Back to First Peter, Chapter
two. I'm asking this question tonight. What is a Christian? It's a good question, isn't it?
What is a Christian? Now, the word Christian is only
found in the Bible three times. In the book of Acts, we read
where the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Christians, obviously, are disciples
of Christ. Peter said, if any man suffer
as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but rather glorify God. And then King Agrippa said to
Paul, almost persuadest thou me to be a Christian. Now, what
is a Christian? You know, God uses the whole
Bible to answer that question. It's not easily answered. It
takes God the whole Bible to answer that question. But Peter
gives us a very short but comprehensive answer to that question in verse
Peter chapter 2 verse 9. He says, but you are. This is what a Christian is.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation,
a peculiar people. But you are this, but you are
in contrast to those who are not. That's what that but is
there for. But you are in contrast to those
who are not that he'd just been speaking of. Now let's back back
up to verse 7 of 1 Peter chapter 2. Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious. That's just so very true. He's precious in His person.
He's precious in His work. He's precious in His intercession.
His righteousness is precious. His precious blood is precious.
He is precious. Now, that's what a believer is.
He's somebody who believes that Jesus Christ the Lord is precious.
You know what? Right now while I'm speaking,
He is precious. But unto them which be disobedient. They certainly do not see him
as precious, but they are disobedient. They don't believe the gospel.
The stone which the builders disallowed or did not approve
of, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of
stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at
the word. being disobedient, whereunto
also they were appointed. Now, unto those who are disobedient,
they don't see Christ as precious, but they're disobedient. They
do not obey the gospel. They reject Christ as the cornerstone. They do not approve of Christ
as the cornerstone. They do not approve of God's
way of saving sinners. Now, their disobedience and disapproval
doesn't change things in the least. God has still made him
the chief cornerstone, the head of the corner, even though they
reject him. That doesn't change who he is.
He says in verse eight, this headstone, this cornerstone,
this chief cornerstone is also to those who are disobedient,
a stone of stumbling. And a rock of offense. This Lord
Jesus Christ that believers find Him to be precious. Unto you
therefore which believe He's precious. They find Him offensive. One they stumble over. One they
just can't get past. A stumbling stone. The Gospel offends the natural
man. They stumble at Him. They're
offended by His Gospel. Now understand this. The gospel,
the gospel, the gospel of God, the gospel of the scriptures,
the true gospel is offensive to the natural man. Paul spoke of the offense of
the cross, and if the message of the gospel that I'm preaching
is not offensive to the natural man, then it's not God's gospel.
The gospel is offensive to the natural man, to the fallen man. The gospel offends man's self-righteousness
because it says he has no righteousness at all. Do you find that offensive? If I tell you you have no righteousness
at all, do you find that offensive or do you just say, yep, that's
true? That's true. The gospel offends
men's pride because it declares a message where they are given
nothing to be proud about. It's a message of free grace,
and that offends men's pride. The gospel offends men's wisdom
because it declares salvation by revelation. You can't become
educated in the kingdom of heaven. You can't figure this thing out.
You're totally dependent upon God to make himself known to
you. If he's not pleased to reveal himself, you won't know God.
