Pastor David B. Curtis
Pastor David B. Curtis
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Good morning, Bereans. We are continuing in our study of 1 Peter this morning and are currently looking at verse 2 of the first chapter.
Peter, an apostle of Yeshua the Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1 Peter 1:1 ESV
The word "elect" signifies picked out, chosen. The idea emphasizes two things: (1) a choosing, and (2) a separation (i.e., set apart). Because one has been chosen, he is set apart from others who are not so chosen. In this text, "elect" refers to the doctrine of sovereign election.
On Berean's website we have a section called Doctrinal Statement & Distinctives. The second distinctive listed is Sovereign Election. I think it is sad that the doctrine of Sovereign Election is a distinctive of BBC. Not that long ago most of the Church held to this teaching. All the Reformers held to Sovereign Election (e.g., Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, Cranmer all believed that "Salvation is of the Lord." The German reformer, the Swiss reformer, the French reformer, the Scottish reformer, the English reformer—every one of them believed not only in Grace but in Yahweh's sovereign grace in election.
Peter goes on to explain their election in greater detail by three prepositional phrases in verse 2.
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Yeshua the Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:2 ESV
(1) "According to the
foreknowledge of God the Father"
What is "according to the foreknowledge of God"? "According" is the Greek preposition kata which takes us back to "those who are elect exiles…according to the foreknowledge of God" This ties election to foreknowledge. They are elect according to God's foreknowledge. I like the way the Christian Standard Bible translates these verses.
Peter, an apostle of Yeshua the Christ: To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Yeshua the Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:1-2 CSB
"Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God"—the preposition kata (according) suggests that it was in accordance with God's pretemporal love that God chose a people for his Son. Nothing is said of "faith" as the object of God's foreknowledge. Rather, God foreknew or foreloved the sinner, and thus predestined them to salvation (see Romans 8:29.
(2) "In the sanctification of the Spirit"
"Sanctification" is the Greek word hagiasmos which is from the Greek root hagios which is often translated as "saint or holy." It carries the idea of a "setting apart" from the secular to that which is holy or reserved for God's special purposes. This is positional sanctification.
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Yeshua, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Yeshua Christ, both their Lord and ours: 1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV
"Sanctified" here is hagiazō and "saints" is hagios. Notice that they are "called to be saints/holy." Called here is from the Greek klētos. Who called them and what are they called to? They are called by God to be holy.
But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 ESV
The teaching of Christ crucified, is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. The called are those chosen by God for salvation. Sanctification happens to every believer at the moment of salvation. They are set apart from the world to be holy. Some call this positional sanctification which is the setting apart the elect unto the Father as his own peculiar possession.
This phrase, "In the sanctification of the Spirit," is found in our text and in 2 Thessalonians 2:13:
chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Yeshua the Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:1-2 CSB
But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV
Silas was most likely the scribe for Paul and Peter, and in these two texts he uses the same phrase. Looking at how it is used in the Thessalonian passage will help us understand it's usage in our text.
In both texts, they are chosen because of the love of God. "God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved"—some early manuscripts read "first fruits" while others read "from the beginning." The NASB has "because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation." The phrase "from the beginning" is from the Greek manuscripts, D, K, and L and the Peshitta translation. But manuscripts B, F, G, and P, the Vulgate, and the Harklean Syriac translations have "first fruits." The problem is that the phrase, "from the beginning," is not used by Paul elsewhere. A. T. Robertson thinks it was the original wording, (cf. Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. IV, p. 54), and the UBS4 gives it a "B" rating (almost certain). Paul never used the concept of "first fruits" to illustrate election.
If "from the beginning" is the original reading, it parallels Ephesians 1:4.
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love Ephesians 1:4 ESV
The sense of it would be from the beginning of time. It would reflect God's electing choices made before time began.
We see from the Thessalonian text that they are "chosen from the beginning for salvation." They are chosen to be part of God's family.
