Our scripture reading this morning is from 1 Peter 2, and we'll read verses 1 through 17. 1 Peter 2, beginning at verse 1. Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient The stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show 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. I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which were against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may buy your good works which they shall behold. glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man 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 he may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. as free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. We read God's word thus far and now direct our attention to our text, which is verse nine of this chapter. 1 Peter 2 verse nine, but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ, The context for our text this morning is significant in helping us to understand this Word of God. In the context, it is pointed out that we are believers, verse 7a, who believe in Jesus Christ. And we believe that he is precious. We believe he is the son of God. We believe that he is the chief cornerstone of the church. And we rest upon him for all things. But the context also points out that there are others who do not believe in Jesus Christ. And they stumble at him and they reject him. And there is an explanation for that given here, namely that they were appointed unto this. That is, God eternally reprobated them. And then the text describes us in contrast to the ungodly, in contrast to those who are unbelieving. The text is set forth in such a way that it presents truth concerning us as a statement of fact, a very positive description of the people of God. and a positive description of the wonderful characteristics of the people of God and of the excellent virtues that apply to and characterize the people of God. The text states that God's people really are a marvelous and a glorious people because they are a chosen generation. a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people. And someone may say, do you really want to say such positive things to someone? Do you really want to tell someone that this is what he is? that this is what his characteristics are. Do you want to describe to someone in such glowing terms what he is like? Usually, if you praise someone and you tell him of all his virtues and all his positive characteristics, then that person becomes proud. And for that reason, some will say you should never talk this way about believers to believers. If you do, they will become conceited and they will become boastful. and they will begin to imagine that they are able themselves to contribute to their salvation. You should only tell them how depraved they are. You should only speak to them of how wretched they are. You should only tell them that they are miserable sinners, a generation of vipers and evildoers. That's all that you should say to that. Our text denies that. The word of God itself in our text speaks very positively and speaks very highly of believers. And it does not say that you will be this, that you will be one day In glory, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people. But it says, this is what you are. This is what you are now already as believers in the church in this world. It is true that man is a totally depraved sinner. But the text shows us that total depravity is not the whole story with regard to the children of God. We are totally depraved by nature, but by the grace of God, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. and a peculiar people. And that needs to be said, and that needs to be acknowledged, and that needs to be proclaimed in the preaching of the Word of God, not only because the Word of God itself says that, but also because that must be said because we need to recognize and honor God for his sovereign saving work in us. He doesn't leave us as his people in our depravity. He regenerates, and he saves, and he sanctifies, and he changes us, and he makes us already now to be a glorious people in his sight. That doesn't make the true believer proud, but rather humble and thankful. It doesn't make the true believer boast, but rather leads the child of God to praise God for His marvelous grace. Consider then with me this text under the theme, The Wonderful Characteristics of Believers. Notice three things concerning that, their identity, their activity, and their ability. The text begins with this description of the people of God. You are a chosen generation. And by that, the text is beginning with God, beginning with what God has done, beginning with what God has decided, beginning with a work of God back in eternity, election. Election comes first, and everything else flows out of God's election of us. Election is the fountain and cause of all of our salvation, and therefore you can understand the text this way. You are a chosen generation. And because you are a chosen generation, you are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation, and you are a peculiar people who shows forth the praises of God. God has chosen us, and as the text shows, that election by God is not some abstract theoretical work that God did in eternity, but election is a very personal thing. The text says, you, addressing the people of God, addressing the church of Christ, says you are a chosen generation. You have been chosen by God. God has chosen you to be his people. to be those whom He would redeem, to be those whom He would save from His own wrath against sin, to be those that He would love, to be those upon whom He would shine His favor, to be those to whom He would always be good in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, and to be those who will live