Chosen by God - I Peter 1:2

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.


Chosen by God…can you imagine any higher honor? The Awesome Creator of the world, who makes no junk, has chosen you…me. The Psalmist says in Psalm 139:13-16:


You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born.Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.


God knew all about me before I was even formed in my mother’s womb. Even then he had a plan for my life, and chose me to be filled with his Holy Spirit so that I would walk in obedience to him. It isn’t that God created me any more special than others, nor did he choose me above others.


I fully believe that he chooses everyone, but only those who choose him in return are cleansed and set apart for his holy purposes…sanctified by his Holy Spirit and separated from the world’s evil ways of operation. God’s foreknowledge simply means he already knows our past, our present, and our future. He knows the choices we will make, rather than making the choices for us. We find God’s instructions in making our choices in I John 2:15-17:


Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.


And that is my goal…I want to please God and live forever with him. There is nothing in this world that brings lasting satisfaction, and any happiness is only temporary. True peace isn’t even an option for anyone living outside the will of our Father God. I desire to have the joy and peace that comes only from being in relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.


God chose me, and in return, in loving gratitude, I choose him. I choose him in living by his standards and adopting his values and following the example of Jesus. It is a daily choice…a surrender of my will for his. And I am honored to make that choice.

Introduction - I Peter 1:1

This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

Following the typical letter writing format of the first century, Peter has identified himself as the author of this epistle, and he tells us to whom he is writing…God’s chosen people in foreign lands. So let’s take a few moments to talk about Peter…who is he?

Peter was one of the original 12 disciples, in fact he was the very first disciple chosen to be a follower of Jesus. He was known as Simon at that time, and his trade was fishing. Let’s read what Mark recorded in his gospel:

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and followed him. (Mark 1:16-18)

When Peter was called by Jesus, he did not hesitate one moment. He didn’t even take time to gather his belongings, or say goodbye to his family…he never once looked back. He simply followed Jesus from the moment Jesus called him. If that sounds like a person of strong faith, keep in mind he didn’t even know Jesus yet.

Peter was a Galilean…a group of people who were known to be adventuresome, ready for anything new. They were also impulsive, and emotional, quick tempered and quick to argue. These traits definitely described Peter. He was the disciple who was quick to speak out, and bold enough to question Jesus. It was his impulsiveness that caused Jesus to rebuke him more than the other disciples.

Even though Peter’s claim that Jesus was the Son of God caused Jesus to change his name from Simon to Peter, meaning "rock", it was this "rock" that also denied his Lord three times, just as Jesus had predicted. Peter’s leadership role was reestablished when Jesus asked him three times if he loved Him, and commanded him to take care of Jesus’ sheep.

We see Peter as the key spokesperson at Pentecost; healing the lame man at the temple; going against the Sanhedrin’s demand that he be silent about Jesus; and reaching out to Cornelius, a Gentile, after it was revealed to Peter that the gospel was universal. Yes, Peter was given a second chance to prove his love for Jesus.

The purpose of this letter is to offer encouragement and hope to Christians in a time of suffering. The Roman civil authorities required believers to make the confession that "Caesar is Lord". Because of their faith in Jesus Christ alone, they were scattered throughout Asia Minor and facing persecution.

In his letter, written about AD 64, Peter reminded his recipients that they could remain victorious in their spirit in spite of the troubles they were facing. No matter what the external circumstances were, their citizenship was in heaven, for salvation is eternal, but this life is only temporary.

Peter felt so unworthy of the grace Jesus had bestowed on him that he requested to be crucified upside down on a cross, rather than in the same manner Jesus died. He was a fellow sufferer, but he was looking to the future. Read his words in I Peter 5:1-4:

And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory.

New Personal Study of First Peter

The signs of spring...flowers pushing up from the earth, showing their endurance through the barrenness and cold of the winter season. I love spring...it is my favorite season. This is the 60th spring I have witnessed. In celebration, I have decided to embark on a new Bible study. It seems that I have heard God whispering "First Peter" in my heart for the last decade. Perhaps if I start now, I'll be able to complete it before another ten years slips through my life.

It seems like it was just a few years ago that I turned 38 and started back to college to earn my degree in psychology. At age 41 I became a seminary student with a focus in Greek Biblical studies. Now here I am at a "young" 60 years of age with no spectacular achievements to show for my life. At times that bothers me...like the day I turned 60. Then there are other times when age doesn't mean anything, and just knowing that I have walked faithfully with my Lord across the years is the only accomplishment that really matters.

But I haven't been able to turn off that tune in my head that sings "Study First Peter....see what I have to say to you in this epistle." So here I am ready to crack the bottle against the ship and set sail on a new personal study with my Bible, three commentaries (see side bar), and my interpreter and prompter...the Holy Spirit.

I am in no hurry, but I do feel that there is a reason why I will be studying this book at this time in my life. I always thought the theme of I Peter was holiness. However, as I have read the introductions to the letter authored by the Apostle Peter, it appears that the purpose of the writing is to encourage those Christians of the first century during times of persecution and suffering. That's a little scary for me. Am I going to be walking into another dark tunnel in my life? If so, I know the Lord Jesus Christ will hold my hand and guide me through, as He did for me as I walked through clinical depression at age 37-38.

So, here I go. I will blog as I study, hopefully focusing on the highlights of what the scripture is saying to me and how it applies in my life. Perhaps others will drop in now and then and find tidbits that they can use as they go around the bends of life. I was recently in Gatlinburg at the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort Waterpark, and enjoyed floating in the lazy river. That is how I want to take this trip through First Peter...slowly, relaxed, getting ready for the next bend in the river...not knowing how it will turn, what will be there, or who will be there. But, hey, with Jesus in my float, what have I got to worry about?