What does it look like to truly respond to God? Pastor Josh White walked us through 1 Peter 1:1–2 in this convicting message, calling believers to a life shaped not by obligation, but by gratitude. The opening of 1 Peter gives us our identity — exiles chosen by God — and with that identity comes a response that’s anything but casual.
God Chose Us — Now What?
First Peter opens with a remarkable claim: God the Father chose us before the foundation of the world. Before we did anything right, before we deserved it, God set His love on His people. Peter describes this as being elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. And this wasn’t based on anything we did — it was entirely by God’s sovereign grace.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
— Ephesians 1:3
When we truly grasp that God chose us before we had any ability to choose Him, it completely reframes our relationship with Him. It’s not a partnership where we bring something to the table — it’s pure gift. And that reality should shape how we live every single day.
Respond with Humility
The first response Peter calls us to is humility. Not the fake kind where we merely go through the motions, but a deep-down humility that recognizes we bring nothing to our salvation. We were dead in our trespasses. We couldn’t earn it, work for it, or deserve it. God chose us anyway — and He chose us by His mercy, not by our merit.
“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
— Romans 9:16
When we understand that our salvation is entirely from God, it humbles us in every area of life. We don’t strut into heaven. We don’t treat other believers with condescension. We don’t look down on those who don’t yet believe. We were once exactly where they are — lost, separated, unable to save ourselves.
Respond Without Grumbling
Peter writes from a place of suffering, and he doesn’t pretend that life as an exile is easy. But he gives a striking command: do all things without grumbling or disputing (1 Peter 2:18). That’s not a suggestion — it’s a call.
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.”
— Philippians 2:14–15
Grumbling is what happens when we think we deserve better than what God has given us. It’s a heart issue. It’s saying, “God, if You really loved me, You’d give me more.” But the gospel flips that script. God already gave His only Son — what won’t He also give us?
Respond by Forgiving Others
The parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18 cuts straight to the heart of this. A servant is forgiven an impossible debt — millions of dollars he could never repay. Then he turns around and grabs a fellow servant by the throat over a few dollars. The master hears about it and reverses the forgiveness.
“And should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”
— Matthew 18:33
If we truly understand how much God has forgiven us, how can we hold grudges? Someone cuts us off in traffic. Someone says something hurtful. Someone betrays a trust. The math never adds up to what God has already forgiven us. We forgive because we’ve been forgiven — not because the other person deserves it.
Respond by Serving with Joy
Here’s where it gets practical. Peter says we’ve been blessed “for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” The goal of our salvation isn’t just that we go to heaven — it’s that we become people who obey, who serve, who reflect Christ in this broken world.
So what does that look like? It means asking the hard question: What am I doing for God? Not in a guilt-driven way, but in a joyful, grateful way. God has placed each of us in the body for a reason (1 Corinthians 12). He has given us gifts and opportunities — not so we can hoard them, but so we can serve one another and point the world to Jesus.
“to equip the saints for works of service, for the building up of the body of Christ.”
— Ephesians 4:12
Serving God isn’t a burden — it’s a privilege. When we allow wrong motivations (pride, guilt, obligation) to creep into our service, it robs us of the joy. But when we serve with grateful hearts, it’s the most fulfilling thing we could ever do with our lives.
So What?
This message challenges us to examine our hearts. Are we responding to God with humble gratitude — or with entitlement? Are we grumbling when life gets hard, or are we trusting that God is working all things for our good? Are we holding onto unforgiveness, or are we extending the same grace God extended to us?
The call of 1 Peter is clear: we were once outside of Christ, without hope and without God in the world. Now we belong to Him — chosen, elect, set apart. Let’s live like it.
Scripture References
- 1 Peter 1:1–2 — Greeting from Peter to the elect exiles
- Ephesians 1:3 — Blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing
- Romans 9:16 — Salvation depends not on human will but on God
- Philippians 2:14–15 — Do all things without grumbling
- Matthew 18:21–35 — The parable of the unforgiving servant
- Ephesians 4:12 — Equipping the saints for works of service
- 1 Corinthians 12 — One body, many members