Saved!

Continuing our study of 1 Peter, we recall from yesterday’s post that Peter reminds Christians of their status: they are “pilgrims” or “sojourners” living in a temporary, fallen world.

Remembering they were merely “passing through” this world would help strengthen them, particularly during times of adversity. Now in verse 2 Peter moves from status to salvation:

Remember Your Salvation 

Verse 2 is about the Christian’s salvation. And what Peter is doing here is saying, in essence, “When you undergo persecution and you endure times of suffering, be encouraged by remembering your salvation.”

elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2)

The first word in verse 2 is the word “elect.” It is from this word that we get the doctrine of election. The doctrine of election simply means that God does something wonderful for believers: He “elects” or “chooses” them.

Based entirely upon His love–that is, based upon no foreseen merit or goodness on their part–God lovingly and freely chooses some to be His children through faith in Jesus Christ. He chooses some to salvation!

I do find that encouraging. The Bible teaches that I am born a sinner. I am a sinner by nature and a sinner by choice. I am a child of my first father, Adam. I am separated from God. I am spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. I can do nothing to improve my condition. I can’t even believe in Him because I am spiritually dead.

So God comes to me. By way of the Holy Spirit He comes down to me in my spiritual grave and rebirths me, regenerates me, gives me life so that I can understand and respond to the saving message of the gospel. That is election. God chose me. I didn’t deserve it. I was dead in trespasses and sins. But because of His love, He chooses me and I am saved.

Love. That’s what the word “foreknowledge” means there in verse 2: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” God’s foreknowledge refers not to God’s knowing the future–though He most certainly does! God knows all things. He doesn’t have to “look down through the corridors of time” because He already knows all time at once. As the Creator of time, He knows past, present, and future simultaneously.

The word “foreknowledge” refers to God’s electing love. God chose–from eternity past–specific persons upon whom He would place His special electing love.

I can’t fully explain this because, on the one hand, God loves all people. He loves all of His creation. But there is a special affection He clearly shows some in granting them the ability to believe savingly and effectually in His Son. Their freedom and human wills are part of the equation, to be sure. They must believe, but even their freely believing is, in some mysterious way, made possible and carried along by God’s loving grace.

So God sets His affection upon certain ones–based upon nothing good in them; no foreseen merit on their part, no intellectual ability, nor anything else–based simply and solely upon His love for them, He chooses them and they believe and are saved.

The doctrine of election keeps the Christian humble when he or she remembers that it is God alone who takes the initiative in salvation.

Remember your salvation. You are–according to Paul in verse 2— “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Do you see the doctrine of the Trinity there in verse 2? You have God “the Father…the Spirit…Jesus Christ.” Our salvation is a Trinitarian salvation. God is One, yet One in three Persons–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit.” That word, “sanctification,” means to be set apart; to be holy. There’s a sanctification that happens at the moment we are converted; a “positional” sanctification, that which refers to our position in Christ: the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us or credited to us. We immediately become holy in the sense that we immediately receive Christ’s righteousness.

Again, this is what we often call our positional sanctification. It happens all at once and never changes. This type of sanctification is distinguished from our progressive sanctification. Like it’s name indicates, progressive sanctification is a progress; it refers to our growing in holiness. The true Christian grows and becomes more like Christ, takes on more of the “family likeness.” People ought to be able to tell that we are growing as Christians. Over time we are becoming more like Jesus.

Then Paul says in verse 2 that the election of Christians makes possible their “obedience” and I believe Paul is talking about their effectual ability to obey the gospel because he connects their election to the “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”

The hymn-writer asks, “What can wash away my sin?” Answer: “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” He asks again “What can make me whole again?” Answer: “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

The ultimate fulfillment of all of the Old Testament sacrifices is Jesus Christ. Jesus dies a sacrificial death for Christians. He dies as the perfect Lamb of God (John 1:29) without spot or blemish, shedding His blood to atone for our sin. He offers His life and death on our behalf.

So God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become in Him the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

No wonder Peter adds the words at the end of verse 2: “Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” Grace to you–God’s unmerited favor upon you; you who deserve only God’s wrath–grace to you and peace–peace with God and peace with others–through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Facing a difficult week this week? Remember your status. You are a pilgrim, a sojourner, a temporary resident. This world is not your home. Remember your status and be encouraged.

And remember your salvation. What could be greater than salvation, greater than an eternal home in heaven in a place where there is no more night, no more suffering, no more darkness, no more pain, no more tears?! (Revelation 21:4; 22:5) Remember your salvation and be encouraged.