eternally with Him in glory. You are that. There are two things, beloved, that make election night a marvelous and astounding, a most wonderful decree and work of God. The first is that God has chosen us even though we are by nature no better than anyone else. No better than those whom God does not choose. No better than those who, in the context here, were appointed unto unbelief in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. No better than those who are the dregs of society. No better than those who will spend eternity under the wrath of God. We are no better. We are no more worthy, but God has chosen us. That's a marvel of the grace of God. And secondly, God's election of us is an astounding thing when you consider the fact that God does not need us. God is self-sufficient. God has himself. God has himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he doesn't need anyone else to add anything to him. He is glorious in himself. He is fully blessed in himself. He doesn't need us. And still, God has chosen us to be His. We are the elect of God. That is our chief identity as believers. The text points out that there are three things that follow, three things that flow out of God's election of us, three marvelous and wonderful characteristics of those who have been elected. First this, you have been made, and you are, a royal priesthood. That's a privilege, to be a royal priesthood. A priest is one who is devoted to God. A priest is one who offers sacrifices that are acceptable to God. We are priests, and we offer sacrifices to God. The sacrifices that we offer to God are not atoning sacrifices. We never can offer an atoning sacrifice to God. That is impossible for us to do, besides which that is unnecessary. There is no need. The Lord Jesus Christ has done it, and he has done it all, and he has done it alone. But nevertheless, under the Lord Jesus Christ, and as those who have been redeemed by Him, and as those who have been renewed by Him and by His Spirit, we offer sacrifices to God, spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving and of praise to God. Verse 5 of the chapter speaks of that. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. We offer up ourselves to God. We offer up our families, our life, our time. We offer up our possessions to God, and we say, my life is not about me, and my life and my family and my possessions are not for me, but I will serve God. And there is no sacrifice that is too great in the service of Jehovah God. We are priests, and we are royal priests, kingly priests. A king rules, and therefore, we who have been changed by the mighty grace of God to be royal priests are those who are not ruled by Satan and not ruled by sin, but rather, as a king, you by the power and grace of Christ within you, rule over sin. You are a king under Christ. You do battle against your enemies. You fight against your spiritual foes. And in those battles, you are, as one who has the power of Christ within you, as one who has been renewed by his grace, you are victorious in the victory that comes to us by the power of Christ within us. Not perfect victories, but nevertheless we are victorious. We are more than conquerors through Christ. A royal priesthood, that's one of our characteristics. Secondly, we are described as being an holy nation. We are holy with the holiness of God. We are separated from sin and we are devoted to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. That holiness consists of our being justified, our being forgiven. and having the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, but it also consists of our being sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit. Holiness in life doesn't wait until the child of God gets to heaven, but the child of God now in this life, by the grace and power of Christ in him, lives in holiness. We are a unique, we are a distinct people. We are called saints, holy ones. And that's not said of any other people but the people of God. And thirdly, the text says we are a peculiar people, literally an acquired and obtained people. those whom God has made to be his possession, his property. He has purchased us to himself. He has purchased us to himself through the sacrifice of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has redeemed us, and now we belong to God, and now we are, as the text describes it, God's pride and joy. He has made us to be glorious and he has made us to be delightsome to himself. And we are the people concerning whom God says, you are mine. We are the people that God loves. We are the people whom God protects. We are the people for whom God works all things for our benefit and good in this life because we belong to him. His people. It's a wonderful work of God that has made us to be such marvelous people in God's sight. And again, someone might say, but isn't it unwise to speak that way to God's people? Won't it make them proud to be told how wonderful they are? And that objection is answered in the text itself. And that argument is denied by the text itself when the text says this concerning us, that we have been called out of darkness. That brings us to the reality of what we are in ourselves over against what we are because of the work of God. And as we are in ourselves, we are by nature totally depraved. Yes, in darkness. Darkness represents all that is evil. Darkness refers to the darkness of sin, the darkness of unrighteousness, the darkness of hatred against God. And that darkness came upon us when we fell into sin. And that darkness that came upon us was an absolute darkness. That's why when we speak of depravity, we don't simply speak of depravity, but we speak of total depravity, total spiritual darkness. Loving the darkness. That's part of our darkness by nature. Loving the