Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Grace Means Submission



1 Peter 3:1-7


In every age, since humanity left the Garden of Eden, men and women experience conflict in their relationships. As much as we would like our marriages to be romantic, beautiful, and perfect, they arent. Because of sin, our relationships are messed up. Concerning this, God said:

Genesis 3:16 (NKJV) To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”


The serpent was cursed, and the woman and the man suffered consequences. For the man the Lord said:

Genesis 3:17 (NKJV) Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.


What concerns us today is what God said to the woman. The serpent and the ground were cursed, and the relationship between the man and the woman was broken. God was describing consequences to the man and the woman, but He did not curse them.


Genesis 3:16 says that the woman's desire will be toward” her man. The word used is a word for longing, and it is helpful to note it is used in the Song of Solomon to indicate the lovers' passion for each other. (Song of Solomon 7:10) Next, God tells the woman that the man will rule over her. This is descriptive, not prescriptive. In other words, this is not a command or a curse, but God is telling her that things have gone wrong. The womans desire for the man is somehow changed from what God intended, as is the mans ruling over the woman.


As we look at the subject of submission, we must keep in mind the effects of sin. We all have selfish motives (not every motive is selfish, but every action is tainted by sin). As a consequence, we have all experienced injustice and suffered at the hands of human institutions. In talking about submission, we must try to take into account these effects of sin.


For example, Peter addresses our response toward human government and slavery in 1 Peter chapter 2. We observe that government is necessary and established by God but can be unjust, cruel, and wicked. We also see that slavery is not part of Gods plan and is, by definition, evil. However, we are commanded to submit and to honor those in authority over us in both cases.


From this perspective of submitting to human institutions whether they are right or wrong, Peter starts out chapter 3 of 1 Peter with the following statement.

1 Peter 3:1 (NKJV) Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives...


Reading 1 Peter 3:1, we see that Peter says, likewise.” In other words, he says, In the same way.” We must ask, In the same way as what?” 


In the same way we submit to governments or to slavery, wives are to submit to their own husbands.


 1 Peter 3:1 says, even if some do not obey the word.” From the likewise” and the statement that some do not obey the word, we understand that submission is not based on the husband's worthiness. No husband is worthy of blind and unquestioning obedience. But, that is not the issue here.


Societies differ in the legal nature of marriage. In some cultures, wives are treated little better than slaves. In the era Peter was addressing, women had no help or legal protection if their husbands decided to beat them. In most cases, the wife was little more than property, and her primary value or purpose was to have children. (For further reading on the subject of women in the Roman Empire see: https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/role-of-women-in-ancient-rome)



Peter is not justifying such treatment of women any more than he is justifying slavery. He is telling the ladies how they are to live within the realities of their circumstances.


The reason for submission is given as:

1 Peter 3:1 (NKJV) ...that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,...


Jesus put our salvation and souls above His physical life. The verses just before this one addressing wives give Jesus as our example. Look at 1 Peter 2:22-23.

1 Peter 2:22–23 (NKJV) 22Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;


Wives are called to submit for the sake of their husbands. Just as Christians are called to submit to governments and even slavery for the sake of the unsaved.


The Bible teaches that the unbelieving soul ends up in hell forever. God, for His part, provides a way of salvation and will not send anybody to hell unjustly. This is why each person must stand before God for judgment after death. God is not unjust. However, for our part, we believers must do everything within our power to turn souls away from certain destruction. God used the suffering of His Son to save the world, and if my suffering can turn a soul from destruction, I pray that God will give me the grace to suffer patiently, as Jesus did.


With such attitudes, Christianity changed the world. Peters commandment for husbands to treat their wives with understanding and honor was the opposite of women's treatment in the broader culture. Ephesians 5s words for husbands to love their wives and even lay down their lives for them was foreign to the thinking of the day. Today, in America, women have rights and protections that women in the time of Peter would not have dreamt possible.


