The Price For Being Chosen / Picked Out To Be Picked On

I Peter 2:9-12 “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. 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. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

I Peter 2:9-12 (Message)

9–10  But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

11–12  Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

Dr. Tony Evans says as a Hope Word in the new NASB Bible concerning this text: He says: “Freedom does not mean getting to do whatever you want to do. Freedom means getting to do what you ought to do.”

The Price Of Being Chosen

Picked Out To Be Picked On

Peter describes Christians in a number of ways. They are a royal priesthood (also “a holy priesthood” in 2:5). Through Jesus Christ, we have access to God and need no other human priest to represent us or intercede for us.

Believers are a chosen race (2:9). As the last Adam (see Rom 5:12–21; 1 Cor 15:45–49), Jesus is the head of a new race of people. The first Adam brought sin and death, but the last Adam brought spiritual life. This new race includes believers from every ethnic group. All physical or cultural distinctions are subservient to this greater category: we are children of God.

The people of God are a holy nation—not a perfect people, but a people set apart with a passion to live corporately to please God. We are a people for his possession—we’re not special because of who we are, but because of the one to whom we belong (2:9).

Along with this new identity, God’s people are to live a new lifestyle. You are to proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. In other words, you are to serve as an advertising agency tasked with sharing the message of his love. We were formerly not his people. Now we are and have received mercy (2:10). Therefore, as we live in this world—both as individuals and when we gather corporately—people ought to be able to see what our marvelous God is like.

Chosen (Elect) - According To Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, The word chosen is actually a word called: Elect. When the verb “elect” is used theologically in the Bible, it usually has God as its subject. In the OT it is used for God’s choice of Israel to be his people (cf. Acts 13:17). Israel became God’s people, not because they decided to belong to him, but because he took the initiative and chose them. Nor did God’s choice rest on any particular virtues that his people exemplified, but rather on his promise to their forefather Abraham (Dt 7:7, 8). God also chose their leaders, such as Saul and David (1 Sm 10:24; 2 Sm 6:21), apart from any popular vote by the people. The word thus indicates God’s prerogative in deciding what shall happen, independently of human choice.

The same thoughts are found in the NT. God’s people are described as his “elect” or “chosen ones,” a term used by Jesus when speaking of the future time when the Son of man will come and gather together God’s people (Mk 13:20, 27). He will vindicate them for their sufferings and for their patience in waiting for his coming (Lk 18:7). In 1 Peter 2:9 God’s people are called an “elect nation.” This phrase was originally used of the people of Israel (Is 43:20), and it brings out the fact that the people of God in the OT and the Christian church in the NT stand in continuity with each other; the promises addressed to Israel now find fulfillment in the church.

Royal Priesthood

Royal Family Cultural Ontology — The close family of a king or regent, especially those related by blood and not marriage.

Priesthood Cultural Ontology — A class of individuals responsible for maintaining the integrity of ecclesiastical institutions and performing official rituals of a religion.

Peculiar - The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia Defines peculiar to be: An archaic term in the KJV translating Heb. segullâ, a special treasure, valued property (cf. Eccl 2:8; 1 Chr 29:3, “a treasure of my own,” RSV); Gr. periousios, beyond the ordinary, especial: eis peripoiēsin, for acquisition, for (one’s own) possession.

Now that we know what it means to be chosen, royal, holy and peculiar. I want to spend the remainder of our time looking at the price for being Chosen by God.

John 15:1-25 (ESV)

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Another quote from Dr. Tony Evans is: “ Spiritual intimacy with God expands spiritual capacity.”

15:1 Jesus frequently used agricultural imagery in his teaching. On this occasion he told his disciples, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. But he didn’t pull this imagery out of thin air. The prophet Isaiah had spoken of Israel as the Lord’s vineyard. God expected his vineyard to bear fruit, but it produced nothing but worthless grapes (see Isa 5:1–7). In contrast, the Son of God came as the authentic vine, perfectly obeying the Father and revealing his will to the people.

15:2 Every branch in [Jesus] that does not produce fruit [the Father] removes. And every branch that produces fruit the Father prunes … so that it will produce more. “Every branch” refers to Christians because they are in Jesus. The vine (the Son) feeds the branches, and the gardener (the Father) tends the branches. God’s goal for every Christian is to increase in fruit bearing. We are to progress from producing no fruit (15:2) to some fruit (15:2) to more fruit (15:2) to much fruit (15:5) to remaining fruit (15:16). Fruitfulness is a life of spiritual usefulness and productivity for the good of others and the glory of God. It’s the proof of true discipleship (15:8).

