Lesson 8

Your Three Special Privileges

1 Peter 2:4-10

Peter did not like write like Paul! Paul's style of writing was more, what I would call, "linear". He takes you from point A to point B to point C, etc. He completes a subject and then moves on to the next subject. Peter, on the other hand, wrote in more of, what I would call, a circular style. He doesn't complete a subject, he just moves on, and comes back later to amplify the first point. I think Peter's epistle, reflect his sanguine personality. You've got to love the guy don't you? Frankly, this style has made I Peter more difficult for me to study and prepare messages.

In I Peter 2:4-10, our text for today, Peter weaves in and out of some wonderful truths. Along the way, he repeatedly quotes or alludes to the Old Testament. Peter's knowledge of the Old Testament was apparently so extensive that it came out in writing almost inadvertently.

This section is about our privileges. The people to whom Peter wrote this epistle we going through some really tough times. Remember how he addressed them? As "strangers scattered". No doubt they were focused on the difficulties of being a Christian. Peter wants them to see some of the privileges of being a believer. Sometimes we need to lift our eyes from path immediately before us and get a glimpse of the view. (Misha Mockwa).

Peter wants to change our view from the problems to the privileges of being a Christian.

Verse 10 says that we have "obtained mercy" and that we have become "the people of God." Christians are the people of God, the people of God's own possession! What a wonderful title! Verse 4 says that this happened as a result of having "come to Christ." Coming to Christ is another way of expressing our conversion. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

To those who come to Christ and receive mercy, God gives some very special privileges. Peter writes about some of these privileges in very picturesque and metaphorical language.

Let's think about three of these privileges.

We Have The Privilege Of Being Bricks in

God's Building, 2:2-8.

Picture a construction scene. God is building a house. Verse 5 calls it "a spiritual house." In building a house you must first lay a foundation. In the ancient world, stones were used for the foundation and the key rock which supported all the other rocks was the cornerstone. Quoting from the Old Testament and from the words of Jesus, Peter identifies Christ as the chief corner stone.

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Psalm 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. Matthew 22:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

A spiritual house is about to be built. The builders are gathering and selecting stones for the foundation. There is one stone that is particularly precious. And yet the builders reject this stone and continually trip over it and get mad at it. The stone which the builders rejected becomes a stumbling stone and an offensive to them. But it is this very stone, rejected and hated by men, which God has chosen to be the cornerstone of the spiritual house that he is building! Peter uses several words to describe this stone.

He calls it a "living stone." Now there's a contradiction of terms. "Living" and "stone" don't usually go together. In fact, we sometimes use the word stone in association with something is dead, as in "stone dead". But in this spiritual house that God is building, He chose as His cornerstone, a living stone. Christ is alive! The grave is empty and Jesus lives!

Peter also refers to this cornerstone as a "precious" stone. We don't usually use a diamond or a gem for the foundation of house. It's way to precious and valuable. But that is exactly what God did! He chose the most precious stone to be the cornerstone.

Verse 5 says that "we also are living stones in the spiritual house" that God is building. We are each individual bricks in God's spiritual house. What a privilege this is! I mean it! The privilege is that we get to be a part of something that God is doing that is much bigger that us! We have the privilege of being a brick in God's spiritual house! I don't know what that does to you, but that gets me excited. Just think about it! God is using me to do something so much bigger than me! Wow!

Before we move on to the next privilege, I want to add this parenthesis and point out just a little phrase from verse 7. We already learned that Christ is precious to God. Verse 7 says that He is also "precious to those who believe." That is one of the marks of genuine salvation. To a truly saved person Christ is precious.

I have a book in my library written by John Fawcett born in 1740. He was saved under the ministry of George Whitefield and at age 24 became the pastor of a Baptist church in Halifax, Nova Scotia. When he was but 30 years old, he wrote the book in my library called Christ Precious To Those Who Believe. Everything about Christ is precious to us - His name, His blood, His doctrine, His promises, His people, His day, His church are all precious to those who believe. Because He is precious, we delight to hear Him, we prefer Him above all others, we are concerned that others may know and love Him, we are grieved when He is dishonored, we are ready to deny ourselves for him, we adhere to Him in all conditions, we are concerned to make His glory the end of all our actions, we long to be with Him. Christ is precious to those who believe. Is he precious to you? Does your life say so?

We Have The Privilege Of Being Priests In

God's Temple, 2:5,9.

Verse 5 says that we are a "holy priesthood" and verse 9 says that we are a "royal priesthood." Here is a wonderful truth of scripture. We call it the priesthood of the believer. Every Christian is a priest, a holy priest, a royal priest, to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God.

Just what does that mean? While a prophet is one who goes to the people of behalf of God (proclaim in thus saith the Lord), a priest is one who goes to God on behalf of the people. Under the Old Testament the priests went into the holy place of the Temple and offered the blood of innocent animals to cover the sins of the people.

But now, we are all priests. We do not need a human priest to help us get to God. We have direct access to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. That is the privilege that Peter is reminding us of here. It is the privilege of access! No one needs to say my prayers for me. No one needs to confess my sins for me. No one needs to offer sacrifices for me. We have the privilege of being priests in God's temple with direct access to the Father through the Son.

Peter calls upon us to offer - not animal sacrifices - but "offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God" (v. 5). Romans 12:1-2 says that we are to offer up our bodies as living sacrifices. Hebrews 13:15 says that we "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews 13:16 says that our good works are sacrifices with which God is well-pleased. Philippians 4:18 says that your financial offerings are "a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God!" These are some of the spiritual sacrifices that we offer to God as priests in His temple.

We Have The Privilege Of Being Citizens In

God's Nation, 2:9-10.

We are called here "a chosen generation ... an holy nation, a peculiar people". Being "chosen" reminds us of privilege of having received the grace of God. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" (John 15:16). that means that I get none of the credit for my salvation and that God gets all the glory for His love and grace.

"Holy nation" reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven and that we are presently living on foreign soil, actually in enemy territory. God intends us to be a holy and to live righteously as citizens of His nation.

The Greek word for "Peculiar people" doesn't odd or weird or strange. It means "special." We are the people of God's own special possession having been purchased by the blood of His own Son.

The privilege that Peter is speaking about with these three phrases is that of sanctification. That is, God has set us apart for His own holy purposes. He is precious to us, but we are precious to Him! What a privilege.

The privilege of being a part of something that God is doing that is much bigger than me. The privilege of having direct access to God through Christ. And the privilege of having been set apart by God, regarded as special and reserved for holy purposes. These are our privileges in Christ.

All of these privileges carry with them one big responsibility mentioned in verse 9 - "that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Our responsibility is to advertise the excellencies of God who called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light!