Lesson Twelve

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Title Page
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Lesson Twelve
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I Peter 25-7
I Peter 25-7 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is
contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion
a chief corner stone, elect, precious and he
that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious
but unto them which be disobedient, the stone
which the builders disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner,
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I Peter 28-9
I Peter 28-9 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a
rock of offence, even to them which stumble at
the word, being disobedient whereunto also they
were appointed. 9 But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people that ye should shew forth the praises of
him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light
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I Peter 210-12
I Peter 210-12 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. 11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as
strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against the soul 12 Having your
conversation honest among the Gentiles that,
whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they
may by your good works, which they shall behold,
glorify God in the day of visitation.
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Focus Verse
I Peter 29 But ye are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people that ye should shew forth the praises of
him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light.
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Focus Thought
Though we were nothing and did not deserve it,
God, in His love, has called and chosen us to be
His family.
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Introduction
Introduction
In the early days of America, many people did not
consider the American Indian to be human. Dee
Browns book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
mentioned that people actually hunted and killed
them as coyotes. He also told of a gripping court
case in which the prosecution was trying to
determine whether the defendant, Chief Standing
Bear, a Ponca Indian, was a person.
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Introduction
The chief was guilty of leaving the reservation
without permission in the late 1870s with a small
band of his people. The chiefs attorney was
trying to establish that if he were a person, he
could live where he wanted to live. The court
finally did officially determine that he was a
person.
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Introduction
Although American Indians are not the subject of
this lesson, the parallel is striking. According
to the apostle Peter, Gentiles were not a people
but became the people of God (I Peter 210). In
this lesson, we will study how God went to
court for Gentiles and won the case that
established them as a special people.
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Introduction
As Christians, we should remember that this world
is not our home. As strangers and pilgrims here,
people often misunderstand our motives and speak
evil of us. Interestingly, what Christians often
view as normal, people of the world sometimes
look at as abnormal. However, what people of the
world call normal often is perverted.
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Introduction
In this lesson, we also will study how our
special status as Gods people demands special
actions in our daily lives. Now that we are
pedigreed children of God, we should act like
royalty. This demands that we live as separated
from the world, for we are a chosen generation.
However, we also will see that the call to
holiness accompanies a call to balance and
sensibility.
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Introduction
Finally, this lesson will remind us that our
eternal destination is heaven. As anyone who is
soon to take a trip governs his activities in
preparation for that trip, we as Christians
should allow Christs future return to dictate
for us a life of readiness. Certainly, we are
preparing for that trip to our final destination.
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I. Called
Called
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called
to be saints Grace to you and peace from God our
Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 17).
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I. Called
Not many people receive a telephone call from the
president of the United States, the prime
minister of Canada, or the king of a monarchy.
Those who do receive such a call usually receive
it because they have accomplished a great feat or
received a great award.
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I. Called
Although few people have received such important
calls, believers in Jesus Christ have received a
call from the King of the universe, almighty God.
His call did not come to acknowledge great
accomplishment on our behalf, but it was a call
to invite us to something great. John 737-39
gives a picture of this invitation
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John 737-39
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. He that
believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that
believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost
was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet
glorified) (John 737-39).
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I. Called
What an invitation! For the Almighty to call us
into a relationship with Himself is like a king
inviting a beggar from the streets to dine with
him in the palace. He has called those who were
nothing to something that represents everything.
Never has anyone received a greater invitation,
for the invitation to enter the kingdom of God
and heaven is the ultimate calling.
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I. Called (A)

