Contrasting Believers and Non-Believers.

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to open the Word of God on the Lord’s Day.

Introduction of the Passage:

This morning we are continuing on in our study of 1 Peter. We will be in 1 Peter 2:7-12. As you turn there, I want to remind you once again that Peter is writing this to the church as a whole. This is the church exiled and dispersed due to persecution by the Roman empire. This is the church made of Jews and Gentiles. They have been driven from their homes and homelands due to this persecution. And Peter is writing to encourage them by reminding them of their glorious salvation and to call them into holiness.

Reading of the Passage:

With this in mind, would you stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

1 Peter 2:7–12 “7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 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. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 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.”

Behold, the Word of God which stand forever and aye. Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Oh Lord our God, we ask that you would be honored in this time. We commit this time in your Word to you. Would you open our hearts and minds to hear from you. We thank you for this blessing and honor in your presence. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.

Text Idea:

In this passage Peter is contrasting believers and non-believers. Peter is telling this first century church that Christ is their salvation and glorification, but a stumbling block and offense to non-believers.

Sermon Idea:

Christ is a stumbling block and offensive to non-believers, but He is our salvation and glorification as His people.

Interrogative:

But our world and age hates this idea. Often you hear the phrase, “We’re all children of God.” But are we? Are all people everywhere children of God? Certainly all people belong to God. He made them. But are we all the Children of God?

Transition:

Well, let’s dive into the text and see Peter’s contrast. What does Peter say about non-believers?

Point 1: Non-Believers.

1 Peter 2:7–8 “7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”

Explanation:

Peter is continuing on in His teaching about Christ being the Chief Cornerstone. Christ is the corner foundation stone of the church. He is the foundation of the church. But the church is made up only of the believers. So what of the non believers? Well, first he says non-believers reject Christ.

Non Believers Reject Christ.

And this is a quote from Psalm 118:22 “22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Christ is rejected by non believers. This is primarily what makes them non believers. You cannot reject Christ and claim to believe in Him at the same time.

And it is clear that Peter is here making reference to the Jewish leaders and people who crucified their own Messiah. This is what John talks about in John 1:9–11“9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

Jesus came to His own. This is reference to the ethnic Jewish people. Jesus, when He took on flesh, was a Jew of the tribe of Judah. And yes, many Jews followed Him. But He was rejected by the leadership and also by a huge percentage of the people.

Peter is expanding this. He is applying this rejection not just to the ethnic Jews, but to all non-believers everywhere. Non-believers are those who reject Christ. But they do not just reject Christ. They stumble over Christ.

Non Believers Stumble over Christ.

This too is a quote from Scripture. Isaiah 8:14 “14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

Again, Peter is taking the fact that the Jewish people stumbled over Christ and applying it to all non-believers. Christ is a stumbling block to non believers. They do not know what to do with Him. Some say He merely fiction meant to inspire good morals, others that He was a prophet, others that He was a good teacher. But fundamentally, non-believers stumble over Christ. They do not know what to do with Him. But they do not just stumble. The are offended by Christ.

Non-Believers are Offended by Christ.

Peter is still quoting Isaiah 8:14. Christ is a Rock of offense. This mirrors what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:16 “16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?”

You see, to the non-believer, Christ and the message of Christ is a stench. It is a putrifying odor. Christ offends them. In other words, they hate Him. And this is important. Unbelievers do not just think indifferently to the true Christ, they actively hate Him. They are offended by His Word, His reality, His divinity, His offer of exclusive salvation. And Peter tells us why.

This Happens Because They Disobey the Word.

Unbelievers hate God because they disobey the Word. Their disobedience and sin stirs up active, passionate hatred for Christ. They love their sin and hate the Lord. Scripture says that because they love darkness, they hate the light. But Peter gives us an ever deeper reason.

God’s Sovereignty Extends Even Over Those Who Reject Him.

Peter says in verse 8, “They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.” This is one of the most hated doctrines in all the church. But we affirm it because the Word teaches it. God is sovereign even over those who reject Him. Their rejection is part of His perfect, sovereign plan. And instantly, people object. They say, “That is not fair! How can God find fault if their rejection and sin is destined by God?” Scripture answers us.

Romans 9:18–22 “18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,”

Jesus Himself teaches this in John 6:44 “44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” Peter, Paul, and Jesus are here teaching the negative side of the doctrine of election. You see, God is THE great Storyteller. He is THE Master Playwright. And He is the one telling the story. Those who reject Christ reject Him BECAUSE of their sin, but that rejection is within the sovereign plan of God. We may not understand this, but Scripture clearly teaches it. And who are we to answer back to God?

