Today’s reading: James 3:13-1 Peter 2:12
My selection: 1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
My reflections: Here is a remarkable, even stunning, statement which connects God’s purposes revealed to His people at Mt. Sinai to the Church of Jesus Christ. Exodus 19:5-6 says:
5 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; 6 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.
It was always God’s plan and purpose to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham (Genesis 12:3). Certainly the Israelites were given the Law, the Prophets and the other Old Testament writings. Their mandate was to be obedient and, thus, fulfill their calling to be a nation of priests and a holy nation. Only Jesus Christ, the Messiah, perfectly obeyed God’s voice and kept His covenant. In so doing, Jesus established His Church as the fulfillment of God’s eternal, unchangeable purpose to bless all the families of the earth and to bring together a people for God’s own possession.
This is not “replacement theology,” as some like to disparagingly call it. This is “fulfillment theology.” God’s purposes are perfectly fulfilled in Christ.
My challenge: God has only one people, saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for the glory of God alone as taught in His Word from beginning to end. Praise Him for His great wisdom in decreeing this efficiently. Praise Him for His sovereignty in executing this effectively. Praise Him, if you are in Christ, for calling you out of darkness into His holy nation by mercy. Proclaim His excellencies to all who will hear.
Tomorrow’s reading: 1 Peter 2:13-2 Peter 1:21
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