He Knows

DEVOTION 1 PETER HE KNOWS 1 Peter 1:1-2 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: NIV Having dealt with the elect I suppose it would only be fitting I should look into this word foreknowledge and of what. Of course there is nothing other than God already knowing everything there ever was, is and will ever be and that it can never be refuted he already knows what he is going to do and how he is going to do it. That is extremely difficult for the human mind to even comprehend because of our limits to a linear existence. We have a past, present and a future, remembering most of the past is not too difficult, being aware of our present is fairly easy, but it is absolutely impossible for us to know our future, with God that impossibility not only exists but He determines the future. He knows what he is going to do and how each person is going to react to his actions, of course still allowing each of us to make that choice as to how we react. Here in this passage he has declared that those Jews, his chosen people, although there is no word in the Greek text that could be translated chosen and most other translations do not include it either, will be sanctified by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of being obedient to Jesus Christ through his shred blood for their sins. Here it is in a nutshell, as we believers internalize this today. God had determined when he created man, knowing ahead of time that this complex being he created had to process through in order to understand his relationship with God. Adam simply could not just be a robot, God did not intent that, he gave him the ability to choose and choose he did as God knew he would. So God has already determined to lead his people through the process of sacrificing for disobedience so that when in the time line of our linear thinking, he sent Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice, so we would understand. He knew ahead of time how he was going to make a way for us to return to a proper relationship with him. How incredible our God is. How loving and caring of him to make this way. He also knows some will never accept his love, his care for them, his sending Jesus for them. He knows who will and who won’t. I wish he would make everyone accept his way, but then he would not be God, he would be an evil dictator forcing his plan on all within his power. But because he is God is allows each to decide their own future. I am eternally grateful for his plan, and that I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit and listened.