God's Peculiar People

How many of you remember the weird kid in school? It doesn’t matter what graduating class you belong to. It doesn’t matter how big or small your school was. I bet there was at least one weird kid in the school and everybody knew who it was. This was the social outcast. The kid who might sit by himself in the lunch room. This was the kid playing with bugs on the playground. Nobody wanted to hang out with this kid. Maybe you were the weird kid.

Peter opens up his letter writing to a peculiar people, the Christians dispersed in five Roman provinces. Often times it can be tempting to brush past the introduction of a letter to get to the reason why someone is writing. But I want to remind you to linger as you read and allow room to the Spirit of God to show you something. So, before we truly dive in to the letter, we are going to linger today on the first two verses.

1 Peter 1:1–2 NASB95

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

In this simple introduction, we are going to see some profound truths. In just two verses, there is much to see about God and his people.

Christians are a peculiar people.

It’s true. We are weird. If we strive to live out our faith the way Christ wants us to, it makes us a little strange. We are not like the rest of the world. We are different. We are aliens. Now, this doesn’t mean we are E.T. or anything like that. Alien means sojourner. It means that we are not from here. This confuses us, but it was not so confusing to Peter’s audience.

Peter’s audience were Christians dispersed throughout the area formerly known as Asia Minor. Today, we know it as the country of Turkey. If you look at a map today, look at the nation of Turkey and you are looking at the general territory of where theses people live. The audiences he is writing to probably are not natives to the area. It is likely they moved to the area, perhaps after some persecution broke out. So they are truly aliens living in provinces that are not their homeland. But at the same time, they are not truly citizens of the place in which they live because they are citizens of Christ’s kingdom. So it is true to say that wherever a Christian lives, that place is not his true home.

This can be confusing for us because many of us were born in the United States. This has always been our home. We are citizens of this country. Historically, this country has aligned itself more with biblical principles. We were a Christian nation. Today, that is not the case. Today, we are more like Israel in the time of the prophets. We have forsaken the God of our country in pursuit of vices. Today, people are more inclined to make themselves out to be gods rather than acknowledge the one true God. So now there is distance between what it means to be American and what it means to be Christian.

Our identities according to the word of God are that we are no longer citizens of earthly kingdoms or nations. We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, which will be fully realized upon Christ’s return. Until then, we are ambassadors, agents sent into a foreign land as representatives of our king. This building is more like an outpost or an embassy. Paul says in the letter of 2 Corinthians,

2 Corinthians 5:20 NASB95

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Our duty as ambassadors is to make an appeal to those who are not already a part of God’s kingdom to be reconciled to God and become part of his kingdom. This is who we are.

The word alien or sojourner, exile, or stranger simply means temporary resident. This is not our home! We have to remember that our home from the day we came to faith in Christ is not here. It is a kingdom that is coming. So we hold a dual citizenship. We are citizens of an earthly nation, but our true citizenship, the one that will last for eternity is in the kingdom of God, of which we are all representatives.

We are a peculiar people. We are weird. If we live out biblical principles consistently, the world will think we are strange. And we are.

We are strange because:

Christians are chosen by God.

At the end of verse one, we see that Peter is addressing those who are chosen. Other translations use the word elect. The idea is that God chose us. We didn’t choose God. This is not to say that we cannot reject God. This is to say that we would not have the capacity to believe if God did not first provide the opportunity for us to do so. Without God revealing himself, we would have never known who he was. He pursued us. He chose us to be a part of this forever family. This choice was not based on merit, but on his sovereignty.

to better understand this, we are going to look at four aspects of what it means to be chosen by God, and why this makes us a peculiar people.

Christians are chosen…according to God’s divine plan.

Peter says we are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. Foreknowledge simply means to know something ahead of time. This refers to God’s omniscience, or the idea that God knows everything, past, present, and future. What this tells me is that God had this whole plan set in place before he ever created the earth, and that plan included knowing who would and would not respond to the revelation about himself.

Everyone has the opportunity to respond to God’s revelation of himself. He has made it available to everyone. He does so through the natural world. Psalm 19:1-4 says,

Psalm 19:1–4 NASB95

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

Romans 1:20 NASB95

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

So God is revealing himself to everyone before they ever know what a Bible is. If they respond to his revelation through the natural order, then they might also respond to his specific revelation through dreams, visions, or the word of God. In the Bible this also happened with physical appearances of God and ultimately through Christ himself.

So somewhere in this, God knows beforehand those who will respond to his revelation of himself, but the choice to save you is not based on your choice. It is rooted in God’s sovereignty, but in a way that allows for your freedom to respond to that revelation. This is difficult to understand, and people emphasize different aspects. What I want you to understand today is simply that you were chosen by God for salvation despite all your issues or hangups. God chose you because God had a plan.

His plan includes you for a reason, which is...

Christians are chosen…for transformation.

The next phrase in verse two says that we are chosen by the sanctifying work of the Spirit. The word sanctify is church language. It means to make holy, which means to be set apart for God’s purposes. God chooses us for salvation, but he also chooses us for set-apartness. This makes us a peculiar people.

