1 Peter 1:1-2 - Elect Exiles: A Call to Grace and Peace

In this week’s message, we’re launching our journey through the book of 1 Peter. Today we’re looking at just the first two verses—an introduction packed with rich truth. Peter opens by reminding believers who they are: elect exiles, chosen by God and scattered with purpose. We explore the background of this letter, the heart behind Peter’s writing, and the foundational doctrines he lays down from the very start—including the triune work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our salvation.

Join me as we consider what it means to live as God’s chosen people in a world that is not our home. Let’s dig in together and look to Jesus, our true hope!

Transcript

1 Peter 1:1-2 - Elect Exiles: A Call to Grace and Peace

Intro

• Please take your Bible and open with me to the book of 1 Peter and find verse 1.
  • Today we step off into a new series that will walk us through the book of 1 Peter.
• This book is only five chapters in length but it is packed full of many different topics…
  • Just to give you an example, in First Peter writes about…
    • The Living Hope we have in Christ…
    • The Call to Holiness for the Believer…
    • Guidelines for submitting to Authority…
    • Instructions for wives and husbands…
    • How to deal with suffering for the sake of Christ…
      • And…
    • Instructions for the Elder, or the pastor in how to shepherd the flock of God.
  • It is a book that is packed full of instruction as well as encouragement for the believer…
    • Peter urges us to stay faithful to Christ in the midst of suffering and to keep our eyes fixed upon eternity. 
• Today we will just begin to dip our toes into this letter looking at only the first two verses and considering some of the historical background of this letter.
  • So our time together will be divided across two points…
    • Background Information
    • Foundational Doctrines
• With that let us read these verses and open in prayer…

1 Peter 1:1-2

• These two verses serve as the introduction portion to this letter…
  • We are given the author, the audience, and a bit of the purpose for this letter.
  • Along with some quick doctrinal truths that we will explore together. 
• Let’s begin this study on 1 Peter by first digging into the…

