1 Peter - Chapter 2 Summary

Understanding our Heritage

Application: The student will know and remember the blessings God has given him and that God can keep him stable in difficult times.

ANY REAL CHANGE IN LIFE BEGINS IN OUR SOUL AND THEN THOSE CHANGES WILL BE SEEN FROM THE OUTSIDE AS HAVING AN EFFECT ON OUR PHYSICAL LIVES.

LET'S REMEMBER THAT JESUS MADE A SIMILAR STATEMENT THAT IT IS WHAT COMES FROM WITHIN A MAN THAT DEFILES HIM.

THE SOUL TRANSFORMATION IS AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM, WE EXCHANGE OUR SLAVERY TO SIN AND SERVING SATAN FOR THE POWERFUL GIFT OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT WHICH WILL GUIDE US TO SERVE THE LORD.

THERE ARE ONLY TWO POSSIBLE POSITIONS FOR MANKIND, EITHER WE SERVE THE DEVIL WITH OUR LIVES OR WE BECOME CHANGED FOREVER THROUGH GRACE BY FAITH TO SERVE GOD.

THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD IS NO LONGER IN THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE BUT RATHER EACH BELIEVER HAS BECOME A NEW TEMPLE WHERE GOD RESIDES.

THERE IS NO NEUTRAL OR MIDDLE GROUND.

NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS ARE SEEN BY PETER TO BE THE SUCCESSORS OF THE ORIGINAL CHOSEN PEOPLE GATHERED UNDER THE TWELVE TRIBES.

WE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE DISCUSS THIS AREA IN THAT IT CAN BE SEEN TO SAY THAT THE ISRAELI PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER THE CHOSEN PEOPLE.

NOTHING CAN BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

THIS IS A HORRIBLE HERESY KNOWN AS SUPER SESSIONISM. 

WHILE WE HAVE COME TO GOD AFTER THE CHOSEN PEOPLE WE ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR THEM.

GOD IS STILL WORKING HIS PLAN FOR THE JEWS AND IT WILL BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED AFTER THE TIME OF THE GENTILES IS FULL.

WE ARE NOW IN THE GAP WEEK OF DANIEL'S PROPHESY, BETWEEN THE 69TH AND 70TH WEEK. 

ANY CHRISTIAN WHO READS AND SEEKS UNDERSTANDING OF THE REVELATION SHOULD GRASP THIS FACT BY THE COMING OF THE 144,000 JEWISH EVANGELISTS WHO ARE CHOSEN & SENT BY GOD TO DO HIS WILL.

PETER OFTEN TEACHES OF NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS IN TERMS OF OLD TESTAMENT IMAGERY AND WE SEE IT CLEARLY IN 1ST PETER CHAPTER TWO VERSES 4-10.

HERE PETER SAYS THAT ALMOST ALL OF GOD'S PROMISES MADE TO ISRAEL HAVE BEEN BESTOWED ON THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.

THE PRIESTHOOD ABLE TO OFFER ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICES TO GOD IS NO LONGER DESCENDED FROM AARON, AND NO LONGER EVEN IS DESCENDED FROM HIS TRIBE.

CHRISTIANS ARE NOW THE TRUE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, WITH DIRECT AND BOLD ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GOD.

GOD'S ELECT  ARE NO LONGER DESCENDED BY BLOOD FROM ABRAHAM JUST AS JOHN'S GOSPEL TEACHES US IN JOHN 1:13,

NO LONGER IS DIRECT BLOOD FAMILY NEEDED TO BE A PART OF THE KINGDOM AS THE BLOOD OF JESUS HAS OVERCOME THAT NEED.

JEWISH CHRISTIANS AND GENTILE CHRISTIANS ARE NOW SEEN AS ONE FAMILY IN THE KINGDOM.

PAUL IS VERY CLEAR ON THIS MATTER IN EPHESIANS 2:14-15 AS JESUS MADE FROM TWAIN ONE NEW MAN, RELATED BY FAITH ONLY.

THE CHURCH IS THE COMMUNITY OF THE KINGDOM BUT IS NOT THE KINGDOM ITSELF.

