“…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”

If God's work is to draw us to Himself because He has a plan for you and me then how does He do that? Peter presents the work of the Father by also mentioning the work of the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are familiar with the Trinity. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all engaged in the work of Salvation. God chose us; Jesus Christ bought us and the Spirit sanctifies us.

The plan of salvation includes more than the Father's electing love; it also includes the work of the Spirit in convicting the sinner and bringing him to faith in Christ. Sanctification means setting apart.  The root idea of the word is separation from common uses to the service of God.  God's Spirit is actively engaged in setting people apart to a totally different kind of life. He awakens our hearts to respond to God and His goodness. He makes us aware how damaging sin is in our lives and in our relations

It was the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God to die on the cross for our sin or there could be no salvation.  That is where the sprinkling of the blood comes in. In the Old Testament the Jews used to kill and sacrifice animals. Because they were unholy, God said to have a relationship me some animal must die. That is how much I hate sin. That blood is a reminder to you - do not take sin lightly.

When Aaron was sprinkled with blood, he was set apart for God's service in the Old Testament. When the blood was applied to the doorposts in the Old Testament it was so the judgment of death would not be applied to that household. In Jesus Christ we are saved from the judgment of death because our sins fell on Jesus Christ Himself and now the blood has been applied. We are to listen to God, to do what He wants and go where He wants us to go. We are to obey as Jesus did.

God the Father chose me in Christ before the foundations of the world. God the Son paid the price at Calvary. God the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin one night in 1956 when I saw the need for Jesus to save me from sin. It all came together. God in His Triune person carried out His work. Because of that, God calls us strangers in this world. When Sarah died in the land, Abraham confessed he was a sojourner among the people.  We are just passing through. We have citizenship elsewhere.

The people Peter was addressing were Jewish brethren who had now embraced Christianity.  They were strangers. They were not Gentiles and they were rejected by their Jewish friends and family. They were like without a home literally and figuratively. Peter was telling them they do have a home. We are a new Kingdom together. Peter wanted the suffering brothers and sisters to look beyond their temporary journey and exercise their faith in the One who loved them.

Prayer:   Lord, may I never take sin lightly, but confess it and run from it.