In both of these texts they are chosen "Through sanctification by the Spirit. "Sanctification" is the Greek word hagiasmos which means "to consecrate, set apart, sanctify." It carries the idea of a "setting apart" from the secular to that which is holy or reserved for God's special purposes. The Spirit separates the elect from the rest of humanity and sets them aside from the world. This is the sovereign, sanctifying work of the Spirit.
I think that all Christians would agree that God is sovereign. Problems arise in the definition of sovereignty. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and on earth, so that none can defeat His counsel, frustrate His purpose, or resist His will. The sovereignty of the God of Scripture is absolute, irresistible, and infinite. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and always as He pleases, so that whatever takes place in time is but the outworking of that which He decreed from eternity.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Psalms 103:19 ESV
Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Psalms 115:3 ESV
A.W. Pink said, "The God of the twentieth century is a helpless, effeminate being who commands the respect of no really thoughtful man. The God of the popular mind is the creation of maudlin sentimentality." This is no doubt how many in our day view God, but this is not the God of the Bible!
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession. For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses. He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast; who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants; who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings, Psalms 135:4-10 ESV
God demonstrates his absolute power in that he does whatever he chooses to do. Let's go to Isaiah and look at some of the divine decrees. The divine decrees are what God has chosen in eternity past to do. Such providence is simply the working out of what God has decreed.
The LORD of hosts has sworn: "As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand, Isaiah 14:24 ESV
Yahweh says, "Whatever I have purposed will come to pass."
For the LORD of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? Isaiah 14:27 ESV
Who can stop Yahweh from carrying out His purposes? Nobody can!
Also, henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?" Isaiah 43:13 ESV
Who can hinder Yahweh's work? Nobody!
Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' Isaiah 46:9-10 ESV
It is God who declares the end from the beginning. God plans and He carries out His plans.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?" Daniel 4:35 ESV
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, Ephesians 1:11 ESV
God's plan is exhaustive! No one can act outside of God's sovereign will or against it. Rather than being offended by the Bible's assertion of God's sovereignty in all things, believers should be comforted by it. Whatever it is that we are going through, we may be sure of two things: 1. God is controlling it. 2. If you are His child by faith in Yeshua, He loves you. This brings me great comfort.
How comforting is it that the God who loves us controls every event in time. We need to learn to trust God even when we do not understand because faith pleases God. Do you know Him well enough to trust Him no matter how painful or fearful a situation may be?
God controls everything that happens. Everything! If a business man has a total financial collapse, this is an act of God. If a loving Christian parent loses a child through sickness or murder, this is an act of God. Now I know that when I say that, most people who call themselves Bible believers have a fit. The response of most would be, "You are crazy, God is good, God is loving, God is kind, so He would never do that." Really, is that what the Scriptures say? Notice what Job says in response to a financial collapse and the death of his ten children.
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Job 1:20-22 ESV
Job was a real man and not a mythological figure. He is mentioned by Ezekiel, and along with Noah and Daniel, he constitutes the third member of the three great men of the Tanakh. He is mentioned also by James who refers to Job's patience and steadfast endurance. He was a very likely a contemporary of Abraham, so this book goes back to the very beginnings of biblical history.
Notice that Job didn't view God as passive. He didn't say, "Yahweh let this happen" or "Yahweh allowed Satan to do this to me." He said, "Yahweh has taken away." Is that what the Scripture says? Yes, it is. Look it up in any translation; they all say the same thing. Job is saying, "God did this! God destroyed me financially, and He killed all my children." Most Christians today would go crazy over this and say that Job is demon possessed. They would say that Job is blaspheming. But they are the ones who are blaspheming because the Scriptures say that Job was worshiping.
But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10 ESV
We all think God is good when He gives us what we consider as good. But in reality, He is good all the time, even when He brings calamity upon our lives. Job is an incredible man! His response is nothing short of amazing. How would you do in his sandals? How could he be so strong in his faith? We get the answers from him.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. Job 23:12 ESV
God's Word was more important to Job than his food. Is that true in your case? How many meals have you missed this week? How many spiritual meals have you missed? Job learned of God's sovereignty. He created; He controls.