Women's experience in our culture is far from perfect because sin will continue to be a factor in the world until Jesus returns. There are still cultures and countries around the globe where wives are the property of their husbands. As the Church, we should do everything we can to help those who would escape such circumstances, and we should do all we can to change such things.


However, in our own nation, women have legal recourse if they are abused and beaten. They should avail themselves of any assistance they need.  Romans 13 says that the government exists to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” If the government is evil, it will execute wrath on the wrong person. (Paul appealed to Caesar, knowing that Caesars government was evil.) But, in America today, the government will not tolerate domestic violence. So, there is no reason to patiently suffer such things.


However, the description of the wife's attitude in verses 2-4 of 1 Peter 3 should describe every Christian. This passage says: 

1 Peter 3:2–4 (NKJV) 2when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—4rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.


Another way to understand this passage is to ask, "Who are we trying to please?" Verse 4 ends with the statement, Which is very precious in the sight of God.” Jesus lived to please God, and wives are to live to please God. We all should live to please God.


However, this section is addressed to women and speaks to a subject that is usually more of an issue for women, namely, arranging the hair, wearing gold, and putting on fine apparel. This does not mean that this cannot be an issue for men, but these particular verses are addressed to women.


Dressing and looking nice is meaningful and pleasing, but who we are inside is much more critical. I have a question. What is the value of looking sexy?” Is it done to please God? Peter says to make the inner person of the heart our first priority. I do not think Peter is trying to set up rules for clothing; he is pointing us to what is most important.


To help us understand, Peter uses the women of the Old Testament as an example.

1 Peter 3:5–6 (NKJV) 5For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.


If my wife called me lord,” I would know something was terribly wrong. Sarah and Abraham lived in a day and age where it was appropriate for her to call him lord. We must focus on what Peter means. We notice he says they trusted in God. They were holy and adorned themselves with godliness.


The terror Peter talks about is about fearing the consequences of rebellion to the laws or institutions of man. 


Remember, the relationship between man and woman is broken because of sin. God intends for the man and the woman to become one in body, mind, and spirit when joined by marriage. Ephesians 5 sets the standard as mutual submission, love, and self-sacrifice.


Peter is not addressing the biblical standard of headship and submission in this passage. He is telling us how the grace of God should work out in our broken relationships. Grace means submission; submission of one’s self for the salvation of others.


According to Ephesians 5, submission and headship in marriage are about the expression of Gods love for His people, and in marriage we are to give ourselves for our spouses good. In contrast, Peter is pointing out how we respond when man has perverted the institution that God created.


Having spoken to wives, Peter makes a brief statement to husbands.


Please notice that the likewise” is included in the statement to the men as well. The brokenness brought by sin affects us all, and we all must be reminded that imitating Christ is the best solution. If husbands have been reading what Peter is saying to their wives, then the husband should have the sense to discern that the womans suffering is not right. A husband who is a follower of Christ would not want to be the cause of his wifes suffering. So, Peter doesn't need to give a long discourse to husbands.


The first thing Peter instructs husbands to do is to be understanding. Again, a husband who has just read chapter 2 and the first 6 verses of chapter 3 should have a pretty good idea of the problem. DO NOT MISTREAT YOUR WIFE JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DOES!


Peter calls the woman the weaker vessel.” Peter is not debating the relative strengths and weaknesses of the sexes. Instead, he speaks to the vast majority of Christians throughout the ages where men have had the upper hand. Remember, God said, ...and he shall rule over you.”


Peter does not repeat the Pauline command for husbands to love their wives, but what Peter commands is part of love. Peter says:

1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV) Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.


The woman is to be honored and treated as an heir together of the grace of life. Just as the Scriptures say:

Galatians 3:26–28 (NKJV) 26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.


Gods original design for marriage was:

Genesis 2:24 (NKJV) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 


As God explained, this design was broken by sin, but Jesus came to repair what was broken. Practically this means we must all be imitators of Christ, walk in love, and honor each other. Peter said it best when he offered this summary:

1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV) Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.