And that offends men's sense of wisdom. The gospel offends
men's sense of personal rights, because it says we don't have
any personal rights. We forfeit all of our rights
at our fall, and every man is in the hands of a sovereign God
as to whether or not you're saved. It's up to God. It's not up to
you. You don't have any control in this thing. I don't have any
control in this thing. I'm in the hands of a sovereign
God who can do with me whatever He's pleased to do. And that
offends men's sense of personal rights. We have rights. No, you
don't have any rights. You forfeit them all in the fall
of Adam and by your own sin. The gospel offends men's love
of self. It calls upon us to deny ourself. Every day, deny
yourself. Take up your cross daily and
follow Christ. Now, Peter tells us in verse
8, This one who's the head stone and the cornerstone and the chief
cornerstone, the rock of salvation is also a stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word. The word of God that declares
these things. What does a man have to believe
to be saved? Everything God says doesn't matter what it is. If
God says it, it must be believed and vowed to. But these people
stumble at the word, being disobedient. Peter says, whereunto also they
were appointed. That's strong language. What's
it mean? Exactly what it says. I don't know how else to put
it. They were appointed to this. Now, if somebody has a problem
with that, you're going to have to take it up with God. God's the one who
said this. Are you saying that God appointed
them to this? Yes. Yes, that's what the Bible
says. Well, I don't believe that. Well,
that was appointed to. That was appointed to. God's in control
of everything. He says, whereunto also they
were also appointed. But you, verse nine, in contrast
to them, but you and here's what a believer is. First of all,
you are a chosen generation. Unlike them, you're a chosen
generation. He didn't choose them. But He
chose you. Now, I don't know of anything
more humbling than that. He chose me. He selected me. He chose you. Divine election. A Christian is somebody that
God chose to be a Christian. Ephesians 1, 4 says, According
as He hath chosen us in Him, in the Lord Jesus Christ, before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before Him. In love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of
the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. Now, if you're a believer, I
know this, you know the reason you're a believer is because
he chose you to be that. You know the faith that you have
doesn't come to you as an act of your will. You know he gave
it to you. You know that. I don't have to convince a believer
of this. And somebody doesn't believe it? Well, the elect believe
it. Believers believe it. Every single
one of them. You are a chosen. generation. And next, he says, you're a royal
priesthood, a kingdom of priests. Yes, we believe in the priesthood
of the believer. I don't need another man to represent
me as far as a son of Adam like me. The Lord Jesus Christ is
the great high priest. But every believer is someone
who can come into God's presence like a priest and be heard. Is
Christ heard? Does the father hear what he
has to say that the father hears what I have to say because he
is my priest? And I'm a royal priest. He hath
made us, the scripture says, kings and priests under God.
A priest is somebody who can come into the presence of God
and God hears what they say. Now, here's another thing that's
amazing. God hears me. God chose me. God hears me. He hears what I've got to say.
At prayer I prayed. I tell you what, I was trying
to pray this morning and I felt like I just couldn't pray. I
felt like I was so weak. Oh, Lord, have mercy on me. I
had no heart to pray as far as the way I felt. But you know,
he heard every word of it. Because there wasn't any. It's.
It's Christ presenting it to the father. And every believer
is a royal priest, a kingdom of Christ to God. And next, he
says, you're a holy nation and holy means without sin. pure, without sin because of
the blood of Christ. I'm somebody who's without sin.
You know, David said in the Psalms, I'm holy. And you know, I used
to think, how does he say that? I mean, how does he say I'm holy?
Well, you know, I'm saying I'm holy. How? Well, I'm somebody without sin.
The blood of Christ has purged away my sin. I don't have any
sin. I have a holy nature before God
given to me in the new birth. That's the nature that loves
God. Every believer is Holy, you're a holy nation. If God
says I'm holy, I'm holy. God says things as they really
are. Well, you're positionally holy. No, I am holy. In Christ
Jesus, I am holy. I'm united to him and every believer
is holy. And then he says you're a peculiar
people. Look in verse 9, you're a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood and a holy nation, a peculiar people. Now that word
means, not strange, Although a lot of them are. But it doesn't
really mean strange. The word means purchased. Purchased. You are a purchased people. You're a people that Christ has
purchased, that he bought, that he shed his precious blood for.
You're a purchased people. That can't be said of these other
people. Christ Jesus, now listen to me. The Lord Jesus Christ
died for the elect. He died for those who believe. He died for those the Father
gave Him before the foundation of the world. You can call it
limited atonement. You can call it definite atonement. You can
call it particular redemption. Call it substitution. Call it
what you will. It's the gospel. It's substitution. Christ accomplished
salvation for everybody He died for. And here's my confidence
right now. I'm purchased. He paid for my sins. Now, even
while I'm talking to you, I am keenly aware of my sin. Not as
aware as I ought to be, but I am aware of my sin, but still I
know I'm purchased. Christ put away my sin with His
precious blood. That's what a believer is. He's
chosen of God. He's somebody who believes Christ
is precious. He's a royal priesthood. He's a holy nation. He's a peculiar
people. Now, a Christian is somebody
Christ died for, in other words. Everything in the New Testament
is found in the Old Testament. These are not doctrines particular
to the New Testament. Everything in the New Testament
is found in the Old Testament. This definition of a Christian
that Peter uses when he says, but you are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation of peculiar people. This definition
that Peter uses was not original with Peter. He got it from Moses.
In Exodus chapter 19, somebody says, where did you get that?
