In 1 Peter 1:1b-3a he tells us who this letter is written for those who had been dispersed to a number of places. “….To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 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.” These specific areas were places Christianity had extended in the first several decades after the beginning of the church. It was probably the route that the original courier of Peter’s letter followed in distributing the letter. This was not written to any one congregation, but intentionally written to all Christians.
Nothing that had happened was a surprise to God. He has elected these people and that resulted in sanctification and obedience. And through our relationship with Jesus, we are sprinkled with His blood. That accomplishes three things. First, a covenant is formed, then we are ordained as priests to Him, and finally we are cleansed from our corruption and sin. Each of these is ours through the work of Jesus on the cross. And Peter brings a greeting that was a common saying among Christians of that day. He combined elements from Greek culture (Grace) and Jewish culture (peace).
When Peter considered the salvation of God, his immediate response was to simply praise Him. This is especially because the motive for God’s work is found in Him, not in us. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again….” Spurgeon wrote All His goodness to us begins with mercy. “No other attribute could have helped us had mercy been refused. As we are by nature, justice condemns us, holiness frowns upon us, power crushes us, truth confirms the threatening of the law, and wrath fulfils it. It is from the mercy of our God that all our hopes begin.” Peter gives powerful words of praise to God for the salvation we have in Jesus.
Peter shares his heartfelt blessing for God’s mercy and the result of that mercy – the opportunity to be born again. God’s mercy is what sent Jesus Christ to the Cross to die for the forgiveness of our sins. The offer is there from God to all mankind. Jesus paid the price once and for all for all of us. But we have to receive that mercy and the grace that goes with it. When we receive it, we become a new person and become a new creation with an eternity that is assured. We will spend eternity with God the Father and our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing more worthy of our praise than the mercy and grace God has shown us.
“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“
“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”
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