C H R I S T I A N I D E N T I T Y A C C O R D I N G T O T H E A P O S T L E W H O W A L K E D W I T H J E S U S …

ELECT EXILES

1 PETER

1 PETER 1:1-2

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

IDENTITY

WHO I AM VS. WHAT I DO• Recent surveys show that

18-25 year olds in the U.S. are some of the most self-confident people ever

• Yet, depression is on the rise and counselors at Harvard and Yale are seeing more and more visitors each year…

• Think about the phrase “identity theft”

• Functional Saviors, Heavens, and Hell

WHO AM I NOW?• Peter is writing to a group

of people who have just become Christians

• Striking to see how little he says about himself

• Much of the letter has to do with living in the tension who they used to be and who they are now

• Verse 1, “Elect Exiles”• Acceptance AND

Exclusion

THE WEIRD DANCE OF IDENTITY

• We all want to accepted, but we want to be special too…• You can’t have it both

ways• You will what you

want to be accepted by and what you want to be excluded by…

CHOSEN

• “Elect” doesn’t mean there was an election or vote• Not based on anything

you did!• Historically, this is

scandalous! • The Hebrews were the

chosen ones!• Deut 4:37, 7:6–8,

10:15; 14:2

ALIENS• Heaven and stuff• These people had

probably lived in the same place their whole lives

• The “exile” here is one of the heart that knows something is wrong…

• But this creates tension…

• Hebrews 11:13-16, Rev. 21:1-4

SCATTERED LIKE SEED

• 587 B.C. the Hebrews went into exile • This is not like that…• Foreknew is not just

about predicting the future• “Know” in the Hebrew

mind is about love, experience, and knowledge

WHY?

• Sanctified (the and ongoing) for obedience?• Word means

“answer”• This is the proper

response if this is real• But it doesn't happen

by your power• Obey then accepted?

SPRINKLED WITH BLOOD?• In the OT the sprinkling

of the blood is used for three things:

• 1. Cleansing of a leper (Lev 14:6–7)

• 2. The sprinkling of priests in ordination (Exo. 29:21)

• 3. The sprinkling of the blood when the covenant with Moses was inaugurated (Exo. 24:3–8)

LEPERS, PRIESTS, COMMUNITY • Is this as archaic as we

think?• We push people to the

margins in all sorts of ways, and we push people away

• Ray Lewis and Lance Armstrong

• What is our cleanness based on?

• The Good News.• The temptation is to see

yourself as to good or too bad

• Grace and Peace…