darkness. Loving the ways of sin. We didn't come out of that darkness because we wanted to. We didn't come out of that darkness because we got ourselves out of it, but because God rescued us from that darkness. There's no room for pride. We are reminded that we are by nature wretched, no good sinners, and that calls for humility. All these wonderful things that God says concerning us are true of us only because of God. He has called us out of darkness and he has brought us into his light. He has transformed us and he has made us to have these wonderful characteristics by grace and by grace alone. And it is indeed a wonderful thing. God's grace does not leave his people in darkness. God's grace does not leave his people in unbelief. God's grace does not leave his people in the shackles of their total depravity and of their sin, but they are rescued. We are rescued, and we have been changed. And when that truth, and this truth specifically in this text concerning our being a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people is proclaimed to the people of God in such a way that the grace and power of the grace of God is explained, that does not make a believer proud. but it leads to humility and thankfulness. But what about our activity? Well, the first activity that the text has in mind As we view this Word of God in its context is the activity of believing. That's what was spoken of prior to our text. We are those who believe in Jesus Christ, and we are those who believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is precious. We believe that, first of all, But then the text following from that points out that and focuses its attention upon another activity, namely that we show forth the praises of God. Believing that God has saved us, Believing that God has chosen us and causes us to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people, we show forth the praises of God. God did not choose you and make you to be a holy nation and a peculiar people and call you out of darkness into light so that then you remain silent. about Him and what He has done, that you keep it a secret who you are, that you keep it to yourself what He has made you to be. But God has done all of this with a purpose. And he works that purpose in his people when he says, as he does in Isaiah 43 verse 21, this people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise. That's God's purpose for us, and that's one of the chief activities of a believer. Showing forth the praise of God. Showing forth the praise of God is encompassed by our calling to witness, witnessing. Witnessing first of all by our lives. As you well know, that is our chief, our main way of witnessing to others. Our souls, by the grace of God, are living evidence of what God has done within us. You can compare that to a beautiful painting, a painting that an artist has spent a lot of time producing. And as you look at that painting, you notice the skill and the expertise of the artist. It says something concerning the artist. It doesn't say anything about itself. It says something about the artist. That's what our lives are. We are God's workmanship. And when others look at us and look at our lives and look at how we live our lives as a godly people in this world, they don't see us, but they see God, the divine and skillful and expert artist. And the chapter that we read goes on to say that there are many ways in which we show forth the praises of God by our lives. We live as pilgrims and strangers, verse 11. We abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Verse 12, we have our conversation honest amongst the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works glorify your which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation." Believers living an antithetical life, believers living a life that stands out in sharp, sharp contrast to the lives of the ungodly around us, sharp contrast on account of our behavior. Sharp contrast as the chapter goes on to speak about it as regards our respect for those who are in authority over us. A sharp contrast in how we work in relation to our employer as faithful servants to our employer. And sharp contrast in the language that we speak. and by our family life, and by what our marriage looks like, and by what our activities are on the Lord's day. Showing forth the praises of God, who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. And then witnessing also by the things we say to others concerning God and his grace. The child of God who has been saved by the wonder of the grace of God contemplates all of God's marvelous works for him. And that child of God ponders what God has done and ponders in his heart what God has done to him. And he doesn't keep it to himself, but he speaks of it to others. He lets them know what God in his grace has done, and then he is showing forth the praises of God, and he cannot refrain from telling others. And basically, the message that we speak to others is, as it is a message that is characterized by humility, Not pride, but humility is the message of myself. I am nothing. And I was nothing. By nature, totally depraved, in darkness, in unbelief, no different from anyone else. But God, in his marvelous grace, took a hold of me. According to his council of election, I was one of his. And he changed me. And now I live in the marvelous light of God. Because of God. Because of God. Showing forth the praises of God. Sometimes we're hesitant to do that, as though we're ashamed of the gospel. We're afraid that if we speak about our faith, or speak about our faith too much, then we might be labeled as some kind of religious nut or something. And usually there are two groups of believers in the church who put most of us to shame in that regard, the elderly and small children. They