Belonging to the Lord

*Christians are now God’s own special people*

1 Peter 2:9-10

“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 marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

-‘His own special people’ was once reserved for the physical nation of Israel

1. The Lord had chosen them:

Deuteronomy 10:15

“Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.”

2. What had once been limited to physical Israel, is now possible to all people who are in Christ, as promised to Abraham

Galatians 3:8-9

“And the scripture, forseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”

Galatians 3:28-29

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

3. Christians are the children of God in a very special way

-Because of their faith, and having put on Christ in baptism

Galatians 3:26-27

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

-Redeemed and adopted by God, they have received His Spirit into their hearts

Galatians 4:4-6

“but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his sons into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

-Because we do the Father’s will, Jesus considers us as Family

Matthew 12:48-50

“But he answered and said unto him that told him, who is my mother? And who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

-If we wish to receive the blessings, we need to patiently carry out our responisibilities with an enduring faith

Hebrews 10:35-39

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

-To abstain from worldly lusts

1 Peter 2:11

“Dearly, beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

-To obey the laws, and respect the leaders, of the countries in which we sojourn

1 Peter 2:13-17

Submit yourselves to every ordinance for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”