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That’s What Dad’s Do! (I Peter 2:9)
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]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. I Peter 2:9[/perfectpullquote] I love my kids! One of the greatest joys in my life is to help them see themselves the way God sees them. Peter’s intention in both of his letters was to encourage these churches as a spiritual Father “assuring them that they enjoy God’s salvation now through Christ’s death and resurrection and can look forward to an even greater salvation.”1 The goal was to help them see themselves like God sees them as life’s challenges stretched them to their breaking point. They had made a choice to follow Jesus, and now they were suffering for that decision as they strived to be fully devoted followers of Christ.In I Peter chapter 1, the focus is on three things: 1) the hope that believers have in Christ, 2) a challenge to pursue holiness, 3) and their calling to live in responsive obedience committed to loving each other. Chapter 2 starts with ten verses that describe the journey to relationship with Christ – “the stone the builders rejected, that has become the cornerstone.” (2 Peter 2:7b) Peter takes text from the Psalms and Isaiah to paint the picture of the implications of the work of Christ in the lives of all believers. In verse 9, he shares four descriptions that describe the identity of every believer. Then, he shares the mission of the church, to proclaim the gospel that brought us “out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9c)
The four descriptors Peter uses to encourage the believers are found in verse 9. They are derived from Old Testament contexts that speak to the identity and calling of God’s people. He first defines this multi-ethnic spiritually connected people by their shared faith in Christ, stating that they were chosen by God. Paul also declares this truth when he writes, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (Ephesians 1:4) Peter then points out that they were given access to God and have the privilege to serve Him as a royal priesthood. The next characteristic of the people of God mentioned by Peter is that they are a holy nation. Paul reinforces this calling when he writes, “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.” (I Thessalonians 4:7). Finally, Peter declares the church “a people for His own possession.” When I read this verse it reminded me of the truth written by Isaiah concerning God’s possessiveness and passion for his people, “. . . fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; . . .”(Isaiah 41:10a).
In these descriptors Peter was painting a picture of how God sees His church. Considering the circumstances that surrounded the writing of this letter the people of the these churches must have been so encouraged by these inspired words . Imagine a leader in the first century church reading this letter to the newly minted Christians. These words must have been nutrients for the soul of these precious people. These words reminded them that they were sons and daughters of the king.
When my kids are going through a tough time, in most cases my game plan for encouragement is to remind them of how God sees them. Don’t forget Peter’s message translated into the context of our Spiritual family: we are chosen, equipped, driven to pursue holiness, and claimed by God as his own. No matter what! Why? Because, that’s what dads do!
-Pastor Chuck Reed
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