1 Peter 1:1-3 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …

A Christian is a miracle of God’s creation. Are you a Christian?

As I read these words today – as you read them with me – our focal text is just 85 words long. This text is addressed to the Christian.

It’s not addressed to the religious person, but to the Christian.
It’s not addressed to the good person, but to the Christian.
It’s not addressed to the Churched, but to the Christian.

Are you a Christian?

I didn’t ask if you identify as a Christian. Are you a Christian? My prayer is that, as I preach this text today, God will speak to your heart and you will know that you are a Christian. If you are not a Christian, my prayer is that you will open your heart to God and hear His call today.

A Christian Is CALLED By Jesus

The best place to start is the beginning. Let’s start at the beginning:

1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ…

Who is “Peter”? In the Bible there were many called “Mary”, “James”, “Simon”, and “Judas”. Yet there is only one “Peter” given in Scripture, and I believe God did this on purpose. When Andrew, the son of Jona first met Jesus, after spending the day with the Lord he ran home and told his brother Simon:

John 1:41 … We have found the Messiah, the Christ …

Andrew led his brother Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw Simon, He told him:

John 1:42 {AP*} … you are Simon the son of Jona, but you shall be called CEPHAS, meaning “A stone” …

Jesus gave Simon the FUTURE nickname Cephas (kēphas) or “A Stone”, though He did not explain why that name was given.

CEPHAS is the Aramaic name for “Stone”, but
PETROS {PETER} is the Greek equivalent.

Matthew 16:18 {AP} … I say unto you, you are PETER {petros}, and upon this Rock {petra} I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it …

Though the Jews of Jesus’ ministry commonly spoke Aramaic, MORE PEOPLE spoke Koine Greek. This is why we see the name CEPHAS only 6 times in our Bibles, but PETROS or PETER some 159 times. When the Apostles were CALLED by Jesus, we read:

Matthew 10:2-4 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

The first twelve disciples of Jesus were fishermen, Levites, Canaanites, yet no Sadducees nor Pharisees. They were common people, not highly educated Priests. “Simon, who is called Peter” is always listed first when the Apostles or Leading Disciples are mentioned. In this group of twelve, Jesus chooses three to be His inner circle: Peter, James and John. And what is very interesting is that

one of these twelve that Jesus has purposely chosen is a lover of money and power, not a lover of God

This is the one called “Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him”. Jesus would later say of Judas:

John 6:70-71 … Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Jesus hand picked Judas Iscariot, knowing that he would be the one to betray Him to the Chief Priests and Pharisees. Jesus chose Judas, because it was prophesied that the Messiah would be betrayed by a close friend (Zechariah 11:12-13; Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14). Judas was a betrayer, hidden to the other eleven Apostles, until it came time for his betrayal of Jesus. The Bible says:

Luke 22:3 … Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, being one of the twelve {Apostles}

John 13:2 … supper being ended, THE DEVIL PUT INTO THE HEART OF JUDAS ISCARIOT to betray Jesus …

Jesus CALLED the twelve Apostles, just as He calls every Christian to His side. Though it appeared that Judas was equal in every way to his eleven brothers, Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas was not responding to His call nor to His love. Judas followed after Christ for personal gain. The Apostle John wrote of Judas that:

John 12:6 {AP} {Judas Iscariot} did not care for the poor, but was a thief. He kept the treasury of the Apostles, and had access to the money …

With Peter and Judas we have a similarity: both were called by Jesus. Both were in Jesus’ company. Both outwardly looked like they were saved Christians. However they were not. Though Jesus gave equal power to both Peter and Judas Iscariot:

Mark 3:13-15 {AP} and Jesus went up into a mountain, and CALLED WHOM HE WOULD, and THEY CAME TO HIM. 14 And Jesus ORDAINED TWELVE, that they would be with Him, and that HE WOULD SEND THEM TO PREACH, 15 AND TO HAVE POWER TO HEAL SICKNESSES, and TO CAST OUT DEVILS …

Jesus called all twelve. Jesus ORDAINED all twelve. He called all twelve in love. Eleven responded to His love – but one came for other reasons. One came for money, for notoriety, for fame, for Jesus’ power was well known.

Peter was there because he loved Jesus. Judas Iscariot was there because he loved what he could get from Jesus.

You’d think “If anybody would be saved, it would be an Apostle”. You’d think, “I know that preacher is going to go to Heaven”. Jesus called him, and he came. He went out with the group. He healed the sick, and cast out devils. Surely someone who casts out devils is all right with God! But he wasn’t. Judas Iscariot is like so many who profess to be saved because they are in proximity to Jesus. They know the lingo. They’ve been to the seminary. They’ve had the education, and have the titles of “Doctor” and “Master’s Degree in Theology”. Beloved, a Master’s Degree doesn’t impress God if you don’t love the Master.

Do you love Jesus? Or do you love what Jesus has to offer? Are you Peter, or are you Judas Iscariot?

Jesus CALLS Christians,
But The Spirit CONVERTS Christians

Both Peter and Judas Iscariot were called by Jesus. But here’s a question I want to ask you:

Why did Jesus change SIMON’S name, and not JUDAS ISCARIOT’S?