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. Job 1:20 ESV
Job is not angry and attacking God. He is worshiping when he says, "The Lord has taken away." Job not only recognized God's sovereignty, but he also rejoiced in it. Job trusted God because he knew God. He knew that God was sovereign, and in this he rejoiced.
Just in case you still think that Job is wrong in saying that God did this, the inspired writer of the book makes a comment to avoid a misunderstanding. Lest anyone say that Job should not have attributed Satan's work to God, he writes:
In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. Job 1:22 ESV
Let's jump to the last chapter.
After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Job 42:7 ESV
The Bible says that Job, who accused God of killing his ten children, did not charge God with wrong but, rather, spoke of God's actions as right. Does this fit your theology? God killing and destroying? If not, you had better work on making some changes in your theology because God is not going to change.
Job's rock of refuge and hope when everything else seemed to be crumbling was the absolute sovereignty of God. Most of our grief and pain does not come as a clear punishment for sins. Most of it comes out of nowhere and baffles our sense of justice.
That is why the book of Job is so relevant. Job's suffering seems to come out of nowhere and to have no connection to his character. His story is recorded for us so that we will have some help in living through these calamities. Back to our text.
"By the sanctifying work of the Spirit"— let me add this, being elect and being saved are two different things. Do you understand that? Two different things. You can be elect and not be saved. What do you mean by that? All of us were elect and unsaved at some time, true? As we saw in Ephesians 1:4, we were elect or chosen "before the foundation of the world." Then in time, we are sanctified and then trust Christ. Peter describes the sanctifying work of the Spirit in 1 Peter 2.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 ESV
He "called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light." That's your sanctification, your being set apart. That's your consecration.
(3) "for obedience to Yeshua the Christ and for sprinkling with his blood"
A single preposition governs both "obedience" and "sprinkling," pointing us to the purpose of God's electing love.
Whenever the word "obedience" comes up the Lordship people are going to tell us that we must obey to be saved. They make the Gospel all about works.
Grammatically, the word "obedience" refers to our initial acceptance of the gospel, what Paul and Peter both call "the obedience of faith."
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, Romans 1:5 ESV
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— Romans 16:26 ESV
Paul says that the goal of his preaching is to bring about the obedience of faith. So, Paul brackets the book of Romans with the Gospel of Yeshua that is to bring about the obedience of faith to all nations.
Paul says that the Gospel has been made know to all nations to "Bring about the obedience of faith"—the significance of the genitive pistis (of faith) is disputed. Some take it as a subjective genitive giving it the sense of obedience that comes from faith. It can also be taken as an appositional construction and should be translated as "the obedience that is faith." Acceptance of the Gospel in faith can be described as an act of obedience.
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" Romans 10:16 ESV
The word "obeyed" is the Greek word hupakouo which means "to obey." Paul uses it four times in Romans, and they are all translated "obey." The parallelism of the two lines reveals that disobedience consists in failure to believe.
Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Yeshua answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." John 6:28-29 ESV
It is an act of obedience to God to believe in His Son.
Many Lordship Salvationists use this phrase "obedience of faith" to enforce their view of commitment salvation. One writer contends that "God always takes the initiative and sets the agenda, but mankind must respond in repentance, faith, obedience, service, and perseverance."
Another writer teaches that "God offers salvation through Christ to all who are willing to turn from sin and serve obediently."
My favorite Lordship writer, John MacArthur, states that "The result of faith is obedience. Show me someone who says he believes in Christ and lives a life of disobedience and I'll show you someone who is not redeemed."
Let's look at the obedience that Yeshua calls us to.
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:43-44 ESV
When is the last time you prayed for an enemy? When is the last time that you prayed for someone who mistreated you and persecuted you?
