Peter the disciple who denied his Rabbi three times, and then afterward (would become) what he himself had all along desired. But he, while not yet having the (power to become) what he envisioned for himself, instead he had done what he did not envision or even want to do. He had denied knowing Jesus.

Later having learned that his power was not enough apart from God’s anointing to be the man he desired to be from this knowledge he writes:

1 Peter 1:1 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. (NASB1995)

Peter having been empowered by God’s Holy Spirit he becomes a spokesman concerning man’s need; concerning our God and Father; His Son and His Holy Spirit. He knew personally our needed relationship to each one of these persons in the Godhead, and of their needed actions in this process of our sanctification. Peter literally nails what should be the understanding of all believers in just these two verses. His contribution to doctrine is obvious.

Peter understood and presented within these two verses both our condition and our hope (in the gospel). He sees the Godhead in its fullness: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He tells us of God having foreknowledge that no one else has; his God we are told is able, having seen all of mankind even before His creation of man, and using that ability that is only God’s; He then had chosen those of us whom He had seen with this similar desire as Peter’s own, (you are likely not much different than Peter was; you can’t do this work on your own either) but, you can follow Jesus as Peter himself had done. You can be baptized in the Holy Spirit even as z Peter was. Remember that before Peter had the power to live for Christ, he too had failed Jesus. We all begin in that state. God sees these of His creation who have desires to be His children, who are contrite within themselves to want deliverance from their own selfish sinful state.

These are the scattered aliens that Peter sees, who are aliens in this mass of humanity; and who recognize their need of relationship with this Godhead for their very sanctification. God had seen it all before the creation. He knew in the beginning, who we now are and how we will end up. His scantificaltion is His alone to give. It is His separation of us from this world for His service. Without His seal upon us we are of little use to even ourselves.

He knew our need for the blood of His Son, Jesus’ who willingly provided this for our cleansing. He knew of our need of Jesus (the Word) for our instruction in that righteousness that we desire. He knew of our need for the power given us by the Spirit. His part is played as He is to be our counselor in order for us to actually live this sanctified life fully yielded and given over to Him as a witness for a world most of which dose not want these blessing offered us for this set apart life.

In this sea of mankind: there are those who want only a fire insurance policy in order to escape hell (don’t let that be all you receive from Him). There are others among us, who only want miracles, and if they don’t come as they desire; then they may just walk away. Also there are those who will only accept God’s love on their own terms. And to many of these forgiveness must be for all of mankind irrespective of how those men and women respond to the Holy Spirits call on their life. It is these same ones, who often can not seem to accept the fact, that God has and will express His hatred of sin, which He desires to remove, and without its removal from this earth it will only lead us humans into more evil. These who refuse Him, He will destroy. Jesus is recorded as revealing His knowledge of those who confronted Him, who He called children of their father the devil.

Some cannot bare to see that side of God, so they attempt to excuse all evil even as it becomes more and more the desire of humans. These show disrespect for the Godhead. It is in just such a time that God’s wrath will be expressed for that people.

Our discernment is necessary in all of this. Pastor Tom says that discernment is simply deciding what is good and what is not good in God’s sight. Oh how this world needs such today as world leaders abandon God.