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Answer
In 1 Peter 2:4–10, the apostle Peter uses language from Exodus 19:5–6, Deuteronomy 7:6, and Hosea 2:23 to illustrate to New Testament believers that they are genuine citizens of God’s kingdom, specifically chosen by the Father to display His goodness and glory to the world. As Christians, we are “a chosen people” consisting of “royal priests,” and we are “a holy nation, God’s very own possession. Consequently, [we] can demonstrate the goodness of God to others, as he called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light” «But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: », (1 Peter 2:9, NLT).
Peter reminds the Jewish Christians in his audience of their Old Testament heritage. Due to God’s covenant with Israel, the Jews had been selected by the Lord to be a holy nation. They were distinct from all other people on earth and entrusted with the task of revealing God’s glory to the world (Deuteronomy 14:2;Deuteronomy 26:19;Deuteronomy 28:9;Exodus 19:5-6;22:31;Jeremiah 2:3;Amos 3:2). Peter explains to these Jewish believers, who were now under the New Covenant, that they would continue to carry this responsibility: “Maintain honorable conduct among the Gentiles, so that when they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good actions and glorify God on the day of visitation” «having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visita
tion. », (1 Peter 2:12, ESV).
Now, through faith in Jesus Christ, Gentiles have been accepted into the royal family as full citizens of God’s holy nation: “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” «who in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. », (1 Peter 2:10). The apostle Paul affirmed, “And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, ‘Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before’” (Romans 9:24-25;NLT;cf: Hosea 2:23).
Neither our background nor heritage as Christians matters. We who are in restored fellowship with God by His grace and through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ «For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: », (Ephesians 2:8) all receive the same spiritual standing as royal priests of God’s holy nation (see Galatians 3:26-29). Paul told Timothy, “God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus” «who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, », (2 Timothy 1:9, NLT).
We are a holy nation because our supreme Ruler is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; Matthew 5:48) and because He calls us to holiness “because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”, (1 Peter 1:16). Holiness is an intrinsic attribute of God’s character. Because He is our sovereign leader, God’s holy character ought to manifest in our devotion to Him “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”, (Romans 6:19). His holy imprint should be seen in everything we do (1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Corinthians 7:1). Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, “I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him” “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”, (Romans 12:1, NLT).
In the New Testament, the Greek word translated as “holiness” expresses a “separation from everything that is ceremonially impure.” It was a term usually associated with the priesthood and everything relating to worship. Jesus, who is our “High Priest” and King to whom we bow down, is “holy, blameless, pure,” and “set apart from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26; see also Acts 3:14; see also Acts 4:27-30).
Christ’s New Testament church is a holy nation of royal priests. Jesus loved His church and gave His life “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” «that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, », (Ephesians 5:26). We are a holy nation, not because of our ability to be holy, but because Christ endows us with His “divine power,” which gives us “everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them [we] may participate in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4; see also 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 12:14). God gives us the resources in Jesus Christ to be sanctified—to be made progressively more holy—so that we can show forth His goodness and glory and draw others to Him «And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. », (1 Corinthians 6:11).