Background Information

• So that we can have a firm understanding of the setting of this letter.  
  • We will do this by examining three parts, we are going to take a look at…
    • The Author…
    • The Audieance… and
    • The Aim…
  • Let’s start with the most obvious…
• The Author
  • Clearly identified as Peter the apostle in verse 1.
    • He writes in a similar way as the Apostle Paul and identifies himself in the opening of the letter.
      • This was common practice at the time in which they lived.  
    • Throughout church history there has been no credible reason to doubt Peter’s authorship of this letter.
      • Although it is worth noting that in our modern era there has risen some that cast doubt on his authorship.
        • The reasons cited for that center around how well done the writing is…
          • They argue that Peter, as a Galilean fisherman, would not have been skilled enough in Greek to write as well as 1 Peter is written.
        • In my mind it is a humorous claim that mirrors the claim of the religious leaders toward Peter in Acts chapter 4.
          • Do you remember the response of the religious leaders as Peter and John stood before them and testified of the Risen Christ?
          • Acts 4:13 - “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished…”
            • It is a funny thing that we have come full circle and in our day…
            • We have some who have discounted what has been accepted as reliable from the start…
            • All because we think we are more knowledgeable than a first century fisherman.
            • However, we need to realize what the religious leaders realized at the end of verse 13.
            • That verse ends this way…
          • “...And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
        • Peter was capable of writing this letter not because he was the most educated but because he had been with Jesus.
      • It is also good for us to remember at this point that Peter is not the sole author.
    • We believe that this is the Word of God, divinely inspired and supernaturally preserved…
      • Which means though this is a letter from Peter, written by his hand and from his perspective…
      • It is just as much, if not more so, a letter penned by the Holy Spirit and preserved by God the Father.
    • God used the life and ministry of this apostle and spoke through him for the good of His church.
  • It is also important to note where and when Peter penned this letter…
    • To see this please turn with me to 1 Peter 5 and go to the end of the chapter, specifically verse 12.
    • Here Peter begins to close out his letter, he mentions a few individuals but also mentions a location, lets read it together.
      • 1 Peter 5:12-13
        • Silvanus, or Silas is mentioned as the one who delivered the letter…
        • Mark is mentioned as one with Peter who sends his greetings…
          • Most agree this would have been the same John Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark.
          • Remember that Peter is given credit as the primary source for Mark’s Gospel…
            • So it makes sense that they would have worked close together.
        • Notice though where Peter claims that they are located…
          • Babylon, well this is odd because the Babylon that existed in the Old Testament was in ruins.
          • Furthermore, church history points to Peter being in Rome in the later years of his life.
        • What we find is that Babylon is mentioned throughout the scripture, and where it was a place, it also represents the center of earthly power.
          • In Peter’s day this would have been Rome, so it fits with where church history tells us that Peter lived and ministered.
        • So it is assumed and reasoned that he wrote this letter from Rome.  
      • Let’s turn back to 1 Peter 1…
    • That just leaves the timing of this letter, that is harder to pinpoint but those who believe that Peter was indeed the author place this writing around 30 years after the cross.
      • Around 62 or 63 AD.
  • Which means that the church is still young and though the Gospel has spread there is still much to be done.
    • Now, let’s leave Peter behind and now discuss…
• The Audience
  • Looking back at 1 Peter 1 consider the words that Peter used to describe those who he intended this letter for.
    • Regardless of your translation you will find three words used by this apostle that describes his audience.
    • I personally prefer the ESV because they are all grouped together but the NASB or the King James Version also use similar words but have a different placement of them.
  • I would encourage you to underline, circle, or highlight these three words…
    • The first word is the word “elect” in the ESV, it is the first descriptive word used to describe the audience.
      • However, in the King James or the NASB it is the last word used to describe the audience.
        • NASB uses the word “chosen” at the end of verse 1 and King James uses the word “elect” at the beginning of verse 2.
      • We will talk about this word in a moment but let’s go ahead and identify the other two words that describe Peter's intended audience.
    • The second word is “exiles” in the ESV but in the NASB and the King James we find the word “strangers”.
      • Same word but just translated a bit differently, the word literally means “sojourners” or "temporary resident”.