Well, I got it from somewhere. I got it from somewhere. And
I don't have one original thought, nor does anybody else. There's
nothing new under the sun. And Peter didn't have an original
thought either. Peter, he stole this outline from Moses in Exodus
chapter 19. Moses got it from God. Nobody has anything original
or new. Everything is already in the
Old Testament. Every doctrine in the New Testament.
The Old Testament and the New Testament are one. It's one book.
Now, turn with me to Exodus chapter 19. Exodus chapter 19. Verse 1. In the third month, when the
children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt,
the same day came they unto the wilderness of Mount Sinai. For
they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of
Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness, and there Israel
camped before the mount. And Moses went up unto God, And
the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus
shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children
of Israel." Now, I always enjoy it when I see where the Lord
refers to his people. First of all, it's the house
of Jacob, and then the children of Israel. Same person. Jacob
is Israel, yet God calls them by both names. Now, why is that?
What's Jacob mean? Jacob means healed, supplanters. Jacob was a sinful man. Jacob was a deceptive man. Remember when he deceived his
brother? His brother said his name's Jacob and he was well
named. The way he deceived me, the way... Jacob was a sinful,
sinful man. And yet His name is changed to
Israel. Remember in Genesis chapter 32
where God changed His name to Israel. As a prince, thou hast
power with God and hast prevailed. A prince with God is Israel.
Now, He calls Him both names. And I tell you what, I answer
to both names. I understand when He calls me Jacob, yep, that's
me, Jacob. When He calls me Israel, that's
me, a prince with God. I answer to both names. He speaks
to Jacob and he speaks to Israel, the same person. Now he says, before I leave that. Every believer understands that. You know about spirits. Every
believer understands that. Well, let's go on reading verse
four. Now he says to Jacob and Israel, Verse four, you have
seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bear you on eagle wings
and brought you unto myself. You've seen what I did, not you've
seen what I enabled you to do, but you've seen what I did. Salvation
is what God has done. It's not what God enables you
to do. It's what he has done. Every
aspect of salvation, beginning an election and ending the glorification
and everything in between. Every aspect of salvation is
what he has done. Salvation is of the Lord. It's
not what he enabled you to do. You know what our Lord said?
It is finished. You know what? It was finished. Is that good
news? That's the gospel. He said, I've
showed you what I, he said, I bear you on eagle wings. I carried
the load, and yet you came to me, but that's not what he says.
He says, I brought you to myself. He doesn't even say you came
to me. He says, I brought you to myself. I come to Christ.
There's no doubt about that, but there's a reason I come.
It's because he causes me to. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest and causes to approach and to be. He says, I brought
you to myself. Now, let's go on reading. Verse
5. Now there are four. If you will
obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then you shall be
a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. For all the earth
is mine, and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an
holy nation. These are the words which thou
shalt speak unto the children of Israel. Now, we see where
Peter got that, don't we? He just quotes from what Moses
said here in Exodus chapter 19. Now he says, if you will obey
my voice indeed. Now the word obey is the word
that's generally translated here. If you hear his voice, you'll
obey his voice. And if you don't obey his voice,
it's because you've never heard his voice. Because everybody
who hears his voice in the gospel, they see this as God's message.
You know what they do? They obey. They believe, they
bow, every single one of them. You see, faith is obeying his
voice indeed. It's believing the gospel, repent
and believe the gospel. It's a command to be obeyed. He says, if you obey my voice
and keep my covenant, he's talking about the covenant of grace,
the covenant, the New Testament. He said, you keep, you guard
over, you watch my covenant. And you know, if something's
precious to you, Let me ask you this, is salvation by grace,
is the covenant of grace precious to you? Is salvation being completely
conditioned upon the Lord Jesus Christ, totally in Him, it's
what He did, is that precious to you? Now if it's precious
to you, you'll guard over it. You'll keep it, you'll watch
it. You won't tolerate that which is contrary to it, if it's precious
to you. Now, he says, if you obey my
voice and keep my covenant, obeying and keeping his faith. Now, nobody
is saved without faith. Now, please, this is very important.
