Elect—Responsibility

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” 1 Pet. 1:2.

To be elect to enter into the new covenant is such great grace that we as human beings cannot fully comprehend its significance. But we can understand something of it when we consider the Jewish people. They were the Egyptians’ slaves, and despised as shepherds. Gen. 46:34. Yet God elected them, and led them out with a mighty hand and entered the first covenant with them and exalted them high above all the other nations He had made—to His praise, renown, and honor, that they might be a holy people for the Lord their God. Deut. 26:19.

What a glorious election! What wonderful opportunities and blessings were opened up to them through their covenant with God, as long as they remained faithful to it. And yet it should also be obvious that it will go badly with a people—even worse for them than for other nations—who despise the covenant, even though God has done such great things for them. Amos 3:1-2.

Nevertheless, it is far greater to be elected by God to enter into the new covenant. We have already covered this a little bit in the preceding chapters. But what shall we say when you have entered the new covenant and been enlightened, have tasted the heavenly gift, have partaken of the Holy Spirit, have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then fall away? Heb. 6:4-9. It is very important for the apostle to make this serious for us; therefore he writes: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” Read Heb. 10:26-31.

Oh, how we need to emphasize this apostolic seriousness, which has practically been done away with in our times! There are innumerable backsliders these days; yet it is doubtful whether any of them have ever been enlightened—that is, whether they have ever understood that there was a covenant to enter into. They have only heard about the forgiveness of sins, not about the covenant.

It is also doubtful whether any of them have really come to know the truth. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32. In other words, they must have had victory over sin. But if someone has tasted of this life, and then deliberately turns to a life of sin, what kind of an attitude does such a person have? Such a person has trampled God’s Son underfoot, profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace. Indeed, it goes far worse with such people than with the Jews, since they have been sanctified by blood that is more precious.

Jesus is coming soon, and the time of grace will soon be over—the time in which Jesus is our High Priest. Soon He will come to take vengeance on all those who do not know God, and have been disobedient to the gospel. Therefore it is high time for us to enlighten people concerning the inheritance, which Jesus by His death has entitled us to in the new covenant.

You who have an ear to hear, who grieve over your sin: you have been elected to be obedient. Jesus is your Savior if you obey Him. Enter into the covenant with great boldness. Present yourself for obedience, and be sanctified in the new covenant by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. Then you have a good future ahead of you. Oh, what blessings you will share, for time and eternity! “Be saved from this perverse generation!” Acts 2:40.

Those who are taken up in the rapture, who become Jesus’ bride, will never regret having been born into this world. They will praise God for all eternity because He let them be born into the world, and for the opportunities this gave them.