1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect sojourners of the Dispersion of Pontus, of Galatia, of Cappadocia, of Asia, and of Bithynia,
Elect, Chosen
What do you think that means? Does it make sense in our personal thoughts about who we are?
The Greek word translated elect in 1 Peter 1:1-2 means elect or chosen. It speaks into our identity places and beliefs, and many of us feel some sort of disconnect with the idea that “God chose me”. “God elected me into His Family”. We don’t seem to see ourselves as being fully ordained into His Family. There are roots to this battle of belief. At one root of this we need to grasp that we are primarily spirit and had our origin in Him. That He took some of Himself and made you out of it; He took some of Himself and made me out of it. We must fully accept that we are of His essence and that our Spirit carries His flavour and DNA.
That was our beginning, shown in Genesis 1 in the creation of man. Physical Adam is not any more than dormant, lifeless flesh and blood until God breathes or spirits Adam’s essence into that body. The word in Hebrew translated “breath” means both breath and spirit.
So we are chosen by Him. There is a deliberateness about everything God does. He has the time to be deliberate and careful and the power to make it happen. If we are chosen, this makes who we really are shift to another plane of existence from the world of self and darkness we exist in physically. It also calls into places in us to be ready for empowerment like Jesus. He did, after all, pay the price Himself in the person of Jesus Christ so it can all happen. That is His Grace in action. All we have to do is receive His Grace and start living with Him intentionally.
On His part He has been, and is, intentional towards us, and desires a personal walking talking relationship with each of us. We all know that and the question is asked “so why is it so hard to connect with Him?”. The answer has several sides to it. Some are below.
1) We may not realise that He shares His thoughts with us in our minds.
2) We may not believe in who we really are, which blocks us from hearing Him well.
3) We may be carrying beliefs that filter out His thoughts and revelations.
4) We may be too busy to spend quality time with Him.
5) We may be spiritually wounded in ways that hold us captive and unable to respond to Him.
Any or all of these things can be talked and prayed through with Christians you have learned to trust.
Our primary function as members of the Family of God in Jesus Christ is to continue in a viable relationship with His Father and ours. To do that we need to understand and accept that we are His elect.