I believe Jesus was showing us the POSSESSED Christian life in the first Apostle, and the PROFESSED Christian life in the last Apostle.

Though Jesus’ call to both Peter and Judas were genuine, Peter would give his heart to the Lord and be brought into the family of God. Judas, however, withheld his heart from God. His love was not Jesus!

Illustrate: How many of you have the name you are born with? I remember years ago when I first came to this Church, I had trouble finding all your names! When I heard that Brother Witherspoon was in the hospital, I called patient information and asked for the room of “Loyd Witherspoon”. The nice lady told me there was no Loyd Witherspoon in the hospital, and by law couldn’t tell me anything else. He wasn’t registered as “Spoonie” either. After calling around, I found out Brother Witherspoon was registered as “Harvel”, which is the rest of his name. I had the same problem one time trying to find out what hospital room Brother Billy Benefield was in. He was registered as “Warren Benefield”.

Whatever name you have today is more than likely the name you were given at birth by your creators – your parents. Your name is tied to your birth, your creation.

So why did Jesus change Simon the son of Jona to “Peter”. Because Jesus called Simon to be a Christian. Simon turned his life over to Jesus, and in time Simon would be re-born. He would be “born again” of God. Unless you are “born again”, you are not a Christian. That is not my standard, but God’s standard.

Illustrate: A religious and highly placed Pharisee came to Jesus one night by the name of Nicodemus. As he began to speak to Jesus, the Lord told him – and us:

John 3:3 (ESV) … Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see {horaō} the kingdom of God.

Jesus told Nicodemus that his experiences with religion, with Judaism, with Pharisaism, with the Temple Priests could not let him see {horaō} – that is, to perceive with the mind, to experience, or to know – the Kingdom of God. Human birth is not enough to let us see the intricacies of God’s Kingdom, nor to perceive that which is to come. There must be a second birth. Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus:

John 3:5 (ESV) … Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

A person must be “born of water”, a reference to physical human birth (breaking your mother’s water). There is no salvation offered to the angels of God who revolted – only to humanity. But a person must also be “born of the spirit”. Jesus said,

John 3:6-7 (ESV) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

It is Jesus Who CALLS Christians, but the Holy Spirit Who CONVERTS a person into being a Christian.

We see this in today’s text. Peter says:

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

The Christian is “Elect” {Greek eklektos}, that is “Chosen, called of Jesus”. The Apostle wrote in:

1 Corinthians 12:18 … now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, {the Church} as it hath pleased Him.

And our Lord Jesus said “upon this Rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus CALLS the Christian. It is the “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” that enables our salvation. But it is the Spirit Who CONVERTS the Christian. It is “through sanctification of the Spirit” (vs 2). The Apostle Paul says the same thing in

2 Thessalonians 2:13 … we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Word Study: The Holy Spirit CONVERTS the believer, the follower of Christ into a child of God, a Christian. You are NOT what you were before you were saved. Though flawed, a profound change occurs in your life. Sinners must be CONVERTED {Hebrew shûwb} unto God (Psalm 51:13). Jesus said that He spoke to the crowds in parables because:

Matthew 13:15 … this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, (Greek epistrephō) and I should heal them.

IT IS NOT JESUS’ JOB to CONVERT the believer. It is the HOLY SPIRIT’S JOB. The Christian is CALLED of Christ, but CONVERTED of the Spirit.

Matthew 18:3 … Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, (Greek strephō) and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Illustrate Conversion: Peter was always brash, always speaking up. He followed Jesus, and gave his heart to Jesus. Why do the Gospels spend so much time talking about Peter? As I read through the Gospels, I came across an interesting section of text of Scripture. Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 22. Jesus came into the midst of His twelve Apostles one day as they were arguing.

They were arguing about who was the greatest!

Jesus had just revealed to the twelve that there was a betrayer in their midst (Luke 22:21-23). Though He did not name Judas Iscariot, I suspect it was Judas Iscariot who brought up the argument about who was the greatest. Usually the false Christian in the bunch will bring out the worst in the rest of the apples! Anyway, we read:

Luke 22:24-27 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 25 And {Jesus} said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. 27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

As Jesus speaks to the twelve, the mind of Judas Iscariot is on money and power. But as our Lord speaks, He reveals something about Peter. Though Jesus named Simon the son of Jona “Peter” or “Cephas”, Jesus goes back to his given birth name. Read with me:

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Peter has been following Jesus from the day that our Lord called him from his fishing boat. He has been with Jesus with the twelve, has been there casting out demons and healing people, empowered of Christ. Peter was with Jesus, along with James and John, at the Mount of Transfiguration when our Lord talked to Moses and Elijah. Peter was there when Jesus rose Lazarus and Tabitha from the dead. Peter handed out bread and fish to 5000 men one day, as Jesus did His great miracle of multiplication of food, and Peter was there when Jesus similarly fed 4000 Gentiles. Peter is mentioned 159 times in 153 verses of Scripture. And after all this, and just before Jesus goes to Gethsemane, our Lord says to Peter:

when thou art converted

Unless you are CONVERTED and become as little children, you shall not ENTER into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3). As Peter hears these words, they pierce his soul. Peter – the the power of his human ego, speaks up!

