"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout ... who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God The Father, through the sanctifying work of The Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ ..." 1 Peter 1:1-2 (NIV)
The Apostle Peter said, in the opening lines of a letter to the believers who were scattered throughout the Roman empire, that they were chosen by God, and sanctified by The Holy Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ.
Believers are sanctified by The Spirit of God, consecrated, set apart for the purpose and will of God. Sanctification is the process by which believers are purified and made ready to partake in the holiness of God. It begins with justification, when we accept Christ and our sins are forgiven, and it continues until glorification and we see Christ face to face. The Spirit of God is working within us from the moment we first believe, and continues to work within us for the rest of our life as we become more obedient to The Word of God and more like Christ. God gave us all the free will to choose to accept, or not accept, Jesus, The Christ, as Lord and Savior. We also make choices each day whether or not we will obey The Word of God. The more we study His Word, and submit ourselves to Him, the more Christ-like we become. As we grow in age, we should grow in the knowledge of God and in holiness. However, perfection will not be attained until we are glorified and see Christ face to face.
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