Argumentation:

Peter’s argument is that unbelievers reject, stumble over, and are offended by Christ. So do not miss this. We live in a volatile age. Our days are bizarre and wicked. But one of the blessings of living in this age is that we see the truth of Peter’s words. We see clearly that people are offended by Christ. It is easy to see that they hate Christ.

It is Not Surprising the World is Offended by Christ and the Church.

We must not be surprised by this. Scripture clearly states that unbelievers hate God. So why would they not hate the church as well?

Sadly, we are often shocked when the world is offended by the message of the church. In our day we prize being nice over everything else. You must be nice. But there is a problem with that. You see, Jesus was not nice. Paul was not nice. Peter was not nice. Literally none of the Old Testament prophets were nice. They all were, by today’s standards, mean. They proclaimed that all men are sinner, damned to hell, and that salvation comes only through Christ. All other roads lead to hell. You are not a good person. You are a sinner. You need salvation. You cannot save yourself. The only salvation is found in faith in Christ. So take up your cross, die to self, and follow Jesus!

That message is offensive. But we are not here to coddle sinners. We are here to call them to repentance. The preacher is not to make you happy or feel blessed. The pulpit stands as a sacred desk of offence. It stands to call all men to repent. God is right, you are wrong. So when the world starts standing outside our churches with pickets and calls for us to be tolerant, do not be surprised. They have done that to every single generation of Christians. Be jolly and brave. Our God is stronger far. One pastor once said, “People are offended by God? Good, they spend their whole lives offending Him.” The message of the gospel is serrated and sharp. Is is sharper than any two edged sword. And it cuts deep.

Transition:

Unbelievers are offended by Christ, stumble over Him, reject Him, and Reject the Word. But what of the other half of this contrast? What of Believers?

Point 2: Believers.

1 Peter 2:9–10 “9 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.”

Explanation:

Peter shifts. He has told us of the state of unbelievers, and now he is telling us the state of believers. First, believers share in Christ’s honor.

Believers are Honored With Christ.

Verse seven says the honor is for us who believe. What honor? This word “honor” has the idea of preciousness. Remember the previous verses. Christ is the chosen and precious Cornerstone. He makes us living stones. But He also imputes to us His honor making us not just living stones, but precious living stones. We share in His honor. But that is not all.

Believers are a Chosen Race.

Peter here starts doing something absolutely beautiful. He takes the terms that God used for Israel in the Old Testament and is applying them to believers. This is shockingly beautiful. He calls the church, Christians a chosen race. God called the people of Israel this in Deuteronomy 10:15 “15 Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.”

Peter says this promise is for Christians. Christians of every race and tribe are a chosen race before God. But there is more.

Believers are a Royal Priesthood.

This was also applied to the people of Israel in Exodus 19:6 “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.”” Yet this is now true of the Church. We are a royal priesthood before God. Yes and amen. What honor and glory! He continues.

Believers are a Holy Nation.

Again Exodus 19:6 “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.”” But also, listen to Deuteronomy 26:19 “19 and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.””

Peter is saying this is true of us. Yes, us! Even Gentile believers like us! But perhaps most beautiful of all...

Believers are a People for God’s Own Possession.

We are a people for God’s own possession. God promised Israel this in Deuteronomy 7:6 “6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

Peter has taken some of the most intimate language used in the Old Testament for the people of God and applied them to the church. You are the people of God in Christ. This is what Paul spoke of in Romans 11. He said the Gentiles were grafted in. Like a wild olive shoot. The true Israel is now those who have faith in Jesus Christ the Messiah. And we Gentiles are welcomed in, being grafted into the people of God. Yes and amen. But Peter does not stop here.

Believers are Saved in Order to Praise God.

We are saved to declare the excellencies of God who saved us! We are as Isaiah says in Isaiah 43:21 “21 the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

This is now our sacred calling. We are called to praise God! But we were not always in this state. Once we were in darkness. Lost, and offended by Christ. But God, in His mercy called us.

Believers are Called Out of Darkness Into the Marvelous Light of God.

We were called out of darkness and sin and lostness. We were called. Here again is the language of election. We are in no way better than any sinner. We have no right to look at the lost who are offended and who hate us and our Lord with any contempt or hatred. We are no better than they are! The only thing that separated us from them is the grace of God. When we see the horrific sins of our culture, we must say “but for the grace of God, there go I.”

