Who hath called you
1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light:”
The Bible is God’s revelation to all mankind, and if the creature would have fellowship with the Creator, we must come according to that Word.
The Lord Jesus Christ is that Word….and bears witness through His Word. (John 1:1-4)
The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits (Proverbs 20:27)
And the Father bears witness in the corporate ministry of the church. (John 17:11, 21)
He calls out a people for His Name sake….and makes them joint-heirs with Him, giving them the Holy Spirit that we may know that we are the children of God…with all the blessings and responsibilities that entails.
Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;…”
We are to worship Him in Spirit and Truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. (John 4:23-24)
He is Truth and Life, and as we are obedient to the light we have, we get more light from Him.
Psalms 36:9 “For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.”
He is that fountain flowing out to us, and through us. He is the Light and when He shines His light on us, we see light,….
…….darkness, doubt, and fear,….flee.
Then we can “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”)
What provision He has for His own, who will walk with Him! What a calling He has for us!
This is a very precious part of the corporate ministry.
Meeting in fellowship with Him and others about Him, is a strengthening, cleansing thing. It is of the Holy Spirit, not something we work up…but something He does as we are gathered in His Name.
“And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin”
To be cleansed from this sin, is to know deliverance from it.
The Lord has called us “to be saints”….or blameless, consecrated, clean.
Romans 1:7 “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:…”
I want to speak of our “calling”. There are two:
First, we are called to “be”. Basically, this is the call of Jesus to us….to “follow Me”
When Jesus saves a person, He makes and molds that one into a vessel unto honor, meet for the Master’s use. He changes my outlook, my attitude, my goals, and my purpose…so that everything now is seen in the light of His Word and I am His.
Second, we are all called to do “a work”. We are all called as witnesses of Christ, but there are gifts and ministries….whether small or great, we are called to do, as His servants.
So when Peter says that we are “called out of darkness into His marvelous light”….he is speaking of our calling…”to be” lights in this world, that all “may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
But then he mentions, that we are a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should shew forth the praises of Him who called you….”, Peter is talking of both our being, and our working.
A chosen generation: As there was the generation that possessed the Promised land….(even though the first generation that came out of Egypt failed, the next generation went in and possessed their possessions.)…so we are chosen of the Lord, to possess our possessions in Christ….and manifest that we are His….and that we are one family in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3, 11 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
In Whom also we have an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of HIs own will:”
A royal priesthood: All believers are this royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5)….offering up the sacrifice of praise to God
Hebrews 13:15-16 “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name.
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
An holy nation: We are God’s. And as such, we are pilgrims here in this world. Our King is in heaven, and we are His citizens. We are citizens of heaven though we pass through this time of trial.
(This was the reason Paul, a prisoner, could stand before kings, and rulers, and judges…because he was an ambassador of Christ, his King. 2 Corinthians 5:20
And so can we!)
And we are to be holy….sanctified which means…set aside to the Lord in our attitudes, our conversations and lives. (1 Peter 1:15, 18-19)
A peculiar people (how many jokes have I heard about “peculiar” over the years. But it simply means that we are not as others.):
We are God’s acquisition or treasure. He redeemed us with HIs own precious blood….that we might manifest to others what it means to belong to God….both in our life and in our works.
Titus 3:5-7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior;
That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
(How many times does the Lord, through His Word, speak and show us our inheritance….that we are heirs….joint-heirs with Christ!
All that He is, except His deity, is given unto us in His life….imparting unto us, His character. And we, as His peculiar people….His treasure….are to acquire what He has transferred to us.
Of course, it is His life through us….by the Holy Spirit. But think of what that entails! Life, Light, Grace, Liberty to become all He has for us….and to do all He has told us to do.
Amazing that I, a sinner, saved by grace….could become a treasure to Him who gave His life a ransom for me! 2 Corinthians 4:6-7)
That we should shew forth the praises of Him….
“Praises” here means His excellencies , His virtues, His mercies, His goodness! And we are called to show them to all we meet.
This is the reality of “walking in the Light”. (It is not sinless perfection, but a keeping ourselves in His light….letting Him show us Himself…and ourselves.)
1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
What a freeing, and cleansing walk with Jesus. True liberty is when we are free to be all that He has Purposed, and chosen us for. Free from our sin, free from ourselves, free from the world’s entanglements!
Our calling is to be His treasure….sharing Christ with others.
Our calling is to do His Will….and showing His life and Word, in doing so.
1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
“Marvelous” here means “wondered at”! And are we not awed by His grace in saving us….and giving us His Word and Holy Spirit to abide with us!
What privileges we have….let us “be” what He has made us…..let us do what He commands…and let us walk in His marvelous light day by day.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 