The A, B, Cs of Assurance: First Peter Explained, Volume One

By Dennis Prutow

This volume is part one of a series that puts my ninety-one sermon/studies on 1 Peter in writing. Volume One gives Peter's purpose to encourage Christians by outlining their status before God, how they ought to live out their privileges, and look at this life as a temporary sojourn, and look forward to the glory to come. Volume Two, 1 Peter 2:1-12 will be available soon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dennis Prutow
• Release date: Aug 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781945305429

Dennis Prutow

Denny Prutow was born in 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended the US Military Academy at West Point (1959-1963), Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (1965-1968), and Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida (1995-1998). Denny was an Army Chaplain, a pastor in both the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, and the Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. He developed Westminster Evangelistic Ministries and remains its administratior. Denny retired in 2013 after forty-five years of active ministry and is now RPTS Professor Emeritus of Homiletics. His books include So Pastor, What's Your Point?, Joyful Voices, Public Worship 101, The Visions of Revelation, You Cannot Escape from God, Biblical Baptism, and What is Saving Faith? He and his wife, Erma, live in Indianapolis, IN. They have three grown daughters and eleven grandchildren.

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The A, B, Cs of Assurance

First Peter Explained, Volume One

By

Dennis J. Prutow

Westminster Evangelistic Ministries

Indianapolis, Indiana

Copyright © 1990, 2022 by Dennis J. Prutow

All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the author’s prior permission.

eBook formatting and cover design by ebooklaunch.com

ISBN 978-1-945305-40-5 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-945305-42-9 (ePub)

ISBN 978-1-945305-41-2 (kindle)

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

THE A, B, CS OF ASSURANCE (1 Peter 1:1-2)

BORN AGAIN TO A LIVING HOPE (1 Peter 1:3)

A RESERVATION IN HEAVEN (1 Peter 1:3-5)

JOY PROVED BY PAIN (1 Peter 1:6-7)

LOVE, FAITH, JOY AND SALVATION (1 Peter 1:8-9)

A PROPHETIC LESSON (1 Peter 1:10-11)

NOT WHEN, BUT WHAT (1 Peter 1:11-12)

YOUR HOPE (1 Peter 1:13)

THE CALL TO HOLINESS (1 Peter 1:14-16)

THE FEAR OF THE LORD (1 Peter 1:17-19)

THAT YOUR HOPE MIGHT BE IN GOD (1 Peter 1:20-21)

THE HEART OF LOVE (1 Peter 1:22-23)

WHY WE PREACH THE WAY WE DO (1 Peter 1:23-25).

WORKS CITED

Introduction

The genesis of the following studies is a ninety-one part sermon series on the book of First Peter, which I preached while pastoring Westminster Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The period was late 1979 through 1980 and into 1981. The outline for each sermon is six pages hand-printed on narrowly lined note paper.

Flash forward a decade to 1990, and I am pastoring Sterling Reformed Presbyterian Church, Sterling, Kansas. At that time, I had the luxury of a secretary whom I asked to type the hand-printed outlines in narrative form. I could then proof and edit these typed messages. Chapter one of First Peter consists of thirteen studies I put in pamphlet form.

The studies were and are straightforward. They have an introduction that reviews the text’s divisions and the message’s several points, plus a short conclusion. The sermons are also evangelistic in tenor, and they bear the marks of an inexperienced preacher in that they have little illustrative material outside of what is biblical. And because. These messages were first of all oral presentations, there is a good bit of repetition.

In May of 1991, I attended a conference on preaching by Haddon Robinson at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Robinson challenged us to use a sequential outline to lead listeners to the sermon point we were making. His challenge revolutionized my thinking and preaching. As a result, the following lessons bear little resemblance to the preaching I later implemented, and discuss in my homiletics textbook, So Pastor, What’s Your Point?

At the same time, these studies open the Word of God with a challenge to rest secure in the salvation planned from all eternity and worked out in this world through the revelation of Jesus Christ. And so, I pray they will be helpful to those who take the time to read them.