Sanctification is the process in which we are made to be more like Christ. When we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit of God takes up residence in us, so that way everywhere we go, so goes the presence of God. God does not choose us and save us to allow us to remain as we were. Christianity is not just about escaping hell. God wants you to be like Christ. That requires a process of changing you so that your character and your competencies develop into those of Christ.

Romans 12:2 NASB95

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The goal is transformation by the renewing of your mind. You see, the old you thought a certain way which led to rebellion against God. The new you has been given the capacity to accept and apply biblical truth. The application of biblical truth transforms us, which is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. As we listen and obey Christ’s commands, transformation into the character and competency of Christ is the result.

Christians are chosen…for obedience to Christ’s commands.

If we are chosen to be transformed, the pathway to transformation is obedience to what Jesus said. A Christian without obedience to Christ may not be a Christian at all. A Christian who wars within himself to obey Christ is an honest Christian. The Christian who claims he has no sin is a liar (1 John 1:8).

This is important because I see many people today that claim to be followers of Jesus, yet they are indistinguishable from the rest of the world. Their so—called faith has provided them with a loose ethical framework, but there is no real discipleship taking place. I know this because over 70% of young people leave the church by the time they graduate high school. I know this because our culture is very secular, not Christlike. If you are a believer in Christ and you take that seriously, and you want to be a real ambassador for him, obedience is mandatory and you don’t get to define it.

Jesus said,

John 14:15 NASB95

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

He says it again in verse 21 and 23, John 15:10; 1 John 5:3; and 2 John 6. Do you think that is important? Do you think Jesus expects his followers to obey him? You were chosen for obedience, and if you do, it leads to transformation, which will make you a very weird person.

Do we really believe that two people shouldn’t have sex before they get married? Do we really think that you shouldn’t get drunk? Do we really think that you shouldn’t use cuss words? Do we really think that you ought to choose not to retaliate when someone strikes you? Do we really believe in outrageous love, generosity, and hospitality though we get nothing in return? Do we really believe that one man and one woman should be married for a lifetime? Yes. The world thinks that is strange. That’s because it is.

Christians are chosen…by the covering of his blood.

There is an old hymn many of you know very well. It is #229 in your hymnal. It is titled Are You Washed in the blood. The lyrics go,

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you washed in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Have you ever thought about those lyrics? Have you ever thought about how those lyrics might sound to someone outside the church? How can garments be spotless or white as snow by washing them in blood? How can washing in blood be cleansing? That sounds horrible and graphic! The inspiration for this song seems to stem at least in part from Revelation 7:13-14

Revelation 7:13–14 NASB95

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

On the surface, this is an oxymoronic statement. The washing in blood appears to contradict making garments white as snow. We know that when you get blood on something it can stain it red, not bleach it white. This is a weird song to the one who does not understand the truth behind Hebrews 9:22

Hebrews 9:22 NASB95

And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

We are reminded that in God’s justice system the penalty for sin is death. When a crime is committed, somebody has to pay the consequences. The most just thing to do is to lay the penalty on the offender. We owe God our lives for the rebellious acts we committed against him. Somebody must pay. The gospel of Jesus Christ says that Jesus has paid that debt on our behalf. The price is life, and a life was paid. Through the shedding of innocent blood, ours received pardon. Therefore, It’s not that we literally apply the blood of Jesus to our clothing, but that an exchange of our sin for his righteousness is made possible through the cross.

You were chosen to receive forgiveness through the shedding of innocent blood. The blood of Christ covers you in the sense that his sacrifice covers the debt. When you come to faith in Christ, your debt is cleared. If you had an app on your phone you could pull up to see what your sin debt is, your balance would be zero! Praise the Lord!

APPLICATION

I encourage you to reflect on your unique calling and purpose in God's plan. Remember to pray and seek God’s guidance for how you can live out this calling in their daily lives. Perhaps one way to do this is take time each day to thank God for choosing you and ask Him to reveal His purpose for your life. Write down any impressions or guidance you receive.

Be intentional about your spiritual growth. recognize you are being transformed to reflect Christ more fully. This could involve engaging more deeply in spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, and fellowship. Set specific spiritual growth goals, such as reading a chapter of the Bible daily or joining a small group for accountability and encouragement.

It is important to not just hear Christ's commands, but live them. This could include showing love to others, practicing forgiveness, or serving in the community. Identify one command of Christ you struggle with (loving your enemies) and take concrete steps to practice it this week. Share your experience with a trusted friend or family member.

Rest in the assurance of Christ’s sacrifice, knowing you are forgiven and made righteous. This should lead to a life free from guilt and condemnation. When feelings of guilt or inadequacy arise, remind yourself of the truth of Christ’s sacrifice. Memorize a key verse (like Romans 8:1) to help combat these feelings and walk in freedom.

We are a peculiar people living in a peculiar age. Should the world around us continue to descend into insanity, we will become even more peculiar. My hope is our peculiarity will spark curiosity, which will provide opportunity for turning everyday conversations into gospel conversations.

As we leave here, may I echo the last part of verse two: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.