Fruit has three characteristics.

First, it reflects the character of its tree. Apples come from apple trees; oranges grow on orange trees. The fruit in your life should reflect Christ—his attitudes and actions, his character and conduct.

Second, fruit is visible. The presence of fruit lets you identify a tree’s kind and whether it’s healthy. An authentic follower of Christ is a visible follower of Christ, not a secret-agent saint.

Third, fruit is always for the benefit of others. If you’re always serving yourself instead of others, your fruit is going to rot on the tree.

The Greek verb translated “removes” in this verse can also be rendered “takes away” or “lifts up.” The branches in a vineyard could become large and drag on the ground easily. So God the gardener “takes them away” from the ground by lifting them up. God will, therefore, seek to make you fruitful by lifting you up, encouraging you, and motivating you—for example, through his Word and through the people of God. Those who are fruitful God also prunes so that they bear more fruit. Sometimes God will bring challenges and trials into our lives to enable us to grow in our faith and cast off anything hindering full productivity.

15:3–5 The disciples were clean through the washing of Christ’s word (15:3; see Eph 5:26). This is how we stay clean too; nevertheless, we must remain in Jesus. A branch that’s disconnected from the vine is useless. So also we can’t produce fruit unless we remain in Jesus (15:4). The idea of “remaining” or “abiding” in Christ has to do with intimacy and relationship. Jesus Christ is our source, the only one who can provide the spiritual sustenance and vitality we need to be useful believers. Thus, we need to hang out with him. You can’t avoid Jesus all week and then show up on Sunday morning expecting growth. We only produce much fruit when we remain in him (15:5).

We can safely conclude in the first five verses of this text that chosen people abide in Christ. We don’t just visit Him on Sundays.

6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

15:6 If someone chooses not to remain in Jesus, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. Such branches are gathered and burned. This is not a description of hell and cannot refer to loss of salvation since believers are eternally secure. We’ve already seen that everyone who comes to Jesus will never be cast out. If you could lose eternal life, then it wasn’t eternal to begin with (see commentary on 6:36–40). So instead, the burning is a reference to the consequences of a loss of both fellowship with God and rewards from him. If you disconnect from the vine for too long, don’t be surprised to find yourself experiencing divine discipline, getting burned, and seeing your spiritual life withering. Such a believer is useless to himself, God, and others. So, if you find such things happening to you, repent! “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (Jas 4:8).

15:7 To have Jesus’s words remain (or “abide”) in you requires more than merely reading or listening to them. You must internalize them. Another way to describe this is meditating on God’s Word, rolling it around in your mind to grasp what it means and how to apply it to your specific circumstances. We must chew and swallow Scripture, so to speak, so that it becomes part of us. (Use the cow illustration where he chews swallows and throws it back up in his mouth to chew some more and swallow). When you do this, you can ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. In other words, prayers get answered when we maintain intimate fellowship with God through his Word. That’s because you’ll find your will aligning with his.

15:8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. The more useful you become to the kingdom, the more glory God will receive and the more people will recognize you as a serious saint (rather than a casual Christian). The Lord wants followers, not mere fans.

15:9–10 Jesus told his disciples, Remain in my love (15:9). How do we do that? Jesus said, If you keep my commands you will remain in my love. Love for Jesus results in obedience. And obedience produces a deeper relationship with him. The Son wants us to enjoy the intimate kind of loving relationship that he enjoys with the Father (15:10).

15:11 Jesus’s goal in teaching his disciples things was that their joy would be complete. Joy is internal stability in spite of external circumstances because of the knowledge that God is in control. It is a settled assurance and quiet confidence in God’s sovereignty that results in the decision to praise him. Notice that Jesus offered them his own joy. So, if your joy container is empty, Jesus will let you borrow some of his.

15:12–14 Jesus repeated the command he gave them earlier (see 13:34): Love one another as I have loved you (15:12). Biblical love involves more than mere emotions and personal preferences. Love is the decision to compassionately, righteously, responsibly, and sacrificially seek the well-being of another. You can love people whom you may not necessarily like because love is not dependent on your feelings.

