PETER'S TRINITARIAN GOSPEL | PS DAN GORRY

Dear Readers of TYB,

From the very start, I want to thank you for reading this and showing a desire to know your Word more, and, therefore, know your Saviour more. I am believing with you that in your pursuit in His Word, you will discover the greatest thing of all; Jesus Christ, and He will lead you, guide you, shape you, fulfil you, and sustain you.

Today we are looking at 1 Peter, and to be honest, I could barely go past the first few verses before discovering something I wanted to focus on; Peter’s trinitarian gospel. 1 Peter 1:2 - ‘God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.’

God the Father knew you and chose you. Please don’t limit this to a Calvinist belief. Whether you are a Welsey-Arminian, Calvinist, or into Barthianism, you believe that scripture clearly speaks about God choosing you. What side you sit on will ultimately come down to how you interpret Rom 8:29 (Those He foreknew, He predestined…), but please know, however, you interpret this verse you still believe that God chose you, and that is a GOOD thing! Before He formed you in your mother’s womb, He knew you. Don’t fight this; rest in this. Peter is writing this letter to exiled Christians suffering persecution, and the first thing he felt to remind them of is that they didn’t make this up, or invent God, but rather God chose them. That brings immense peace because it reminds us that God is always in control, and for that we thank Him.

His Spirit made you holy. God’s Spirit is not a reward for those who act holy; He’s an instrument to make us holy. This is why He is the Helper, Guider, Teacher… you get the point. You don’t get your act together and suddenly deserve God’s Spirit to lead you. While you were still a sinner, God’s Spirit was working in you, setting you apart for His calling. AND, let’s clarify one thing; this was to make you positionally holy, not practically holy. God’s Spirit makes you holy to take away the penalty of sin, and begin a journey of being set free from the power of sin. Please don’t falsely marry justification and sanctification. His Spirit made us BLAMELESS before God; not SPOTLESS before God.

As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Obedience is a result of His Spirit making us holy, not a predecessor to it. Living a righteous lifestyle is an overflow of God the Father’s choosing of us, and God the Spirit’s setting us apart; NOT vice versa. This is simultaneous of our justification by the blood of Jesus. The Father chooses, the Spirit sets apart, the Son cleanses, the Christian now lives a holy lifestyle. And what does Peter flow from this Trinity gospel to speak about?

May God give you more and more grace and peace.

All praise to God…

It is by his great mercy that we have been born again

We have a priceless inheritance

God is protecting you by his power

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead,

When you get that the eternal Triune God has been working in you, is working in you, and will continue working in you, even in the face of trials, you’ll praise Him and smile looking into the future.

So keep pushing into Him TYB readers!

With love,

Dan Gorry.

Ps Dan Gorry and his wife Hannah are the Lead Pastors of C3 Church Currumbin. They grew up at C3 Currumbin and eventually took on leadership roles, becoming Youth and Young Adult Pastor, then Executive Pastor, and in November 2015 Dan and Hannah responded to the same heartbeat and call that beckoned a generation before them, and became the Lead Pastors or C3 Currumbin. They love Jesus, are driven to share His message, and devoted to seeing people discover God’s love.

1&2 Peter Part Two Deep Dive

PETER'S TRINITARIAN GOSPEL | PS DAN GORRY

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