THE KINGDOM IS THE RULE OF GOD THROUGH HIS LAW, HIS PROPHETS , AND HIS MESSIAH.

THE CHURCH IS A SOCIETY OF MEN & WOMEN.

THE KINGDOM HAS CREATED THE CHURCH TO SERVE THE LORD AND IS AN INSTRUMENT OF HIS POWER.

IT HAS NO POWER ON IT'S OWN. ALL POWER FOUND IN THE CHURCH IS GIVEN FROM ABOVE AND THESE BLESSINGS ARE WHAT PETER IS TRYING TO CONVEY.

NOW IN REVIEW OF OUR VERSES, WE SEE FIRST IN 1-3 THAT PETER IS CHALLENGING US TO GROW SPIRITUALLY.

THE SAVED SHOULD LEARN HOW TO SERVE THE LORD AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO GROW & MATURE SPIRITUALLY.

PETER USES THE SAME LANGUAGE OF PHYSICAL BIRTH SEEN IN CHAPTER 1 AS THE NEXT STEP AFTER BIRTH IS TO GROW.

IN ORDER TO DO SO, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE MUST LAY ASIDE.

PETER MENTIONS 5 OF THEM IN VERSE 1 :

• MALICE

• GUILE

• HYPOCRISIES 

• ENVIES  &

• EVIL SPEAKINGS

IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE THIS COMMAND IS TO PUT AWAY, TO STOP, AND NOT TO RETURN AGAIN TOWARD.

IN VERSE 2 PETER TEACHES OF THE THING TO DESIRE AFTER WE HAVE LAID ASIDE THE NEGATIVE THINGS.

THE SINCERE MILK OF THE WORD.

WE GROW BY FEEDING UPON THE WORD. SPIRITUAL GROWTH DOES NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.

PETER ALLOWS THAT THE REASON WE ARE TO DESIRE THIS SINCERE MILK IS HAVING TASTED IT, WE KNOW THE LORD IS GRACIOUS.

THOSE ADDRESSED HAD ALREADY LEARNED THIS FACT AT THEIR SALVATION MOMENT AND WE MUST REMEMBER PETER IS WRITING TO SAVED PEOPLE.

IN VERSES 4-5 PETER SAYS WE MUST SACRIFICE ACCEPTABLY.

THIS FACTOR COMES AFTER SALVATION.

• 1ST THEY WERE COMING TO CHRIST IN A LIVING & GROWING

  RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

• 2ND CHRIST IS THE LIVING STONE  (CORNERSTONE OF FAITH)AND WE MUST NEVER OVERLOOK THAT HE IS ALSO THE LIVINGWATER (JOHN 7:38) & THE LIVING BREAD (JOHN 6:51) AND THE LIVING WAY (HEBREWS 10:20).

• 3RD THIS STONE WAS DISALLOWED OF MEN. THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE MEANS TESTED AND REJECTED. THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS REJECTED HIM AND CAST HIM ASIDE AS A WORTHLESS STONE.

• 4TH JESUS WAS CHOSEN OF GOD. THE ONE REJECTED BY THE PHARISEES WAS THE CHOSEN ONE SENT BY YAHWEH TO SAVE HIS OWN CHOSEN PEOPLE. IN BOTH HIS BAPTISM AND HIS TRANSFIGURATION GOD SPOKE FROM HEAVEN CONFIRMING THIS FACT.

IN VERSE 5 WE SEE THE NATURE OF THESE STONES OF WHICH THOSE SAVED ARE THEMSELVES A PART.

1ST THEY ARE LIVELY. THE SAVED ARE ALIVE SPIRITUALLY AND ARE NO LONGER DEAD STONES. PAUL IS VERY CLEAR TO TEACH US THAT WE ARE QUICKENED (MADE ALIVE).

2ND THEY ARE BUILT UP INTO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE.

3RD THEY ARE A HOLY PRIESTHOOD. BELIEVERS ARE JOINED TOGETHER WITH OTHER BELIEVERS INTO A JOINT COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST AND HAVE A PRIESTLY FUNCTION. NO PREACHER OR PRIEST HAS TO INTERCEDE FOR BELIEVERS UNDER THE NEW COVENANT. EACH BELIEVER IS HIS OWN PRIEST.