1. Out of Darkness into Light

In scriptural terms, darkness is synonymous with
the world, sin, and eternal damnation. When God
called us, we were in sin, or darkness. The
psalmist explained our condition Such as sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound
in affliction and iron (Psalm 10710). God
called us to come out from the evil of darkness
to walk in the heavenly sunlight.
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I. Called (A)
Darkness is a cover for many things that are
evil, including the bondage of sin Men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil (John 319). However, God is able to
deliver anyone from sins strong clutches.
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Colossians 113
Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom
of his dear Son (Colossians 113).
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I. Called (A)
Although light is more powerful than darkness,
evil is not without power. Spiritual light is the
power that lifts us up and draws us nearer to
God. Spiritual darkness, on the other hand, is
the power that pulls us down and away from God.
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I. Called (A)
Like the downward pull of gravity, sin has a
negative influence on everyone as it continually
pulls a person downward. For this reason, we must
constantly resist its downward tow. Just as a
person must put forth effort to climb upward,
living for God requires the effort of consistent
discipline and determination.
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I. Called (A)
The power of the Holy Ghost delivers an
individual from the clutches of darkness because
it is the power of spiritual light. In his
Gospel, John declared, In him was life and the
life was the light of men. And the light shineth
in darkness and the darkness comprehended it
not (John 14-5).
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I. Called (A)
The word comprehended in this passage means
extinguished, overpowered, or put out. The
Amplified Bible renders this verse And the
Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness
has never overpowered it put it out or absorbed
it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to
it.
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I. Called (A)
In his first epistle, John reiterated, This then
is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him
is no darkness at all (I John 15). Without
question, the light of Christ that we have in us
is greater than anything that the world could
offer. The beauty of this deliverance from
darkness by the Light causes us never to desire
to return to the darkness.
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I. Called (B)
The Jews considered the Gentiles as spiritual
orphansfatherless and motherless in this world,
without God and without pedigree. Truly we did
nothing to merit the wonderful grace of God, for
we had nothing to offer God that could influence
His view of us. Utterly lost, helpless, and
hopeless, the balance of our spiritual bank
account was zero.
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I. Called (B)
For us to be a part of Gods family without any
claim of kinship, He had to adopt us.
Consequently, He did what was necessary that all
people could have the tremendous opportunity of
receiving salvation through the Holy Spirit. (See
Romans 815 I Corinthians 1213.)
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I. Called (B)
A persons entrance into the family of God is
purely a spiritual experience, a spiritual
regeneration through the new birth. When
Nicodemus asked how a person could be born when
he is old, Jesus explained that the new birth
consists of water and Spirit. (See John 34-6.) A
person then becomes a child of God through the
new birth by the power of the Holy Ghost.
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I. Called (C)

1. As Newborn Babes

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the
word, that ye may grow thereby (I Peter 22).
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I. Called (C)
We have responded to Gods call, which has
effected a transformationa new beginning. This
new birth brought forth a spiritual baby that
initiated the process of development into a
spiritually mature Christian. In his letter to
the Ephesians, Paul mentioned that the ministry
is for the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ (Ephesians 412). The ministry,
then, is to nurture all of Gods children to
become mature Christians.
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I. Called (C)
As adopted babies, we initially partake of the
milk of the Word and begin to develop but as
we grow, we begin to enjoy the meat of the
Word. (See Hebrews 513-14.) Although we enter
the kingdom as newborn babies, God expects us to
mature properly. Perhaps that is the reason that
Paul warned the Corinthians about remaining
infants too long (I Corinthians 31-3).
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I. Called (C)
When God chose us, He knew that we would need to
develop from infancy to adulthood. Some people
fail to understand this, and they expect new
converts immediately to behave as mature
Christians. As we understand the development of a
child physically, we also should understand the
spiritual development of a new convert.
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I. Called (C)
We cannot expect the new child of God to know
what a mature Christian knows. Furthermore, we
cannot expect a child to behave as an adult
behaves. On the other hand, to remain infants in
Christ and never develop would indicate spiritual
abnormality.
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II. Chosen
Chosen
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people
that ye should shew forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light (I Peter 29).
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II. Chosen
We should view Gods call on our lives as a
compliment however, when He chooses us, He calls
us to experience a transformation. In the Book of
Revelation, John referred to the ones who are
called, and chosen, and faithful (Revelation
1714). Gods call is the initial stage of this
process God chooses us on the basis of our
response to His call.
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II. Chosen
Perhaps every individual has felt the stinging
rejection of not being chosen or of being chosen
last for some activity or event. Some were always
last to be chosen when a sandlot game of baseball
was being organized. What a thrill to our ego
when the captain of a team chose us first! We can
all rejoice because God has chosen us and wants
us on His team.
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II. Chosen (A)

1. Lively Stones

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ (I Peter 25).
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II. Chosen (A)
A builder selects materials and has them
delivered to the job site for the construction of
a project. In a similar way, God chose us for the
construction of His projectthe church. His
purpose is not to stack us in a neat pile on the
job site, but He desires to use us in His
building. Certainly, we are lively stones in a
spiritual house.
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II. Chosen (A)
This habitation of God is not a museum full of
yesterdays artifacts, but it is a vibrant and
viable entity. Paul declared to the Corinthians
Ye are Gods husbandry, ye are Gods building
(I Corinthians 39).
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II. Chosen (A)
Furthermore, as lively stones, we are chips off
the old block. The writers of the Old Testament
commonly referred to God as the Rock. (See
Deuteronomy 324, 15, 18, 30-31 II Samuel 222
Psalm 182 313 429.) In his first letter to
the Corinthians, Paul called Christ that Rock
(I Corinthians 104). Not only do we understand
that Jesus of the New Testament is the Jehovah of
the Old Testament, but as children of God, we are
stones that come from the Rock that He uses to
build His church.
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II. Chosen (B)