Not to live like this is disobedience, which, according to MacArthur, means you are not redeemed. Don't we all live in some disobedience? If so, how much is acceptable to make it into heaven? NONE!
For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 ESV
I am seen by God as obedient even though I disobey often. I am seen by God as perfectly obedient because I am in Yeshua the Christ. I possess His righteousness.
Peter continues the third prepositional phrase by saying, ""and for sprinkling with his blood"—What is he referring to? I would think that this is a reference to the forgiveness of sins that occurred as a result of Christ's death. We see this in Romans 5.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Romans 5:9 ESV
It says we were "justified," which means to be made "just as though we never sinned."
The "sprinkling" Peter mentions is a continuous action and not just something that happened in the past to a believer. In other words, t still affects us today. John talks about this in his epistle. Look at what he says.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 ESV
"And the blood of Yeshua his Son cleanses us from all sin" (present active indicative). By his use of the present tense for the verbs 'to walk' and 'to cleanse', the author represents both the walking and the cleansing as ongoing activities.
The term "sin" is singular with no article. This implies every kind of sin. Notice this verse is not focusing on a one-time cleansing (salvation), but, rather, on an ongoing cleansing, the Christian life. Both are part of the Christian experience.
God "cleanses" us at conversion in the sense that He will never bring us into condemnation for our sins (Rom. 8:1; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 1:7). However, we need continual cleansing from the defilement that sinful daily living brings because it hinders our fellowship with God. This is the same thing we see in John 13.
Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Yeshua answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Yeshua said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you." John 13:8-10 ESV
What I see is happening here is that Yeshua distinguished the two types of spiritual cleansing that believers experience: forensic and family forgiveness. When a person believes in Yeshua as Savior, God removes all the guilt of that person for sins committed in the past, present, and future. Yeshua spoke of this forensic or legal forgiveness as a total "bath" (louo). After a person believes in Yeshua as Savior, when he or she commits sins, those sins hinder fellowship with God.
So, in our text, John is NOT referring to initial salvation but to the removal of the obstacle to fellowship, which is consciousness of sin. It is the cleansing of the conscience. One can be a Christian but not (at any particular point of time) be experiencing this. If we—we Christians—do not walk in the light, we will not have fellowship with God; we will not have fellowship with one another.
The "blood of Yeshua" is a metonymy for the death of Yeshua. John is referring to Yeshua's violent death on the cross which provides purification from sins for those who walk in the light with God. Because the early Gnostics denied Yeshua's true humanity, John's use of "blood" reinforces Yeshua's true humanity.
Since this cleansing from sin is something that follows when we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, it must refer in this context primarily to ongoing practical sanctification.
There are many Old Covenant allusions in this epistle, which we would expect from a Jewish writer.There were three circumstances in the Old Covenant where blood was sprinkled on people.
1. Blood was sprinkled at the establishment of Sinai or Old Covenant.
When Moses initiated the Old Covenant with the Jews, he sprinkled blood over the people. This meant that they would participate in the covenant and obey God's laws. Look at what Exodus says.
And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." Exodus 24:5-8 ESV
Christ as our High Priest has sprinkled us with his blood as we participate in the benefits of the New Covenant. We see this in Hebrews 12.
and to Yeshua, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Hebrews 12:24 ESV
Sprinkling with blood represents the believer's obedience of faith and participation in the New Covenant.
2. Blood was sprinkled at the ordination of Aaron and his sons.
So, sprinkling with blood also represents the believer's being set apart to serve God as a priest. When the Old Covenant priest was set apart to do ministry, he was sprinkled with blood. We see this in Exodus.
Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons' garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons' garments with him. Exodus 29:21 ESV
Similarly, believers have been set apart for ministry. Peter talks about how believers are now a royal priesthood that offers spiritual sacrifices unto God (1 Petter 2:5). As priests, believers pray for people, they serve, they sing praises unto God, and they seek to bring those apart from God into relationship with him.
