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Power of the Pen

This last week there was a presidential debate….of sorts. The funniest take on the 2024 election was two movie posters: Weekend at Bernies / American Psycho.

What it means for a US president to sign a document.

If I sign something, I speak for myself. Sometimes I can sign things and speak for Freedom Biker Church. That’s about it.

When the President of the United States signs for something, it carries the weight of the full power and authority of the United States of America and all of her 330+ million citizens.

1 Peter

Peter’s first letter, as part of the cannon of scripture, carries with it the full authority of God the Father. The creator of the heavens and the earth.

As a demonstration of this authority, in the part of chapter 2 of 1 Perter, he quotes from 5 different books of the Old Testament

Ex 19 -

Deut 4 -

Deut 7 -

Deut 10 -

Deut 14 -

Isaiah 8 -

Isaiah 28 -

Isaiah 43 -

Isaiah 61 -

Isaiah 66 -

Psalms 118 -

Hos 1 -

Hos 2 -

As a reminder, his audience consists of the churches of Asia Minor, made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians.

The overlapping theme of 1 Peter can be summed up in 1 Peter 16 where Peter quotes from Leviticus 11, 19 and 20 where God states:

You shall be Holy, for I am Holy.

1 Peter 2:4–12 NASB95

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” 8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Coming to Christ

greek verb: Proserchomai. This is the same verb used in the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint) for Drawing near to God. in worship and/or sacrifice.

Peter is hinting that as believers we enjoy the privilege of coming to Christ in the way reserved only for the Priests of the OT.

Living Stone: Lithos nor Petros.

Spiritual House

1 Peter 2:5 NASB95

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Where does God’s Spirit live?

Gen 1:2 God’s Spirit was said to be moving over the face of the waters.

In Ex 13 God’s spirit led the people in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

God’s spirit dwelt among his people in the Tabernacle of Moses.

And then in Solomon’s Temple:

BUT

In Ezekiel we are told that the spirit of the Lord left the Temple. It was later destroyed.

We know that although God symbolically honored the rebuilt temple, we are never told that the Spirit of the Lord dwelt in the Temple.

Matthew 1:23 NASB95

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

In Christ, God once again tabernacled with His people.

When Christ died on the Cross, the curtain in the temple that separated the Holy of Holies, (symbolically at least) where God met with His people, was torn from top to bottom.

In Acts 7 Stephen was prompted to say, “The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands.”

So the answer of Where does God meet with His people, is answered in verse 5. It is in us!

Precious Cornerstone

Vs 6 quotes from Isiah about Christ being the precious cornerstone.

The purpose of a cornerstone is to be the perfect anchor and provide the standard for all other stones to be built upon.

After the foundation of a house is poured, no one immediately moves in. You have to build the house.

We are the living stones that are called to imitate Christ as we allow His Holy Spirit to dwell in and among us.

Stumbling Block

We can cook all the hamburgers and hotdogs we want and we will be cheered by the world.

But when you preach the Gospel message like Peter did in Acts 4, you find out who’s who.

Acts 4:10–12 NASB95

10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

The People of God

Chosen Race

A royal Priesthood

A Holy Nation

A People for God’s own possession.

These are all terms that God used in the Old Testament to describe the Jewish people that Peter now declares applies to those that follow Christ, both Jew and Gentile.

For the same purpose He chose the Jews:

That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light.

Then Peter quotes from Hosea, which we are studying on Wednesday nights.

1 Peter 2:10 NASB95

10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Be Holy

1 Peter 2:11 NASB95

11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

We are in the world, but not called to be of the world.

1 Peter 2:12 NASB95

12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Gentiles: All those terms that Peter redefined: Chosen Race

A royal Priesthood

A Holy Nation

A People for God’s own possession.

These terms were exclusively for Jewish people. But Peter redefined them as those that are in Christ Jesus, both Jew and Gentile.

So it should not come as a surprise that he redefines the term Gentiles, that did refer to those that are not Jewish, to now mean those that are not in Christ Jesus, Gentile or Jew.

Excellent for a reason

So when they slander you as hypocrites, or for hating sinners, or for being holier than thou; that when they see your deeds, they will

“Glorify God in the day of visitation.”

Most study bibles will call “day of visitation” judgement day, but that is not the full story.

Yes, there will come a time when every knee will bow and every mouth confess……

Look with me in Luke 19, the week before Jesus’ crucifixion. As He enters Jerusalem on a donkey. PALM Sunday as we call it.

We are told Jesus wept over the city.

Luke 19:43–44 NASB95

43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

That is the time when your salvation was within reach. When God revealed Himself to you, through Christ.

I believe every person has the opportunity to accept Christ. That is a time when Jesus is calling them and the can reject or accept Him. A time when the Holy Spirit of God is drawing them to Himself.

What Peter is saying is this: When that time comes for a unbeliever, when they feel the drawing of the Holy Spirit and they think, in that moment about you and your walk with Christ, will they be inclined to Glorify God, or, reject Him?