A Royal Priesthood, A Holy Nation

1 Peter 2:4-12 

Key Verse 2:9

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

In this passage the apostle Peter tells us about 4 very important topics in our lives. 

(1) Identity: Who are we, believers? (9a)

(2) Purpose of life: What to live for? (9b)

(3) Reason for life: Why do we live? (9c)

(4) Direction of life: How to live? (11-12)

May God richly bless us to know who we are before him so that we can glorify Him in our lives. 

1. Read verses 4-5. How is Jesus described? (4a) How was he treated by men? (4b) By God? (4b) What are believers compared to as they come to him? (5a) What are they being built into? (5b) What do believers do as a holy priesthood? (5c)

1-1) Read verses 4-5.

“4 As you come to him, the living Stone —rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 

1-2) How is Jesus described? (4a)

“4 As you come to him, the living Stone —rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—“

a) Living Stone (v4) 

He changed his metaphor from milk metaphor (v2-3) to construction metaphors 

(v4-8) 

Jesus: the living Stone (v4), the cornerstone (v6), rock (v8). 

Believers: living stones, (v5), spiritual house (v5)

1-3) How was he treated by men? (4b)

“4 As you come to him, the living Stone —rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—“

Rejected by men: A rejected stone (v4, Ps. 118:22): 

Jesus was disapproved by builders. (Ps 118:22) 

These builders may refer to all unbelievers, including Jewish leaders. 

1-4) By God? (4b)

 Chosen by God and precious to him. 

Jesus has always been God’s only plan of redemption. (Luke 22:22)

1-5) What are believers compared to as they come to him? (5a) 

“5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Living stones.

1-6) What are they being built into? (5b) 

“5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

a) Believers are being built into the temple. (1 Cor. 3:9,16; 6:19)

God is building a spiritual temple (a spiritual house) using living stones

 (believers). (v5)

Jesus is called the living stone; we are called living stones. 

1-7) What do believers do as a holy priesthood? (5c)

”5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

a) To be a holy priesthood

Believers are priesthood before God. 

The concept of priesthood is corporate, not individual. (Pleural You)

b) Offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God 

Sacrifice: our whole lives including words and deed. (Rom 12:1-2, Heb13:15-16)

Our lives should be holy (1 Peter1:14-16)  

c) Through Jesus Christ. 

We can only serve as priests through Jesus Christ. 

In ourselves, we have no priestly authority, but only in Jesus.

2. Read verses 6-8.  How was Jesus prophesized in the Scripture as a stone? (6a) What kind of stone is Jesus? What assurance is there for the one who trusts in him? (6b) What happens to those who believe and those not? (7,8a) What were is destined for those who disobey the message? (8b)

2-1) Read verses 6-8.

“6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.”

2-2) How was Jesus prophesized in the Scripture as a stone? (6a) 

“6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

a) Jesus is a chosen and precious cornerstone.

b) God made Jesus a cornerstone (capstone) (Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16) 

Cornerstone is a starting point of a building; starting place for two walls. 

2-3) What kind of stone is Jesus?

Jesus is the cornerstone.

2-4) What assurance is there for the one who trusts in him? (6b) 

“6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 

a) God will never allow the one who trusts in him to be put to shame. (v6)

God is faithful to protect those who trust in him. 

2-5) What happens to those who believe and those not? (7,8a) 

“7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.”

a) To those who believe Jesus 

God makes us to value Jesus the most. (v7)

Jesus becomes precious to us. 

To believers, nothing is more valuable than Jesus.  

If Jesus is truly precious to them, we can know their faith is genuine. 

We do not make Jesus valuable; we just become recognize the value of 

Jesus.

b) To those who do not believe Jesus; 

Jesus causes men to stumble who do not believe in Him. 

People stumble because of their willful disobedience to the gospel message. 

It is not because of God’s selection, (as some people misunderstand)

c) “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.”

They stumble and fall over Jesus. 

It is destined that those who disobey the message of God should stumble over

 Jesus. 

Disobedience to God is the guarantee of failure and destruction. 

3. Read verses 9-10. What are the believers’ status in Jesus? (9a) Think about the meaning of each status. Why were they called for? (9b) What two things changed for believers once they had been chosen by God?  (10)

3-1) Read verses 9-10. 

“9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

3-2) What are the believers’ status in Jesus? (9a) Think about the meaning of each status. 

a) A Chosen people: God chose us.

We are chosen by God to be holy. 

We are chosen by God for worshiping God. 

We are chosen by God to be a blessing for many (ministry). 

b) A Royal priesthood; God wants us to worship Him.

Royal: we are children of the King of the universe. 

We need to learn how to behave as a member of royal

Priesthood: 

Duty of Priests

To offer sacrifice: Main duty (worship)

To lead the praise song for God: (praise) 

To lead the prayer for the people before God: (prayer)

To teach people about the law of God: (teaching)  

Priesthood’s main duties are all about worship for God. 

