 For some reason, this letter that Peter sends out doesn't get a lot of attention, at least as much attention as you would think it would get, considering in this first chapter, specifically in the first chapter and more so in the beginning of the chapter, there's a lot that's covered. There's a lot of theologically important statements that are made, and because they're made, that means they are theological truths. And so I want to go to 1 Peter chapter 1 and read for the first up to about 9 and 10 verses and then see what he's saying, how important it is. Peter writes in verse 1 of chapter 1, he says, to those who reside as aliens, these are people who are pretty much exiles, which is what the word means, aliens, exiles who reside in or scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Capedotia, Asia, Bethenia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father. I'll come back to that, but I just want to deal with the first portion of that where it says that these are exiles. Now he's writing this letter with obviously the entire church in mind, but he's also pointing out to a specific group of people inside that who would recognize some of the words or some of the words would trigger them, this word exiles. Remember, Peter is an apostle to the Jews. The problem is though, not as many Jews are coming to Christ at this moment. Remember the beginning of the church started off obviously first with the Jews and then those of Samaria and then the Gentiles, which is obviously the order that Jesus says to Peter and the rest of the apostles in the beginning of Acts 1. That's how it happened. But the problem is you see the coming to Christ by Jews is starting to wane, which is why Paul also says that he wished he could be a curse for them, but he does say that they will come, though there are some coming right now, just not as many as the Gentiles. But Peter does kind of throw that little bit of wording in there to kind of spark their interest, let them know that, hey, you're not forgotten and so forth. And these are people who are all throughout. We know this about Galatians on these regions that the larger portion of the church was still mainly Gentiles. Let's go back to it. He says, who are chosen and there's another word which we need to pay attention to. The word for chosen that's used here is the word electoise, which honestly, guys, when we look at it, when we look at the English, the English of this word is towards the end of verse one, but it's actually in the beginning because it's an adjective. It is describing something. It's describing the residents who are aliens. It's describing these. If you look on the right hand side, this word, electoise, it is an adjective to what, to these words right here, to those who reside. So to the elect residents who have been scattered. So he's saying that you people, to you all who are believers, you have been chosen, which tells something again. I know there are those that fight this, but you don't need to fight what the Bible is saying. Jesus has demonstrated this. Paul has said this, Peter is now saying this, that those of us who are in Christ, be they Jew or Gentile, we have been chosen. Not the other way around. Not that we chose him, but the Bible goes out of its way to let us know that we were chosen. It's not the state that we chose him. We don't see the pastor says that we chose him and that be the emphasis. The emphasis especially here is that we were chosen and he's speaking to these chosen, these elect residents who have been exiled. And he says, going on, he says, according to the four knowledge, there's that word prognosis, the four knowledge. Someone said the four ordaining, the four choice, the four knowledge of it. Here it is of God. So these people were chosen. This is another passage that comes up often or should come up when talking about this issue of God electing. Well, here's Peter also making the point that Paul is made as well. So we have been elected according to the four knowledge of God. So in other words, this is the reason why we were elected, according to his four knowledge. It's not that the four knowledge he saw us and then elected us. No, he elected us according to his four ordination, his four choosing. And so he says, by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Now, this word sanctifying work, this is what the Holy Spirit does by setting us aside and that I want you to see what he says, why or what the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is going to do. He says, the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. Remember this whole issue of what the Holy Spirit's work in us is going to do, which is different than, let's say, the Old Testament fathers, is that this sanctifying work, this spirit in us is going to, as he says, cause us to obey. We see that in Ezekiel as well in Jeremiah and other places throughout the Old Testament, because that's been the issue of us not doing the work of the Lord. Jesus says, the work that I do, you will do also and in greater numbers. And so we see that. And Peter is just reiterating this here. So he says, according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood by grace, may grace and peace be yours in the fullness of measure. Then he says, verse three, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who according to his mercy, here it is now, this part is important because if someone is going to want to fight that, no, he didn't choose us. We chose him. And then thereby that's how he, that's how we are foreknown. We