That’s why Jesus can command you to “love your enemies” (Matt 5:44). It’s true that love may include feelings of affection, and such feelings may develop over time. But it’s not driven by them. Love is driven by sacrifice for the welfare of others. And the greatest expression of love is to lay down one’s life for … friends (15:13). That’s the kind of love Jesus modeled for us.

15:15 Jesus told his disciples that they were not mere servants to him. They were his friends. A master doesn’t reveal things to a servant, but friends do. Jesus had made known to his disciples everything he had heard from his Father.

Chosen people, LOVE God and joyfully and sacrificially love one another.

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

15:16–17 When the Bible refers to God’s choice (or election) of people, it’s a choosing for service, not salvation. Jesus chose his disciples so that they would produce fruit that would be useful to his kingdom and reflect God’s character. He didn’t simply save them for heaven only; he appointed them to a mission on earth that would involve winning people to Christ and growing them in the faith (15:16)—a mission that involves keeping his commands, loving him, and loving one another (15:9–15). When that happens, the Father answers prayer (15:16).

Chosen People are chosen for salvation and God’s mission of soul winning and growing others in Christ.

17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another. The Hatred of the World

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.

24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

15:18–21 The world system headed by Satan (see commentary on 12:31; 14:30–31) hates Jesus. Therefore, followers of Jesus who identify with his person and character will face hatred and opposition from the world (15:18–19). As servants of Christ, we should not expect to be treated better than he was. If they persecuted [him], they will also persecute you. But, similarly, if they kept [his] word, they will also keep the word spoken by his disciples (15:20). When you faithfully represent Jesus, the world will relate to you as it related to him.

15:22–25 God holds people accountable to the revelation they have received. The Son of God came personally into the world to reveal the Father, so those who rejected him have no excuse for their sin (15:22). The one who hates me, he told them, also hates my Father (15:23). That’s strong language, but there’s no way around it. People can’t talk about their love for God while simultaneously rejecting his Son. In spite of all Jesus’s words and works, many refused to believe in him, thus demonstrating their hatred for the Father and the Son (15:24). They fulfilled the Scripture spoken by David in Psalm 69:4: They hated me for no reason (15:25). As the wicked showed their disdain for King David, so they showed disdain for the Son of David.

If you’re not ready to be hated by the world, then you’re not ready to follow Jesus. If you’re not hated by the world you might be apart of the world. Which creates a problem on this mission that we are on. You said you were saved.

Here’s my personal delima taken from my experience in the church: Jesus said, the world would hate me. What I have never been able to understand in the church. There are no scriptures that help me with what to do when the church seems to hate me for my committment to Christ, His Word and His Mission.

What happens when you stand on the Word, living a holy life, and resisting temptation, and worshiping God through obedience and corporate worship, abandoning my ego to give Him glory and it all results in Church folks thinking I’m doing too much?

Why did God teach us about the world hating us and encourages us to hang in there until He returns and not warn us of the church hating us?

Could it be, that some only profess with their mouths that they belong to Christ, but has never ever truly surrendered their lives to Him?

His Word, in this text clearly states to us, how we should ABIDE in Him, Abide in His love for Him and one another. He even tells us ALL that we have experienced such an amazing gift of mercy. So since we are all in the same boat, why do we have so many cliques and clubs in the church. They don’t have any names, but they have corners.

In my experience in church, the moment I got saved, it was the youth group that I was in who made fun of my love for God and my love for Church. It was my, youth group that made fun of my committment to God to the point where they said things like: Oh, You can’t hang with us, you’re really saved.

Question: Why did church folks make me think there was something wrong with me for loving Jesus?

There’s not warning, no encouragement, no book or nothing on what happens when the church hates you for no reason.

Question: Am I too saved or are you not saved at all?

I have the answer. The answer is, either they have never been saved or they once lived saved, they got picked on because they were picked out and the bailed out and disconnected from the vine.

Chosen people will be hated without a cause!

When you’re chosen, sometimes you get wounded in the house of your friends. Why are they your friends. Because they are God’s friends…they’re just disconnected. They know what God is doing, they just don’t want no parts of it. They do not want to pay the price to follow JESUS and they hate you because they see that you are willing to be hated by them to live for Him.