A Holy Nation: God’s People

November 8, 2009

Lesson: 1 Peter 2:1–10

Key Verse: 1 Peter 2:9

Introduction

God’s peculiar people, a nation, a royal priesthood, a chosen generation! Our existence as a church—a gathering of people in every generation, in every nation on earth—is given many names, and each tells us of the saving grace of God and that we belong to God our Father. The apostle Paul, writing to the church at Ephesus, said that we are no longer strangers, “but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19). We are being “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:20–22). We are a temple of the Holy Spirit, being built upon the revealed Word of God, both individually and collectively as his people. The purpose of our being saved is to be a tabernacle of God. We are his and no other god or authority shall be our lord. This moral relationship with our Lord is revealed in God’s moral law: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. … Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Ex. 20). Therefore we worship and serve the Lord who alone has granted us the ability to do so.

Peter had, in the first chapter of his epistle, taught us that our souls are being cleansed “in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren.” Having our hearts made new by the redemptive work of Christ and his shed blood, the covenant relationship of love was established between us and our heavenly Father, and our love for one another. Having such a love within us, and having been born again “through the word of God which lives and abides forever,” we are to “love one another with a pure heart.” Therefore, said Peter, we are to “desire the milk of the word,” that we might thereby grow, having “tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

Living Stones—Acceptable to God -1 Peter 2:4–5

When we look at pictures of loved ones who have gone on before us to the Lord, of the places they walked and talked, our emotions are kindled. But, the greatest desire of the heart is not just to remember, but to be with that loved one. We, as children of God, have this greatest hope in Christ Jesus. We are not satisfied with just a walk where Jesus walked, but we want to have fellowship with him. Peter says that we come to him as a living stone. Christ was rejected by men. He is rejected today as the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, whose name was Joshua, the one who took upon himself the sins of his people. Men placed him upon the cross to get rid of Him. However, he rose again, for he accomplished salvation upon his cross. We come to Christ, not as the Moslems who see him as a lowly prophet, but as the Christ, alive, the Son of the living God. We come to him who was “chosen by God and precious.”

Not only is Christ our living Lord, but we are his living people. We come to Jesus “as living stones,” being “built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” We are first and foremost spiritual beings. In other words we are in fellowship with our Creator, having been given a soul, which has been redeemed, actually and spiritually by Christ our Redeemer. And, we are a house. As Calvin wrote, “For though every one of us is said to be the temple of God, yet all are united together in one, and must be joined together by mutual love, so that one temple may be made of us all. Then, as it is true that each one is a temple in which God dwells by his Spirit, so all ought to be so fitted together, that they may form one universal temple.”

This spiritual house is called “an holy priesthood.” As the priests went to the temple to offer up sacrifices to God, so also, as God’s temple, we offer up sacrifices to God. Paul writes to the Roman Christians, beseeching them, and us, by the mercies of God, “that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:1–2). We sacrifice ourselves by placing ourselves before God in humble obedience and worship before God. This position before God is followed by prayer, Bible study, deeds of love and mercy, etc. We are thereby being sanctified, being made holy in our priestly duties before our Creator and Redeemer.

Discussion: What is the character of the Church, the fellowship of those who believe in Christ?

The Precious and Chief Cornerstone—1 Peter 2:6–8

Peter turns our thoughts to the Chief Cornerstone of God’s building, Christ the Son. The words of God the Father are quoted: “Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” We will not be put to shame as Christ is the victorious foundation stone upon which God will build his church, a Living Stone by which the whole building will be tested and tried. As there is no other person whereby we must be saved, there is no other Christ by which we must live. He is the only elect Savior of God. And, as he is most precious of the Father, he ought to be most precious to us.

“Unto you therefore,” writes Peter, “which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head if the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence.” Calvin wrote that “We ought, then, carefully to notice this inference: Christ is a precious stone in the sight of God; then he is such to the faithful. It is faith alone which reveals to us the value and excellency of Christ.” It is Christ alone who is the object of our faith.

Discussion: How is Christ the strength of his Church?

God’s Chosen Generation Praise Christ—1 Peter 2:9–10

We are not like those who stumble, who see Christ as a rock of offense, because we have been elect and chosen of God the Father, in Christ. We have been chosen to be a certain kind of people. We have been chosen for a very special purpose. And we have been changed from being dead stones to being living stones. Listen to God’s view of us, who have placed our faith in Him alone: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

In our worship, praise, prayer, Bible study, witness, and everyday activities, we must know these three things:

1. We do not belong to ourselves, but to God. He has chosen us. Our royalty is seen in our priestly functions, our love for one another and God. We are a sanctified nation, set apart to Christ our King. We are his own special people because of his electing love and mercy.
2. Our major or principle goal is to glorify God, to proclaim his praises. To tell others by deed and word, as God continues to reveal himself in his Scriptures, and what he has done; as the Savior who has delivered us out of the darkness of this world into his marvelous light.
3. We are not to take glory to ourselves. We are now a people who have received mercy, who once had not obtained mercy; nor did we deserve it. For by grace we are saved, through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is a gift of God. Paul wrote it this way, “And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God” (Rom. 9:23-26).

Discussion: How would you explain the nature and character of the Church in light of Holy Scripture?