“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 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: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:1-5 NASB1995)
Who are the chosen (the elect) of God? We are the selected of God, chosen out of our slavery to sin to now follow our Lord in walks of surrender to the will of God for our lives, in obedience to him and to his commands. We are the called of God to deny self, die with Christ to sin, and to obey him and his commands in holy living, in submission to the will of God for our lives. And the sanctifying work of the Spirit in our lives involves our cooperation with God in being progressively transformed by God into his likeness of character.
And to be holy means to be unlike (different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of character of our Lord, by the grace of God, in the power of God, via our full cooperation with God in his work of grace in our lives. For the faith to believe in Jesus does not come from our human flesh, but from God, and it is gifted to us by God. And it is persuaded of God as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die with Christ to sin and to walk in obedience to his commands.
In other words, not one of us can come to faith in Jesus Christ of our own accord, according to our own flesh, because the faith to believe in Jesus must come from God, and the word “faith” means to be persuaded, in this case to be persuaded of God. And so we cannot give our own definition to the word “faith,” which is defined by God and by the teachings of the Scriptures, taught in their appropriate biblical context. And so our “faith” must align with God’s will and purpose for our lives, defined Scripturally.
[John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 26:18]
And to be “born again” has to do with us now having a spiritual birthing of the Spirit of God which is only made possible by Jesus Christ (God the Son) shedding his blood for us on that cross, and by his bodily resurrection from the dead. So, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him, and in his power, we are now be able to deny self, die to sin, and live to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to our Lord, and in surrender to the will and purpose of God for our lives, in daily practice. This, then is what gives us the hope of salvation (deliverance) from sin and of eternal life with God.
But now please make certain you read verses 4-5 in the full context of this passage of Scripture. For this is not teaching that a verbal profession of faith in Jesus Christ once in your life assures you of forgiveness of all sins and heaven as your eternal destiny. This is talking about obedience to God and holy living and a process of biblical sanctification in our lives. And to be “born again” means we are now different, unlike the world, because we are being made into the likeness of character of Christ via our surrender to God.
For we are protected by the power of God through faith which is not of our own doing – not of the will of the flesh – but which comes from God, and which aligns with God’s expressed will and purpose for our lives. And it is persuaded of God that we should die with Christ to sin and now walk (in conduct, with purpose) in obedience to his commands in holy living and no longer as slaves (addicts) to sin, for a salvation “ready to be revealed in the last time.” Our salvation will not be complete until Jesus returns and only if we die to sin and obey God in practice, and not continue in deliberate sin.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
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By The Sanctifying Work of The Spirit
An Original Work / October 3, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love