Peter emphasizes that, in His sovereign plan, God has chosen and sanctified us to lead us from disobedience to obedience. By lifting us from our condition as children of disobedience, God transforms us so that we become His obedient children. This obedience is not a crushing obligation or the result of human effort; it is the direct outcome of our election.

We are chosen to obey God. The ultimate goal of our divine election is to lead us into sincere obedience to the Lord. This choice transcends our own will; we are called to live according to His sovereign will and His truth.

This means that obedience flows from God’s work in us. It is not a performance we must achieve through our own strength, but a transformation brought about by God Himself. In sanctifying us, God instills in our hearts a new desire: the desire to please Him and to walk according to His will. Paul expresses it this way in Philippians 2:13:

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to act according to His good purpose.”

Moreover, this obedience, far from being a burden, is a joy. Jesus Himself expresses it in Matthew 11:30: “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The yoke Jesus refers to is that of willing and joyful obedience, made possible by grace. What was impossible under the law becomes natural under grace, because we have been transformed from within.

Thus, divine election is a complete work, in which God initiates, accomplishes, and fulfills everything for His glory and our salvation. Election, as described by Peter, is not just a theological truth: it is a living and practical reality that changes everything. It reminds us that from beginning to end, everything in our salvation comes from God. We belong to Him, we are set apart by Him, and we live for Him, in joyful and transformed obedience.

In this chapter, we have explored together the three fascinating aspects of election, according to Peter’s introduction. It is an exciting journey, as each point reveals more of the depth of divine love and purpose!

In the next chapter, we will see how the Spirit of God works in us through sanctification, a topic often misunderstood. Together, we will discover what sanctification truly is from a biblical perspective — and also what sanctification is not…

This text is an excerpt from the book “YOU SHALL NOT LET THE WITCH LIVE” written by Rachel MAHOUTI.

We invite you to read the next article: “Obedience: A Nature Received, Not Achieved.”