Sometimes truth comes in parables and sometimes it is straight forward. This is how Peter shares this portion of scripture with us. In I Peter 1:1 he wrote “to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” The strangers were children of the Lord. Peter develops this scripture to remind them who they are.
Chapter 2 verse 5 says “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” Verses 9-10 say “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous 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.”
He was speaking of their identity. This is the need for today as well. The closer we live to the Lord, the more out of place we’ll feel or be made to feel. Satan wants us to misunderstand what it means to be a child of God. Peter wrote to various churches 30 years after the ascension of the Lord. The gospel had spread to different cultures with different languages. This is why God gave some the gift of tongues to discern languages of different countries. Soon the believers were treated as outsiders. They became discouraged. Peter wanted them to know that although they were many miles apart they were one. They all belonged to the church of the living God.
Christianity is not solely American. Long before there was a United States of America, long before there was an English language, there were Christians. A person can be any nationality and be saved. Peter told them not to go by what people labeled them. He was writing to remind them who they are. All were God’s children ever learning ever growing. He said be who you are. Being a good citizen won’t make a person a Christian, but being a Christian will make a person be a good citizen. What was written to the church of that day applies to us.
Verse 5 says we are a “holy priesthood.” Jesus is the High Priest of the church. As part of the church we can claim that. In the Old Testament, priests led in sacrificial worship. We are priests who are to set the standard for the world. We set the standard to show how God is worshiped; it is in a certain way—God’s way. A priest taught the people how to approach God. This helped the unsaved and the saved. We show others who we are by our worship. We don’t come here to take from God. He does feed us, but it’s not all about us. We come to offer praise. and worship. We can’t bring a sacrifice to be saved. By continual faith in Jesus as our sacrifice, we offer glory and praise to him. What sacrifice can we make? We are to give our very heart and soul. Paul said we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. This helps show others they need to trust in the Lord. We should not take the privilege to worship for granted. If the lost see a Christian not coming to church, they will begin to wonder what it’s all about.
In verse 9 Peter says we are a “chosen generation.” Each generation sets the course of Christianity for those who are living. We can’t succeed on the past ages of Christians. The course of this church lies in the power of God in its present generation. We have an allotted time to live. Out of this generation we live in we are a “chosen generation.” This is an awesome responsibility. We’ll be accountable. The same power Peter had is the same in our churches today. Our generation is what we make it. Are we reckless with the Bible, the gospel, and the church? God has set us apart. The success of the gospel throughout all generations has brought us to where we are. We are to take it further. Let’s gain more ground. We are the “chosen generation” to help the generation we are part of.
It also says we are a “royal priesthood.” The king was outside of the common people. There were royal envoys for the common person. He was on the inside with the king to intercede for the common people. Jesus is our royal envoy. As our royal priest he makes intercessions for us. We experience life among the unsaved, but we are saved. It is our privilege to be a royal envoy for the lost. Take the gospel to them. Pray. There is power in our intercession to God on their behalf. Our royal priest has given us the responsibility whether the world wants it or not. We are to be the one who shows and takes God to the people.
We are a “holy nation.” Nations are made of individuals, but each nation is particular in itself. We are Americans, and chapter 1, verse 1 shows us nations from all over the world have Christians in them. As the saved, we are a nation within the nation. Americans-yes we are. But we are Christians, a nation within America. Other countries have a nation within them by their people who trust in the Lord. We are all the church and part of the holy nation of God. He is the same for all nations. As each country has presidents or kings and the like, we too have a government. Our rule book is the Bible; our king is Jesus Christ himself.
We are a “peculiar people.” Peculiar means strange, weird, or out of place. The only thing a Christian should have in common with the world is that we live here. We are not to be of them. We are a peculiar people within a holy nation. We have light in our world; in turn we are to be the light for this dark world.
It is an honor to be a lively stone, a holy priesthood, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people. Let’s be who God made us. Peter said “but ye are.” Let’s be who we are.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 