4TH THEY OFFER UP SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES. THE OLD SYSTEM OF ANIMAL SACRIFICE IS OVER AND IT WAS FINISHED BECAUSE JESUS MADE THE ONCE AND FINAL SACRIFICE. NOW WE ARE LIVING SACRIFICES OF OURSELVES FOR HIM.

5TH PETER SAYS THESE BELIEVERS (AND US) ARE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. THE ONLY WAY TO THE FATHER IS THROUGH THE SON. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO THE KINGDOM.

SO BECAUSE OF ALL THOSE THINGS, PETER TEACHES THAT WE ARE TO CHOOSE WISELY IN VERSES 6-8.

THE FATHER'S FOREORDAINING OF THE SON REACHES BACK TO ETERNITY PAST (CHAPTER 1 VERSE 20).

THE STONE LAID IN ZION IS THE CORNERSTONE OF ALL THINGS OF THE SPIRIT AND WAS SO PLANNED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.

HERE PETER HARKENS US BACK TO ISAIAH 28:16, SAME TEACHING.

JESUS IS ELECT AND PRECIOUS, MEANING CHOSEN AND BROUGHT TO US TO BE FOREVER PRECIOUS, MEANING AT A HIGH COST.

THE PRICE OF OUR SALVATION IS THE DEATH OF THE SON OF GOD.

IN VERSES 7-8 WE SEE THAT HE IS REJECTED BY THOSE WHO REMAIN IN UNBELIEF.

THESE ARE DISOBEDIENT & STUMBLE AT THE WORD.

WE CANNOT EVER FORGET THAT THIS SIN IS THE ONE SIN THAT JESUS DID NOT COVER IN HIS OWN BLOOD.

ALL OTHER SIN DEBTS ARE PAID BY HIS GLORIOUS SACRIFICE EXCEPT THIS SIN.

NOW IN VERSES 9-10 PETER TURNS HIS TEACHING TO MORE POSITIVE THINGS.

HE REMINDS BELIEVERS OF WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM.

PETER USES FOUR PHRASES TO REMIND BELIEVERS WHO THEY WERE 

• 1ST THEY WERE A CHOSEN GENERATION. HERE PETER HARKENS BACK TO HIS CHOOSING OF HIS OWN IN DEUT 7:6.

• 2ND THEY WERE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. WE SEE THIS TEACHING CONFIRMED IN THE REVELATION (5:10) ASSURING US OF THIS FACT. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT UNTIL THIS TEACHING, THE ONLY TWO INDIVIDUALS SO GRANTED THIS PRIVILEGE WERE MELCHIZEDEK & JESUS CHRIST, BOTH PRIESTS & KINGS, NOW WE JOIN THAT VERY EXCUSIVE GROUP FOREVER.

• 3RD THEY WERE A HOLY NATION, SET APART TO BE A LIGHT AND WITNESS TO A WORLD THAT IS DARKENING BY THE REJECTION OF IT'S ONLY MESSIAH (HARKENS BACK TO EX 19:6).

• 4TH THEY WERE A PECULIAR PEOPLE. IN THE GREEK THIS DOES NOT MEAN ODD (ALTHOUGHT AT TIMES WE ARE VERY ODD),  BUT IT MEANS A UNIQUE POSSESSION, UNLIKE & ABOVE OTHERS.

PETER NOW IS VERY SURE TO ASSURE THESE BELIEVERS OF THE THINGS THEY WERE TO DO.

WE ARE TO SHOW FORTH OUR PRAISES OF HIM BY OUR LIVES AND HEARTS WHICH AFTER SALVATION, BELONG TO HIM. NOW IN VERSE 10 PETER ASSURES THEM THAT WHILE THEY HAD BEEN NOT A PEOPLE BUT NOW ARE EXACTLY THAT, A PEOPLE OF GOD.

BEFORE FAITH THEY HAD NOT OBTAINED MERCY BUT NOW ARE A PART OF THE KINGDOM ONLY BECAUSE OF THAT MERCY WHICH COMES BY GRACE ALONE.

HERE PETER REACHES BACK TO THE PROPHET HOSEA IN HOSEA 2:1.