Luke 22:33 … Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

Was Peter sincere? Absolutely! But was Peter RIGHT? No. He has not yet been CONVERTED {epistrephō}. He is following Christ in his own power, in his own strength. That wasn’t Peter’s fault. The Bible says that “the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). The blood of Christ had not yet been shed. So Peter is following Christ as best he can. Jesus tells Peter:

Luke 22:34 … I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

What would cause Peter to deny Jesus three times? Fear of man. Caring more for what others think or want than what God wants. Peter had a powerful ego, but what he lacked is what many professing Christians today lack. Peter, you must be converted. God must work in your life, that you be saved. Salvation is entirely a gift of God to the broken. You must surrender yourselves to Him wholly. God will not save part of you, but will have ALL of you. This is what a Christian is.

Illustrate: Compare the Peter who denied Jesus three times to the later Peter who preached so boldly on the Day of Pentecost. The Peter before he was CONVERTED was scared of the words of a milk maid. The Peter after CONVERSION preached boldly, and 3000 souls were saved (Acts 2:41).

Illustrate: Not long after Peter preached on Pentecost, he and John returned to the Temple about the ninth hour to find a man lame from his mother’s womb (Acts 3:1-2). This is symbolic of us all. We are “lame from our mother’s womb”, broken, fallen children of Adam, lost in sin and blindness to God’s goodness. As this pitiful man looked to Peter and John for alms, Peter said:

Acts 3:6 … Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

The man – previously crippled – now goes to worship God with Peter and John. He enters the Temple “walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8). As a crowd forms around this man on Solomon’s Porch, the place where Jesus often preached, Peter preached his second sermon. Though I don’t have time to explore that sermon in detail, Peter outlined the need for Christ Jesus to die on the Cross. Peter then told the gathering crowd:

Acts 3:19-20 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, (Greek epistrephō) that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Jesus CALLS Christians,
The Spirit CONVERTS Christians,
But the Christian must CONFESS Christ

Judas Iscariot followed the money. He desired the power, the things of this world. But the Christian is called to CONFESS Christ, to stand out from the crowd, to be unashamed of our Savior and Lord. Again we read:

1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect …

Word Study: Christians are “Elect” {Greek eklektos}, called of Jesus. We are called to be Christlike. God saved the elect (Romans 8:33) by the Blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are a born again people. As a born again people, we are also “strangers scattered”. The word “strangers” is the Greek parepidēmos, which means “foreigners, ones who come from a foreign country to another to reside, travelers, aliens”. We are of the Household of God, Christ Jesus being our High Priest. We are blood bought Children of the Highest. We are “STRANGERS and PILGRIMS on this earth” (Hebrews 11:13). We are not supposed to be like the lost world nor the son of Adam. In the very next chapter Peter encourages us:

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, {parepidēmos} abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

It shocked me when Amy Grant stood up and justified sexual perversion. It disturbs me when Christian artists justify that which the Bible has decreed is wrong. Christians are not supposed to be sexually perverse. Christians are not supposed to support the devil’s agenda. As the Chosen of Christ, you are to be “HOLY in your behavior, LOVED of God, acting toward others with MERCY, KINDNESS, and HUMILITY. You are to be PATIENT with others, for God the Spirit must change them. You are to PUT UP WITH and FORGIVE others. As Jesus Christ forgives you, so you must forgive others. You must LOVE as God loves, and rest in His arms daily. You must DWELL ON CHRIST’S TEACHINGS, and do whatever you do knowing that you REPRESENT JESUS to a lost and dying world. And never forget to be THANKFUL, praising God for what you have.” (Colossians 3:12-17)

Christian, the best is yet to come. Are you a Christian? Have you heeded Christ’s CALL. Has the Holy Spirit CONVERTED you, CHANGING you daily? Have you CONFESSED Christ Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, unashamedly and before the world.

Illustrate: I had a fellow years ago call my office, and asked if I would baptize him. Not too long after that I had another lady call me, and ask if I would baptize her. After discussing the meaning of water baptism, both revealed that they wanted to be baptized in a secret way, not in the public eye. I told them that no, I wouldn’t do that. That would be no more than just a sham. Those who are Christians CONFESS Jesus before the eyes of a critical and unbelieving world. Our Lord Jesus warned:

Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

If you are a Christian, you are a miracle of God. The best is yet to come for us, dear Christians. The Holy Spirit CONVERTS the Christian, then lives within us to CHANGE us daily, making us more like Christ. But we must CONFESS Him publicly.

Jesus was beaten and bruised for you PUBLICLY.
Jesus hung naked on the Cross of Calvary for you PUBLICLY.
Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb for you PUBLICLY.
Jesus rose from the grave on the third day for you PUBLICLY.
Jesus calls you PUBLICLY. Will you come? Or will you dally?

The choice is yours. My prayer is that you come to His call this very day. For God’s glory, and your eternity. May the Holy Spirit make it so. Amen and Amen.