God is the one who called us. God is the one who saved us. I did nothing to contribute to my salvation. My favorite Jonathan Edwards quote of all time is this, “I contribute nothing to my salvation except this sin that made it necessary.” How true that is. God called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. And because of that, we praise God. But Peter closes this contrast in one of the most beautiful sections of Scripture. He takes the Old Testament promise found in Hosea and applies it to the church.

Peter Applies the Prophesies of Hosea to the Church.

Peter quotes from Hosea saying, “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.” If you are familiar with the Old Testament prophets this stands out like a neon light. You see, the book of Hosea is one of the most beautiful books in all of Scripture. In it, God calls the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. This symbolizes how God has married the people of Israel, who constantly whore after idols. And Hosea’s wife Gomer cheats on him again and again. But this true but prophetic marriage is a symbol. The people of God reject Him again and again and again. But Hosea and Gomer have children. And God names these Children prophetically. He names them “Not my people” and “No mercy.” God is saying, “you are not my people” and on you I will have “no mercy.” But yet, even in this, God is gracious and makes a prophecy.

Hosea 1:10–11 “10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.”

Do you see it? The people of God will have One Head. Who is this One Head? It is Jesus Christ our Lord, the One Head of the church! The prophesy continues.

Hosea 2:21–23 “21 “And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, 22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel, 23 and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’ ””

Do you see what Peter is saying? Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter is saying to the first century church made of Jews and Gentiles, You are the fulfilment of this promise! On you God has said, “My people!” On the church God has had mercy! What a mystery of majesty.

Argumentation:

And this gets to one of the central principles of the New Testament.

The Church are the People of God, the True Israel.

After Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, the people of God are all of those who trust in Christ for salvation. And God has only one people. And this people is called the church.

And this instantly brings up a lot of questions. Especially in our day. Primarily, the question that gets brought up at passages like this is “are ethnic Jews still considered the people of God?” Absolutely, yes. Any ethnic Jew who places their faith in Christ as their Savior and Messiah is part of the people of God. However, any ethnic Jew who rejects Jesus is not saved and is excluded from the people of God. This is what Paul talks about in Romans 9. He says not all Israel is Israel and not all the children of Abraham are the children of Abraham. You see, what Paul, Peter, and Jesus teach clearly is that there is only one way of salvation. Faith in Jesus.

This is what Jesus teaches in Matthew 3:9 “9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” You see, physical descent from Abraham is not enough to save anyone. The people of God, the true Israel as Paul would say it, are all those, of any ethnic background who have placed their faith in Christ. The true descendants of Abraham are those who confess Christ is Lord and God and place saving faith in Him.

And yes, in the Old Covenant, God worked primarily with ethnic Jews. But Paul clearly teaches that in the New Covenant, God has grafted in Gentiles along with ethnic Jews into a true Israel. The Biblical truth is that there is only one people of God, one true Israel.

But the next common question on this is, “will the Jews one day be restored and be saved?” Well, tipping my hand on my own personal theology and eschatology a little bit, I am an optimist. I have a very optimistic view of God’s plan of redemption here on earth. So because of this, my answer to the question of will ethnic Jews ever be called back into the church and accept the Lordship of Christ, the answer is an emphatic yes. I truly believe this. I believe all nations will be discipled, baptized, and taught to obey Christ. This includes the nation of ethnic Israel. But there will be no rebuilt temple in order to offer animal sacrifices acceptable to God, no reinstitution of the Old Covenant, no second plan of redemption. Salvation ONLY comes through faith in Christ. There is no plan B of salvation. Faith ALONE in Christ ALONE.

But we must see the beauty of this passage. The church, of all those who place their faith in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles, are the covenant people of God. God’s covenant promises are for us, His holy nation, royal priesthood, chosen race, people of His own possession, His Holy Church.

Transition:

And Peter ends this passage with a call to action.

Point 3: A Call to Action.

1 Peter 2:11–12 “11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 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.”

Explanation:

These verses are a transition.

Peter is Transitioning From Explaining Salvation to a Call to Holy Living.

This is the transition point of the book. Peter has given us exposition of the beauty of salvation, and now he is giving the church commands. Here, he sums up the second part of the letter. Live holy lives in light of your salvation. And remember, these Christians were exiled from their homes. They were forced to leave homes and family. And in the midst of their exile, Peter gives them commands of how to act in the foreign lands they were cast into.

