This passage gives a doctrinal basis for the call to persevere in the pursuit of holiness.

The last section focused on calls to holiness closing with references to the converting (1:23-24) and maturing (2:2) power of the word of God.
So, when this passage opens with “As you are coming to Him,” it is referring to our drawing near to God through careful attention to his word. This is the connection. He has just exhorted us to desire the milk of the Word. Now as we do so we are being built up as a spiritual house. So as we obey the previous passage we are made mature. Drawing near to God through His word matures us. The exalted descriptions, then, of this maturity are intended to urge us on in this work. In a way Peter is saying, “See what is in store for you! See the excellencies of the salvation you have been given! Do you not then long to mature in this faith, to grow into these descriptions!”

If I am right on this flow of thought, one part still needs explaining. Peter uses the ‘stone’ metaphor of Christ b/c he wants to show we are also these living stones, etc. but why does he make so much here in this paragraph of the point about Christ being rejected and some today not believing? I think the reason is that as he urges his readers to persevere in the pursuit of Holiness, one major obstacle is the opposition of unbelievers. We know from numerous statements in this letter that the recipients are facing suffering. 4:4 also makes clear that unbelievers are giving them a hard time for not following them in sin.

“With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you”

Even the mention of suffering ‘for righteousness sake’ (3:14) suggests this. The same is true for us. The more you pursue holiness, the more the world will harass you about it. As Jim Elliot said, “The world cannot hate us; we are too much like it.”

Also, throughout the letter, the suffering of Christ is used to teach us our place in suffering.

2:21- For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps

3:18- For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God

4:1- Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking

4:12-13- Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

So, our passage for this morning seeks to urge us on in the difficult work of killing sin and chasing down holiness. And it seeks to do so by addressing the problem of opposition and by unpacking the glory of life in Christ. It addresses opposition by showing us that God’s blessing overrides the worlds curse, that Christ was rejected even as we are, and that those who reject Christ and us (His people) face judgment. It unpacks the glories of salvation by listing various loaded phrases from the OT which describe the privileges of the people of God. Peter very clearly applies the privileges of OT Israel to the church today.

Dealing with opposition in our pursuit of holiness

‘rejected by men, but in the sight of God chosen and precious’- It may be so with us as well. If you seriously seek to follow Christ you will suffer rejection from men (cf 2 Timothy 3:12). It will hurt. You will be tempted to give up, to let down, to pull back. We must remember whose opinion matters in the end! Let them say whatever they want just so long as I can hear on the final day, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

The rejection discussion is rooted first in a quote from Isaiah 28:16. When NT writers quoted the OT they (and their readers) often had the whole context of the passage in mind. So let’s read Isa 28:14-22:

Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers,
who rule this people in Jerusalem!
Because you have said, \"We have made a covenant with death,
and with Sheol we have an agreement,
when the overwhelming whip passes through
it will not come to us,
for we have made lies our refuge,
and in falsehood we have taken shelter\";
therefore thus says the Lord GOD,
\"Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
'Whoever believes will not be in haste.'
And I will make justice the line,
and righteousness the plumb line;
and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
and waters will overwhelm the shelter.\"
Then your covenant with death will be annulled,
and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through,
you will be beaten down by it.
As often as it passes through it will take you;
for morning by morning it will pass through,
by day and by night;
and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.
For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on,
and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.
For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim;
as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused;
to do his deed--strange is his deed!
and to work his work--alien is his work!
Now therefore do not scoff,
lest your bonds be made strong;
for I have heard a decree of destruction
from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land.

This is a message of judgment on the religious leaders because they thought they were secure due to religious trappings even though they scoffed at God’s prophets. They are looking to various things for their safety other than God and His promises. So, God says, “I have spoken. I have laid a sure foundation, but you would not listen. Those who do will be secure. Those who do not will die.

