1 Peter 2:9 tells us that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.  What this all means is that we did not choose God, but have been “chosen out and carefully selected” by Him as His kindred and offspring (chosen generation).  As His selected, we are also called a royal priesthood, meaning we are now of a kingly nature and ancestry dedicated and set apart for service and worship, devoted exclusively to the Lord.  We are an innocent, chaste, perfect race set apart for the work of God (holy nation).  As a peculiar people, we are distinct and separate, different from the usual or normal, presenting a clear unmistakable impression.  Very simply, we should be leaving the impression of God on others wherever we go.  As a separate people, we have been severed (divided) from this world and others should be able to distinguish us and notice a difference in us from those who are not saved.  We were made in such a way that we would be able to show how HE called us from the darkness into His light and how He forever changed our lives.  When we live like a royal priesthood and the peculiar people that we are, we show the world that we have found mercy in the sight of God.

Have you ever known someone who lived a terrible, wicked life who was born again and became a completely different person?  When you see them, it’s so hard to believe what you are witnessing!  A changed life!  A new creation!  Someone living and walking in a totally different direction! 

On the other hand, maybe you’ve known someone who has made a “profession” but they remain the same old person as before.  You are so excited for them when you hear about their salvation, but, sadly, you never see evidence of it.

Consider this interesting comparison.  What if you went to the beautician for a new hairstyle only to come home looing the same!  Everyone would look at you rather strangely when you told them you had just come from getting a new do.  Why would they want to waste their time and money going to a place like that?  In much the same way, if we proclaim to be saved but live pretty much the same lifestyle as before, what would everyone think?  Just as no one would want to visit the same hairdresser that you had gone to, what lost person would want to follow the God that you say you are now following & serving if your life has not changed or seems no different from theirs?   

However, come into church with a new hairstyle and everybody wants to know where you went to get it!  The next day, the phones are ringing off the hook at the hairdressers because there is clearly a difference in what your hair looked like before and when you came out of the place!  No matter how much they might have to pay, they are willing to sacrifice it all to get a new do.  In much the same way, you can have a marvelous influence on others when they see the difference that a relationship with God through Christ Jesus can make.

Continuing on, we find that 1 Peter 2:11 takes things further when we’re told how much different we really are than others around us.  It says that we are strangers in this world!  What this means is that we are resident foreigners, strangers dwelling in a foreign country.  While there is no denying that we live here on this earth, it is equally true that we are only temporary residents and we do not belong here!  Our allegiance, obligation, fidelity, faithfulness is not to this world!  Allegiance is the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides.  As foreigners of this world, our duty and responsibility is to the government our true home:  Heaven.   

And though we are told by Christ to render unto Caesar those things which belong to Caesar, we are also exhorted to render unto God those things which belong to God.  Namely, our hearts, souls, strength, and might; our love and service; and a desire to take up residence in our Eternal Home.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul had to admonish the believers there because they were carnal and walking as men.  He was telling them that they were succumbing to bodily pleasures and appetites, devoted to this world and its pursuits rather than the Lord.  Instead of minding eternal things, they were focused on that which was temporal and pertained to the flesh.  Temporal has the meaning of relating to time as opposed to eternity. 

I do wonder what Brother Paul would think of Christians today!  Whether or not these Christians ever knew the reality of 1 Peter 2:11, I do not know.  But what I do know, what we should all know and live by, is that this world is only temporary!  The things of this world will soon pass away and there is so much that we concern ourselves with that won’t even matter! 

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:19 & 20 that we should lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.  Instead, we are to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.  What He was basically telling us is that the things of this earth will not last.  Sooner or later, they’ll all be gone.  All of the time and effort we have put into stock piling things on earth will pretty much be wasted. 

One interesting thing I noticed when I was looking to see what the word lay means is that it has the idea of applying oneself vigorously.  The example the dictionary used had a lot to do with really applying yourself to something and putting a lot of effort into it.  I think that this is what Jesus was talking about!  He did not want us to put so much effort into something that isn’t going to amount to a hill of beans when it’s all over!  And as we learned above, it will all be over one day because we will be leaving for our forever home!

The most telling thing Jesus had to say in this passage was the fact that where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  I believe He was telling us that even though we live on this earth, our hearts can be in Heaven.  It just depends on what our thoughts, feelings, and mind (your heart) are focused on.  Treasures are things stored up or hoarded for oneself.  If this is the case, I guess we all know who our thoughts were on when we were filling our lives with meaningless things.  What a let down to get to Heaven only to realize that all the things we laid by to keep for ourselves was all in vain.

There is so much that we set our hearts on, so much that we concentrate our efforts on, and that doesn’t even matter.  One example I can specifically think of happens almost every Sunday morning at our house.  Without fail, one daughter or another will change clothes five times.  At 9:00 a.m., when I am checking to make sure everyone is on track to leave on time, I’m sure to find someone (sometimes myself) in tears of frustration or fuming because they cannot find anything to wear.  When I suggest a particular outfit, what I usually here is, “But I wore that last Sunday!”  My usual reply is something along the lines of, “When we all get to Heaven, nobody will remember that you wore the same outfit two Sundays in a row!”  Of course, that doesn’t always help matters any and most times I’m ignored because to the girls is does matter.  My point to them is that no one really notices those things we think are so important, carnal things generated in our flesh.

What, then, you may ask, are the things that will matter?  We'll cover that next time! 

Until then!

Julia

© 2007 Julia Faulkner

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Posted by Denise

for another excellent post. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day stuff of life and not really stop and think and act with eternity in mind - but how vital/life-giving it is to keep that focus.

Looking forward to Part 3!

Denise @
http://henandchicks.typepad.com/hen_and_chicks/

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