Peter refers to Isaiah 28:6 to make his point. It was from that verse that Peter learned and taught that Jesus, the cornerstone, is chosen and precious. He was chosen by the Father and he is precious to the Father. Both at Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration, the Father spoke and said he was pleased with his Son. He also loved the Son. The Father called the Son his “beloved Son”. (Mark 1:11) And the Father loves us and is pleased with us because we are in the Son.
Isaiah also wrote that whoever believes in the living cornerstone will not be put to shame. That is, at the end of this age, we will be honored as Jesus’ sons and daughters. (6) Peter reiterated that truth saying this honor is for you who believe. This is the promise Jesus made in John 3:16: whoever believes in the only begotten Son shall have eternal life.
Those who reject Jesus in this age are those who fulfill Isaiah 8:14. To them Jesus is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. We certainly see this in our age, don’t we? It is hard to imagine that you would be offended by someone dying to save you, but the doctrine of penal substitution (Jesus dying for our sins) is under attack in many quarters. Some even call it cosmic child abuse. Many actually find it offensive because it shows how bad our sin is before God. Only the sacrifice of a perfect one could pay the price for us.
Many in our time also find Christianity offensive because it is exclusive, it says only through Jesus Christ can you get to heaven. Jesus himself said that the only way to the Father was through him. (John 14:6) And you would think it would be common sense that an all powerful God could say how you get saved. But those in rebellion to God find it offensive. That is why Isaiah wrote that those who disobey God would stumble and be offended at God’s word.
Peter also said those who stumble, who reject God and his word, were destined to do so. (8) Many find this to be a difficult truth.
They also find the opposite to be difficult, when, as Paul says, God chose us (believers) in him before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) Or as Peter says here, we are a chosen race. (6) On the other hand, I find it to be comforting and the source of great gratitude.
Peter uses several phrases to describe the body of believers, the church. He said we are:
a chosen race
a royal priesthood
a holy nation
a people for his own possession.
A Chosen Race
As Israel was “God’s chosen people” in the Old Covenant, believers are now the chosen race. In Deuteronomy 7:6, God said “the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” But now Peter writes that believers are a chosen race.
Royal Priesthood
In Exodus 19:5-6, God said that, if Israel kept the covenant, Israel would be a kingdom of priests. Israel had such close fellowship with God that their access to him was priestly. They would show the nations that they were the people of God by living according to the covenant, witnessing to the greatness of God as he blessed them.
Peter says believers are the royal priesthood, meaning that we now live as members of the new covenant, showing the world by our faith and our holy lives how great God is. We have that same close fellowship to God, made possible through our faith in Jesus. We are a priesthood that not only offers sacrifices of praise to God, but represents him before the nations.
A Holy Nation
Also in Exodus 19:6, God said that Israel would be a holy nation if they obeyed the covenant. They would be holy because they were set apart to God and lived according to his principles. The church is now that holy nation, which makes it all the more important that we do not conform to the principles of the world. (Romans 12:1)
A People for His Own Possession
Again in Exodus 19:5, God told Israel that if it obeyed his covenant, Israel would be his treasured possession among all peoples. The Old Testament history books show us that, when Israel obeyed the covenant, God blessed them with prosperity and safety. But, when they broke the covenant, he took away those blessings. Finally, he thrust them out of the land and sent them into captivity.
Peter says that now, in the New Covenant, the church is the people of God’s possession. He goes on to say that once we were not a people, but now we are God’s people. We were not a people because we come from al different peoples, or races. But now, in Christ, people from all the nations and races make up the church, the spiritual house. (10) We receive all of these things through God’s love and mercy. He dwells with us because he loves us and chose us. Why? He loves us because he loves us, because of who he is, not because of who we are.
God called us out of darkness and made us a chose race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for his own possession, so that we might proclaim his excellencies. (9) We do this in our worship and in our witnessing.
After making these grand theological statements, Peter gave several instances of how we live as God’s people, not as the world. The rest of the book is about this: how to live as one of God’s treasured possessions. He reminds us that we are sojourners and exiles, not citizens of this world.
First, we are to abstain against the passions of the flesh that wage war against our souls. (11) In Peter’s time, and now in ours, there is much encouragement to revel in the passions of the flesh. Movies and books make that the norm. We have holidays devoted to partying. These are all weapons of the devil to wage war against our souls, to corrupt us from holiness. If we are God’s we live holy lives because he is holy. If we are the world’s we live lives devoted to passions of the flesh to the detriment of our soul’s sanctification and fellowship with God.
We also want to live lives that testify to unbelievers, whom Peter refers to as Gentiles. (12) Our lives show us to be honorable, so even our enemies have to admit we lived to glorify God. The media loves few things more than touting the fall of a spiritual leader. But all had to admit that Billy Graham lived a Godly life, even if they did not accept his message.
Live this week as a citizen of another kingdom, reflecting the one who made you part of his kingdom, so that others can know him and you can enjoy the full fellowship of the Father.
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