The Elect and the Election: The Christian’s Behavior

I Peter 2:12

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles…

Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation (I Peter 2:11 - 14).

We have been thinking about the election and how it impacts the Elect of God. As I write this blog today we are inching ever so closely to Election Day, November 5, 2024. I stand by what I wrote to you last week, namely, it is our responsibility and blessing to vote. In fact, just this past week, I took some time to do my civic responsibility as a part of early voting. I hope you will as well.

I will come back to the subject of the election in a few minutes but for now, think with me about The Elect. That is, think with me about being a child of God and the fact that we are chosen by God. Remember the opening verse of I Peter 1:1, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as strangers, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen…” There are vast theological opinions when it comes to the word chosen or the word elect. Some attempt to callously explain the word away and some seem to hang salvation entirely on this word.

For our purposes today, let’s not get caught in that discussion. Instead, let’s recognize that our salvation is not dependent on us, it is solely based on the grace of God. And candidly for that, I am grateful to be called Elect! What I am interested in today is the responsibility of the elect, especially in the face of the election.

I Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” If you ever have wondered who you are in Christ, then this verse is for you. We are a chosen people. God Himself chose us. Just as in the Old Testament God chose a people for Himself and called them Israel, God, in His abundant mercy, has chosen the elect. We are a chosen people but we are also a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession. We belong to Jesus Christ and have all the blessings that belong to Him.

But, for the purpose of today’s blog, think about how we are to behave and conduct ourselves as the elect during the election. I Peter 2:11 - 14 gives us several challenges.

Abstain from fleshly lust. 

The apostle Paul gives us a list of the works of the flesh and names things such as “hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy,” Here is the truth, these words described our way of life before Christ. But we are a different people now and therefore we are to have nothing to do with the life of the flesh.

Keep our behavior excellent.

…especially among lost people. I encourage you to not let this election, either the commercials, the accusations, the name-calling, or the candidates and parties themselves compromise your behavior. 

Remember the world is watching. 

It is humbling to me to realize that the way I act, especially during this election season, could have a direct impact on another person’s eternity. Let the significance of that sink into your heart.

A Moment of Honesty

As November 5th gets closer, I find myself on edge about this election. I really do believe that much is at stake about the direction and the future of our nation. I am not sounding an alarm but make no mistake about it, there is a lot of the line with who becomes our next president. I listen to a lot of podcasts, read a lot of articles, and watch my fair share of the news. And to be honest, I find myself frustrated, significantly frustrated at times. 

However, writing this blog is helping me to refocus my mind on Jesus and my role as part of God’s Holy Nation. Remember, we are aliens, short-timers on this earth. Our permanent home is not here. We are just travelers. 

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21).

Next week, we will be talking about our role in dealing with authority, even ungodly authority. I hope to see you next week.