1. Special People

You are . . . His own special people (I Peter
29, NKJV).
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II. Chosen (B)
In the Old Testament, the Jews were Gods chosen
people For thou art an holy people unto the
Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath chosen thee
to be a special people unto himself, above all
people that are upon the face of the earth
(Deuteronomy 76).
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II. Chosen (B)
However, because of the Jews rejection of Jesus
Christ, God has grafted in the Gentiles to occupy
a place among His people in the New Testament
era, or the church age. Paul proclaimed, But now
in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are
made nigh by the blood of Christ (Ephesians
213). He further added, Now therefore ye are no
more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens
with the saints, and of the household of God
(Ephesians 219).
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II. Chosen (B)
A blessing comes to all Gods special people.
(See Psalm 3312.) The father in the parable of
the prodigal son told the elder brother, All
that I have is thine (Luke 1531). As the
children of our heavenly Father, we are entitled
to everything that God has. We are indeed a
special people.
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II. Chosen (C)

1. A Royal Priesthood

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people
that ye should shew forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light (I Peter 29).
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II. Chosen (C)
In this verse, Peter referred to Exodus 195-6.
God had originally destined Israel to be a
kingdom of priests, but they rejected the call.
(See Exodus 2018-19.) As a result of Israels
refusing the priesthood as a nation, they had to
rely upon priests from the family of Levi to
intercede for them. They had to take their
sacrifices to the door of the Tabernacle and
Temple for the priests to offer them to the Lord
on their behalf.
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II. Chosen (C)
This practice continued until God came in flesh
and became the supreme sacrifice for all mankind.
At that time, the veil of the Temple was torn
from top to bottom, signifying that we could now
go into the Holy of Holies. No longer do we need
a priest to offer our sacrifices, for we can do
that for ourselves. (See Matthew 2750-51
Hebrews 9 and 10.)
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II. Chosen (D)

1. A Holy Nation

But ye are . . . an holy nation (I Peter 29).
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II. Chosen (D)
Because we are a called and chosen people, God
expects us to be holy as He is holy. (See
Leviticus 1144.) In his first epistle, Peter
wrote Because it is written, Be ye holy for I
am holy (I Peter 116). God requires His people
to be holy, for it would be inconsistent and
impossible to have a spiritual relationship with
them otherwise.
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II. Chosen (D)
The word holy comes from a word that means
separated, sanctified, and the same word is
translated as saints (holy ones) in other
places in the New Testament. When Paul penned the
words to all that be in Rome, beloved of God,
called to be saints (Romans 17), he was
indicating that God calls His people to be holy.
The writer of the Book of Hebrews further
declared, Follow peace with all men, and
holiness, without which no man shall see the
Lord (Hebrews 1214).
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II. Chosen (D)
God has always drawn a line between the world and
His people. When He was preparing Israel for the
Passover before their exodus from Egypt that
fateful night, He said, But against any of the
children of Israel shall not a dog move his
tongue, against man or beast that ye may know
how that the Lord doth put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel (Exodus 117).
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II. Chosen (D)
At the time of Jesus earthly ministry, the
Pharisees had taken too far the separation that
God demanded. Feeling that everyone else was
backslidden, they organized to ensure that
holinesstheir perception of holinesswas
pronounced, clarified, and enforced in everyone
else.
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II. Chosen (D)
Jesus attacked them more than any other group,
for they were hypocrites. We should be careful
lest Gods demand for holiness and our desire to
be holy lead us to extremes that mirror the
mistake of the Pharisees. Still, the Scriptures
are clear the church is to be a holy nation.
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III. Faithful (A)
Faithful
The Lord is the only One who can both call and
choose His people however, faithfulness
represents what we can do. God cannot be faithful
for us we must choose that for ourselves.
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III. Faithful (A)
Many people are unfaithful in church attendance,
prayer, witnessing, giving, and lifestyle. George
Barna, the well-known market analyst on church
growth and leadership, says that the number one
problem the church faces today is lack of
commitment in its members and attendants. Many
people do not feel any loyalty to their local
church. Barna says that many people get up on
Sunday morning and decide where they are going to
church depending on who has the best program.
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III. Faithful (A)
The greatest need of the church is not more
talent or more money it is for people to be
faithful. Paul declared to the Corinthians,
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man
be found faithful (I Corinthians 42). The
church needs those who are committed and faithful
regardless of programs.
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III. Faithful (A)