Peter Commands These Exiled Christians to Mortify Their Sin Nature.

This idea of abstaining from sinful passions is really the idea of putting off the old nature. He is commanding them not to feed their sinful desires and lusts.

Peter Commands These Exiled Christians to Live Honorably Among Non-Believers.

Peter here calls back the language of True Israel by using the language of Gentile for non-believers. But he commands these Christians to live honorably. Live upright, honest, and honorable lives among the all non-believers in this pagan land. And what is Peter’s reasoning for this?

They do this so that when the non-believers lie about them, they may see the lie and glorify God.

This may seem discouraging. Peter is promising these Christians that unbelievers will lie about them. They will be slandered and lied about. But take heart, live honorably so that those lies will be obviously seen to be lies. And in the end these unbelievers will glorify God because of the honor of Christian living. Be honorable when you are alone, with your family, at work, in the market place, and everywhere you go. People will lie about you and slander you because of Christ, but in the end they will glorify God.

And really this brings up a question.

What is the “Day of Visitation?”

What does Peter mean here? When will the lost praise God for the honorable life of Christians? Well, Peter’s language is really confusing. The word he uses is really odd. It is one of those words that can have many meanings. It can mean God coming in judgement, God coming in blessing, the final return of Christ. Basically it reads like this, “They will glorify God when He comes to visit.” I see three major theological possibilities that are really all correct in a way. First.

The Return of Christ at the End of Time.

Peter could easily be talking about Christ’s final return. We know from Scripture that every mouth will confess the Lordship of Christ on judgement day. Obviously it is completely correct to say that un-believers will confess the truth of Christianity on that day.

Second.

The Curse of God in Judgement.

Peter could easily be talking about when God’s judgement falls on a people. The Bible uses the language of “visitation” to refer occasionally to God judging a people. Jesus used this language when prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This could easily mean that when judgement falls, people take notice of those who are unshaken. This would fit what Peter is saying.

Third.

The Blessing of God on Faithful Christians.

Peter could easily be talking about how unbelievers will slander Christians and hate them, but be unable to deny that God’s hand is on them. That word visitation can mean God blessing people. Unbelievers looking in at those they hate and lie about are confronted with the lives of sinners saved. They are smacked in the face with covenant families worshipping together. Their lies are utterly destroyed by honest businessmen, loving wives, faithful husbands, obedient children, loving community, and more. Seeing the visitation of God’s blessing causes them to glorify God. They look in and see jolly brave warriors for Christ who laugh loud, weep together, love one another, and are obviously blessed by God even though they are suffering physically.

Argumentation:

I do not know exactly which of these three views Peter intended. He doesn’t explain. All three seem to fit well. But in the end, whatever particular reason Peter used the word “visitation” we know one thing. We are to live honorably among unbelievers and trust Him to turn their curses into praise whenever He sees fit.

You see, we are not physical exiles like the first century church. We have not been driven from our homes and our lives due to our faith. But we do have people lie about us. You cannot turn on any form of media without hearing people lie about Christ and His Church. They lie constantly about us. They are offended by us and they lie. So what do we do? We live honorably while they are lying about us. We chuckle, rejoice that God would bless us with being worthy of slander, then we invite them to hear the Word of God.

That’s what we do. We live honorable lives. We love our wives and children. We honor and submit to our husbands. We work hard. We are honest and strong. Brave and jolly. And we trust God with the results. We aren’t surprised by their slander. We expect it.

Conclusion:

You see, Christ is a stumbling block and offensive to non-believers, but He is our salvation and glorification as His people. We are saved. We are to proclaim praise to God because of His grace to us.

Visualization:

We are His people. We cannot be shaken. So raise your kids in the faith. Love one another. Live honorably. Laugh at lies. Get back to work for the Kingdom. And maybe dance a little jig because God has counted us worthy of being lied about. Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

Oh Lord, we praise you. You called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. Lord, once we were not a people, but now we are a people for your own possession. Once you had not poured out mercy, but now we have had your mercy poured over us. Lord, you chose us. You called us. May we always proclaim the excellencies of you. Let us live honorably among unbelievers. May they see our good deeds and glorify you. And in the midst of a world gone mad, may we be jolly and brave. We ask this in the name of the one true savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ, amen.

Offering:

Offertory Prayer:

Oh Lord, we thank you for all you have given us. May this offering of giving back to you be a fragrant sacrifice to you. Use it for your glory and the growth of your kingdom. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.

Benediction:

1 Corinthians 16:23–24“23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”