Part Two: "Understanding Our Great Salvation Causes Us to Worship God and have Joy!" (1 P

Our passage says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). Here we see Peter blessing God for the new birth in our great salvation! Peter says God's "great mercy has caused us to be born again." What is it that Peter is talking about by the phrase, "caused us to be born again?" We're reminded of our Lord's words to Nicodemus. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Peter wants us to know that our salvation is a work completely of God! The context of the phrase, "caused us to be born again" takes us back to the words of Peter which says, "To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father" (1 Peter 1:1-2). The word "chosen" comes from the Greek word which means, "to select" or "pick out." This word "chosen" is used as a term for Christ followers, those selected by God for salvation. It speaks of the doctrine of election, which describes how God chose them before time! When teaching on election, Paul said, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). Now, there is a sense in which the believer must choose to respond to the gospel but just like a human birth has nothing to do with the child, neither does the second birth (born again). Even though the Bible calls us to believe and repent, the means to believe and repent does not originate with us. It comes from God! The faith that we need to believe does not come from us! In Acts 16:14, we read, "A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; AND THE LORD OPENED HER HEART TO RESPOND TO THE THINGS SPOKEN BY PAUL." In other words, God caused Lydia to be born again! This phrase is another example of the sovereign election of God in salvation. There were "women who had assembled" to hear Paul speak, but only one woman, Lydia, had her heart opened by God "to respond to the things spoken by Paul." People talk about free will, but before one is born again, they're not free at all! Their will is in bondage to sin and it's not possible to respond to the gospel unless God intervenes and opens the heart! That's what Peter means by the words, "God has caused us to be born again." Praise God forevermore! Be encouraged!