Honoring all and loving the brotherhood should show itself in our marriages first.


How do we measure up?


Are we different from the culture around us? Or, do we follow the sin-twisted ways of men?

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Grace Means...Righteousness



1 Peter 2:11-25

 

The last two verses of 1 Peter 2 give us a brief summary of the truth of salvation. These verses contain a concise, beautiful statement of how we are saved.

1 Peter 2:24–25 (NKJV) 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

 

These words give us a picture of grace. We were lost in sin.

 

Wait a minute! What on earth do we mean when we say lost in sin?”

 

Before we go any further, we need to know what we mean by sin” and how we understand lost.”

 

Sin and the concept of sin are treated as a joke in our society. People will casually call themselves sinners, even laughing about it. However, sin as a concept and as a reality is a grave matter. All the wars on earth, all the disease and death on earth are all directly the results of sin. God says (Ephesians 2:8) that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. He also says (Romans 6) that we were slaves to sin. So what” is the attitude of many. I am not a bad person,” says another. However, our sinful condition has destined us for wrath. We don't consider ourselves to be bad people." Still, everything we do is tainted, stained with sin, and the bad part is we can do nothing to free ourselves or remove the stain.

 

Now comes the part where we talk about being lost. By lost, we mean subject to judgment and condemned because of sin. Hell is treated as a laughing matter in our world. Of course, the devil wants people to discount the thought of hell. But Jesus said that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. Here is what He said:

Matthew 25:41 (NKJV) Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

 

Those on the left hand” are people ordinary everyday people who were slaves of sin. This is what it means to be lost.” One more Scripture passage about sin:

Revelation 20:14–15 (NKJV) 14Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

Not having ones name written in the Book of Life is the same as being lost. Being lost in sin” is the most terrifying, awful thing I can think of. This brings us back to 1 Peter 2:24-25.

1 Peter 2:24–25 (NKJV) 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

 

We were lost in sin, condemned, and Jesus bore our sins in His own body. He saved us by paying for our sins, by taking our judgment in our place. This is how we know what love is. This is how we understand the meaning of grace. Salvation is a gift. We did not, cannot earn it. We do not deserve it. But God in His love and kindness gives it. That is grace.

 

Tucked in the middle of 1 Peter 2:24-25 is the reason God saved us from sin. It says, that we might live for righteousness.” This is our subject today. Grace means righteousness. We will look at how righteousness impacts our relationship with our flesh, our government, and our masters.

 

1 Peter 2:11-12 say:

1 Peter 2:11–12 (NKJV) 11Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

 

The Apostle Peter is begging. The Apostle Paul begs in Romans 12:1. The reason is that our fleshly lusts war against our souls. Where our English translation says abstain," Peter used a word that means to have in full,” or to have enough.” This leads to the idea of being done with something. To be finished with it.  We have had plenty of opportunity to fulfill the desires of our flesh. As Ephesians 2:3 says:

Ephesians 2:3 (NKJV) among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

 

We have seen the futility of living for the flesh. We can see its end. We have had our fill. Now, be done with it.

 

The result of righteousness relative to our flesh is that our good conduct brings glory to God. The day of visitation spoken of here in verse 12 is the day of judgment—the day when we all give an account to God.

 

People will and do speak evil against the children of God. Those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Let us not give them a reason to blaspheme our God by living according to our flesh. If we are truly sojourners and pilgrims (strangers) in this world, we must show this by our lives. If we live according to our flesh, then we are not living by the Spirit, nor will we have any effective witness to God's saving grace.

 

While we must not submit to the desires of our flesh, Peter next tells us a couple things we must submit to. The first is government.

 

While we are not of the world (we are sojourners and pilgrims), we are subject to the laws of the land. While we answer to a higher law, we submit to those whom God has placed over us.

