The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 50

Christ endured pa.in, humiliation, a.nd death. But it was also by the will of the Father that Christ partook of glory. This glory was partly external and palpable, yet chieOy spiritual. 111. 'l'HE MEANS OF FAITH AND HOPE ARE BY THIS RISEN SAVIOUR THUH A8SURED TO MEN. It is not asserted that, before and apart from Christianity, faith and hope wore unknown on earth; but that Christianity imparts to humanity a firmer confi<lm,ce in God and a. livelier anticipation of heaven. 1. More especially, a ri,;en Christ encourages and justifies faith in a personal God, a. righteous Ruler, a gracious and for- giving Father. '!'hey who believe that God raised Jesus from the dead have faith in the supreme Lord as iuterested in us, as caring for us, as sending and commissioning bis own Son to make himself known and to bring himself near to us. They have faith in the just moral government of the world, and they do not doubt this even when they see the good oppressed and in some_ cases persecuted and slain. They have faith in the fatherly affection of t\Je Eternal, and are assured that "all things are theirs." 2. A risen Christ awakens and sustains hope. For themselves, Christians have hope of indi- vidual sah•ation; for the world, they have hope of the victory of the good; for the Church, of final, reciprocal, and immortal communion.-J. R. T. Ver. 2.-The elect of God. This is no mere Jewish title, for there are passages in the Epistle which forbid the idea that it was addressed exclusively to Jews (eh. i. 18; ii. 10; iv. 3, 4). It is the title of the universal Church and the individual believer. The verse is a summary of the most important and difficult points of Christian doctrine; he.rdly a word in it but is inexhaustible. I. 'l'HE FACT OF DIVINE ELECTION STATED. Perhaps no greater mystery in Scripture, and none more perverted; but if it is revealed from heaven we need not be afraid of it; if it comes from God who would draw all men unto him, only by misunderstanding it can it repel them from him; if it be in this book, we cannot withhold it from ourselves without spiritual loss. What is the Divine election 1 It is used in Scripture in different connections-of election to an office (John xv. 16); of election to certain privileges, as the Jews (Ps. cx.xxv. 4); but in a large class of passages it clearly refers to the bless- ings of salvation (Rom. viii. 28-30; Eph. i. 4, 5, 11; 2 Thess ii. 13; 2 Tim. i. 9; eh. i. 2). This is not election of a community, for it refers to matters necessarily personal ; e.g. " As many as were ordained to eternal life believed;" "All that the Father giveth me must come to me, and him that," etc.; "sanctification of the Spirit;" "belief of the truth;" "sprinkling of the blood; " "conformed to his Son." It must be the Divine election of individuals to eternal salvation. There are certain serious prejudices to this doctrine--such as that it is opposed to the goodness and justice of God. Hut that prejudice is unwarranted if the doctrine be really here, for God cannot break the bounds of his nature, and these must harmonize in some way, though as yet we see not how, At the same time, notice that it is election to salvation, not to perdition; we are saved by the sovereign grace of God, we are lost because of our own sin (" Come, ye blessed of my Father 1" but it is only, "Depart, ye cursed!"). Why does not grace save all? All we know is that it does not, and that "the Lord is righteous in all his ways," and what we know not now we shall know. "What time I am afraid, I.wi\l trust in thee." Another prejudice: It seems opposed to the freedom and responsibility of man. Certainly man is free ; he is commanded to repent and believe, and held responsible for not obeying, and is reasoned and pleaded with by God; and " How often would I, but yo would not I " We cannot harmonize that with election, yet they may both be true. If we make an objection in this to seeking salvation, it is not e.s we a.et in other matters; we know that our recovery from sickness is amongst what God has determined, yet we use means for recovery, and a.re hopeless otherwise; so, as though there were no foreordination to eternal life, we are responsible for employing the means to secure it. If we a.re lost, it will not be because of foreordination, but because in our freedom we failed to use the necessary means. Another prejudice is that the docti·inP. seems opposed to the universal offer of salvat·ion. Salvation is offered to all; "God willeth not the death of a sinner; " all are commanded to believe, and are condemned for not believing, Then election is not out of harmony with that, and closes the door to the salvation of none. We muy not see the harmony, bu.t God's secret purposes c1111not contradict his declared purposes. 44 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [ou. r. 1-26.