His Own Special People - Part 2

(1 Pet 2:9 NKJV) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

(1 Pet 2:10 NKJV) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Background

(1 Pet 1:1 NKJV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Last week we learned that in this letter the Apostle Peter is addressing Jewish Christians who have been persecuted and as a result have fled their homeland. These people were called the Christians of the Dispersion and lived in the Asian provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 1 Peter was a circular letter to be read and passed on to these Christians who were scattered.

In this letter, Peter attempts to provide an explanation for and encouragement in the "fiery trial" (1 Pet. 4:12) which harassed his Christian readership. Peter wanted his readers to know that Christians suffer so that they might become more like their Savior, Jesus Christ.

By the time we get to chapter two where our text is found, Peter has already encouraged his readers in many areas.

In 1:2, he has called them the "elect according to the foreknowledge of God."

In verse 3-4, he writes to them about a “living hope” that they have been begotten to through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and an undefiled and incorruptible inheritance which has been reserved and is being protected for them in heaven.

In verse 5, Peter conveys to his readers truths about their eternal security. He writes that they are “kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

In verse 6 through 12, Peter encourages them to rejoice in spite of the trials that they are undergoing. He says that they can rejoice because one day their Savior Jesus Christ will be revealed from Heaven and He is going to remove them from their pain and reward them with the final phase of their salvation—the glorification of their bodies.

Verses 13 through 17 begins with a "therefore." Peter is insisting that because of the promise of the rapture of the redeemed ones and their future glorification, they should be living a certain way (as God’s obedient children) while awaiting Jesus' return.

As an encouragement to holy living, Peter also reminds them of how they were redeemed. The word “redeem” or “redemption” means “to set free by the paying of a price.”

The forefathers of these Christian Jews believed that they were brought into a proper relationship with God by the keeping of certain laws and rituals. They thought that by keeping their many rituals God would be pleased and reward them with salvation.

In verse 18-21, Peter wanted his readers to know that they weren’t redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold and vain religious rituals and laws practiced by their ancestors but with the precious and priceless blood of Jesus Christ.

This is the only way to be redeemed from sin, if you have been trying to make it in any other way, the Bible says you are like a thief and a robber. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

This is the true Gospel message. This is the only way to get right with God which is the point Peter makes in verse 22.

(1 Pet 1:22 NKJV) Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth…

The purification that Peter is referring to is a moral purity that comes to the Christian by means of the Gospel. The “truth” that Peter refers to in this verse is the Gospel. Last week we saw that within this verse is nested some very important principles that we must not let escape us:

People get saved by obeying the truth. Many Christians are espousing a modern-day version of the Gospel which really isn’t the Gospel at all. They are teaching that God is begging people to get saved when in actuality, He is commanding everyone, everywhere to repent.

People don’t get saved by merely picking Christ from a smorgasbord of alternatives, they get saved by obeying the truth. Christ is the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Him

Obedience to the truth is confirmed by a consistently purified “soul” or life. We saw that Peter isn’t speaking of perfection, he was speaking of the direction of one’s life. The Bible teaches that Christians are alive.

We have been raised with Christ. (Eph. 2:6; Col. 1:3)