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?
II. The Elect of God are Foreknown.
a. There are many who do not grasp Biblical truths regarding how God does as He wants to, Peter is emphasizing that God knows the past, present, and future, and He does as He will or not wills to do.
b. God is not a Genie in a Bottle whom we can wish and manipulate!
c. He rules and reigns as He wants to!
d. So Peter is writing to those Jewish converts who are now believers and followers of Christ, insisting in the beginning of his epistle to the 5 churches that God is sovereign and purposes His will for His elect and His foreknowledge.
e. Apostle Paul reaffirms Apostle Peter once again in his letter to the Roman Church regarding God’s sovereignty and will over His creation and mankind:
i. Romans 9:17–24 (ESV)
ii. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
iii. 18So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
iv. 19You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”
v. 20But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”
vi. 21Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
vii. 22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
viii. 23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—
ix. 24even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
f. Peter Mentions 2 important items in his opening of his letter regarding the dispersed elect believers clarifying the position of God with the perspective of these chosen by Him:
g. In Verse 2:
i. God foreknew who His elect are.
ii. The Holy Spirit is to bring sanctification of those elect.
h. For what purpose of His elect?
i. for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
i. To be able by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience after justification.
i. How? This was all accomplished by what?
1. God’s grace! Through His Son’s sacrifice on Calvary!
j. Illustration:
k. God only knows the future. He alone can foretell with 100% accuracy.
i. Airplanes are interesting toys, but they have no military value.
ii. Marshal Ferdinand Foch in 1911.
iii. With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn't likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market.
iv. Business Week, 1958.
v. Whatever happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping.
vi. Frank Knox, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, on December 4, 1941.
vii.
l. Application:
i. This shows how much we think we know, but do not know!
ii. Yet, there is something that God knows and wants to reveal to you eternal life!
iii. What about you? Re you God’s predestined elect? If you are a repentant believer in Christ and reveal fruit of righteousness then you are of God’s elect! God has drawn you to His truth of the Word and God placed a new heart in you, to seal you by His Holy Spirit unto eternal life!
m. Transition:
1. What does the call, the elect of God apply to the believer?
III. The Elect of God Have Grace and Peace Applied to Their Lives.
a. How many of us need more of God’s grace and peace?
i. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
b. Peter declares how much God loves His elect because of sending and sacrificing His only Son the Christ, on the cross of Golgotha by His grace alone!
c. The only all sufficient sacrifice for the sin of mankind is the shedding of blood, a sacrificial life, for the life of another.
d. For God’s elect, grace is applied to those of His through and only through Jesus, who took our place on the cross by grace, a gift!
e. Grace in Greek: “Charis” a favorable attitude toward someone or something—‘favor, good will.’
f. Here are two examples of the usage of God’s grace:
i. Acts 2:46–47 (ESV)
ii. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
iii. 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
iv.
v. Luke 1:30 (ESV)
vi. 30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
g. The Elect have peace applied to their lives:
i. Peace: Gk; “Eirene” tranquility, to be without trouble’ or ‘to have no worries’ or ‘to sit down in one’s heart.’
h. So, Peter wished grace and peace but also for them both to be multiplied!
i. Multiplied; to be abundant, to grow!
j. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
i. Rom. 11:2-5
ii. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
k. Illustration:
i. Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always.
ii. Source Unknown.
l. Application:
i. Has grace and peace been multiplying in your life? Are you growing in God's grace and His peace?
