We have written previously written in brief about the Election of God. We spoke about God’s choice of us and the agency of the Spirit. In this post, we turn our attention to the outworking of this process as designed by God.
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
1 Peter 1:2 (KJV)
For everyone who has come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (as Lord and Saviour), becoming recipient of His grace through faith, our experience of the process has been varied. Some came into it through profound encounters, others came into it through God’s regular channel; the good ol’ preaching of the gospel.
Regardless of the route, we believed the gospel essentially because we heard the gospel message, and by an act of the Holy Spirit our hearts were convicted. We saw clearly our utter depravity and the excellence of the Love God directed toward us, evidenced by the Cross of Calvary.
We commonly think of believing in light of our repentance. And we are right; Repentance is an outward proof of inward conviction- Believing.
We also restate the same reality in different terms – and that is what Apostle is aiming for here. He is stating here that the Election of God, carried out through the agency of the Holy Spirit, was designed unto obedience, i.e to bring us into obedience of the gospel message and keep us obedient to the same message.
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Romans 6:17 (KJV)
When we heard the gospel message, we believed. But in believing, we were also, in that same vein, obeying the gospel message. The Spirit’s work in this regard was to bring us into obedience and maintain us in that posture.
Whether for individuals or for nations, the design is for the recipient to be brought into Obedience.
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
Romans 1:5 (KJV)
God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!
1 Peter 1:2 (MSB)
Obedience.
When we believe, we are brought into a sphere God desires that we walk in Obedience. He is determined to ensure this, not by coercion but by the Spirit.
Staying obedient to Christ, in and through the gospel by the Spirit is the hallmark of the Christian Faith. We were chosen for this. God has his eyes on us for this purpose.
Let us make up our minds that as far as our Faith is concerned, ours will always be a heart of obedience.
In Plain Sight 
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