1 Peter 1:1-2

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, ²who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Introduction

According to church tradition, Apostle Simon Peter was the author of 1 Peter. His letter was addressed to the exiled Christians scattered in Asia Minor, the modern-day Turkey, possibly somewhere around A.D. 62-63 when Nero was the Roman Emperor at that time. Few years after his first letter was published, Peter was martyred in Rome.

In his letter, we will explore how Apostles Peter encouraged the exiled believers to persevere despite their persecution. Likewise, every genuine believer must expect persecution. Why? Persecution is distinguishing mark of Christ’s disciples.

The Lord Jesus had warned it in John 15:20, ²⁰If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

Remember that whatever Christ declares will certainly happen. He warned that disciples will be persecuted; we will be persecuted too. Apostle Peter was persecuted, yet he wrote that abundant grace and peace will sustain believers whom God had elected, chosen, sanctified, consecrated and set apart to obey the instructions of Christ.

Christ instructed to wait for his Holy Spirit to empower us. Consequently, we will testify of his transformational work in our life. Abundant grace and peace of God sustain us; we won’t be discouraged but we would persevere amidst persecution. Then, we will praise and thank him. We should not rely upon human effort and ability to endure persecution.

Do you believe that God has elected and gave us the right to become his adopted children to live with him in his heaven eternally? The glorious day when Christ returns to take us into his heaven is coming sooner. While waiting for his Second Advent, what will we do? We should testify of his transformational work and make disciples.

Can you agree that potential believers have been regenerated by the Lord and they will be interested in knowing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ?

Who says, yes? You’ve got to be alert and ready. When God’s divine appointment comes for you to testify of his gracious love, you won’t miss it for sure. This message is prepared for you very personally if you sincerely believe that God had elected you.

1.  Elect

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 

Of course, Peter was an apostle of Christ. But why did he introduce himself as an apostle of Christ? What’s the need? Was there other Peter who was known to believers in Asia Minor? Well, the term “apostle” is properly interpreted as “messenger or sent with a mission.” Maybe, you heard of some preachers who called themselves apostles.

Who are sent out with a mission to preach the gospel of Christ? We can consider missionaries as modern-day apostles. Organization and churches send out missionaries for mission works. So, if sent out missionaries call themselves apostles, we don’t argue!

Now, if the Lord Jesus Christ himself personally sent you out for mission work, you’re an apostle. Actually, Christ sent out all believers to go and make disciple. Our mission, our purpose while waiting for his coming again is to make disciples. Some of us are called to be apostle, missionary, evangelist, preacher, pastor or teacher. If God has elected you to bring the good news of salvation to the world, you are blessed.

Christians may call themselves “apostle” if Christ sent them out for a mission.

Peter introduced himself as an apostle of Christ because he was chosen and sent by the Lord to preach the good news of salvation; and indeed he obeyed accordingly.

Title

Reflect: If one doesn’t do what he is supposed to do, what’s the use special title?

Immigrants who were lawyers, doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers or teachers in their country of origin may find it difficult in Canada to be employed in their preferred profession or career, just yet. It must very frustrating when you can’t find a job you like.

If those professionals are short of finances, working in entry-level jobs that won’t require any work experience would be better choice rather than panhandling.

If a doctor works as waitress, how would it sound if costumers call “Hey, Doctor! Kindly give me a glass of water?” Or, if a lawyer is employed as dishwasher, how does it sound if the chef says, “Hey, Atty. please wash the dishes!” It’s tough challenge! Right?

Employment for new immigrant is really very tough challenge somehow. Right?

Not to be employed in preferred profession or career can also test persistence.

And, as Christians, what should be our mindset? What should you pray for when employment in your preferred profession won’t happen? What does the Scripture say?

The first letter of Apostle Peter was addressed to believers who were exiled and scattered in Asia Minor. To be exiled is to be forced to immigrate and relocate to foreign land. Immigrants have difficulties of getting employment in their preferred profession; exiled believers may have similar experience when they were scattered in Asia Minor. The original recipients of the letter of Apostle Peter may have experienced racial prejudice and did not readily get decent employment where they relocated by force.

