1 Peter 1:1-2

The Reformed faith is pervasively biblical. This can be seen in many passages of Scripture. One lesser known passage is 1 Peter. It is interesting to note the key concerns Peter voices at the outset of his letter.

Peter the Apostle

The letter begins with Peter introducing himself. He was the most vocal of the disciples of Jesus Christ. A native of Galilee, and a fisherman by trade, he was brought to Jesus by his brother Andrew and became one of the earliest disciples. His bold confession of Christ as being the Son of the Living God was the occasion upon which Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter, which means "rock." Peter here calls himself by this new name.

Peter identifies himself "an apostle of Jesus Christ." He was chosen by Christ himself to be a witness to the resurrection and sent by the authority of Christ to lay the foundation of the church. Peter's work focused on establishing churches. For this purpose he was given special revelation by the Holy Spirit to write this book. Peter's words in this letter are not mere opinion or advice, but are inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Dispersed Pilgrims

To whom does Peter write this letter? He addresses it, "to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia." Peter writes to those that he has most likely never met. He writes to those Christians who lived in the various Roman provinces located in what we know today as Turkey. Although this term ‘dispersion' often refers to the Jews who were scattered among the nations, Peter has in mind those Jewish and Gentile converts who were dispersed as Christians.

Notice that he calls these believers, "Pilgrims." He wants them to know that their "citizenship is in heaven." (Phil 3:20) and that this citizenship is primary. They may be citizens of the Roman empire, but they are really God's pilgrims, spiritual foreigners looking for a "city that has foundations"-the City of God. This implies that their earthly citizenship is secondary. They were to see themselves living temporarily in an alien environment. Such is our condition as believers today. Though we are citizens of the United States, our citizenship in the Kingdom of Christ is primary.

Peter's design is to teach them how to live in the midst of an ungodly culture as God's people. He not only seeks to explain more fully the doctrines of salvation, and exhort them to live in a godly manner in the various relationships of life; but also to prepare them for sufferings. Writing about 30 years after the ascension of Christ, Peter writes to Christians who had already experienced various forms of persecution, and he is preparing them for further opposition.

Living godly in an ungodly society brings persecution. Today persecution happens not only in other countries, but in our land as well. It has taken a variety of forms, and does not mean that someone has to physically die for Christ. It is persecution when believers suffer in their families, or in their workplace, or in civil court for their commitment to the gospel of Christ.

Peter does not call these early Christians to a monastic life, they are to live "in the world, but not of the world." God's people were dispersed in the midst of societies that were dominated by secular worldviews and pagan practices. God has also placed us for a purpose in the midst of a culture that does not know him-that we might be his witnesses as salt and light.

Trinitarian Grace

What is Peter's way of encouraging these believers? He does not begin by giving them practical steps on how to deal with their difficulties and problems. He will teach them later in this letter how they should live in the various relationships and hostile circumstances in which they find themselves. But he first lays a proper foundation for their understanding of who they are in their relationship to God. He is God-centered in his approach.

If we begin by focusing on our circumstances, and especially our inability to deal with them, we may become discouraged and defeated. It is only as we turn unto God as our Sovereign Lord and Savior that we can have a proper view of living in an ungodly culture. Peter wants them to focus first on God's great salvation.

The central thrust of this letter is: "Elect Pilgrims must stand firm in the true Grace of God." Grace is a biblical term that describes how God has redeemed guilty sinners by setting them free from bondage to sin and death. Peter sees true grace as that salvation which is the work of the Triune God. He says in verse two that they are, "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

The Father's Elect Pilgrims

He reminds his audience of their new identity as Christians. The word "Elect" in the original Greek comes before the word "pilgrims." Their status before God is stressed-they are God's elect pilgrims. Their salvation is not something they stumbled upon by chance, but was planned by God the Father from the beginning. They are, "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people." (2:90)

Many in our day recoil when they hear the word "election." Yet this is not a teaching hidden away in one or two chapters of the Bible. No, it is a teaching that is given prominence by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If you read the beginning of Ephesians, 1 Thessalonians, or Titus, as well as many other passages you will see many references to election.

For Peter and the other Apostles, election is important because it sustained them in the midst of an ungodly society. They had come to understand that by grace alone they had been chosen by God to be his children. As such their new identity as Christians was not due to what they had done for God but on the basis of what God had done for them. We love God because He first loves us. Peter wants us to know that while we live in this world, Christians are God's chosen people.

God's Foreknowledge

Peter adds further in verse 2, that these Christians are, "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." What does he mean by foreknowledge? Some think that means simply foresight -God sees ahead of time what people will do. According to this view God is very much like us. He is like a weatherman forecasting the weather by looking at computer a model, or as an astronomer foretelling when there will be an eclipse. If this is true, then God learns from history.