Nobody is saved without faith. There's a fatal ditch on either
side. There's some folks who think they're saved because of
their faith. That's a fatal ditch, that's salvation by works. If
you believe that God loves everybody, Christ died for everybody, God
wants to save everybody. But the folks who are saved are
the folks who are able to believe. They believe and they make a
work out of it. The reason you're saved is because
you believe. That's salvation by works. The reason I'm saved
is because Christ died. I'm not saved because of my faith. I
tell you what, I'm not saved without faith. Somebody else
says, well you don't need to be saved, you don't need to have faith
because salvation is by grace. If you say you have to have faith,
you're making a work of it. Now wait a minute, no you're not. If God
said you believe, you believe. Faith is the gift of His grace
and the evidence that He's given me grace is I believe. That's
why I believe, because of His grace. You see, there's no salvation
apart from faith, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's
a fatal ditch on either side. If you make a work out of faith,
that's a fatal ditch. If you deny the necessity of
faith, what you're really saying is you don't need to believe
on Christ. Well, where is it? Look at the enormity that you
don't need to believe on Christ. What kind of counsel is that?
If you obey my voice, he said. And that's what faith is. It's
obedient to the gospel. It's believing the gospel. He
says, if you obey my voice, here's what's going to happen. Verse
5, Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep
my covenants, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me
above all people, for all the earth is mine." Now in believing,
you shall find out that you have been, you've had something done
for you. God has done something for you
that he hasn't done for other people. He says, you'll be a
special, peculiar treasure to me above all people that are
on the earth. Now he says, all the earth is
mine. Everybody belongs to me. But you're going to be somebody
special to me because I've made a difference. Now understand
this. Grace is discriminating. Grace is distinguishing. You remember what God said in
Romans 9-11 to the children? Talking about Jacob and Esau,
the twins, being not yet born. neither having done any good
or evil, but the purpose of God according to election might stand,
not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her,
The elder shall serve the younger, as it's written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated. That's what God said. God made
the difference. Now he says to these people,
I'm the one that makes the difference. And don't you know that so? I
love this. I know the natural man doesn't,
but I do. The elect love election because
they love the God of election. It's the God who's in control.
It's not a doctrine I'm in love with. It's the person behind
the doctrine. It's the God of election. It's the God who chooses.
It's the God who's in control. I love Him. I love His way of
salvation. And I'm so thankful for election
because tis not that I did choose thee, for, Lord, that could not
be. This heart would still refuse thee, but thou hast chosen. You
know that so don't you? You know you wouldn't believe
if he didn't cause you to do it. Now he said, I'm going to
make a difference with you. I'm going to make you be somebody above everybody
else. That's discriminating, distinguishing
sovereign grace. Now somebody says, well, how
can that be fair? Well, hold on. Hold on. Fair is God sending
you to hell. Fair is God sending me to hell.
Fair is God sending everybody to hell. But thank God he delights
in mercy. He said, I'm going to make you
a peculiar treasure to me. Believer, this is how highly
God values and esteems you. Christ says regarding every believer,
thou has loved them as thou has loved me. Now, I want you to
think about this. Christ tells us from his own
word in John chapter 17, that the same love the Father has
to Him, He has to every believer. That's the love the Father has
to you. You are His peculiar treasure. That's hard to get hold of, that
God actually views me as His treasure? Well, He does. Is Christ God's treasure? Then
I'm God's treasure. Because as He is, so are we in
the world. We're His peculiar treasure. And it says next in verse 6,
you shall be unto me, in Exodus 19, you shall be unto me a kingdom
of priests. Now, what's a priest? He's somebody
who can come into God's presence and be heard. He hears. me. He hears me because of the
intercession of my great high priest, but he hears me. Every
believer is a royal priest. We have royal blood flowing through
our veins. What a royal priesthood. Just
as the father must hear Christ, he must hear the Christian. He
must hear those who call on his name. You know, the father must
hear your prayers because you're united to Christ. Now, this is
what a believer is. He's somebody who the Father
hears. And then, I love thinking about
this last thing. Look in verse 6. He says, You
shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation. Separate, set apart, sanctified,
other, a holy nation. Now, the word holy and the word
sanctified are the same word. You are sanctified. I was listening
to a fellow preach just yesterday, I think. Yesterday or today.
I can't remember when it was when I heard this message. But he
was talking about sanctification. And he said, sanctification is
a believer becoming more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ.