are foreknown because we chose him. Well, that would be a contradiction to this next passage. It says that according to his grace, according to Cata on the basis of his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again. He has caused us to be born again. This is this word. This is the heiress active participle. And so we were caused, according to this passage, to be born again. Jesus makes a statement that not that you cannot see the King of Heaven. You don't get to heaven unless you are born again. And we have said before that this is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of yours, but of his. And he says, thanks to his grace and his mercy, he says that he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now, it may indicate that when he says through the resurrection of Jesus Christ that that may indicate when this process of people being born again actually starts. Can't say for sure, but it does. It could be taken that way. I won't make that much of an argument about that right now, but let's continue. He says to obtain an inheritance, which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away. Now, we say that our salvation is is secure. It's guaranteed and it will not fade away. Now, someone's going to say, yeah, but that's only once you get there. Your inheritance, once you once you get it, obviously it won't perish. You won't fade away. But let's keep reading. He says it's reserved in heaven for you. Reserved, meaning, guys, it is kept. It's guarded. This is from the Greek word Tereo, so it is ours. It's secure. It's ours. It is waiting. You would not use this word to say that it is secure or it is guarded. It's kept for you if you would not be going to get it. It is kept for you. Your inheritance is kept for you. Continue. He says in heaven, who are protected us, who are protected by the power of God through faith, faith, through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So he says that we have been protected by the power of God, and this will be revealed in the end. We're going to get the very thing that we have desired, that we've labored, that we've cried for, that we've dealt with, that we that we've had to endure hardships and trials as we wait. It's going to happen. What he says is in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold is perishable, even though tested by fire. The proof of your salvation, the proof of your faith is going to be borne out by the fact that you have weathered these trials. Yeah, they're uncomfortable. They're bothersome. But Christians, we've always said that Christians stay. Christians remain, Christians abide. Christians continually believe, Christians continually follow. The reason for that is because, as he said earlier, we've got the spirit in us that is going to cause us to walk according to Ezekiel, that is going to cause us, that's going to have us to obey. That's what the spirit also did in causing us to be born again. And so these trials that we go through and we endure, we may not come out the way we want to. We may not come out with a victory that we thought we would have came out in spite of all this with a new job, a new car, more money. No, we may not have the things that we want, but that's not the sign to show that we are believers. No, the fact that we are enduring even after that. That's the proof of our faith, as he says. And he says this may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy, inexpressible, full of glory. Now I want to point you back to this word believe that's used here. This word, he says that, but believe in him. Look at the word in the Greek. This is the Greek word, pistuantes, which is a present actor, a participle, meaning that this is what we do. Remember, we stated that there is no such thing as a Christian who is not in a state of continual believing, which is why Jesus can make the statement that as you believe, if you are a believer, which means you are continually believing, what do you have at this moment, life forever, which is why he says that you've been sealed, which is why he says that it's been guarded. That is your reservation in heaven, your reward. It's been kept. It's been you've been sealed. You have been protected by the power of the Holy Spirit. And we know that that salvation is protected and kept for us. Because look what it says. Verse nine, he says, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your soul. Now, obviously it's worthy to continue and we'll do that sometime in the future. But I think it's of note to notice that he goes on to talk about that this promise that we have was prophesied by the prophets of old. And in essence, they were serving us. They told what was going to happen and even not necessarily the exact date, but when the events leading up to it, what would be, what would have it, what would cause it and so forth. And so I think this is really a if there's a such thing as an underrated passage, this would be one because we don't give it nearly the amount of time that I think we ought to. But there's a full richness, really, of a lot of theological information that's there in this particular passage. And so I just wanted to kind of bring that out. And it covers this issue of eternal security. It covers this issue of election. It covers what the spirit in us is going to do. And the fact that we can have joy, it talks about how we know so because we are enduring through these trials, because that's what Christians do. I think this is a worthwhile passage, as well as the rest of the book. First Peter, amen.