1 Peter 1:1-2 – Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who 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.
Peter is writing to those Christian believers who have been dispersed throughout the nations as a result of persecution (starting after Stephen was murdered Acts 7). Yet not only to them, but by his description of who he is sending his letter to, it is essentially all Christians. As we know, the Bible is from God (2 Peter 1:20-21). It is His revelation of Himself to us. And it reveals to us the hope of what is ahead for us. The love of God pulses through His Word and through it the Holy Spirit changes our lives. Praise God, I need a lot of changing!
Peter said that God has chosen us “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.” This gives us great comfort. He who knows everything, who has always known everything, past, present and future, from eternity past, knew us individually from that eternity past. His eyes were on us and He has focused His love on us to pour His mercy and grace upon us. As much as this world would like to beat us down, we are all uniquely made and uniquely loved by the God. The world calls us soulless animals and claims that those who believe in God and a wonderful eternity with Him, are deluding themselves. God calls the wisdom of the world foolishness (1 Corinthians 3:19). We know that we know God and no-one can convince us otherwise. He lives within us. Family, we are very special. He, who has known all who lived, have lived, and will ever live, has focused His eyes individually on every one of us. His Word says here that He has chosen us. What a colossally wonderful thing! The chances of hitting the lotto seem pretty good when you consider being chosen by God from among all of mankind that ever lived. And we were. He has looked at you JAS, and Jeff, and Ray, and Teresa, and Jessica, and Julian, and Gina, and Dianna and said there he, or she, is, the one whom I love. He has chosen all of us. He has said “I will call them to me.” He has called us to be His very own children. He knows everything (yes everything!) about us and still loves us. Talk about your miracles! We are chosen by God to be with Him forever. If God chose us, He will protect us both now and for eternity. We are His. Through the trials, He is always with us. See, He has been with “us” before there was an “us”, or an earth, or a universe. Before time, He was with us. Because what He knows, He knows. He is not like us. He is never wrong. Never. Not once! So when, in His foreknowledge He saw us and chose us, it was sealed that His love would be with us. What God knows from the past is as sure then as it is the day it happens, because His foreknowledge is inerrant. Our God who knows everything (1 John 3:20) has always known us, and, for eternity past we have been His very own. Even when in this world we seemed to not be, we were His. He has called us from the past and when we “accepted” Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are merely walking into a truth that God has always known.
We are safe in the love of God through our lovely Lord and Savior Jesus, and through the blessing, and proof of His love for us, His blessed Holy Spirit within. Let’s seek God and enjoy His love. Let’s wonder at the stardust of His love for us. Yes stardust and creation residue. After all we were with Him before they were created. God loves us. He is good to us. And these two things never fail. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.