The offices of royalty (king) and priesthood (priest) were separated in Israel,

but Jesus, who is our King and Priest, has brought them together for His people.

c) A Holy nation : God wants us to be holy.

We are called to be holy to reveal a holy God to a fallen world. 

We are under God’s government. God reigns us. We are under God’s care.

 

d) A People belonging to God: we are God’s possession: God’s people 

Believers belong to God as His special people. 

God takes ordinary people like us and make them special.  

e) OT’s title for Israel: God has same purpose for Israel and for the church in NT. 

Now apply to the NT believers (Rom 2:28-29: Gal 3;29, 6:16; Eph. 2:11-3:13;

 Rev1:6). 

3-3) Why were they called for? (9b) 

“9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

 

a) To declare the praise of him who called us 

i) Purpose of life after Salvation (1Cor 10:31)

God showed His Excellencies to his people (believers; us) 

We are saved to declare the praises of Him: to proclaim the Excellencies

 of Him. 

We are chosen to praise Him: worship Him; honor Him, glorify Him. 

We are chosen to proclaim Him; His wonder, wisdom, power, and

greatness. 

God deserves all our praises. God wants us to give all our praises to Him. 

ii) Our previous life

We lived self-centered lives; focusing on our glory, honor, success. 

Previous lives without God can be summarized into this: Meaningless. 

We are created to live with God glorifying Him; worship, honor, and obey

Him.

When we live outside the will of God, our life becomes meaningless. 

b) How can we declare the praise of Him in our practical lives?

i) Declare the praise of God to Him directly in prayer, in song, in worship service. 

Worship privately and publicly in the corporative service

Worship includes ‘praise, prayer, love, and glorifying, obeying, showing

 respect’ 

ii) Declare the praise of God to other believers. 

Share the greatness of God each other in fellowship. 

iii) Declare the praise of God to family members including children. 

Share the gospel to them, glorify God before them, pray together with

them. 

iv) Declare the praise of God to anyone including neighbors, coworkers, and

college students. 

Share/Proclaim the gospel to anyone around us, especially to unbelievers. 

3-4) What two things changed for believers once they had been chosen by God? (10)

”10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

a) Spiritual Position Change: 

Before believing in Jesus: Living in the darkness as nothing but slaves of sin.

We were Deserted, Dirty, Dead Slaves of Sin.

After believing in Jesus: Into His wonderful light as God’s people (Children of

 God)

Now, we are Chosen, Royal, Holy, Precious Priesthood. 

b) Spiritual Blessing Change:

Before believing in Jesus: No mercy, 

We were under the wrath and condemnation of God 

After believing in Jesus: Receiving Mercy of God 

We are under the grace and peace of God. 

c) We must understand these tremendous privileges of believers. 

We must understand that these changes were given to us to help unbelievers and 

other believers.

4. Read verses 11-12. What does Apostle Peter urge us to do? (11,12) How should believers live among the pagans? (12)

4-1) Read verses 11-12.

“11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

4-2) What does Apostle Peter urge us to do? (11,12) 

a) Know your Identity as Aliens: Live as aliens and strangers in the world. 

Aliens: implies this world is not our home. 

Strangers: implies our stay in this world is a short stay (1 Pet 1:1,17). 

We just stay in this world temporarily. (Gen. 23:4; Ps. 39:12; Heb. 11:13).

All believers are citizens of a heavenly realm, not this world. 

b) Seek Inward Holiness: Abstain from sinful desires. 

We are called to be holy like God. It is more than just sexual lust. 

To be holy, we continually need to hold ourselves back from sinful desires. 

Battle against fleshly lusts starts after salvation and continue until our

 glorification. 

c) Show up Outward good deeds: Live good lives doing good. 

We need to conduct godly behaviors among wicked cultures for the glory of God. 

Unbelievers are watching how believers live and react to the struggles of

 life. 

Our outward conducts speak louder than our words.  

4-3) How should believers live among the pagans? (12)

“12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

a) They may see your good deeds and glorify God.

Glorifying God is believers’ highest calling. 

Glorifying God will be unbelievers’ final confession. 

In general, unbelievers do not glorify God even if they see the good deeds. 

Possibly, either unbelievers are born again or they face God as Judge.

b) On the day he visits us (believers): (literally: The day of visitation) 

A day when God visits unbelievers  they either become believers or face God as

Judge. 

c) They accuse you of doing wrong: 

Believers were falsely accused of great crimes in the early church. 

Believers are sometimes falsely accused of something even present times. 

Unreasonable, uneducated, uncivilized, narrow minded, etc. 

In Conclusion, praise God who chose us to be a chosen, holy, precious, royal priesthood of Him. We are to declare the praise of God because He called us out of darkness into His wonderful light. We are to seek our inner holiness and outward good conduct for the glory of God. May God richly bless us to live for His glory. 

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