Peculiar People

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. I Peter 2:9-12

“But” sets up a contrast to those mentioned in verse 8, who stumble over the rock of offense (Jesus Christ), because they disobey the Word, as they were destined to do (Romans 9:22, Jude 4). Salvation is available to everyone; whosoever is willing to believe in the finished work of the Savior. God is omniscient, and always knew which humans would receive that atonement and which ones would reject it. Those who reject it are destined to remain spiritually dead, and blind to the truth of the gospel.

“But YOU,” believers, are a chosen race. We were born first after Adam’s kind; sinful. Spiritually dead. In the new birth, we become New Species, of which Christ is the firstborn (Colossians 1:12-15). We are chosen IN HIM to be God’s own people, with active human spirits and indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. We, as God’s new race of people, are royal priests. Israel HAD a priesthood to lead in ritual and teach God’s Word. The Church IS a priesthood. Each believer has full access to God, because we are His family. He is our Father. We do not need a mediator to facilitate our relationship with Him. We represent ourselves before the throne of grace.

We, the Church, are a holy nation. “Holy” means set apart unto God. We presently live in the world, but we are aliens here. We are citizens of God’s kingdom, representing Him here on temporary assignment. In the KJV the next phrase is “peculiar" people. That’s a wonderful word, and I like to keep it in mind when reading this passage, but in modern vernacular it has come to mean “somewhat strange.” Yeah, that usually applies, too, to us Bible-wavers, as compared to the worldlings, but in this passage the literal meaning is as given: “a people for God’s own possession.” We are of God’s clan. We have characteristics “peculiar,” or specific to a people who belong to God. All humans are not God’s children, even though most folks like to say so. Only born-again believers in Jesus Christ are God’s children (Galatians 3:26). We are peculiar (special, different), in our thoughts, attitudes, world-view, expectations, eternal destiny, and in our confidence in the perfect provision of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Having such a family connection with the Sovereign of the universe makes us different from the unregenerate, natural men. And it is a permanent condition.

We got this new identification because God Himself called us out of the world’s darkness and into His supernatural, holy light. Our job is to proclaim our Lord’s excellence to the world. We were once nothing and nobody. In terms of spirituality, unbelievers don’t exist. They are spiritually dead. That’s why an unbeliever can’t “give” God anything. His works don’t count. Not then, not now, not ever. We are now God’s people. Before, we were condemned. Now we have received His mercy.

As visitors to this planet (sojourners and exiles) from the kingdom of God, we must not let the passions of our Adam-nature overwhelm us. Those fleshly lusts war against the soul of the ambassador of Christ, rendering us incapable of properly representing our Lord if we allow them control over us. It is important to keep our conduct honorable. The natives WILL speak evil of us. They will be suspicious and envious and offended by our faith, which is freely available to them, though they choose to reject it. Many would rather reject and hate than receive and become. This erects in them a barrier of distrust and misunderstanding for the work we do and the gospel we preach. We, like Jeremiah, MUST continue to preach (Jeremiah 20:9), but we must do it in a way that is always honoring to our Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t give them cause to judge our actions and motives.  The gospel must stand on its own, without unnecessary distraction from sloppy Christians. Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the only issue in salvation. Not the bad behavior of undisciplined Christians. Our work is for God's glory, not our own. 

Peter wanted us to keep it that way.