1. Strangers and Pilgrims

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul having your conversation honest
among the Gentiles that, whereas they speak
against you as evildoers, they may by your good
works, which they shall behold, glorify God in
the day of visitation (I Peter 211-12).
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III. Faithful (A)
The Bible declares of Abraham By faith he
sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange
country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise
(Hebrews 119). Paul referred to Abraham as the
father of those who believe therefore, we, as
children of Abraham, also are strangers and
pilgrims. (See Romans 411, 16.)
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III. Faithful (A)
As one song said, This world is not my home Im
just a passing thru. We are presently residing
in this world, but our home is in heaven. For
this reason, we should be careful not to become
so deeply rooted in this world that leaving it
would be difficult.
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III. Faithful (A)
Luke recorded a warning from the Lord that
reminds us of the possibility of making this
world too much our home And take heed to
yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and
cares of this life, and so that day come upon you
unawares (Luke 2134). The word surfeiting has
to do with overindulgence, which would cause us
to become too entrenched in the things of this
world that we would want to remain here.
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III. Faithful (A)
In studying the habits of wildlife, researchers
have discovered that some migrating geese never
get around to migrating. Feeding in a farmers
barnyard, they find themselves too fat to fly
south. Contented with their surroundings, they
forget that their purpose is to fly before the
cold weather hits.
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III. Faithful (A)
This obviously subjects them to the rigors of
winter in an area for which nature has not
properly prepared them. We should never become so
content with this world that we forget we are
destined to live in heaven. One day the Rapture
will take place, and we need to be able to make
the trip.
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III. Faithful (B)

1. Abstain from the World

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war
against the soul (I Peter 211).
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III. Faithful (B)
Peter used the word abstain, translated from
the Greek apechomai and defined as to hold
oneself off, i.e. refrain (Strongs
Concordance). The equivalent Latin word means to
hold back therefore, the dictionary defines
abstain as to hold oneself back. We should hold
ourselves back from the fleshly lusts of the
world. While the world is inviting us to partake
and enjoy, we are fighting to deny the flesh of
what it craves.
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III. Faithful (B)
Peter wrote that fleshly lusts war against the
soul, which indicates that a war is raging in
which we fight to remain separated from the world
and sin. This is the reason that Paul encouraged
Timothy, Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold
on eternal life (I Timothy 612).
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III. Faithful (B)
We cannot enjoy victory or even maintain our
stand for truth without a fight. While God is
commanding us to abstain, the people of the world
urge us to partake, and they cannot understand
why we do not want to get involved in their evil
practices and lifestyles.
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III. Faithful (C)

1. Destination Heaven

For he looked for a city which hath foundations,
whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 1110).
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III. Faithful (C)
As children of Abraham, we are looking for the
same city for which he sought and sojourned. The
Book of Revelation describes it as being a holy
city having twelve foundations. (See Revelation
2110-14.) The holy city was the one for which
Abraham was looking, the place that every soul
longs to reach.
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III. Faithful (C)
Although it is the ideal destination of all human
flesh, unfortunately not all people will go
there. John wrote, And whosoever was not found
written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire (Revelation 2015).
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III. Faithful (C)
When anyone makes the Lord his Master, he
immediately becomes disenchanted with this world
and begins looking for that city. Certainly, the
salvation experience of the new birth changes our
destination, and this world is no longer our goal.
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III. Faithful (C)
God has adopted us into His family, and it is
only natural that we would desire to go to our
Fathers house. Those who are of sin are of their
father the devil, whose abode is the lake of
fire but God is our Father and our destination
is the New Jerusalem.
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Reflections
In this lesson, we have considered how God has
called us out of darkness into His family as
newborn babes. After calling us, He chose us as a
special peoplea royal priesthood, a holy nation,
and lively stones in a spiritual house.
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Reflections
We also learned how that the calling and choosing
were something that only God could do, but
faithfulness is our required response to Him.
Without question, we are strangers and pilgrims
in this worldwe do not fit in! Therefore, we
should abstain from the world because our
ultimate destination is that heavenly city, the
New Jerusalem.