the answer to the second question.
• We are elected into this Kingdom of God that makes us an outcast in the Kingdoms of this world.
• But, we must still live here for a while. One foot….
• So, we will look at this term, election.
• I am not an expert on this.
• I don’t have all the answers.
• My explanations will not be satisfying to, probably, anyone in this service today.
• Or anyone who sees this online.
• But, let’s look at Peter’s explanation and see if that helps.
• He mentions the involvement of all three persons of the Godhead.
• And that’s our outline for today’s sermon.
I. The Foreknowledge of God
• In simple English, we are considered elect because God knew the choice we would make.
• Dictionary.com give the primary definition of Foreknowledge, “awareness of something before it happens or exists.”
• This “election by God’s foreknowledge” makes believers citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom while living as aliens in the earthly Kingdoms.
• Yet, many theologians are not satisfied with that simple definition of “foreknowledge.”
• And, an analysis of the topic seems to give them footage.
• You see, Peter used this word before.
• On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached his first true sermon.
• You will remember, everyone heard the cloven tongues of fire speak in their own language, and some said the disciples were drunk.
• Peter stood up and preached.
He said in Acts 2, “Act 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—
Act 2:23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”
• He said, “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge.”
• It was more than God just knowing ahead of time what men would do to His son.
• Other passages say the plan was devised before the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8).
Eph_1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
• You see, Peter used the Greek word, “Prognosis” as the foreknowledge, or devised plan of God ahead of time.
• We get a prognosis for a medical diagnosis when the doctor tells us what we can expect in the future as a result of the diagnosis.
• Let’s look at the classic Greek word he used. “Prognosis”
• “Pro” ahead of time, “Gnosis” perfect knowledge, or plan.
• So, the word actually means, foreknowledge.
• If you want to have a good study, study the related phrase “before the foundation of the world.”
• The plan of God was devised before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:11-12).
• We will see that, from God’s perspective, Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world, (1 Peter 1:19-20).
• Hold on to that thought. I want to get back to it. This is complicated.
• We were selected in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world.
• We were created for good works planned before the foundation of the world.
• How can this be?
• There is an undeniable set of truths that any Bible student must agree.
1. God has all power. He is sovereign.
2. God has all knowledge, past, present, and future.
3. When God set this plan in motion, it was already predetermined to work out as HE planned it.
• That is what foreknowledge means.
• But before you jump ship, please hear me out.
II. The Sanctification of the Spirit.
• The text says, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit
• So, the second person in the Godhead is mentioned here.
• Sanctification means, set apart and purified for a holy purpose.
• The Father selected us, and the Spirit sanctifies us.
• Another one of those theological words; Sanctification.
• In plain English, sanctification is “making holy”.
• As in gold, to purify.
• But, we are purified for a reason, and set apart for that reason.
• It also means shaped to be used for a set-apart purpose.
• We are not only purified by the blood of Jesus, but we are shaped into a vessel to be used for a sacred purpose.
• Our sanctification is much like our existence. It’s two-fold. Like living in two worlds.
• It’s immediate, and it’s progressive.
• I want us to understand both.
1. First, it is immediate, as is our citizenship in Heaven.
• Our standing with God is immediately pure at salvation.
• This is due to the forgiveness and cleansing of the blood of Jesus.
1Co 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
1Co 6:10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
• Many will use this scripture to condemn others. Even condemn Christians.
• I want you to note, verses 9-10 do NOT apply to believers.
• Why? Because of verse 11. Washed, sanctified, justified.
• This is your birthright to the new Kingdom.
• If you are saved, or born again, your status, as declared by the Judge, is washed (in the blood), sanctified, and justified.
• Your foot is firmly planted in the new Kingdom.
• Ephesians 2 describes this transformation of who we are in Christ Jesus as a born-again Christian, and why.
• Verses 1-3 describes who we were “before” being washed in graphic terms.
• Dead in sin, walking in darkness, controlled by evil influences with no hope but for God to intervene.
• But God did intervene. He sent His Son to die for you, to pay the price for your soul.
• Verses 4-6 tells us what God did and why.
• He made us alive by giving us His life in the Holy Spirit.
• He did it because He had mercy and love for us.
• Verse 7 tells us the driving reason God did this.
So He could show us the depth of His love and perfection in coming ages.
• Verses 8-9 tells us the vehicle in which God did this.
• By grace (we didn’t deserve it), through faith (trusting in Jesus alone), and not of works.
• Verse 10 tells us the results of this change that God brought.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
• Walk in them when? In coming ages?