3. Blood was sprinkled at the purification ceremony for a cleansed leper.
Sprinkling with blood also represents the believer's cleansing from sin. In the Old Covenant, a leper would have to be sprinkled with blood after his cleansing from leprosy.
He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. Leviticus 14:6-7 ESV
Similarly, our High Priest cleanses us from sin by his blood.
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9:13-14 ESV
One of the benefits of our election is that we have been sprinkled with the precious blood of Christ. He cleanses us from sin and forgives us, he initiates us into the New Covenant, and he anoints us to be priests of God.
Peter talks about the sprinkling of Christ's blood as a continuous action and not just something that happened in the past to a believer. To what is he referring? This must at least refer to the forgiveness of sins that occurred as a result of Christ's death.
"May grace and peace be multiplied to you"—"Grace and Peace" is a uniquely Christian opening greeting. Peter brought a greeting that had become common among the Christians. This greeting combines elements from Greek culture (Grace) and Jewish culture (peace).
The word "grace" means "free and unmerited favor shown to guilty sinners who deserve only judgment." The heart of the gospel is that God's grace or unmerited favor is extended to sinners. Because Christ paid the penalty for all our sins on the cross, God's holy justice is satisfied. Human merit plays no part in man's salvation. I think you understand that, but do you understand that, as Christians, we are to live by grace?
All of the Christian life is a matter of grace. We are brought into God's eternal kingdom by grace; we are positionally and practically sanctified by grace; we are motivated to obedience by grace; we receive strength to live the Christian life by grace; and we receive both temporal and spiritual blessings by grace. The entire Christian life is lived by grace.
To live by grace is to live solely by the merit of Yeshua the Christ. To live by grace is to base our entire relationship with God, including our acceptance and standing with Him, on our union with Christ. To live by grace is to recognize that in ourselves we bring nothing of worth to our relationship with God because even our righteous acts are like filthy rags in His sight. To live by grace means that we understand that God's love is not conditioned by our obedience or disobedience but by the perfect obedience of Yeshua the Christ.
For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 ESV
The word "made" declarative and not causative. Those in Adam were declared sinners. It is imperative that we understand this: "By one man's disobedience many were regarded as sinners." Notice that he says "made sinners" and not "made sinful." The whole human race has been constituted legally as sinners. That is our judicial standing before God. And it is based entirely and solely on Adam's one act of disobedience.
That is one side, but thank God there is another side to the parallel—"so by." By the righteous act of One Man, the Lord Yeshua the Christ, the many are made righteous. Our salvation is based entirely on Him and from Him and in Him. As my being a sinner came entirely from Adam, all my righteousness comes entirely from the Lord Yeshua the Christ.
Yeshua was regarded and treated as a sinner that we might be regarded and treated as righteous in the sight of God. As a believer, I am righteous, and I will always be righteous because I am in Christ, and Christ never changes, so neither will I. Your salvation and mine depends only, and entirely, and exclusively upon the obedience of Christ.
Peace with God is a gift that comes from Christ through justification by faith.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Yeshua the Christ. Romans 5:1 ESV
Paul is addressing believers, the family of God. "Since we have been justified by faith" (the Greek here uses the aorist passive "having been justified"). The aorist points to a past act by God (divine passive) to declare sinners righteous. "Since we have been justified" indicates that God has already accomplished this work.
"We have peace with God through our Lord Yeshua the Christ." What does peace with God mean? It means that the war is over. It means that God is no longer our enemy and is no longer promising judgment and death. Peace with God is the new status between God and the believer which flows from the reconciliation accomplished in Christ. By virtue of Christ's death on the cross, it is possible for men who are separated from God to become the friends of God and to have peace with God. Peace is one of the fundamental characteristics of the Messianic Kingdom anticipated in the Tanakh and fulfilled in the New Testament.
As believers we are a continual recipient of God's grace and peace.
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