One of the definitions offered of the word “conspiracy” is, “any concurrence in action; combination in bringing about a given result.” Well, I have come to realize that I am a victim (maybe I should say recipient) of a conspiracy, and I am so glad! I Peter 1: 2a says that we “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…” Hallelujah! God himself “conspired” to bring about my coming to Christ!
So much time and effort has been spent arguing over the sovereignty of God and the freewill of man, and I simply love the way Peter spends no time arguing or trying to explain it. He simply took what we have turned into a point of contention and offered it to his readers as a source of comfort and encouragement. The believers are assured that despite their suffering and persecution, they can take courage in the fact that God himself hand-picked them as his own. This (s)election is like when someone goes to the market and specifically chooses pieces of fruit- hand-picked, on purpose. He was intimately aware of them (and us) before they were even born, and for the glory of his name, chose them as his own. But wait; the plot thickens!
The Holy Spirit “conspired” to bring the believers to that point in life when they would obey Jesus and be cleansed by his blood. The Spirit of God has been actively at work since the day we were born to bring us to Jesus. The fact that we believe, that we have faith, that we even acknowledge God at all is on account of the sanctifying work of God’s Spirit. Not only that, but he now continues to sanctify us, working in us that which pleases the Father, even using the events of our lives (both good and “bad”) to further conform us to the image of the Son.
Here in this one verse, we see the triune God bringing about our salvation. Oh what a holy conspiracy! Now let’s think about what this means for a moment. If God knew us before we were ever born, if he personally chose us for himself, if the Spirit brought us to the point of obedience, and if Jesus cleanses us by his own
blood; my friend, we can persevere in this life. Will not he who brought about our salvation keep us, and present us holy and blameless before him in love? You betcha!!
It may be rough right now. You may be suffering unjustly. There’s no telling what kind of trials you are experiencing, but can I tell you something? God personally selected you for himself, and he will keep you no matter what comes your way.
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