        • Which means that either word can be used effectively.
    • The final word that I want you to underline, circle, or highlight is the word “dispersion” in the ESV or “scattered” in the NASB and King James Version.  
      • Same basic word…
        • Peter is writing to a people that is scattered, that is dispersed, throughout the places he has named here in verse 1.  
    • Which means that…
  • His audience can be described as the Elect Exiles that are dispersed throughout these regions mentioned. 
    • This description for this audience is a weighty one but it reminds us from the start that Peter is not simply casting a letter into the wind.
    • He is writing to those who are a part of the Redeemed.
      • The Chosen, the Elect…
        • He writes to the Called Out Ones, who are dwelling in this world but whose home is eternal in the heavens.
      • This is crucial as we step into this letter and even as we gather together for this service today.
        • We gather here today and examine this scripture because we are a part of this Elect.
        • We consider the scripture together because we are the Redeemed. 
          • This service, where welcome to unbelievers, is not designed for unbelievers.
        • That is not to say that God does not call people when we gather…
          • He certainly does, but we gather not so that He will call people to Himself but we gather as the Called Out Ones to worship the One True King. 
          • This is an important distinction and a perspective we must grab onto.
      • Peter has not written for us a letter that is addressed to the world, it is addressed to the church.
        • Likewise, as I prepare a sermon, as I put together a lesson, it is not with the lost world in mind.
        • It is with the church in mind…
          • The duty of the pastor is to prepare the saints for the work of the ministry.
        • That is what Peter intended to do with this letter, let us keep it in mind.  
    • More than that he has addressed it to the church that is exiled, or that are sojourners, a reminder to us from the start of this letter…
      • That this world is not our home, but our eternity is secure with Christ.
      • We are simply passing through, we are not to live for the here and now, we are not to exist only for tomorrow…
        • Instead, we are to consider our lives in view of eternity.
      • And as we do we must remember that we are nothing more than exiles here.
        • Travelers, passing through a foreign country, waiting for the day we get to return home.
    • However, it is the Lord who has dispersed us, He is the one who has placed us, and scattered here and there.
      • Though this world is not our home…
        • Though we live for a land far grander than our minds can comprehend…
      • At the same time we must recognize that while we dwell in this exiled state we are called to live a certain way.
  • This is what Peter calls us to in this letter, a certain way of life that is expected for those who are chosen by God and dispersed by God.
    • Which brings us to…
• The Aim
  • Or the purpose of this letter…
    • I mentioned in the introduction some of what we see in this letter…
      • Peter hits on several practical points throughout, while also ensuring a robust doctrine on the sufficiency and return of Christ.
      • It is a Christ centered letter that is meant to call the church to holiness.
        • Peter points out that this is a different way to live than the world around us.
    • However, let’s not consider anything specific throughout 1 Peter, we will get to that…
      • Instead, Iet’s consider what he writes at the end of the opening verses we just read.
  • Look with me again at the end of verse 2…
    • 1 Peter 1:2b - “...May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”
      • Here Peter mentions two purposes for this letter for his intended recipients.
      • That they would have “grace” and “peace” multiplied in their lives.  
      • This is a common greeting used in many of the letters…
        • Paul greets his audience and wishes grace and peace be upon them in 12 of his letters.
        • Peter uses this greeting also in 2 Peter.
        • John uses this same greeting in two of his writings.  
      • Both words are used many times throughout the New Testament.
        • Grace speaks of God’s Favor and points to His kindness and good will for His people.
          • We often, rightly say, that grace is God’s unmerited favor upon us.
          • It is Him bestowing upon His people what we do not deserve.
        • Peace speaks of harmony and tranquility, it also points to the reconciliation we now have with God.
          • I think of…
            • Ephesians 2:14a where Paul, writing of Christ stated that - “For he himself is our peace…” 
        • It is by the death of Christ that we can now have peace with God and be reconciled to Him by the cross of Christ.
    • We find that the purpose of first Peter is that God's unmerited favor and the peace that is found in Christ would be multiplied among his readers.
      • So as we work through this book let’s make this our prayer…
    • That the peace of God and grace of God would be multiplied among us.
• All of this serves simply as the background for this letter and will be important truths that we are reminded of as we walk through this letter together.
  • Now, let’s move beyond examining this background information and step into…

