1 Peter 1:2

1 Peter 1:2 ‘according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure'

“according to the foreknowledge of God” -the previous determination or purpose, pre-arrangement.

POINTS TO NOTE: 1. Sadly, many religious people have been mislead by the Calvinistic concept that the ability to know the future automatically means determining the future. Which of course isn't true. ‘The whole theory supposes that when God foreknows. matter, the person or persons involved within the sphere of His preknowledge necessarily lose their freedom of choice.' (Oberst p. 47) The death of Jesus was pre-determined (Acts 2:23), but Jesus still had freewill (John 10:17). In addition, the future can be changed by how we behave ourselves today (Jeremiah 2:7 ff; Jonah 3:9). 2. God didn't predetermine the salvation of specific individuals, rather, He predetermined that salvation would be found in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4), Jesus would die for the sins of the world (1 Peter 1:20), the gospel would be the message which would be used to call men, the rules or type of character expected of those who accept this call, and the relationship they would enter into, i.e. the church (Ephesians 3:10). Thus, the Father designed the plan whereby we could be saved.

“by the sanctifying work of the Spirit” -the word ‘sanctifying' means: ‘consecration, purification, the state of being made holy'. This isn't something that is performed mysteriously or against our will. Rather, Jesus made it clear that the medium which the Holy Spirit uses to bring men and women to. state of purity is the Word of God (John 17:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 5:26). 1. The Word of God reveals the conditions for gaining salvation. 2. The Word of God also reveals what needs to be discarded and added to one's life so that purity can be maintained (Colossians 3:5 ff). Thus people who repent of sinful lifestyles and become Christians are said to be ‘saints' (1 Corinthians 1:2), i.e. consecrated ones, those set apart for God.

We must reject the idea that soon after one becomes. Christian or in the process of becoming. Christian, the Holy Spirit miraculously comes upon the believer and removes ever desire to sin. The rest of this letter would have been unnecessary if such were the case. See also 1 John 1:8; 1 John 2:1.

“that you may obey Jesus Christ” -Notice that the Holy Spirit doesn't lead. person to make up their own rules for how to become. Christian. The person who is impressed with the Gospel message is prepared to do whatever Jesus commands, including baptism (Mark 16:16). The intended design of the Father's plan is to bring man to. point of obedience to the will of His Son. POINTS TO NOTE: 1. ‘May'-the language of freewill. 2. ‘Obey'-man does have. role to play in his own salvation. 3. ‘Jesus Christ'-God doesn't recognize as valid--- obedience to any other religious figure (John 14:6). 4. Obedience is part of the “election” process, which definitely contradicts the fundamental idea of Calvinistic Predestination. There is something which. man must ‘do' to be saved (Acts 2:37-38; 1 Peter 9:6=1 Peter 22:16; 1 Peter 16:30; 1 Peter 1:22 ‘Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth.')

“and be sprinkled with His blood” -Notice that the verse doesn't say, ‘sprinkled in baptism', for baptism is immersion (Romans 6:4). POINTS TO NOTE: 1. Not until one obeys Jesus are they sprinkled with His blood. This places some obedience upon the part of man as necessary to be saved. It is in baptism that one comes into contact with the benefits of Jesus' blood (Compare Matthew 26:28; Acts 2:38). 2. The word ‘sprinkled' is used because in the O.T. blood was sprinkled to make atonement (Hebrews 9:19; Exodus 2:8). 3. Notice in these verses how the entire Godhead is involved in our salvation (Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ).

“May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure” -‘in ever greater measure' (Arndt p. 669). POINTS TO NOTE: 1. This fullness of grace doesn't give us the right to become careless and neither does it absolve us from our personal responsibilities (the rest of the letter). 2. Peace would include peace with God, peace with others, especially brethren, and peace with ourselves. It is sad to see many Christians not having peace in their relationship with God. Peter hopes that Christians could find peace in serving God, in allowing Him to rule their lives, in submitting to His will.

Thanksgiving For Our Great Salvation:

‘As the recipients of the apostle's letter were in the midst of great sufferings and persecution, Peter, to comfort the brethren, put them in mind of the glories of that inheritance of which they were the heirs, by thanking God for giving them the certain hope of. new life after death..'(Oberst p. 39)