 

1 Peter 2:13 says:

1 Peter 2:13 (NKJV) Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake.

 

We need to take time to understand what Peter is saying here. This phrase is difficult to translate from Greek because the word that the NKJV translates as ordinance” is only used of God in the New Testament. In those cases, it means creation.” So, some translators have rendered this word as creation.” As in, submit yourselves to every human creation.” Others have translated this word as institution.” As in, submit yourselves to every human institution.” As every ordinance or piece of legislation may prove impossible to obey, and the following verses mention kings and governors, the meaning institution” and thus government” becomes clear.

 

Even when the governor, Pilate, was doing wrong, Jesus submitted to his authority. However, Jesus also warned Pilate.

John 19:11 (NKJV) You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.

 

Romans 13:1-7 gives a clear explanation of our attitude toward government. Our passage in 1 Peter 2 acknowledges that governments are human institutions created by men and provides us with the reason for submitting to these flawed creations. This reason is that by doing good, we might silence the ignorance of foolish men. Here as in the case of abstaining from fleshly lusts, the idea is to give no occasion for people to speak evil of our God.

 

Attached to this is a warning. Read the following carefully.

1 Peter 2:16 (NKJV) as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.

 

We all know people who disobey the government because of desires. The law harshes” their groove, so they ignore it. The most common example is speed limits, but many other examples exist. The idea is that we are prone to take exception to laws not based on principle but based on preference. To take exception for righteousness’ sake is one thing (for example, we must preach the gospel no matter what the law says). However, preference is no reason to be rebellious.

 

The principle that captures the idea of the whole theme of righteousness is stated in verse 17.

Honor all. Love the brotherhood.” (The word people does not appear after honor all” in the original. It was added to make the meaning clear.)

 

We should not disrespect anyone. We are not even to insult those who insult us. If someone strikes us, we are to turn the other cheek. Jesus serves as our example. 1 Peter 2:23 says:

1 Peter 2:23 (NKJV) who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.

 

Jesus did not do this because of weakness, but because He had confidence in God. We, too, can have confidence in God. This confidence extends to trusting God even in the face of mistreatment by our masters.

 

In times of slavery, men have beaten, raped, and killed their fellow human beings without fear of punishment or reprisal. Such treatment of others is evil. It is the picture of how sinful we are as humans. However, Peter tells us:

1 Peter 2:19 (NKJV) For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.

 

Jesus bore His suffering without a word. He was not bitter but pitied those who would suffer the judgment of God for what they were doing. He committed Himself to God. This serves as our example.

 

Most of us will never face slavery, but we all have those to whom we must answer, and these are not always just. According to Peter, if we continue to honor all” and maintain our respect for authority, this is commendable.” The word Peter uses that is translated as commendable” is the word grace.” It also means favorable or pleasant, but its primary meaning is grace. In other words, when we bear up under unjust suffering, we are most like our God, who is full of grace. This is why the example of Jesus is given for us to follow.

 

Of course, we are not God, and everything we do is tainted by sin. So, we often suffer because of our own sin. There is nothing honorable about such suffering. Peter clarifies that if we suffer for the wrong we have done, we are only getting what we deserve.

 

When we abstain from the lusts that drive the world around us, we glorify God by making the world's criticism look foolish. When we submit to government, we silence the ignorance of evil men. And when we bear unjust suffering, we show Jesus Christ to the world. These three things should motivate us to live righteous lives.

 

The best statement of living a righteous life is found in 1 Peter 2:17.

1 Peter 2:17 (NKJV) Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

 

As believers for whom Christ died, we should recognize the value that God puts on every person and treat each person as precious in the sight of God. This is evidence that we have experienced the grace of God. 1 John 4:19 tells us:

1 John 4:19 (ESV): We love because he first loved us.

 

This love experienced by us in the grace of God is the source of a proper attitude and the appropriate treatment of our fellow human beings. This is righteousness relative to people. Treating others right (righteousness) begins with loving our neighbor as ourselves, honoring them, and when appropriate submitting to their authority.

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Grace Means...Mercy



1 Peter 2:1-10


Lets review briefly a couple details that we have covered so far in the book of 1 Peter.


