You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood.

1 Peter 1:2 (GNT)

 

In his first letter to the universal church, the Apostle Peter describes how the Trinity is at work in our salvation and sanctification.

God Himself chose and called us all to be His holy people before the earth even existed. In His sovereign love towards us, we were born of His Spirit into new life in Christ and made new creations in Him. As we have been forever cleansed by Christ’s redemptive work, we respond in obedience by pursuing the truth of our new identity and destiny in Christ.

In salvation, we die in Christ. In sanctification, we live in Christ. Both works of Christ are complete and perfect. We are safe and secure because we are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation through our union in Christ. His Spirit within us will continue to bear witness to our inheritance and adoption as children of God, sealing us until the day of our final salvation.

God's eternal purpose cannot be thwarted or defeated in any way.

In the four gospels, we see Jesus taking many different roads to reach individuals and people with the good news of His Kingdom. He sought them out, met them where they were, and led them to where God wants them to be. His Spirit works in their hearts, convicting them of their sin and the need for God’s saving grace. In obeying the gospel, they spiritually experience the salvation which is provided by God through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Today God continues to do the same thing He began in eternity past.

No one is left out, and everyone is invited to the gospel feast and sanctified to share in the blessings of His holiness, where God welcomes all who approach Him without fear, prejudice, or reservation.