But in verse 20 we read, "He [Christ] indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world." This is the same term here. Did God learn about Christ from history? Did he choose the Son because he learned what he would do in time? No, God knew Christ because he was his only-begotten Son and loved him before time began. We read in the book of Acts 2:23, "Him [Christ], being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death" Foreknowledge thus signifies God's predetermined purpose to ordain whatsoever comes to pass. The death of Christ was not merely foreseen, but fore-ordained.

In a similar way, God knows believers. He knows them before they believe. The foreknowledge of God is not learned from the creature but from His knowledge of Himself. He knows because he wills, and He wills that which he knows in Himself. God knows actively, not passively. The election of individuals is not based upon something in themselves but rather flows from something within God himself. Foreknowledge is thus a divine love that chooses a person to be his child, and because of this love, he provides all that is necessary for that person to be saved.

Pilgrims Set Apart by the Holy Spirit

One key theme of 1 Peter could be describe as, "Living Godly in an Ungodly Age." How are we as Christians to live out our faith in a culture which has become increasingly opposed to the Gospel? Peter's letter provides much insight into this topic. He refers to holiness as an essential manifestation of the salvation flows from God's electing love. God's pilgrims have been elected, he says in verse 2, "in sanctification of the Spirit."

This adds to our understanding of our unique identity as God's people. Elect Pilgrims are called saints. Sanctification usually refers to the work of God transforming the believer's way of life. But here it is used in the same way as when God said, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 14:2) This holiness refers to our status before God as saints, "But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. 6:11) Some call this definitive sanctification.

When God changes the heart He sets that person apart from a secular pagan culture to be a child of God. This is why Peter uses the term "sanctification" here. The person who has been brought out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ is now "set apart" to do God's will. Do you know him, is He your Lord? Do you trust in Him alone for your salvation? If so, then He has called you to a unique lifestyle.

Pilgrims United to Jesus Christ

The chief purpose in the work of the Father and the Holy Spirit, as Peter sees it, is that sinners will be brought into a saving relationship with Christ. He says again in verse 2, "for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

We do not typically speak of faith as obedience. It is right that we guard the doctrine of "salvation by faith alone." But the Bible often speaks of the obedience of faith, such as we find in Romans 1:5. This means that God's electing and regenerating grace does not eliminate our response. God commands all men everywhere to repent. God does not believe for us. We must embrace Christ and all that He provides, commit ourselves to Him, and make a definitive break from sin and the world. When we have done so, Peter says, we are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.

The design of the Old Testament sacrifices was not simply that blood was to be shed-it was also to be applied. In the New Covenant the blood of Christ as the lamb of God is to be applied to sinners when they believe. This is also called justification-which the Westminster Shorter Catechism defines as, "an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righ­teousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone."

We're talking about that little red book that has found a permanent place in all our churches and on many a home bookshelf. Have you ever wondered just how it arrived on the scene? If we follow the path of history back far enough to the trailhead, we arrive at the year 1563, the year the Heidelberg Catechism was first published in the German city of the same name. The finished manuscript, presented toward the close of the year 1562, had already received the hearty approval of the entire faculty of the university, the pastors, and the teachers. When it was submitted to the Synod, which met at Heidelberg at this time, it was received with applause, and a resolution was passed on January 19, 1563, to have it published immediately by government authority. That's where Prince Frederick III comes in; he wrote the preface, giving it his hearty stamp of approval. The first edition, in German, came hot off the press early in 1563. A Latin version followed in the same year and a second German edition. Beginning in the third edition, it was divided into fifty-two "Lord's Days" so that the entire catechism might be explained once a year. The fourth edition, published on November 15, 1563, as part of the Palatinate Church Order (Kirchenordnung), is regarded as the standard text of the catechism. With four printings in one year, you might say it was on the Heidelberg Times Bestseller List.

The Calvin 500 is not a NASCAR event. But it has brought a new harvest of books by and about Calvin. Though the Calvin lover relishes this feast, others may feel lost. After you blow out the five hundred candles, where should you begin? What are some of Calvin's key writings and what are the best books to read about him? Here is a brief guide for getting started.

Calvin was an extremely prolific writer. His Latin writings fill 59 large volumes in the collection Corpus Reformatorum. Many of these have been translated into English and some have gone through numerous editions. But the Institutes and his commentaries are only a portion of Calvin's work. He penned hundreds of sermons, letters, and treatises.

To keep from being overwhelmed, one might begin by reading Calvin in small doses. 365 Days with Calvin, edited by Joel R. Beeke (2008), provides selected readings from his sermons and commentaries. Calvin's Wisdom: An Anthology Arranged Alphabetically (1992), provides us with select quotations. Devotional books tap into the marrow of Calvin's spirituality such as Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms (1999), or Thine Is My Heart (2006). An older volume by Dillenberger, John Calvin: Selections from His Writings (1971) provides a nice anthology.