Foundational Doctrines

• That Peter hits us with from the very second verse…
  • Now, when I say foundational doctrines, what I mean is things that cannot be denied and have been a part of Christianity from the very beginning.
    • There are two I would like to point out…
    • First we see…
  • The Triune God on Display.
    • The triune nature of God is often expressed as the “Trinity”...
      • Now it is true that the word Trinity is not found in the scripture.
      • Maybe you have heard that argument against it before.
    • However, what is undeniable is the triune nature that is clearly on display…
      • All we have done with the word “Trinity” is come up with a word that describes what we see in the scripture.
      • There is no better place to see the Trinity than verses like this, read it again with me.
        • Vs. 2
      • In this verse we side by side the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
        • Now I want to share with you what the Baptist Faith and Message has to say about God and the Trinity…
      • The Baptist Faith and Message reads…
        • “The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.”
        • A good definition and good for us to keep in mind because the doctrine of the trinity can be hard to explain and understand.
    • What verse two does for us is reveal to us how Peter understood the Godhead…
      • He clearly sees the direction of the Father, the work of the Son, and the role of the Spirit.
      • All three are presented clearly in the opening of this letter.
    • It is as if Peter is making it clear from the start that this is who our God is, it is how He has revealed Himself to us.
      • I want you to know as we are considering this…
        • That even though it is clearly seen in the scripture, it is also to us a divine mystery.
        • We do not worship three gods, we confess and scripture testifies to us that there is One God.  
      • That is clear, however, what is also clear is that this God has revealed Himself as three distinct persons…
        • He shows Himself to be the Father, reigning on high and directing the nations…
        • He shows Himself to be the Son, Jesus, who came in the flesh and dwelt among us and who willingly died in our place.
          • What amazing mystery exists even in the death of the Son of God…
          • Yet even in this mystery we see confidently that Christ is Divine and paid our way by His blood.
        • God also shows Himself to be the Holy Spirit, the third and final person of the Trinity…
          • Fully Divine, fully God, and very much a Person just as the Father and Son.
          • He is not a feeling, He is as much God as the Father and the Son.
          • He can be lied to, He can be grieved, and as we will see in just a moment He is pivotal in our salvation.  
      • Again, there is a great mystery here, and if anyone talks about the Trinity enough they are likely to become a heretic by accident.
        • I say that as a joke but also taking into account that there have been times where we can speak of the Divine in a careless way.
          • For example, have you ever heard anyone say that the Trinity is like an egg?
            • Or that the Trinity is like water in its three phases?
            • Both examples, if carried out, end up being heretical.
          • The fact is that we are trying to comprehend the Eternal Creator with a finite mind and it will always fall short.
        • So there are times when we should only look to scripture and consider what it says…
          • Take it as true regardless of whether or not we can comprehend it.
      • That is true at this point, but it is also true as we consider the second doctrine we see…
  • God's complete role in Salvation.
    • You see Peter does not just mention the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but he points out their role in our salvation. 
    • Take note, church, that your salvation is made possible because the Eternal, Triune, God who spoke into existence this Creation saw fit to pursue you.
    • This verse documents that for us in a very quick but powerful way…
      • First, he tells us that our salvation is first because of the foreknowledge of the Father…
        • This word, foreknowledge, in the Greek is one that you would recognize, it is “prognosis”.
        • We often consider this word in the form of medical outcomes, we may ask someone who is sick…
          • “What is the prognosis?”
        • Well here it is used to speak of God having intimate knowledge of our situation and acting upon it.
          • Let’s consider how He acted upon it in a medical sense…
            • He looked upon the state of man, lost in sin, covered in shame, and took note that the outcome was not favorable for us.
              • So knowing the prognosis, He set into motion a treatment plan.
              • In this treatment plan He sent forth His Son to take upon Himself our own sinfulness and shame.
              • Dying in our place to make a way, not to recovery but to redemption.
        • As we consider our salvation we have to consider that the only reason we know of this salvation, the only reason we have a possibility to be saved, is due to the foreknowledge and action of the Father.
      • Then, second, it is due to the sprinkling of the blood of Christ.
        • Not by our own merit, not by our own works or efforts, but instead by the blood of Christ.
          • We talk of the cross often, rightly so, because if it were not for the cross we would be a people completely without hope. 
          • If Christ had not come, if He had not taken upon flesh and died a death He did not deserve…
            • Then there is no way to the Father.
          • Let that weigh on you for a moment…
            • If Christ did not die it's not that salvation just got harder it now becomes impossible.
            • Oh how sinful and wretched we are that the only hope is precious blood of the Son of God.
        • Yet, even though the Father foreknew and directed, even though the Son willingly took on flesh and died, if it was not for the work of the third person of the Trinity we would still be lost in our sins.
      • So please consider, third, the sanctification of the Spirit…
        • Sanctification is a word that means to make holy or to be holy.
          • It points to the initial justifying work of the Spirit where at the moment of salvation we are made right before God.
        • However, it also points to the continuing work of the Spirit…
          • The ongoing process of being molded and made into the image of Christ.
          • It speaks of the progression of Holiness in our lives and the cause of that progression.
        • Think of it this way…
          • Believer, are you nearer to Christ today than you were last year?
          • Are you less prone to fits of rage, lustful thoughts, crude joking, and the like?
            • Then it is only due to the work of the Spirit in your life.
          • It is not because you have just “gotten better” it is because the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in your life and He directs you toward holiness.
      • The reason to consider the work of the Godhead in our salvation is to remember the work that is present in our lives is not about us.
    • It is because God took to the initiative, He planned, directed, died in our place, and called us to Himself.
  • Our response is a call to obedience…
    • Is that not what verse 2 calls us to?
      • To “obedience to Jesus”, let us be sure that we are given to that obeying what He has commanded us.
      • First, to obey by believing and placing our faith in the Son. 
    • Then it is to walk daily nearer to Him in obedience. 

Closing

• Is this obedience what your life is marked by?
  • I pray it is, and I pray that it grows as we work through this letter together. 
  • Pray for grace and peace to be upon us.