CHRISTIANS ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE
I Peter 1:1,2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
While this may sound like a normal greeting of little significance, it certainly says a lot theologically. We have to remember also that the writer of this is Peter. He was not just a disciple of Jesus that followed his teaching. He was not just another apostle that Jesus would choose to lead his newly formed church. Peter was one of Jesus’ inner three that Jesus personally took of to the side many times for special instruction or personal time with him. Peter along with James and John were special in the leadership of the church following Jesus going to sit at the right hand of God the Heavenly Father in heaven.
Who are the elect that have been scattered. They were the Christians of Jerusalem and the surrounding area. After Jesus’ death, resurrection and Pentecost, several thousand people became believers and followers of Jesus very quickly. And just as quickly the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem began a campaign of persecution against the Christian believers. One of the first to be killed was Stephen and then James. Others were put in prison and no doubt killed as well. Even the apostle Paul was passionate in this movement of putting an end to all Christian activity not only in Jerusalem, but anywhere it was found. Christians became God’s elect or chosen because the Jews had rejected their call by God to reveal God to the world. They saw the Lord as their personal God. When the Jews rejected God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ, God chose those that loved and trusted in Jesus to take the message of his salvation to the world. The lovers of Jesus, became the evangelists or tellers of the good news of Jesus to the world.
They were strangers in the world, not because they were aliens. They were strangers in the world, because their real home is with Jesus in heaven. We were born here on earth, but that is just where we are presently living. In some ways it is much like being on vacation. When our time here on earth is done, we will just be going to where we belong with Jesus in heaven. Jesus told his disciples as much in John 14:3. It says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” So you see in the spiritual since Christians are strangers here on earth. We belong with Jesus in heaven, and someday we will all be here with him.
We have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood. So is Peter saying that Christians really don’t have a free will in becoming a follower of Jesus, or if we want to serve him or not? No, this is not what this is saying. Peter is saying that it has always been God’s desire for everyone to believe and obey Jesus. Romans 8:29 reminds us that we were predestined to be conformed into the likeness of Jesus. In other words it was God’s passion and desire for everyone (Jn 3:16) to accept Jesus atonement of grace by faith and be obedient to him. But just like with Sampson who was chosen by God before his birth to deliver Israel from the Philistine oppression and rejected his calling, Christians can reject their calling too. God gave him special strength to be able to defeat the Philistines, but because of his free will he chose instead to disgrace his parents, his country and the Lord. It wasn't until his death that he repented, but even then it was out of revenge and not to glorify the Lord so the Philistines would believe and worship the Lord as their God. Christians by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit can reject their calling to share the good news of Jesus and live a life that will glorify him as well.
While every Christian is not an evangelist, every Christian is a living testimony or witness as to what Jesus can do into a yielded life to him. If you are a Christian, then your are part of the elect or chosen by God to glorify his Son in this world. Until we go home to be with Jesus, God will give us opportunities to reach out in love and touch a life for Jesus. It will not always be words said. It may be through the touch on the shoulder of someone that is hurting or the thoughtful card or letter at just the right time. Before anyone was born God set in motion a plan of redemption through his Son Jesus Christ. Peter even points this out in I Peter 1:20 where he says, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believed in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. So, before you were ever born or conceived or anyone else, God chose us to not only be like his Son, but to glorify him. Now it is up to us to decide if we are going to use our free will to do God’s will or not. We can be like Samson and reject the Lord’s will for our life, or be like John the Baptist and many others that saw their calling as an honor.
If you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to do it right now. This was and is God’s plan for your life. It has been from the beginning and always will be. Once you do, don’t be afraid to share your good news about Jesus with others. They are hungry for good news too!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for wanting us to love and be like Jesus. And thank you for providing for our forgiveness and reconciliation to you when we couldn't do it for ourselves. We love you Heavenly Father.
