The Elect of God (1Peter 1:2)

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"
The "Elect" Of God (1:2)

In our previous study, we noticed that Peter referred to Christians as "pilgrims of the Dispersion". This description implies that Christians are but strangers, foreigners, sojourning in a land not their own, and scattered about like seed. With their citizenship in heaven, they may be "in" this world, but they are not to be "of" this world. Therefore, one of their important duties is to be "separate" - 1 Pe 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul."

One might think that since Christians are "scattered strangers" in this world, they are to be pitied. Not so, for though they are strangers in the world, they are the "ELECT" of God - 1 Pe 1:2“according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” The word "elect" simply means "chosen" and is thus translated in 1 Pe 2:9-10 “But ye are an elect race (chosen, KJV), a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” There we learn that Christians are "a chosen generation"; i.e., they are truly God's chosen people!

In this lesson, we shall consider what it means for Christians to be "The ELECT Of God". Using the comments of Peter in 1 Pe 1:2 as an outline for this study, we see first that as the ELECT of God we are a part of God's predetermined plan. Peter says, "elect according to the foreknowledge of God". The word "foreknowledge" comes from "prognosis" {prog'-no-sis}. It means "forethought, pre-arrangement". For example, being the "elect" (chosen) of God is in keeping with God's plan which He designed beforehand. As B. W. Johnson says in his "People's New Testament" commentary: "Their election and salvation was in accordance with God's predetermined purpose to save men through the gospel, and hence, according to foreknowledge."

Paul expounds upon this "pre-arrangement" in Ephesians. God planned it before the world began - Ep 1:4 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:”. It anticipated the "chosen" being holy and without blame - Ep 1:4b “that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:”. It looked forward to the "elect" being adopted as sons - Ep 1:5a “having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself”. This plan is according to God's good pleasure - Ep 1:5b “according to the good pleasure of his will,”. This plan has a goal that the "elect" walk in good works - Ep 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.”

Was this "election" individual or corporate? I understand election by God to have been general, not particular; corporate, not individual. That it would be "the body of Christ, the church as a whole".... Which God chose to be the recipients of His divine and gracious purposes and which He planned beforehand (foreknowledge) to carry out in Christ Jesus. While in the "corporate" sense this choice is unconditional and final, as "individuals" we must be "diligent to make your calling and election sure" - 2 Pe 1:10. Just as Israel (as a nation) had been chosen by God to receive His blessings during the Old Testament period, but individually, the Israelites also had to make "their calling and election sure". So by being in Christ, we are God's "elect", and involved in a plan which was in the mind of God before time began and which is still in the process of being worked out! The implication of this is that those who are God's "elect" are very special to God.

As we return to 1 Pe 1:2, we learn also that we become God's "elect" through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. Sanctification, the process by which we are "set apart" for God's purpose, is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. There are several passages that describe the connection between the Holy Spirit and our sanctification - Ro 15:16 “that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”; 1 Co 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.”; 2 Th 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”

How the Holy Spirit accomplishes this "sanctification is through the Word of God. It was God's will that the Holy Spirit would reveal the Word to the apostles - Jn 16:12-13 “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.” Through this revealed Word, we are "sanctified" (set apart) - Jn 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.” Therefore, when people obey the Word of God which has been revealed by the Holy Spirit, they become "chosen...to salvation" through:
1) "sanctification of the Spirit" (the Divine side of conversion, as the Spirit has revealed the Word and convicts men of sin through it).
2) "and belief of the truth" (the human side of conversion, as they believe it) - 2 Th 2:13-14 “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Having been "sanctified" (set apart) by belief in the truth, and as God's "elect" now a part of His eternal plan, you might expect such privileges would call for certain responsibilities. Indeed it does, for as God's "elect" we have the responsibility of obedience. We saw earlier in Ep 2:10 that it was part of God's plan before time began that the people of God would "walk in good works". This is all part of God's wonderful grace as defined by Paul in Ti 2:11-14 “For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.” We do not earn salvation by such good works (Ti 3:5 “not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”), but nonetheless we are to be diligent in doing them - Ti 3:1 “Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work,”, 8 “Faithful is the saying, and concerning these things I desire that thou affirm confidently, to the end that they who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men:”, 14 “And let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” Peter in this epistle will later expound upon the need for obedience.