In 1 Peter 2:9-10, it is written that Christians, who have given heed to the call of God, Who called them out of darkness into His marvelous, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, and a peculiar people. What does this mean? Do Christians live as a chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy nation, and a peculiar people?
What does a chosen generation mean?
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 (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Everyone, who has given heed to the call of God and by faith in Jesus Christ has repented and is born again in Christ, has become a new creation, a son of God.
Those, who belonged to the darkness, but have given heed to the call of God, are transferred from the darkness into His marvelous light and are reconciled with God and belong to God, and have become God’s people.
They are a new creation and don’t belong to the generation of fallen man, who is a carnal and a sinner and has the devil as their father and live after the flesh in disobedience to God. But they belong to the generation of the new man, a chosen generation, who has been made righteous by the blood of Jesus and His redemptive work, and have God as their Father and live after the Spirit in obedience to God.
They are no longer children of the night, who belong to the darkness, but they have become the children of the day, who belong to the Light and shall live in the Light in the truth of God on earth (Read also: Let sin no longer reign as king!).
What does a royal priesthood mean?
Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar (special) treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6)
To whom coming, as unto a living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 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 (1 Peter 2:4-5)
Just as Jesus was a living Stone, who was disallowed by men, but chosen of God and precious, the believers are also living stones, who are persecuted and disallowed by the world, but chosen by God and precious to Him.
They were alive to the world, but dead to God. However, by faith and regeneration in Christ, they have become alive to God, but dead to the world.
Jesus Christ is King and High Priest and He is the Head of His Body, the Church. The assembly of believers are the Church and are the Body of Christ on earth (Read also: Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body; the Church).
Believers are a body of priests, who are called into the holy and royal priesthood and shall offer up spiritual sacrifices, which are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, the Mediator.
And just as the Lord was the inheritance of the levitical priesthood, the Lord is also their inheritance by the Holy Spirit, Who abides in them and shall always be with them (Read also: What is the order of Melchizedek?).
Because believers are a royal priesthood, they shall live as priests. This doesn’t mean, that they shall isolate themselves from the world, wear special (priest) clothing, forbid to marry, etc. but it means that they shall live in this world among the people as priests in submission and devotion to God in obedience to God and His Word in His will.
Every believer wants to reign as king, but there are only a few believers, who want to live holy as priests and lay down the works of the flesh.
But believers are a royal priesthood and should live holy in obedience to God in His will and do righteous works, just like Jesus Christ, Who is King of the Kingdom of Heaven and Highpriest of the New Covenant that is sealed with His precious blood.
What does a holy nation mean?
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6)
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother (1 John 3:9-10)
Believers don’t belong to the world and therefore they shall not live as the world in the pride, knowledge and wisdom of man and persevere in sin. But believers are a holy nation and therefore live holy lives, which means separated from the world; the darkness, and devoted unto God.
Although they live in the world, they don’t belong to the world, but they belong to God. Because they belong to God and no longer belong to the world and live like the world, they shall not be acknowledged and loved by the world, but the world shall hate them, because of Christ and because they testify that her works are evil (a.o. John 3:19-20; 7:7; 15:18-20 (Read also: Why the world hates Christians?)).
By this, the believers, who belong to God and walk in obedience to Him after the Spirit in His will distinguish themselves from unbelievers, who belong to the world and walk in disobedience to God and His Word after the flesh in darkness (Read also: What is the difference between the sheep and the goats?).
What does a peculiar people mean?
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever (1 Peter 1:22-23)
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That 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 (Romans 9:6-8)
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ (Galatians 3:16)
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26-29)
Just as everyone, who was born of the seed of Israel belonged to God’s people, so everyone who is born of the incorruptible Seed belongs to God’s people.
Belonging to God’s people, means belonging to God and no one else. Those, who belong to God’s people are God’s own. They are His possession. They shall listen to Him and obey Him and keep His commandments, which means that they shall obey His words and shall do His will (Read also: What if God’s will is not your will?).
If they don’t do this, then their lives show, that they don’t belong to God, no matter what humanists say, who have the spirit of this world.
The Word is clear and eventually, it is the eternal Word that shall judge everyone according to his works and not the findings and opinions of people, who temporarily live on this earth.
God has chosen His people and He wants His sons to separate themselves from the world and distinguish themselves from the world (the darkness) instead of compromising and carrying along with the world and living as sons of the devil in pride after their own will.
It is the will of God that believers, who are His sons and belong to Him, are a reflection of Him on earth, just like Jesus, and live in His will and therefore live sanctified lives on earth.
God doesn’t want His sons to hide and stay silent about the Truth and live as cameleons and undercover agents on earth.
But God wants His sons, who were dead, but in Christ became alive, to be His faithful witnesses and shine as lights in the darkness of this world and boldly preach His truth and greatness on earth and expose the lies and the works of the devil and destroy them and remove the covering of people (Read also: Are you bold enough to speak the Word of God?).
The sons of God testify of His greatness
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10)
Jesus has given us the example and we are (perfectly) created in Him after His image, through regeneration, and have received His Holy Spirit, Who will teach and guide us into all truth and convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, so that we can be witnesses of Jesus Christ on earth and represent, preach and establish His Kingdom on earth, so that Jesus Christ and the Father will be eulogized (a.o. John 16:8-13, Ephesians 2:10, 4:15-24, Colossians 3:10).
‘Be the salt of the earth’
