My dear readers, 

(Extracts from RPG Workbook Vol II No. 12, December 1989, edited by Dr SH Tow)

About the Author  PETER THE APOSTLE

Peter stands in the forefront among our Lord's twelve Apostles as an eminent disciple and follower, a person of excellent endowments.

Born a natural leader, Peter was ever ready to speak, quick to apprehend and bold to do whatever he knew to be his duty.

During three years of following the Lord, he distinguished himself as a leader among the twelve disciples. Nevertheless he was one among twelve, just an elder, as he refers to himself (1 Pet 5:1).

There is no scriptural support or any historical evidence to elevate Peter to the office of "universal pastor of the Church," or "vicar of Christ on earth," or "Bishop of Rome, the first Pope."

In the spirit of a faithful shepherd and elder of the Church, Peter wrote to strengthen the faith of the believers in Asia Minor, to prepare them for the persecution which was about to descend from the cruel hand of the demented emperor Nero.

Writing "in the Spirit," Peter declares to readers, then and now, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place... Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Pet 1:19-21).

To the rulers of Jewry, Peter was seen as "unlearned and ignorant" (Acts 4:13), but they noted that he "had been with Jesus." It was the Spirit of Jesus with him that enabled him to write God's message to the Church, a message specially meant for the suffering Church.

Peter's letters are of particular relevance to the end-time Church which faces "perilous times" (2 Ti 3:1) and "fiery trials" (cf 1 Pet 1:6-7) ahead. Our only security rests in the Lord and His "exceeding great and precious promises" (2 Pet 1:4) which assure us of final victory.

1. HOPE FOR THE ELECT (1 PETER 1:1-6; DEUTERONOMY 7:6-11)

Peter, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote this letter to encourage the elect scattered throughout Asia Minor. His letter equally speaks to the elect today scattered over the whole wide world. It is a letter of hope which Peter was well qualified to write, for Peter had been with the Lord from the very first; he had witnessed His miracles; he was present at the Transfiguration (Lk 9:28); he saw the risen Lord during the 40 days after the Resurrection; he witnessed the Ascension.

Perhaps Peter's best qualification to write this letter of hope was his recomissioning at the Galilean lakeside (Jn 21:15-17). Three times the risen Lord asked Peter "Lovest thou me?" There was no mention of his having denied the Lord three times but the questions must have pierced like a sword. "Feed my lambs; feed my sheep; feed my sheep" (Jn 21:15,16,17), said the Lord. He had great plans for Peter. Thereafter the Apostle never looked back. Indeed, now he was "ready to go into prison and to death" (Lk 22:33) for his Lord. If God could use Peter, can He not use you?

Peter's letter is addressed to the "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." Wherever you are, dear reader, if you are a true believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you belong to the company of the elect. It was God who, according to His mercy and love, chose you to be His child. Did you think that you had make a good choice when you became a Christian? No, my friend. The Saviour says: "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" (Jn 15:16).

For His choosing you to a "lively hope", be thankful. The Apostle Paul says, "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess 2:13,14). There is glorious hope for the elect.

QUESTION: Why did God choose you? (Deut 7:7,8) 
PRAYER: Lord, I thank Thee for electing me to salvation.

2. ELECTION THROUGH SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT (1 PETER 1:3-6; EPHESIANS 5:25-27)

In His unsearchable wisdom God chose us long before we were born! How can this be? This is the mystery of God's love and power. The Apostle Paul makes it very clear: God's blessing of salvation comes to us "according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world ..." (Eph 1:4). Spurgeon says: "I believe the doctrine of election because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I would never have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born, or else he never would have chosen me afterward."

Election is purely the work of God, through sanctification of the Spirit. What do we understand by "sanctification?" Simply stated, it means "to be made clean from sin." Every believer at conversion, is sanctified by the blood of Christ. The Apostle Paul describes it thus: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Many Christians, true believers, are unaware of their sanctification. Sanctification is a precious "Gospel word" which every believer ought to know and cherish. It is an essential part of the believer's experience: Believers “are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord ..." (1 Cor 1:2). This is "sanctification past."

But sanctification is not static. It has a beginning when the believer is born again. However, it is also an ongoing process which God's Spirit effects in the believer's life for the purpose of witnessing and not salvation as if what Christ did on the cross is not sufficient to sanctify the believer completely of all his sins. As long as the believer serves on earth, he sins. Therefore he needs the sanctifying power of the blood of Christ and His holy and perfect Word to keep sanctifying him so that his witness for Christ will remain holy. Having given Himself for us, Christ our Lord continues to “sanctify and cleanse [us] with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:26,27). A believer who would purge himself from all iniquity "shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim 2:21). Sanctification is equipping for service.

PRAYER: Lord, sanctify me by Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.

God bless you dear readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Founding Pastor