1 Peter 2:9-10

The royal priesthood of the Christians: V.9. But ye 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 marvelous light; v.10. which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

A greater contrast cannot be conceived of than that which the apostle here presents with regard to the unbelievers and the believers. The unbelievers, by their own fault, have become subject to the condemnation of the Lord, and their lot is inexpressibly sad, since, if they persist in their unbelief, they are forever cast off by God.

But to the believers the apostle applies all the honoring designations which were given to the people of God in the Old Testament: But you are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people of His possession, that you may tell out the virtues of Him who has called you out of darkness into His wonderful light, Ex. 19, 6.

These excellencies do not appear, of course, before the eyes of men. According to the opinion of the world, on the contrary, the believers are a negligible quantity of misguided fools, to whom no sane person will pay serious attention. But hear the opinion of the Lord. He calls them the chosen generation; they have been chosen, or elected, for the position they hold by the resolution of God before the foundation of the world; not only the individual sojourners, but the entire congregation of saints was included in the plan of God; a royal priesthood, for Christ has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, Rev. 1, 6; the holy, the consecrated nation, separated from the world and reflecting the holiness of the Lord; the people of His possession, of His purchasing, that belong to Him, with regard to whose members all the plans of their enemies will prove futile.

Because we occupy this wonderful position in the sight of God, therefore it behooves us, therefore it is natural for us to publish, to proclaim freely and widely, the virtues, the excellencies, of our God, to tell men of, to praise, the goodness, kindness, mercy, grace of God. We can do this with all the greater impressiveness, because we have experienced these attributes in ourselves, because He has called us out of the darkness of our natural condition into the wonderful light of His love in the Gospel, assuring us, at the same time, of the complete forgiveness of all our sins.

Of this the apostle has still more to say: Who formerly were not a people, but now the people of God, who had not become partakers of mercy, but now have received mercy. Compare Hosea 2, 23. The readers whom Peter addresses had formerly, before their conversion, been a non-people, they had not been in the kingdom of the Lord. But now they have been transferred out of the darkness of heathenism and enmity toward God to the glory of the Kingdom of Grace. In their former state they were not under mercy, but under God’s wrath and condemnation. But now they have become partakers of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.

It is the same miracle which the Christians of all times have experienced. And this fact they are to make known to others, telling them of their deliverance from destruction, of their redemption from death, of their salvation through the blood of Christ. That is the best occupation in which Christians may engage.