Sunday: The People of God
Read 1 Peter 2:9; Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:20; and Deuteronomy 7:6. What do these verses say about the special status of the people of God?
The church is about people, but not any kind of people.
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
The church is the people of God, the people who belong to God, who claim God as their Father and Savior, and who have been redeemed by Christ and who obey Him. This image underscores the concept that God has had a people on earth since the introduction of the plan of salvation and that there is continuity between Israel in the Old Testament and the church in the New. From the time of Adam, the patriarchs before and after the Flood, and Abraham, God has made a covenant with His people to be representatives of His love, mercy, and justice to the world.
God’s people are called a “chosen generation”, a “royal priesthood”, and a “holy nation.” These terms indicate that they are set aside for a special purpose: to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9, NKJV). This is also an echo of a description of God’s gracious character, as described in Exodus 34:6-7. “God acquired the church as His own special possession in order that its members might reflect His precious traits of character in their own lives and proclaim His goodness and mercy to all men.” – The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 562.
Read Deuteronomy 7:6-8. What prompted God to select the descendants of Abraham as His people? How is this still applicable today?
Perhaps we could ask ourselves, What country today deserves the label of “holy nation” (another image of the church)? None. All nations and ethnic groups are composed of people who do not deserve God’s love and grace. And though the Bible calls us to be a holy people, Scripture also teaches that the selection and establishment of Israel was based entirely on His love and not on any merits that human beings could bring to Him. The formation of God’s people is an act of loving creation and-despite sin and apostasy on a national scale-God kept His promise to Abraham that through his seed, Christ, He would save His people. Just as the election of God’s people was an act of His grace, so is their salvation. This theme reminds us of our common roots in the unmerited grace of God.
Why must we always keep before us the sacred truth that our salvation rests upon what Christ has done for us and not upon what we can ever do for ourselves, even if we are “the people of God”? |
(48)
Whenever I read about God calling a people special I am reminded of another image - "Ye are the salt of the earth". Salt is pretty common stuff and we are inclined to ignore its existence until we suddenly find ourselves without it.
In my recent trip across the top of Australia, we endured temperatures well over 100F many days in a row. Carmel and I thought we were doing the right thing by drinking lots of water to keep our hydration high. A few weeks ago on Sabbath, I was quietly sitting in the Broome SDA church, listening to the preacher when I suddenly found myself on the floor looking up with some surprise as a very concerned congregation gathered around me. Someone told me that I had fainted and they had called an ambulance. I felt fine and was embarrassed that I had stopped the sermon in mid-sentence. The ambulance took me to the Broome Hospital where I was subject to a series of blood tests, an ECG and finally a CT Scan. In the end, they came to two conclusions: I was probably low in salt due to the temperatures and my lack of experience with them. We were advised that we should be taking salt tablets in the hot climate areas.
Salt is common and often gets a bad wrap because we eat too much of it, but we sometimes forget the importance of salt in maintaining a good healthy electrolyte level in our body. That is when common salt becomes important.
We are a special people, chosen by God to be the "salt of the earth". We can unite in that purpose by showing a living relationship with Jesus to the rest of the world. Being called a "special people" makes us as important as salt - quietly making a difference.
(Maybe you are wondering what the second conclusion was. The CT scan was sent to Perth, over 3000km away for analysis and they sent the result back saying that I had a remarkable brain with no sign of aging. They said that whatever I was doing as far a lifestyle was concerned was working! I told the local Doctor that we were vegetarian (vegan) and usually walked more than 10000 steps every day. He affirmed our lifestyle and told us that his own lifestyle was very similar.)
Thank you for sharing your experience. I have been enlighten by your story.
Amen and glory be to the Most High for using you, in a special way.
I enjoyed your testimony, and glad that you are doing better. Your testimony reminds me that I was (we all were) chosen by God to do a very special thing, for a very special purpose. (I hope I'm not getting ahead of the Sabbath School lesson.) Sometimes unity in the church is a hard task to accomplish because our ego and jealousies get in the way. We all should think of our special purpose and abilities as a small piece of a large puzzle to accomplish God's plan on this earth.