THE PROPHETS 1ST CHILD WAS NAMED LO-RUHAMAH, MEANING NO MERCY.

THE 2ND ONE WAS NAMED RUHAMAH DROPPING THE PREFIX “LO” AND IS TRANSLATED AS MERCY.

HERE PETER IS LIKELY GRANTING HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WERE TWO PEOPLES SEPARATE BEFORE, JEWS AND GENTILES, AND NOW BOTH ARE ONE BECAUSE THE LORD HAS MADE THEM SO THROUGH HIS PERFECT PLAN OF MERCY FOR ALL WHO BELIEVE.

HOW DID THEY BECOME A HOLY NATION?

IN LUKE 4:5-7 SATAN TOOK JESUS TO A HIGH PLACE AND SHOWED HIM ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD AND OFFERED THEM TO JESUS AS A QUICKER WAY TO RULE WITHOUT THE CROSS.

JESUS REJECTED THE OFFER, KNOWING THE PLAN OF GOD AND BEING FAITHFUL TO IT FOR HE WAS PART OF IT.

SATAN IS NOT ALL KNOWING, AND WAS NOT IN FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE PLAN PUT INTO PLACE BEFORE ALL THINGS.

AFTER REJECTING SATAN, JESUS BEGAN HIS MINISTRY PREACHING THAT TIME HAD NOW BEEN FULFILLED & THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS AT HAND (MARK 1:15).

NOW WE FAST FORWARD 30 YEARS LATER. ROME WAS THE CENTER OF THE WORLD.

IT WAS SURELY ONE OF THE KINGDOMS SATAN OFFERED TO JESUS.

BUT PETER NOW ASSURES BELIEVERS THEN & NOW THAT WE ARE A HOLY NATION.

WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?

IT CAME FROM CHRIST. EVERY PAGE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE TEACHES THAT THERE IS A NEW NATION, MADE HOLY BY FAITH THROUGH GRACE.

THIS IS A NEW KINGDOM THAT SATAN COULD NOT OFFER FOR IT HAD ITS BEGINNING IN THE GLORY OF ETERNITY, NOT OF THE WORLD WHERE SATAN WORKS.

WHO ARE THE CITIZENS OF THIS HOLY NATION ALL COMING FROM THE MANY KINGDOMS OF DARKNESS INTO THE NEW KINGDOM OF LIGHT?

HOW CAN THEY BE HOLY IF THEY ALL CAME FROM KINGDOMS OF GREAT DARKNESS?

PETER GIVES THE ANSWER HERE IN OUR PASSAGE TODAY.

THEY WERE REDEEMED BY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS AND THEREFORE BECAME JUST & HOLY, BUT ONLY WERE MADE SO CLEAN BY THE SACRIFICE OF GOD'S LAMB.

THEY ARE NOT ONLY HOLY (MEANING RIGHTEOUS) IN THEIR POSITION BEFORE THE JUSTICE OF GOD, BUT ARE NOW ALSO TO BE HOLY IN THEIR CONDUCT.

THE INTIMATE RELATION THAT BEGINS WITH SALVATION BRINGS THAT HOLINESS, NOT JUST OF THE SOUL BUT ALSO OF THE HEART, WHICH GUIDES BEHAVIOR.

TO THE GREAT ANGER OF SATAN, JESUS WAS TAKING PEOPLE FROM THE DARK KINGDOMS AND BUILDING THEM INTO HIS OWN KINGDOM OF LIGHT & GOODNESS.

THE LORD HAD DESTROYED THE OLD DARKNESS THAT HAD INVADED HIS OWN CREATION BY SIN AND NOW USES THOSE SAME PEOPLE DRAWN AWAY TO BECOME CITIZENS OF THE NEW KINGDOM, ALL OF WHOM LIVE AS ALIENS AMONG THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD AND BRINGING LIGHT TO DARK PLACES.

PETER IS STRONGLY TEACHING US THAT THOSE WHO HAD BEEN BORN INTO REBELLION AGAINST GOD TO SATAN'S GREAT JOY, WERE NOW SPEAKING HAPPINESS IN BOTH SOUL & HEART ON BEHALF OF GOD'S MERCY AND GRACE.