• No. Now. So this redemption, this salvation, makes a difference in us for the rest of our journey in this other land, the world. One foot on earth.
• Verses 11-13 tells us to remember from whence we came.
• We were separated from God, especially as Gentiles, with no hope.
• We had no promises of God.
• But Jesus brought us near God to stand before Him in complete purity. One foot in Heaven.
• The rest of the chapter tells us of the intervention of Jesus Christ.
• It ends with one of the most amazing verses in the universe.
Eph 2:22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
• Focus on “are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
• We are being possessed by the Spirit of God.
• Together, we can be seen as a place where God dwells on earth and impacts the community.
• That is the immediate sanctification of the spirit.
1. But there is also the progressive sanctification. Our life in this world.
• In Chapter 3 of Ephesians, Paul interrupts his thoughts with further explanations of His purpose in delivering the message. A great study.
• In Chapter 4, he drops in the “therefore”, “For this reason”, “because of what God has done in you.”
• This is done in every one of his letters to churches.
Eph 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Eph 4:3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
• He says, “walk worthy”.
• That implies that you COULD walk worthy, and you COULD walk unworthy.
• The clear implication is that, we can walk worthy when we walk in status of our new identity in Jesus Christ.
• When we walk according to the light, not the darkness.
• When we walk like we have one foot in Heaven.
• I believe that tied exactly into our text.
To those who are elect exiles… according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
III. Obedience to Christ and the Sprinkling of His Blood.
A. The Obedience to Christ.
• Please focus on the prepositions.
• We are elected according TO the Foreknowledge of God.
• We are elected according IN (OR THROUGH) the sanctification of the Spirit.
• And we elected FOR the obedience of Jesus Christ and for the sprinkling of the blood.
• Many translators say “Of the obedience of Christ and of the sprinkling of the blood.
• We were saved because we were obedient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Now, this is where much of the differences in beliefs come into play.
• Did we “Obey” the gospel of Jesus, or did HE work in us only according to His Predestination.
• The Bible teaches that both are true.
• You can place all of your beliefs in this in the passage of Romans 8:29-30.
Rom 8:29 For 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.
Rom 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
• Predestination is a solid and sure doctrine of the Bible.
• But like most doctrines, it doesn’t stop there.
• That’s one foot in Heaven. There is another foot.
• Somehow, even with His unquestionable predestination and foreknowledge, God did it in a way that we had to OBEY the gospel.
• We had to accept the invitation.
Rom 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”
Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
We have to “obey the truth” to be saved.
1Pe 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
1Pe 1:23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
• You see, the sovereignty of God is our one foot in heaven.
• Our choice to obey represents our one foot on the earth.
Eph 1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Eph 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
1Th 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
• This ties in so well with Romans 10, that may be another sermon.
• But the truth is, we had to obey the Word to be saved.
• We had to choose to obey the Word to obey it.
• How can these two things be, “The sovereignty and foreknowledge of God, and the choice of mankind?”
• These are two undeniable truths that are represented by our one foot in heaven and one foot on earth.
• God is sovereign.
• But he is not willing that any should perish.
• The invitation is, “Choose you this day…”
B. The Sprinkling of the Blood.
• What about the sprinkling of the blood?
• This goes back to the sacrifices of Israel in the Old Testament.
• The people were not just sanctified by the shedding of blood, but by the sprinkling of blood.
• That was what the Hyssop was for, to dip in the blood and sprinkle it on things that needed to be sanctified.
• Christ covered us with His blood at our salvation.
• But we are sprinkled with blood daily to live sanctified lives.
Heb 9:18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.
Heb 9:19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
Heb 9:20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.”
Heb 9:21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
Heb 9:22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Heb 9:23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
• We are not talking about a continuing sacrifice of Jesus.
• Jesus died once for all. One foot in Heaven.
Heb 10:10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
• But we are called to remain pure in our living, our one foot in the world.
• God had provided for that.
• So, there are two major applications to this introduction.
• One foot in heaven and one foot on earth.
1. God had provided for our victory on earth.
• That continual sprinkling is described elsewhere as…
Heb 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
• intercession is continuous.
• HE is doing so in order that we can to do the work of Jesus, because we are sprinkled by the blood of Jesus.
• His blood covers us so His life can flow through us.
• His life flowing through us is the only performance of righteousness we can do.
• Our own works of righteousness fall so short.
• But His Spirit, expressing itself through us, is acceptable to God.
• I could reference this in passage after passage.
• Galatians 2:20 comes to mind immediately.
• But let me give you a challenge instead.
• I can show you in book after book the writers’ approach as guided by the Holy Spirit.