Dennis Prutow

Indianapolis, IN

July 23, 2022

The A, B, Cs of Assurance

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, 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, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood, May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure (1 Peter 1:1-2).

Peter, impetuous Peter, one of the twelve, is speaking to us. He is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, an organ of special revelation. Through him, God speaks His Word to us. But in this letter, Peter writes to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Asia Minor. Peter refers to the Dispersion, which usually refers to scattered Jews. And so some understand Peter to be writing only to Jewish Christians. The fact is, however, that the Jews, for the most part, rejected the Gospel. The Apostle Paul’s experience bears out this view in the regions mentioned. Peter is likely writing to the true Israel of God, Jew and Gentile Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor. So we have the Word of God through Peter to scattered Christians, Jews and Gentiles. And so this Word applies to you and me.

Peter also describes these Christians as those who are chosen. We will examine this concept briefly. Then Peter looks at the answers to three implicit questions. First, on what basis are these Christians called those who are chosen? Second, how was this election or this choice applied to these Christians? And third, to what end was this choice made? Or we may ask, what was the result in their lives of the application of election?

First of all, though, Peter calls these Christians those who are chosen. The King James Version simply calls them the elect. The word means chosen or select. The term refers to those whom God has chosen from the generality of mankind and drawn to Himself (Arndt & Gingrich, 1957, p. 242). In the Old Testament, the word refers to Israelites. In the New Testament, the word refers to Christians. Peter uses the same term in 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Peter is, in other words, talking about God’s people chosen from the mass of humankind.

Some reject this teaching of Scripture, and they accuse God of partiality. This charge, however, cannot stand. When Peter preached the gospel to Gentiles for the first time, he realized that God was not partial to the Jews. "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him (Acts 10:34-35).

Do the elect say because God chooses them they are somehow better than others? No! This charge does not hold either. Those chosen know they are Christians, and they know that they are sinners along with all of the rest of humankind.

The real point at issue here does concern each of us individually. We should not dispute the fact that there are people chosen by God. The question is, Are you one of God’s chosen people? Each of you should ask that question concerning yourself, Am I one of God’s people? Keep this question in mind as we answer the three questions mentioned earlier.

The first question was, On what basis are these Christians called chosen? The answer comes in verse 2. Peter speaks of those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Yes, God chose these Christians in conformity with His foreknowledge. That is, the norm God uses in making His choices is His foreknowledge. But what is the meaning of foreknowledge? First, we say it means to know beforehand. Applying this meaning to God, we have God’s foresight of all that takes place. It means that God knows everything that will happen before it happens. But is that all foreknowledge means?

In Romans 8:29, we read, Whom He foreknew, He also predestined. Again, it seems that the basis for God’s choice is His foreknowledge. However, it is essential to note that God’s foreknowledge is knowledge of people beforehand. Romans 8:29 says, Whom He foreknew. This knowledge is of individuals, not just knowledge about individuals. Romans 8:29 does not say, Whom He foreknew would believe. This foreknowledge does not just concern facts about individuals. It is the individuals themselves whom God knows beforehand.

This striking fact brings us to the question of the meaning of the word know. Matthew 7:21-23 gives us an excellent example of what we need to seeNot everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Jesus talks about the lawless and deceiver who will not enter heaven. Even to many who call Him Lord, He says, I never knew you. Jesus knew all about them and their lawless deeds, and he says so. We might even say that Jesus knew beforehand these individuals would not believe. Yet Jesus declares of them, I never knew you Jesus is saying He never really entered into their lives, and He never had a peculiar relationship of love with these people. Jesus says He never knew them with peculiar interest, delight, and affection. Here Jesus uses the word know as almost synonymous with the word love.

Turning back to 1 Peter 1:2, we see the basis for God’s choice of men and women. Peter says the choice comes about according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Again, we are talking about God’s knowledge of individuals beforehand. We are talking about God’s peculiar delight with, interest in, and affection for these Christians. If to know is virtually equivalent to to love, then foreknowledge is almost synonymous with forelove. The basis for God’s choice is His love, His peculiar