So, also then in Peter’s day. Peter’s audience is in a difficult situation as they were in Isaiah’s day. The temptation will again be to flitter about in a frenzy looking elsewhere for solutions. Peter is arguing for them to ‘stay put’ in Christ. So he draws on the Word through Isaiah with God saying, “I have provided, I am doing my work, it will be established.” Only now Peter clarifies this further saying, the edifice God is building is the church, you! So, stand fast in spite of mockery or harassment, because God has declared he will build His church and you are privileged to be a part of it. So Peter goes on to say, ‘the honor is for you who believe.’

Just to make the honor and privilege clear he goes on the further explain the fate of those who reject Christ and His people. He mentions two things using OT quotes.

a) First, their puny attempts to reject Christ fail! Try as they might they cannot stop Christ. This is the same idea seen in Psalm 2 and then quoted by the early church in Acts 4. Our God reigns! He cannot be impeached and He will not resign. Take courage from this and persevere!
b) Second, they will be crushed. Whereas this stones supports, defends and builds up those who believe, it crushes those who do not believe. So, should the threats of such people intimidate us? Shall we long to be able to go with those who are headed fro destruction?

The Privileges of being in Christ

It is important to be clear that these privileges are detailed as to what believers are collectively. This passage is not primarily speaking to our individual situation as much to what we are as the church.

a) A Spiritual House- The Temple- In the OT the Tabernacle, and then the Temple, was the place where God displayed His glory, where His presence was most specifically manifested. Now, this takes place in the church (Eph 3:21; 1 Tim 3:15).
b) A Holy Priesthood- Whereas in the OT only certain ones were priests and thus involved in the work of the sacrifices, etc., now the church as a whole serves as priests. Thus, in some manner we mediate God to others.
c) Purpose- offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God- We are the ones responsible for the praise of God

The next list is given in direct contrast to those who refuse to believe, who were destined for destruction.

d) A chosen race- This is the language commonly used in the OT to refer to Israel. Here Peter clearly says this applies today to the church. We are the chosen people of God. Those with the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham. So, the world may mock, but what do we care when we consider that we have been chosen by God!
e) A Royal Priesthood

The key OT text behind the next 3 phrases is Exodus 19:4-6:
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.

f) A Holy Nation
We are the ‘nation’ set aside for God. This is not Israel or America. It is the church.
g) A People for His own Possession- This is a beautiful phrase. God owns the whole world, he reminds the Israelites, but He has picked out them as his special prized possession, the apple of his eye. Peter says in the New Covenant the Church is this special prized possession of God’s. As Jesus was despised and rejected by men but precious in the sight of God, so are we.
h) Purpose- proclaim His excellencies- In light of all this how can we not fulfill this purpose. We might ask, “Since God has done all of this for us, what does he want in return?” We cannot repay Him. He simply wants us to tell the truth of how marvelous He has been to us.
i) From ‘not a people’ to ‘people of God’; From ‘no mercy’ to ‘mercy’-
This is an allusion to Hosea 1. AS Hosea’s prostitute wife bore children God told Hosea to name the daughter, “No Mercy” and the son ‘Not My People”. This was to show that God said he would show them no mercy and they were no longer His people. What a strong sad word of Judgment! Yet, in the judgment there was a promise of mercy:
When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the LORD said, \"Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.\"
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, \"You are not my people,\" it shall be said to them, \"Children of the living God.\"

So, Peter says this prophecy is fulfilled in the church. Those of us who were not part of God’s people, who were in Paul’s language ‘far off’ (Eph 2), have been brought near and have been declared to be God’s people. We deserved no mercy but we have been shown mercy!

Application:
1. We need to know our Bibles better! Notice how readily Peter references the OT, even parts we would probably consider obscure. If we are going to be able to draw strength from the pure milk of the Word as Peter did we must know the OT better.
2. We need to learn to read the OT as Jesus and His apostles did.
3. Reckon with the reality of rejection by people
4. Consider Christ as one rejected by men but considered precious by God
5. Think much on the privileges to be found in Christ so that we might draw strength to persevere and so that we might hate sin.

THE GLORIES OF OUR SALVATION

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