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1 Peter 1:2
2 Elect [eklektos] according [kata] to the foreknowledge [prognosis] of God [theos] the Father [pater], through [en] sanctification [hagiasmos] of the Spirit [pneuma], unto [eis] obedience [hupakoe] and [kai] sprinkling [rhantismos] of the blood [haima] of Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]: Grace [charis] unto you [humin], and [kai] peace [eirene], be multiplied [plethuno]. KJV-Interlinear
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. NASB
In this verse, Peter summarizes the work of all three members of the trinity in the work of salvation.
The Father authored the divine plan, Jesus Christ executed the divine plan, and the Holy Spirit sealed the divine plan on each individual who enters into the divine plan through faith in Christ.
We who have believed in Christ, are the elected out from all of humanity. God the Father elected us by means of the rules He set out for our selection into His family.
His rules are simple. Believe in the Savior and that is your requirement for entrance into His family.
Anyone who rejects the Savior, Jesus Christ, is in effect rejecting God in total. This rejection is granted by God, and thus becomes the only prayer allowed by God, for unbelievers. They receive their wish, which is to live forever apart from God.
Since God controls everything and stabilizes everything, by living apart from God means living in an environment that has no controls, no stabilization, no protections whatsoever. This is the Lake of Fire, which is filled totally with the terror of insecurity and zero protection, zero abilities, zero of anything.
In order to be saved from this terrible destiny, all one has to do is believe in Christ. That act of faith gains you salvation, which is protection and a guarantee that you will not die that second death and not go to the Lake of Fire.
God the Father looked down through all of time, and saw all who would believe in Christ. He has both foreknowledge and omniscience. These are different in that foreknowledge is the prior knowledge of all that will occur in history. Omniscience is the knowledge of all that will occur as well as knowledge of all of the possible scenarios that will not occur.
With the work of Christ on the Cross, which is in full compliance with Gods original and only divine plan, the Holy Spirit sanctifies or makes holy, all who believe in Christ.
Holiness is the combination of Gods righteousness and Gods justice. Gods righteousness is the state of absolute perfection - no flaws, no blemishes, no sins, no human good. Gods justice, is the state of cleansing all of these defects.
When a person believes in Christ, in that moment, the Holy Spirit sanctifies that person and enters him into Gods prefect state of fellowship. Many other things are accomplished as well, but for this verse, we become sanctified (holy) and entered into Gods family.
As believers in Christ, we are holy, but within our daily functional life, we can obviously commit sins and become less than holy. This requires confession in order to re-enter us back into fellowship.
Our salvation and sanctification is made possible by means of our obedience to believing in Christ, by Christ’s obedience to the plan of the Father, made possible by the obedience of the Holy Spirit in applying Christ’s work to anyone who believes in Christ.
So, there is only one plan, and all parties must comply with its requirements. The three members of the Trinity do this, and our role in salvation, is faith alone, and nothing more. There is no further work required for salvation. Christ accomplished it all while on the Cross.
As a result of our salvation, making us holy, then God is free to bless us. Blessings come from God only to those who are sanctified (holy), and thus made perfect by means of the work of Christ.
Grace is Gods policy toward humanity. Mercy is His actions functioning in grace, or grace in action.
And blessings coming to us in their fullest measure, means that God is free to bless us with abundance. Abundance means receiving more than we could possibly use in an infinite number of life times. That is a lot.
So, what awaits you in your spiritual life is more than you can possibly imagine.
Salvation is infinitely greater than no salvation. Maturity is infinitely greater than no maturity.
Maturity, spiritual maturity, is your goal, and target for having accomplished the best life possible, and it is free and available to everyone, by simply learning doctrine, using doctrine, obeying doctrine, and growing up.
