1 Peter 2:9-12
The Purpose of Your Life
From this passage we will see 3 things our purpose for our Christian lives are based on: 1. Who we are in Christ. 2. What we have received through Christ. 3. Where we are going with Christ.
Within each purpose we will see a cause and effect.
I. Who We Are In Christ (9)
• Vs. 9a Chosen Generation
• Just as God chose Israel to work out His redemptive plan up until the time of Christ, He now chooses us, His Church, to continue that work.
Isaiah 43:10 (NKJV)
“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen,”
Romans 9:25-26 (NASB)
As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved. And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
We are only a chosen people because of God’s grace, Jesus reminded His disciples of this in John 15:16, You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
• A Royal Priesthood
• In the OT the sons of Levi were chosen to be intermediaries between the children of Israel and God. The priests would minister on behalf of the people by offering sacrifices to God.
• However now because Jesus is our high priest we no longer need that person to minister to God on our behalf.
Hebrews 7:24-25 (NIV)
”but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
• We now have the very presence of God in us, that through Christ we are made worthy to come into His presence, and our service unto God becomes an acceptable spiritual sacrifice.
• It is so important to realize that again this is not because of anything we have done, but instead what Christ has done for us.
1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
• As John wrote it is this privilege we have to be called the sons and daughters of God that should cause us not to sin, but to live a life that is pleasing to God.
• A Holy Nation
• A people separated unto God. Living in the world, but not of the world.
• We can only be called a holy nation because of the righteousness of Christ imputed onto us.
• With this there comes a responsibility for us there should be a difference in how we do business, how we perform at work, how we treat our waiter, how we talk about our neighbors.
• A Peculiar People
• We are a people for God’s own possession, acquired for a price.
• Cause and Effect
• Vs. 9b We should proclaim the excellencies of God; we do this by our testimony.
• Praising God becomes first and foremost who we are and what we are about: an example of this is Sir James Simpson:
In the year 1847, a doctor from Edinburgh, Sir James Simpson, discovered that chloroform could be used as an anesthetic to render people insensible to the pain of surgery. From his early experiments, Dr. Simpson made it possible for people to go through the most dangerous operations without fear of pain and suffering. Some people even claim that his was one of the most significant discoveries of modern medicine.
Some years later, while lecturing at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Simpson was asked by one of his students, “What do you consider to be the most valuable discovery of your lifetime?” To the surprise of his students, who had expected him to refer to chloroform, Dr. Simpson replied, “My most valuable discovery was when I discovered myself a sinner and that Jesus Christ was my Saviour.”
• Are proudest accomplishment in not what we do for a living, or how big our house is, or how much education we have, but it is who we are in Christ: a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people.
II. What We Have Received In Christ (10)
• Vs. 10 Because we have received mercy we are to show mercy to others (cause and effect).
• This is no more clearly illustrated than in Jesus’ parable on forgiveness found in Matthew 18. (10,000 talents = 150,000 years wages or $7.5 million) (100 denarii = 100 days wages or$ 13,700)
Matthew 18:32-33 (ESV)
Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
• God has chosen to show us mercy by forgiving a debt that we would have never been able to repay; we are to treat others in the same manner.
• We should act graciously toward people even when they don’t deserve it, take it a step further, we should be willing to be wronged rather than being right and loosing our testimony.
• This was Paul’s advice to the Corinthians believers when they were taking each other to court to settle their disputes.
1 Corinthians 6:7 (ESV)
To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?
III. Where We Are Going With Christ (11-12)
• Vs. 11 Hymn “This World is not My Home” 311
• We are to live like citizens of the Kingdom of God.
• Abstain literally means to constantly hold oneself back, it is a present tense verb with no anticipation of conclusion.
• Not doing so will prevent our spiritual growth, but we must be ready to dig in, Peter even calls it a “war.”
• Vs. 12 (Cause and Effect) As we begin to act in a way that declares our Heavenly citizenship the effect is we will be slandered.
• Whereas they speak against also translated slander is too a present tense verb.
• This one doesn’t sound so good!
• Notice our part in the last part of the verse; they may see your good works, also in the present tense.
• So while they are continually slandering us, we continue to act in love with the attitude of Christ (Phil. 2:5), and by this God will be glorified in the day of visitation.
Luke 6:27-30 (The Message)
“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life.
• We must always remember that our testimony no only declares who we are in Christ, but also how determines how others view God.
• How have we been portraying God lately?