• They establish the identity and sanctification of the believer. As mentioned.
• Then they drop the “therefore”.
• It is followed by what we refer to as practical Christian living directives.
• In other words, because you are redeemed and God is working His progressive sanctification in your works, live like it.
• Period. One foot in heaven, one foot on earth.
• To the end,
Rom 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For 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.
• Again, focus on something.
• “…to be conformed to the image of his Son…”
• The plan was to redeem us and then shape us into the image of God’s only Son.
• This began with God predestining us unto election, and ends with the sprinkling of the blood.
• It began with the determination of God to save those who believe, according to His foreknowledge, or predetermined plan, and ends with it’s reality through the blood of Jesus.
• Therefore, we are in the middle of that.
• Like so many things, there is an eternal truth and a daily reality. One foot.
• The eternal truth is, as it states in Ephesians 2:6, we are already seated in the heavenlies.
• The word “seated” has more than one meaning.
• We may picture a room where there is a banquet and many are around the table.
• You may picture a conference room, or a theater, and you are seated.
• The English word, seated, matches the Greek very well.
• We also use “seated” to describe something affixed in a permanent way.
• We say a fence post is seated in concrete when the mixture hardens.
• A bearing is seated on a hub after proper installation.
• This is the use of us being “firmly and eternally established in the heavenlies.”
2. You can be saved if you are lost.
• Do not let this idea confuse you about salvation.
• While we know the plan was set before the foundation of the world, God is more wondrous that we can imagine.
• He didn’t lie when He inspired the words of 2 Peter 3:9.
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
• He was not lying when He offered invitation after invitation for those who are lost to be saved.
Mat 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
• There are 110 times the New Testament says, “Whosoever”.
• “Elect” = 16, Elected, once, Election = 6, Predestine = 5.
• Listen, since predestination and election is a major theological topic, mentioned only 28 times in the New Testament, we cannot deny that “whosoever will”, mentioned 110 times, must be a major topic.
• Some say you cannot reconcile the two.
• I remind you of Matthew 19:26.
“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
• He reconciled Justice and Mercy through Jesus Christ.
• HE can reconcile our free will with His sovereignty.
• He is that great, that smart, that powerful, that capable.
• Let me ask a question to help us understand that we don’t have to understand.
• We have a doctrine of Angels.
• We believe in Angels, don’t we.
• We don’t worship angels or magnify them in any way, as is obedience to God.
Col 2:18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
• Let me ask you, why does God have angels?
• He doesn’t need them.
• He doesn’t need their power, for He holds all power.
• He doesn’t need there numbers,
• His power overwhelms any number of angels.
• Angelic beings are mentioned at least 297 times in 34 books of the Bible. OT and NT.
• Hebrews 12:22 says there are uncountable in number.
• Revelation 5:11 says, “myriads upon myriads.”
• They perform the directives of God, but He doesn’t need them.
• The answer is clear. We don’t know why God chose to create, and use, angels.
• Neither can we explain why God predestined those who would be saved, according to His foreknowledge, and still gives us a will to choose.
• We are still responsible for our choices. Eternally responsible.
• What does that mean to you?
• You can know you are saved.
• Look at Romans 10:14.
Rom 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
• For things are mentioned in reverse order, one occurring before the next.
• Let’s look at them in order.
a. Someone must preach.
• This is the general term for preach, more than what I am doing today.
• It is what every believer is to do, hopefully daily, if possible.
• It means to share the good news. The truth.
• I am doing that today. Hopefully, I have a chance to do it every day.
• Same with all believers, not just “preachers.”
• What is the gospel? What is the truth?
1Co 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
1Co 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
1Co 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
• That is the truth, the good news, the Gospel.
Also, Rom 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
Rom 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Rom 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
Rom 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
• So there is the truth. We have a message, and you heard the preacher.
b. You must hear.
• Hearing in the Bible means understanding.
• Do you understand that Jesus is God in the flesh?
• Do you understand that HE came from heaven, lived a perfect life, but was crucified for your sins?
• Do you understand that if you believe in Him, you will be saved, gain eternal life, be adopted into His family, and can live according to His purpose?
• Do you understand that if you call upon Jesus, you will be saved?
• You have to understand these things.
c. You must believe.
• How can they believe if they have not heard, or understand.
• Do you understand the gospel?
• Do you believe it.
• Illustration, if time allows.
d. You must call.
• You must understand, believe, and ask.
• Have you ever asked to be saved.
• Have you asked Jesus to forgive your sins and be your savior?
• If you do, He will.
• Who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