Here in my part of the world, my country is facing a lot of political rhetoric, that is spilling over into our every day lives. But I refuse to force my attention on that; I have to keep my eyes and ears open, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, for opportunities to share God's love and teaching with a world that is starving to see and hear it. My wish is that the body of Christ, we the members of that body, would remember our purpose, and be ready to follow the Holy Spirit into action. That would be true unity to me.
"The root of People of God started from Eden then Israelites after that it Spread All over the World After the Sacrifice of Jesus" After the Fall of Eden God choose Israelites not because of their Good Character, Wealth or Anything, God loves them. This is the Same That God loves the World and gave his Only begotten Son, through the death of Jesus We were chosen to be People of God. Because of Jesus love and Sacrifice, those who accept are obligated to be the people and image of God.
I came to learn something here, God needed to show his image through Eden, Israelites and now through the followers of Christ.
Because of we have chosen Jesus as our savior, we are the people of God.
Our Family, church, friends and every body in this world should learn something from us. The World should know that we are people of God. Stay blessed God's People.
God so loves the world, that He labors intently to save those separated from Him through their sin of rebellion. He made them for His joy and delight, but must win them back to enjoy their fellowship as His family, formed in His divine image. In order to be found of them, He chose a faithful few to represent Him to those who had come to forget Him. These people are the Holy and undefiled among men, those who have made a covenant with God by sacrifice. They are the Holy people, being found faithful among sinners. They are the “undefiled...who walk in the law of the Lord”. Their faithfulness will allow others to find the Lord as seen in the reflection of those who “walk in HIS ways”.
Any who receive Jesus will be given power to become the sons of God, and will share the privilege of the angels who dwell in the presence of God. They are called "the Branches of the Lord", and at His coming, will reflect Him fully.
God also uses those who are on the journey, growing in grace, forgiven when they fall. The Bible tells the story of David, a murder, who acknowledged his wrongdoing and grew closer to God. The story of impetuous Peter, who Paul had to take to task for his racial partiality is another example of a cracked vessel used by God. God is willing to use imperfect people who yield themselves to God's grace and who grow their relationship with Jesus.
What, in all that I wrote, led you to feel the failures of David and Peter needed to be highlighted Maurice?(re-read my last paragraph) None of those who become holy and undefiled were born that way. EVERY sinner must repent and be converted. I'm glad you brought that out in your last sentence, yet the effect of your remarks seems to say it's ok to fail. No, but it is important to repent if we do, and God was only able to use those two examples after they repented. Failure will happen when faith falters and we allow temptation to lead us to sin against God, and in those failures, we can undo the example of a life-time of good works.
Look at the result of David's sin. Look where it led his own family and even the nation. David repented and believed the promises of God, but the damage was done and in 2 generations, the nation divided and never recovered. Peter, without thorough repentance, would have ended up like Judas. He was only used of God after his repentance and conversion(Luke 22:32). Highlight repentance, not the fact that they failed. In failure we deny Jesus, and forfeit the Holy Spirit's presence and power in our lives.
As soon as we do otherwise than keeping focused on that sacred truth of Jesus as our only way to salvation and to God, we remove ourselves from God's only grace to save us even though we may still claim to be God's special people.
I really enjoyed everyone's comments here. It inspired me. When I remembered God's word "ye are peculiar and special people" then I asked myself "Who are God's people? Are they the professed people of God, or are they the ones who love God supremely and keep His commandments? I think of how sinful we are and the sin we commit everyday especially, and I began to wonder. After all these thoughts, I said that I and every child who professed to be a child of God needs to be Holy like God. We have to be very good and test good at all times just as the first speaker said "we are the salt". Yes we salt and really need to act as the salt to the world. Thank you
God has chosen each one of us for a specific purpose.If we achieve the purpose assigned to us we reflect His image.
Good Grace is sufficient. The Grace of God binds his church. 1 Peter 2:9 and Exodous19: 5-6 revelas how favoured we are. In Exdous Man was to comply to the Conditions to be Called God’s people. In 1 Peter 2:9 Man earns that status freely because of What Jesus did. We have done nothing to earn the status. As children of God we should continue to Fix our eyes to the Reedemer.