1 Peter 1:1-2: Part 1 of a Verse by Verse Study of 1 Peter

By Lisa Groen

1 Peter 1:1 To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia

1 Peter 1:2 According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

God The Father who has foreknowledge, initiated our relationship with God, even though we as Christians may experience being exiled, and some believers have been dispersed in different places.

God has kept believers in the sanctification of the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ.

God has set us apart in sanctification to himself to enable us to be obedient to Jesus.

God has set us on the pathway of sanctification and his presence keeping us on this pathway continues to enable us to be obedient.

God has also set us apart for the sprinkling of His blood.

These truths help us to know and remind us:

1)      We need the sprinkling of his blood because we are sinners

2)      God has provided the sprinkling of His blood

3)      God has set us apart for this purpose

This sprinkling of Jesus’ blood not only cleanses us from our sins, but also provides the perfect righteousness of Christ inherent in the blood and associated with Jesus’ blood.  And this perfect righteousness is what God supplies us and counts in our favor in our spiritual account which God keeps.

Review:

1)      We are kept by God for obedience to Jesus because we have been sanctified. Because we have been set apart for obedience, God enables and provides for our obedience.

2)      We are kept by God for the sprinkling of His blood, so we are to confess our sins, and let this be ongoing, because God knows we sin, and knows we need cleansing.

3)      Because of being sanctified, and set apart for obedience to Jesus, and set apart for the sprinkling of His blood, and cleansing, this is where we receive in an ongoing manner, because the verb sprinkling is a present tense verb, the righteousness of Jesus Christ in an ongoing manner, so our spiritual account has righteousness in it in an ongoing manner because of what Christ has done on our behalf. LG