First, at the beginning of his letter, Peter speaks of the wonderful salvation given by God and in which all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ partake. This salvation is mysterious and wonderful beyond words or comprehension.


Since we receive this salvation freely by grace, Peter calls on us to respond by living lives set apart to God, not conforming to our former lusts. Speaking of living holy lives, Peter swings back around to speaking of the glories of our salvation. However, this time he tells of the living, abiding Word of God by which we have been saved.


He ends the first chapter by contrasting humanity with the spoken (or written) word of God. The word of God never changes or fades, but we people sure do. We are like grass - here today, gone tomorrow. It was the written word of God (the spoken word) that was good newsed” to us and by which we came to know the living and abiding Word of God. I realize that we have no verb good newsed.” So, I made one up because that is how chapter one ends. The unchanging spoken word of God was good newsed” to us. (The verb in question is a combination of  good” and proclaim,” and would normally be translated “evangelize.”)


With this background, chapter two starts out with the word therefore.” This therefore” looks back at the wonderful things by which we were saved, and it looks forward to those things we are saved to. To say that another way, Peter is looking back at what he has just told us about salvation and at the same time looking forward to the great things God is doing.


Now, if you will allow me, I am going to start at the end. In 1 Peter 1:10, the last verse of todays Scripture passage, it says:

1 Peter 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.


This is where we are going today. We will see how we, who were not a people, became the people of God and obtained mercy.


We are going to see that Grace Means...Mercy.


Mercy is defined as:

compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm (New Oxford American Dictionary, iOS)


With God, mercy also includes His loving kindness by which He gives us blessings instead of the punishment we deserve. For example, in 1 Peter 2:1-10, not only does God forgive us and withhold the punishment we deserve, but He also gives us immeasurable blessings and a privileged position.


Going back to verse three of 1 Peter 2, Gods mercy is what is in view when it says:

1 Peter 2:3 (NKJV) if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.


Two exciting and important things stand out about this verse. First, when it says if indeed,” it means since, but it is an assumption or a supposition, so it cannot be translated since.” In other words, Peter assumes that we have tasted that the Lord is gracious when he says if,” instead of “since.” This is important because it makes it abundantly clear that Peter is addressing believers. If one is not a believer, the truths he is talking about do not apply.


This verse's second important and exciting thing is the word translated as gracious” or good.” One Greek scholar said, We have no adjective in English that conveys this blend of being kind and good at the same time.” However, taking this into consideration, this is what we are talking about when we say Gods mercy.”


Because of Gods goodness, kindness and mercy, Peter begins his second chapter by asking us to lay aside all: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Malice means evil. Deceit means using words to trick or trap someone. Hypocrisy means pretending to be something we are not. Envy means rejoicing in the misfortune or resenting the success of another. And slander means to speak evil of another. All of these represent the ways we violate Gods commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves.


These sinful attitudes are a result of our lusts that wage war against our souls. But we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus and reborn by an incorruptible seed. Therefore we are instructed to crave (desire) the pure milk of the word.


For being a fisherman, Peter sure uses a lot of big, difficult words. The NKJV translates Verse 2 as:

1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby...


It does not actually say of the word.” Peter uses a word that appears only here and in Romans 12:1, and in Romans 12:1, it is translated as reasonable.” (Romans 12:1 (NKJV): which is your reasonable service.) Some have translated it as "spiritual" milk. The idea behind this word is the mind or logic. When Peter says the "reasonable," pure milk, the word he uses for pure is the opposite of the term for malice that he used when saying, Putting aside all malice.” 


The idea is that we are to pursue the pure, unadulterated word of God, which is food for the mind and thus the spirit. 


Too often, I have seen people pursuing the more profound things of God and going way off course. People get into and believe some weird stuff. Nothing we do is ever free of the corruption of sin, so we need to stick with the simple truth of Scripture. Dont try to be deep or profound. Just try to understand what God is saying in His word. His word is reasonable, and it is the food we need.


