The chosen, scattered and supported exiles

The greetings of Peter in 1. Peter 1:1-2 identify the readers as chosen by the Father, sanctified by the Spirit and sprinkled in the blood of Jesus. The trinity and I in one verse of scripture. In NIV the verse reads like this:

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

"Chosen by foreknowledge" is a form of selection that does not violate our free will. We choose to accept the love of God, he sees our choices in the future, and on that foreknowledge He elects us. It makes perfectly sense, once we accept that God is not bound by time and space like we are.

When we decide and do, the trinity decide and do. However, God has the privilege of deciding and doing in the past and in the future, whereas the only place and time we have available to us is here and now. The timelessness only available to God explains our past. God decided to do things for us in the past that has to do with our choices in the future. It becomes a little complicated, and Peter simply call us "God's elect". The sanctification of the Spirit and the sacrifice of Christ is both past and future for us. It has already happened and is 100% by grace, but it will continue to happen for or with us as we let it happen to us.

How do I live with God's foreknowledge?

Faith, action and works of service

The apostle Paul says that Jesus gave some to be apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for "works of service" (Eph.4:12).
The purpose: So that the body of Christ could be built up.

One keyword is "unity in faith", another one "knowledge of the Son of God" and a third "become mature".
The passage ends with "each part doing its work".

Is seems like a key is "knowledge about the Son of God" and that"unity" would be a proof of such knowledge. But for things to happen, each of us need to find OUR work. Works of service.

How do we find this part of work?

Jesus' to-do list

Jesus' "sermon on the mount" in Matthew 5-7 ends with a parable that says that the foundation of our life is whether we put his words into actions or not (Mat. 7,24-27). So I thought I'd compile a to-do list from this sermon. I quickly discovered that a don't-list and a to-be list woud be as relevant, so here they are:

To-be list

• Poor in spirit
  
• Meek
  
• Merciful
  
• Pure in heart
  
• Peacemaker
  
• Persecuted for righteousness
  
• Insulted and persecuted because of Christ
  
• The salt of the earth
  
• The light of the world
  
• With righteousness that surpasses the Pharisees and teachers of law
  
• Forgiving
  
• Wise
  

Don't list

• Break the commandments and teach others to do the same
  
• Be angry with your brother
  
• Express contempt
  
• Look lustfully at a woman
  
• Divorce
  
• Swear
  
• Resist an evil person
  
• Do 'acts of righteousness' to be seen by others
  
• Announce gifts to the needy with trumpets
  
• Pray to bee seen by others
  
• Babble like pagans when you pray
  
• Make a show when fasting
  
• Store up treasures on earth
  
• Serve Mammon
  
• Worry about what to eat and drink, the body and what you will wear
  
• Worry about tomorrw
  
• Judge others
  
• Give dogs what is sacred
  
• Throw your pearls to pigs
  
• Hear and not put the words of Christ into practice
  

To-to list

• Morn
  
• Hunger and thirst for righteousness
  
• Let your light shine before men
  
• Practice and teach the Law and Prophets
  
• Be reconciled to your brother
  
• Settle matters quickly with your adversary
  
• Love your enemies
  
• Pray for those who persecute you
  
• Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect
  
• Give gifts to the needy in secret
  
• Pray to the Father behind closed door
  
• Pray knowing that the Father knows what you need before you ask him
  
• Forgive those who sin against you
  
• Look good when you fast
  
• Store up treasures in heaven
  
• Serve God
  
• Look at the birds and stop worrying about what to eat drink and wear
  
• Seek first his kingdom and righteousness
  
• Take the plank out of your own eye before trying to remove a speck from your brother's eye
  
• Ask
  
• Seek
  
• Knock
  
• Do to others what you would have them do to you
  
• Enter through the narrow gate
  
• Watch out for false prophets, judge them by their fruit
  
• Do the will of the Father
  
• Hear and put the words of Christ into practice
  

It's a good thing that the list is extensive enough to put all of us on the spot.

It is very clear that faith and action go together, how can we draw power from faith for more action?

The foundation

In his story about The Wise and Foolish Builders, Jesus contrasts the difference in foundation. He wants to advise us on how to avoid falling with a great crash. (Matthew 7:24-26).

Who can build a rock solid foundation in our lives?
"everyone"

How?
"hears these words of mine and puts them into practice".

This is a challenging message since it ends a long speach. We need to rewind to the beginning of Matthew 5.

What would be the todo list that Jesus challenge us to "put into practice"?

Wealth management for Jesus-followers

Jesus says in Matthew 6:19

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

That is a pretty clear investement advise.
Then comes the "do not worry", "ask and it will be given to you" and the golden rule.
He ends his speach with a parable about two men who built houses. One of them was founded on rock, the other fell with a great crash when the storm came. The difference between the two houses was the foundation.

What foundation?

Wealth management and property rights

The Bible directs our attention to the eternal and at the same time gives very practical guidelines for life on earth. Wealth management here and in the afterlife make up a balanced score card.

One of the foundations of our civilization is the right to private property. The right to own your clothes, shelter and means to an income is taken for granted by many. However, where the legal right to property (title) is a privilege for the few, or where the right to enter free competition with a new enterprise is limited, there is always a large class of poor people. Generation after generation are kept in bondage through poverty. Women as a class has in many societies also been kept in bondage with limited property rights.

Not only has limited property rights been used by totalitarian regimes to keep people in bondage. Today's consumer society has paved the way for credit institutions that make it their business to keep people in bondage though credit card debt. The effect is the same, the right to own property and provide for a family is removed, even if it can be said to be self inflicted.

The Bible introduced collective property rights in Genesis, chapter one:

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

And the law enforced private property rights in the commandments in Exodus 20:

You shall not steal.

Did this change with Jesus?

The life that is truly life.

According to Paul the apostle, there is a way to lay up treasure as a firm foundation for the coming age, to take hold of the life that is truly life.

In his instructions to Timothy, he forwards some commands to those who are rich in this present world (1 Tim. 6, 18).

• do good
  
• be rich in good deeds
  
• be generous and willing to share
  

In the preceding verse he actually tells us what not to do, too:

• Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain ...

So instead of "money in the bank"...

• ... but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Who would like the combination of "firm foundation for the coming age" and "enjoyment" in the present?