1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
2 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.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Verse one - Was Peter writing to everyone? Was Peter writing to everyone in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia? Anyone who believes that Jesus Christ died for every man who was ever born or would be born, the answer should be, “Yes, Peter was writing to everyone.”
The problem is that Peter is very clear as to whom he was writing - To those ... who are chosen. Clearly Peter was differentiating between the general population and those to whom he was writing, a distinct, specific group of people.
The Arminian may claim that the sentence doesn’t stop there, that they were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. Well of course! Since God has a plan for each and every human being ever conceived... notice I said conceived and not born. Not everyone is born - and God has a plan even for those who were or will be aborted or miscarried. We may not understand it but the believer had better accept it as God’s plan and thank Him for it (Ephesians 5:20).
Back to the subject - of course they were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. God has a plan for everyone who was, or ever will be conceived. Whether that plan included their call to salvation or not is according to His will, i.e. His foreknowledge (Psalm 37:23, 57:2, 138:8; Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:9, 19:21, 20:24, 21:1; Isaiah 14:27; 46:10; Jeremiah 10:23; Lamentations 2:17; Ephesians 1:11). The plan God has for each and every human being will be executed and accomplished, no ifs, ands, or buts.
One reason I can believe this with certitude is because of what God had Peter write in verse 3. Because of His mercy? No, not just His mercy, but because of His great mercy - because of His abundant mercy He has caused us to be born again. We had nothing to do with it, He chose us (Ephesians 1:4) and caused us to be born again - NOT because of anything we have done (2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 3:5). God caused us to be born again and until we were born again, we could do nothing spiritual because we were dead (Ephesians 2:1, 2:5; Colossians 2:13).
Just as a baby does not cause himself to be born, neither can we cause ourselves to be born again. Just as a baby can not do ANY of those things for which babies are known (cry, suckle, sleep) until after he is born, neither can a man do ANY of those things for which Christians are known (repent, believe and trust in Jesus, love God) until after he is born again. Why? Because every imagination of the heart of a lost man is only evil, continuously (Genesis 6:5), the Bible allows no exception to this; a lost man who is accustomed to doing evil cannot do good (Jeremiah 13:23), the Bible allows no exception to this; a lost man hates Jesus and will not come to Him (John 3:20), the Bible allows no exception; a lost man is hostile toward God and can not please Him (Romans 8:7-8), the Bible allows no exception; a lost man understands nothing from the Holy Spirit and thinks it is all foolishness and he can not understand it (1 Corinthians 2:14), the Bible allows no exception. Over and over God’s Word tells us of the Totally Depraved nature of a lost man and what he cannot do.
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