1 Peter 2:1-10 tells us to do three things. Three main verbs express what mercy demands we do. The first is crave.


Peter used a term that means a just-born baby. A just-born baby only has one pursuit - milk. Once they have milk, they go to sleep. Thats it. Nothing else matters. That is how we are to crave the word.


Second, we are to be built up. Verse 5 says:

1 Peter 2:5 (NKJV) you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.


Here, again, our simple fisherman shows that he is not so simple. Are being built up can also be translated as Be being built up.” The verb form can be a command as well as descriptive. 


Jesus is a living stone. Peters name means rock, and the word used is "Petros," a small natural stone. The Church is built upon the "Petra," natural bedrock or a cliff. This living stone that is the cornerstone is "Lithos," a shaped or hewn stone cut for the purpose. 


Jesus is the head of the Church. He is the stone that was rejected by men. We are being built up as His body, a spiritual temple. Being made a part of a building that God is making is an incredible mercy, seeing that we deserve only punishment.


We are to participate. We are to be being built up. Heres the tricky part. We are being built up to offer spiritual sacrifices.


What are spiritual sacrifices?


How do I offer up spiritual sacrifices? I mean - I get up, go to work to earn my pay, go home, eat dinner, watch some TV or mow the grass, and go to bed. Wheres the spiritual sacrifice in that?


Lets go back to our word reasonable.” Verse 2 says crave the reasonable pure milk, and Romans 12:1 says presenting our bodies is our reasonable service of worship. The idea is not "reasonable" as in "to be expected," but reasonable as in "spiritual" or worship of the mind/soul.


Spiritual sacrifices start in the mind by taking every thought captive to obedience to Christ. If that is not enough to keep you busy, you arent doing it right. Think of your testimony in the world. How can you have the most impact for Christ? Well, it starts in the mind/soul, taking every thought captive to obedience to Christ. Every attitude, every thought matters. Start there by feeding yourself on the pure milk of the word.


If we are not obedient to the word, we will fall, stumbling over Christ.


I said there were three main verbs, and we have covered only two - craving and being built up. The third one is "proclaim."


We have been chosen to proclaim the glories or excellencies of God. Verses nine and ten say:

1 Peter 2:9–10 (NKJV) 9But 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; 10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.


These verses point once more to the greatness of Gods mercy. We are chosen, royal, holy, and special. We once were not a people. We were lost without God and without hope. But God chose us and made us His own. All the things Peter has said about Jesus being the cornerstone and us being a chosen people, a holy nation, and a people for His possession are taken directly from the Old Testament. These are the things that God told Israel He chose them for. However, they rejected all these things, so God made them available to us. Romans 11 tells us:

Romans 11:12–15 (NKJV) 12Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?


God has not rejected Israel permanently nor forgotten His promises. But He has made His promises available to us. 


Our simple fisherman has me stumped. He calls us a royal priesthood. As such, we stand in the gap for our world. As long as we are here, the evil one is held back. But when we are removed, the time of Jacobs trouble will begin. What has me stumped is the fact that Peter uses three different words for people. Various translations render them differently. Look at verses 9 and 10 again.

1 Peter 2:9–10 (NKJV) 9But 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; 10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.


The NKJV translates these words as "generation," "nation," and "people." The ESV translates them as race, nation, people. Literally, the first one, generation," means a family or descendant, like Israel, a nation named after its progenitor. The second one is the word from which we get our word ethnic. It signifies a people joined by a common culture and language (Not necessarily skin tone). The Church shares a common culture and language as we follow Jesus. The third word, translated as "people," is used almost exclusively connected to of God,” as in the people of God.” The Jews are still called the chosen people.” But we have been grafted in. Now we are called the people of God. We were not a people, but now we are a people, as in the people of God.”


This all represents mercy of such great magnitude that there are no words to describe it. But the response of a grateful heart is to crave, be built up, and proclaim.

The Fifth Seal, The White Robes Revelation 6:11

Revelation6:11 (NKJV) Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, un...