Read I Peter 1. In the Old Testament, things are presented in types and shadows. However, coming to the New Testament, the chosen of God start using the expressions “now” and “then.” Now trials are necessary for the formation of character; then trials will cease. Now Christ is known imperfectly by faith; then we shall know as we are known. Now we are in a state of expectation; then we shall experience perfected salvation. Now we are in a season of trial; then our capacity will be commensurable with eternity.

Election is an eternal act of the Divine mind. It is inaccessible to us. Only in its effects does it come within our mental insight. Christ’s sojourners—foreigners who reside in a country not their own—reside in another country.

Paul said to the saints at Thessalonica, “Knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you” (I Thess. 1:4). Some teach nothing but election; others have no place for election. Both groups are wrong, and it might be debatable which group is worse. Among the first group are antinomians, fatalists, and those who do nothing and contribute nothing for the propagation of the whole counsel of God. Those of the latter group not only hate the doctrine but try to explain it away. There are three important points to be considered in I Thessalonians 1:2-6—“We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” Divine election is a family secret. It is an act of the eternal mind which is inaccessible to us except in its effects.

Election is according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Peter spoke of our relation to God before our position in the world. “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” (I Pet. 1:1, 2). Peter is saying that God’s election is according to foreknowledge—kata prognosin. The Greek preposition kata denotes motion or direction from the highest to the lowest—cause to effect. It also implies domination or control over someone or something. The noun prognosin means more than previous knowledge. The order of this verse cannot be reversed without handling the Scriptures wrongfully. God’s determination is eternal; therefore, foreknowledge means more than previous knowledge. It is used here and in Acts 2:23—“this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.”

The verb proginosko is used in I Peter 1:20-21—“For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” Here is another completed purpose—perfect tense. Was Christ merely foreknown to submit to the cross, or was He foreordained to the work of the cross? Was that which is foreknown determined? Can there be any uncertainty in God’s foreknowledge? No.

Man is blind who sees arbitrariness in the sovereign freedom of God, but does not see any in his own works and morality. On the other hand, man is blind to the truth of election when he makes it an occasion of self-justification. The religious practice of Israel demonstrates this false concept. The conflict between Christ and the Pharisees was one concerning the election of God. False self-glory lies at the root of a misrepresentation of the Biblical doctrine of Divine election. The Bible does not present election as a way to self-exaltation but true humility. Why did God choose me? Why did He give me grace in Christ before the world began? Why was He longsuffering to me until I came to repentance? Why did He give me all things which pertain to life and piety? Why is He working in me to make me willing to do His good pleasure? Why has He given me a living hope? Why has my sovereign God assured me that when I am exhausted, by use of my finite mind and understanding in my numbered days the way of salvation, He will give eternity to disclose to my wandering gaze the full meaning of so great a salvation? There is no place for pride in the grace of the sovereign God.

There is no time or place better than Jeremiah 7 for God’s message on the subject of repentance. “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house and proclaim there this word and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD! Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD. For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, We are delivered!—that you may do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, declares the LORD. But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel” (Jer. 7:1-12).

God was determined to punish Israel with captivity; therefore, Jeremiah was not to pray for them. It was like Jeremiah saying, “If you will not hear us when we speak from God to you, God will not hear us when we speak to Him for you.” It is futile to pray for those who have deliberately cast off the covenant of God and made a covenant with His adversary. The Psalmist said, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear; But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me” (Ps. 66:18-20). There is a state of mind in which one’s own prayer is turned into sin. This is true when one tries to appease God or impress someone. It is hypocrisy to desire the prayers of others without suitable conduct.

Jeremiah gives a great illustration of what he said concerning the hypocrisy of prayer. The prophet said, “The LORD has spoken to you, O remnant of Judah, Do not go into Egypt! You should clearly understand that today I have testified against you. For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us to the LORD our God; and whatever the LORD our God says, tell us so, and we will do it. So I have told today, but you have not obeyed the LORD your God, even in whatever He has sent me to tell you. Therefore you should now clearly understand that you will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence, in the place where you wish you to go to reside” (Jer. 42:19-22).

Jeremiah’s anguish over spiritual desolation is evident throughout his prophecy. He was a tenderhearted man whom God chose to deliver a stern message of judgment. It takes such a person to deliver such a message with force and pathos.

Hope is the expectation of something good. The Christian never finds this world to be his rest, but he does possess one incomparable advantage—hope does not disappoint true believers, because the Holy Spirit “has been poured out” (Rom. 5:5) into our hearts. Paul used the perfect passive indicative to express that “we have been permanently endowed with the Holy Spirit of love.”

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The NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE—UPDATED EDITION is the source of all Scripture quotations in this message, unless otherwise noted.

Copyright ã   2006

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