To those who are the Elect

1 Peter 1:1-2
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. ESV

·         NKJV and KJV says at the start of verse 2; ‘elect according to’

·         NASB uses the words, ‘chosen according to’

·         Even the NIV uses the words, ‘who have been chosen according to’

·         Each of these versions say the same thing elect or chosen according to.

·         Therefore my subject is; ‘to those who are the elect’

·         And I would like to look at just three points today

o   Who are they?

o   Where are they?

o   What should this do for you?

·         A short English lesson; the word ‘elect’ can be an adjective modifying a noun as it does in 1 Peter 1:1 ESV, it can be a verb describing an action as in the KJV and NKJV, but it can also be a noun by itself.

·         The elect

·         So who are they?

·         They are the result of election

·         The timing for this is very good for we in this country are in the process of getting ready to elect the next president of the United States.  

·         To do that there will be a day set aside for election and we will cast our vote and over time they will be counted and the one with the most votes will become the president elect.

·         Too many times and you are seeing this more and more, the rules of society or our sociology is driving how we comprehend, understand and visualize our theology.

·         What is happening in our country now is an activity known as campaigning.  Look at me, look at what I have done, look at what I am doing and if elected I promise I will do this, that and the other.

·         The presidential election is a conditional election based on many conditions that either I like therefore you get my vote or I dislike and you don’t get my vote.

·         Those who are elect in 1 Peter was elected by a different election

·         The election did not take place in a certain month of the year

·         There were no campaign speeches, no photo opportunities, and no look at what I have done.

·         Who are they?  They are the result of being elected by God

·         Listen to this definition by Wayne Grudem;

·         Allow me to preface this definition with this statement; Within  the Christian church there exist two different doctrinal commitments Reformed or Calvinist and Arminian.  And there is a history of debate between the two.

·         We here in this fellowship hold to the Reformed teaching which is centered around the sovereignty of God.

·         I heard this illustration of the two, I share it with you and perhaps it will help you see the difference

·         From the animal world we see two types of grace one is ‘Cat grace’ and the other is ‘Monkey grace’ and it is based on how the mother of each species take care of her baby.  The mother Monkey goes about the business of the day and her baby must hold on for dear life based on the strength in the hands of the baby Monkey, while the mother cat carries her baby in her mouth and the strength is in the jaws of the mother Cat and not her kitten.

·         Reform doctrine is like ‘Cat grace’!

·         Listen for that in this definition

·         Election is an act of God before creation in which He (almighty God) chooses some people (the elect) to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them (the elect) but only because of His (God almighty’s) sovereign good pleasure.

·         When Peter addresses this letter to the elect exiles of the dispersion, he actually removes distractions

·         It doesn’t matter if your background was Jew, Gentile, Roman, Greek, what Church, what neighborhood or country, how old or how young, male or female, with or without a church home;

·         The letter is addressed ‘to those who are elect

·         God did it and He knows what He is doing and I’m adding nothing to it.

·         Such a simple way to address God’s people and again I say

·         We add so much to the description of ourselves today

·         An act of God before creation in which He chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them but only because of His sovereign good pleasure.

·         Listen to these three passages of Scripture

Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ESV

Ephesians 1:3-6
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ESV

Romans 9:11-13
11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” ESV

·         It would be very rewarding to read all of these chapters in total, Romans chapters 8 and 9, and Ephesians chapter 1

·         So, who are they?  They are the people resulting from the choice God made before the foundations of the world who are alive at the time this letter was written.

·         People who gave no campaign speech, presented no work accomplished, but elected by just the love, the perfect love of our wonderful God

·         And because there are elect brothers and sisters in this place or listening to this message, we too can listen in on and hear the message of this letter of Peter and receive a blessing in our age and time being of that same elect but living in a different time and place

·         But also there is a blessing in store for those of you who God elected before the foundation of time and your reality today has not caught up with that truth yet, the Word preached still has an impact because it does not return to the Lord our God void but accomplish it purpose.  Amen

·         Where are they?  They are exile and disperse

·         Listen to the same Scripture in different versions to hear the meaning

o   The ESV says; To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

o   The King James Version says; to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect

o   The New American Standard says; To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen

o   The New King James says; To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect

o   And the NIV says; To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen

·         They are all over Asia Minor

·         We will see later in this letter that the dispersion and their exile was not pleasant nor was it in many cases their doing.

·         Many were forced to leave their homes and belongings because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  One of the meaning of elect is ‘picked out’.  And truly we have been picked out by God.

·         In this situation here these brothers and sisters have been ‘picked out’ to be ‘picked on’!

·         From a practical and a theological basis this elect were pilgrims traveling through.  In a sense they were not in their homes and also the earth itself is not their home

·         Have we made ourselves too comfortable here

·         Let me remind you that all of these descriptions apply to the modern day elect just like it did during the time of the initial writing of this letter

·         If you can say “I am the elect of God” Jesus is my Lord and Savior

·         Then you too are elect exiles of the dispersion

·         Strangers, sojourners, alien in our homes with our biological family members

·         Strangers, sojourners, alien on our jobs or at our schools

·         You behave strangely and your action are foreign

·         And except for when we get together as a local church fellowship, you are dispersed and scattered

·         You may at times be the lone elect in your environment

·         Given all of that what should this do for you?

·         It should allow you and remind you to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding

·         It should allow you comfort in knowing that an act by God outside of time and even before there was time is not controlled or delayed in time or by any place

·         It should allow you to praise God for the things He has done

Ephesians 1:5-6
5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ESV

Ephesians 1:12
12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. ESV

2 Thessalonians 2:13
13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ESV

·         And it also allows for an encouragement and not a discouragement to Evangelism

2 Timothy 2:10
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ESV

Romans 10:14-15
14 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ESV

I close with this passage also from Roman 10

Romans 10:8-13
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ESV

I’m so glad Jesus lifted me that I can sing glory Halleluiah Jesus lifted me