speak openly and freely about their faith, much more than most of us do. They're not ashamed. But God's people, when they realize what God has done for them, then they show forth the praises of God, because they realize God alone deserves the praise. And they say, I have nothing to boast of in myself. no accomplishments that I ought to get credit for. Of myself, I do not pray any good prayers. Of myself, I do not conduct any praiseworthy worship of God. Of myself, I am not faithful in the fulfillment of my calling. There is not one job well done in my own strength. There is not wonderful word or one excellent deed that I have accomplished on my own. God has worked in me and God has done it all in me and through me. Let God be praised. he alone deserves it. And that's something that, because of God, we are able to do. That's the point of the text. We're not able to do it of ourselves. Left to our souls, we praise ourselves. But the text is speaking of what God has done for us and what God has made us to be. And the text is stating facts concerning who we are and what we do because of the work of God in us. And God gives us the ability and God empowers us to show forth His praises as His people by means of His Word and Spirit, so that central to our ability to praise God is the preaching of the Word of God. direct connection and a direct relationship between the preaching of the gospel and the praises of the people of God. And that connection is, first of all, this. The preaching is the means that God uses by His Spirit to empower us to praise God. Because God, by the preaching, has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. And that call of God is not merely the external call of the gospel. The external call of the gospel changes no one. The external call of the gospel produces no praise to God on its own, but it's the internal and effectual call of the gospel which becomes effectual in us as the people of God because it's the voice of Christ speaking to us. Not merely the voice of a man, a minister, but the voice of Christ through that man. A voice that can speak to your soul and a voice that can produce the praise of God in you. That voice of Christ has called you out of darkness. That voice of Christ has called you out of spiritual ignorance into the light of the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. That voice of Christ has called you out of the darkness of sin and hatred and unbelief into the light of love for God and obedience to Him and faith in Christ. That voice of Christ has called you out of pride and self-praise and puts within you a new song of praise to God. to praise God, we must hear the preaching, the preaching of the gospel, faithful proclamation of the Word concerning Christ by Christ himself. Secondly, that relationship between preaching and praise is this, that the preaching motivates us to praise God. When the Word of God is faithfully preached, the good news of salvation is proclaimed to and that gospel of gracious salvation is the motivation for us. In that faithful preaching we are shown that by nature we are detestable, we are abhorrent, we are in darkness, and yet God in his mercy has loved and chosen me, you say. What a wonder. In the faithful preaching of the Word of God, we are shown that we are sinners. We hate God, but God has changed us into those who love Him. In the preaching of the Word, we are shown that we deserve hell, and yet God sent His own Son to hell for us. and He suffered all of our hell for us. What a marvelous wonder of God's grace. And as you hear the preaching of the Word of God concerning the marvelous grace of God toward you in Christ and learn that all that God has done for you, you cannot help but be thankful and you cannot help but give Praise to God. You say, how can I keep silent? How can I keep silent? God's purpose in our salvation is that we be a thankful people that shows forth the praises of God. That's how God-given privileged we are, those who have received the power from God himself to do it, and the motivation. Let us not be silent, but encouraged and motivated by our knowledge, the knowledge of faith and the believing heart that confesses all that God has done. to make us such a marvelous people in His sight. Amen. O God and Father in heaven, we pray that Thy Word may encourage us, may comfort us, may strengthen us as it is applied by Thy Spirit. And lead us, Heavenly Father, not to take for granted the marvelous and wonders of Thy grace, but to show forth praises to Thee in lives that show forth that praise, and in language and words that show forth that praise, so that Thy name is exalted by Thy church and praised by Thy people. In Christ's name we ask. Amen. Final Psalter number is number 407. Number 407 is based on Psalm 149. And notice especially the third stanza. In glory exalt ye saints of the Lord with songs in the night, high praises accord. Go forth in his service and strong in his might to conquer all evil and to stand for the right. We'll sing all four stanzas of 407. O praise ye the Lord, and sing a new song. The King of His saints is praised in all. The praise of their Maker gives me is and rose of salvation, behold Him coming. Glory and all, he sings of the Lord. ♪ Stand strong in his life ♪ ♪ To conquer all evil ♪ ♪ And stand for the right ♪ ♪ For this is his word ♪ ♪ His faith shall not fail ♪ ♪ But over the earth ♪ of kingdoms and nations shall yield to their sway. To God give the glory and praise and glory. Has sent me a mighty one, Thou, O Thou God of Israel, Born be of old and wondrous young, And is in glory red and silver. And blessed be his glorious fame, Now as the ages tell them through, For all the earth extend his fame, Amen, amen, forevermore. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.