Anyway, do you believe that God situates you where you can fulfill your purpose?

Employment, health, relationship and all concerns in life follow us. We have to face them wherever we are situated. But as believers of Christ, we have to be very concerned of our mandate – we should still pray to be focused on our priority.

Our Lord Jesus Christ had declared clearly in John 15:16, ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

When you responded to believe in Christ, do you agree that the Lord regenerated your heart and mind to trust him? Christ chose us; he elected and appointed us to bear fruit of disciples. He added that whatever we ask in his name the Father will give us. We need his Holy Spirit to fill and empower us before we go, bear fruits and make disciples.

Have you distinctively sensed it, if you are elected to go? Are chosen by the Lord?

2.  Chosen

²who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father

Apostle Peter wrote very particularly to exiled believers scattered in Asia Minor or the modern-day Turkey, and not just to anyone else who can read. He described his recipients as chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. What did Peter imply in his letter? God the Father had chosen believers to be obedient to Jesus Christ.

Even before we were yet to be born and to believe in Jesus Christ, God the Father had already known us to believe and obey Christ. He elected each of us before the beginning of time. So, we contribute nothing when God the Father had chosen believers to obey Christ. Practically, how do you know that God had chosen you?

The Lord Jesus Christ declared in John 6:37-40, ³⁷All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

It is by faith to believe that we are chosen by the Lord; we know that our faith is active when we sense courage and enthusiastically testify of our conviction that we will live with God eternally. Do you sense urgency to tell others, friend and relatives about your faith? If you sensed it in your heart that your friends and relatives need to hear the gospel of salvation but you are hesitant, and feel intimidated, listen carefully.

The Lord Jesus had prayed for you and I even before we were yet to be born. In his prayer, he said in John 17:6-9, ⁶I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. ⁸For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

Do you personally sense the effect of Jesus’ prayer in your life? Do you have strong conviction to obey his mandate for all believers to go and make disciples?

If God has elected you, you were chosen; if God has chosen you, he set you apart for his glorious purpose. If he set you apart for his glorious purpose, he sanctified you by his Holy Spirit. You practically know that you’re sanctified when you gladly obey him.

3.  Sanctified

^2bthrough the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

By faith, we believe that the blood of Jesus shed on the cross washed away our sins but we still commit sins from time to time. The Holy Spirit purifies unrighteousness is us and then we would choose to obey the Lord and reject pressure from sin.

Obedience to Christ’s mandate is the practical and specific result of sanctification of the Hoy Spirit of God. The sanctification of the Holy Spirit includes purification for godly lifestyle; he consecrates for glorious purposes and sets us apart from ordinary and common lifestyle.

To be worried with material need is common and ordinary lifestyle. The Lord Jesus Christ instructed us not to worry about life in Matthew 6:25-34: ²⁵I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 

²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Lord repeated his command not to worry about life, food or clothing. Why?

When the Lord repeats his statement, it is very serious. Worry is serious problem. Worry about materialism is normal, common, ordinary and instinctive to human. Christ promised that our heavenly Father will provide all things we need to be effective witness of his work in our life. When the Lord sanctified us by his Holy Spirit, we desire Christ to perform his authority over us; we also seek to live a lifestyle of godly righteousness and we are more concerned about obeying his mandate.

We don’t worry about provision. He sustains us with abundant grace and peace.

Apostle Peter personally proved that abundant grace and peace sustain believers who are set apart, sanctified, consecrated and obey Christ’s mandate to make disciples.

Do you practically experience the abundant grace and peace of God in your life? Have you personally experience a transformational work of God in your life?

Keep praying earnestly, seriously and sincerely for increase of faith and godly wisdom until you sense enthusiastic desire to testify the transformational work of God in your life and make disciples. When that moment happens, it calls for celebration

And, the celebration of the Lord Supper reminds us that Christ is coming sooner. We may not have enough time to earn more eternal treasures in heaven.

Earnestly, fervently, seriously pray to be sanctified by his Holy Spirit.

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