Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
I Peter 1 ... Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
In this Peter speaks to the "strangers" (the church he has not yet met in person) in various nations.
And Peter calls them "the elect according to the foreknowledge of God".
God said the following concerning Jeremiah ... Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5
Jeremiah was called as a prophet ...
But from I Peter 1, it appears that God "foreknew" all those who were chosen in the body of Christ.
And this is the same concept set forth in Romans 8:28-29 ... And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
And Paul speaks of the "elect" of God in Romans 9...For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Pam was born into a Catholic family. She was raised Catholic and attended a Catholic school. (She left Catholic church when in college.) She told me she is certain this was not an accident that she was born into a Catholic family and she believes God knew ahead of her birth she would be raised Catholic. Certainly God knew. Doesn't God know all things? Don't we follow the way of the world until God gives us HIS Spirit and then we are changed and begin to go in a way opposite to the way of the world which is a way of darkness?
Psa. 139, David states that God knew him in the womb ... O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Nothing with us is accidental. From the beginning of our creation, "all things work together for good" to us who are called of God ... (Romans 8:28-29)
Then at some point God gives us the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us ... Jn. 14:26 & Jn. 16:14
Paul says: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14
Certainly after we are given the Holy Spirit, we are changed, removed from the way of darkness of our fleshly life. Bit by bit we are changed through the years, conformed into the image of the Word, leaving the old life lived by the nature of the flesh. And we who are of God follow the Spirit of God out of the old life. This change to the image of the Word likely happens as long as we live on this present earth. We have a Word brought to us by the Holy Spirit and we follow that Word and are changed.
Three words that I have heard over the past 3 years and have closely followed are Phil. 2:5-7, I Tim. 6:8, Romans 8:28-29.
I didn't hear these words all at once but Phil. 2:5-7 was brought to mind and I began following that instruction. Then a year or so later I Tim. 6:8 stood out to me and I began thinking on that instruction. Then recently Romans 8:28-29 was given me and I began considering it in all things, past, present, future.
So bit by bit, I am recreated in the image of THE WORD, JESUS CHRIST.
The recreation is by the Holy Spirit who brings that portion of THE WORD to my attention and the Word burns through my life and becomes a part of me, replacing the other ways.
Thus I am recreated as long as I live on this earth as the Word is given to me by the Holy Spirit.
All that matters is that we have the Holy Spirit in us and we are following the instruction given us by the Holy Spirit.
And I see that we follow the Holy Spirit with our own personalities which differ one from another because we are created into various households and have experiences according to the foreknowledge of God who is going to use us in the body of Christ according to HIS own purpose. We differ greatly in personalities but live by the same Spirit.
Romans 8:28-29 ...And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.