More and more like. He just keeps getting closer
and closer, more perfectly conformed to his image. He keeps getting
better and better and more like Christ. Now, That's not. I am going to be
conformed to the image of Christ, and I've got a holy nature right
now, but as far as this thing of becoming better and better
and better. How does it work with you? You get better, get more holy. Part of the way you feel about
yourself. Get more like Christ. Now I want to be like Christ.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not disparaging the desire to be just like the
Lord Jesus Christ, but as far as getting better, oh, what's discouraging to be flesh? David said my sins ever before
me. Paul said, you know, at the first of Paul's experiences as
a believer, he said, I'm the least of the apostles. And then
there toward the middle, He said, I'm less than the least of all
the saints. And right before he died, Paul
said, I'm the chief of sinners. Now, that's a believer's experience.
I tell you what, when you grow, you grow downward. That's certainly
growth. Holy, holy. Yet the believer
is called holy. Now, do I feel holy? No, I don't.
Do I believe I am holy? Yes, I am. Am I holy, or is this
just some kind of talk, or is it just a positional holiness,
or I'm just religious? No, I'm holy. If God says I'm
holy, that's what I am. I'm holy. Holy in the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's made unto me holiness. Now,
sanctification. What does sanctification mean? Now, there are three senses in
which a believer is sanctified, all taught in the scripture.
There's the sanctification that the Father does, there's the
sanctification that the Son does, and there's the sanctification
that the Spirit of God does. Now, I was set apart by God the
Father to be holy. the sanctification of the Father.
It means to take something common and ordinary and set it apart
for holy purposes. God set me apart to be holy.
According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him. Now if God set me apart to be
holy, I'm going to be holy. But not only is there the sanctifying
work of the Father in eternal election. Remember this about
sanctification. I believe it's the most comprehensive
word defining God's salvation. I sanctified by the Son. That
means I was declared to be holy. Remember that scripture in 1
Peter 3.15 where it says, sanctify the Lord God in your heart and
be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a
reason for the hope that's in you. Now, you don't set God apart
to be holy, and you sure don't make Him holy, but you regard
Him to be holy, don't you? That's what it means to sanctify
the Lord God in your heart. You regard Him to be holy. Now,
when Christ died on the cross, God regarded me to be holy. I am holy. He is my holiness
before God. Hebrews 10.10 says, by the witch
will we are sanctified once for all through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ declared by God to be holy. And then we
read in 2 Thessalonians 2.13 of the sanctification of the
spirit. When I was born again. I was given a holy nature and
I. Do I see it? No. No, I don't. Do I believe I have it? Yes,
I do. I know I do. You see, God can't give birth
to anything but holiness, can He? Can He give birth to something
that's sinful? Of course not. If I've been born of the seed
of God, I've been given a holy nature. That's the nature that
believes the gospel. That's the nature that loves
Jesus Christ. That's the nature that loves
holiness. That's the nature that loves sin. That's the nature
that walks in obedience. You are a holy. Nation and every believer can
say not in presumption, but by faith I'm holy. I'm a holy nation. Now let's go back to 1st Peter
Chapter 2 to wrap this up. Verse 9. Here's what a Christian is, but
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and a holy
nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises
of Him who had called you out of darkness into His marvelous
light. Now, I know this. With regard
to this man's salvation, It shows forth God's praises without any
question. He gets all the glory and absolutely
none goes to me. And I like it that way. I'm I'm
so fine with that. Well, I better be fine with it.
But I like it that way. Let's go on in verse 10, which
in times past were not a people, but are now the people of God,
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Now, in light of that, dearly
beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which
war against the soul, having your conversation honest among
the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works which they shall behold. Glorify God
in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance
of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king, the supreme,
or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him, for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do
well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing. Be not weary in well doing, for
in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. that with well-doing
you might put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." That's
free. Not using your liberty, the freedom
you have in Christ, for a cloak, a cover-up for maliciousness
and sin, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Servants, be
subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good
and gentle, but also to the perverse. For this is thankworthy, if a
man for conscience toward God endured grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it when you be buffeted for your faults,
you shall take it patiently? But when you do well and suffer
for it and take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even here unto where you called, because Christ also has
suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow
in his steps. And here's his example, who did no sin. Make it your aim to never sin
again. What about that evil nature you're
talking about? That's the wrong question. Make
it your aim to never sin again. Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not. but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously,
who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness,
by whose stripes you were healed. For you were a sheep going astray,
but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls."
Let's pray.