1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
This is a message for the Elect. And how do you know that you are of the Elect?
According to Peter, you make your election sure by your calling.
2 Peter 1:10 “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
Notice calling is first…..we prove our election by our calling. And it is all done by the sanctification of the Spirit…unto obedience.
As our spirit yields to the Holy Spirit within, He is then able to do through us.
Bringing us into the obedience of subjection, first.
This Victory within makes a change in our souls, transforming our inner character and attitudes….as well as our outward words and actions.
This is God working in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil.2:13). But He will not so work without you yielding to the Holy Spirit.
He has made us even as we are for a Purpose. For all the called according to HIs Purpose….have a purpose for their lives.
Purpose is an interesting term. When we think of “purpose”…we think of the goal to which we are moving….or the Way in which we are walking.
And God’s Purpose includes both….but God’s purpose is primarily that we become His….in everything, through everything, in spite of everything.
If we see to our calling…..our Purpose in Christ to be His, in heart, word and deed….we will assuredly prove our election.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Here again Paul is stating plainly….that we claim our salvation in Christ Jesus as we show that we are walking in the good works that God has put before us.
Grace, faith and obedience are never separate….but a flowing stream of living water that flows through us by the Holy Spirit within, as we yield to Him.
Every good work that God requires at our hand has been completely seen to…..in Christ Jesus. We have grace….let us use it, and fulfill our purpose to be completely His.
Let not unbelief or fear hinder our calling….
We may seem totally insufficient…..and, yes, we are….but God is able to make all grace abound unto us.
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”
And Peter says (2 Peter 1:4-8)… that by the precious promises….we will become partners of the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is prevalent in the world…
….and if we give all diligence using what we have….the ”faith” given….we will add to it many of Christ’s characteristics.
2 Peter 1:8 “For it these things be in you, and abound (remember God is going to make grace abound toward us!), they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”
….to be less of us, and more of Him.
Then Peter, stating these blessed promises….calls all who will, to give diligence to prove their election in God, by doing their calling.
The greatest proof we give….is our devoted love to the Lord Jesus Christ. Which is followed by our diligent obedience to His Word,….doing what He has called us to do.
And whatever He has called you to,…if we are diligent….He will give fruit, the fruit of the Spirit within, and the fruit of a Christian without,…which is another Christian.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 