One (Holy) Nation Under God
I Peter 2
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 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,
8 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.
9 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;
10 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.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 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 visitation.
13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14 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.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
*Peculiar: “Belonging distinctively or primarily to one person, group, or kind; special or
unique.”
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As Americans, growing up in America and experiencing Americanized Christianity … we’ve drifted far from our Biblical moorings. We have, for so long, been accustomed to pledging our loyalties to “Flag and Country” that we have not kept at the forefront of our thinking that we are first, foremost, and always:
Blood bought owned citizens of the Kingdom of God.
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I suspect when I say that, your internal defenses kick in gear and you want to say that’s not true. But I’m not so sure our perspective is correctly focused. Through a process of osmosis backed by continual reinforcement, we have become too aligned with, and committed to, the slogan: “One Nation Under God.”
Because we are, and rightly so, grateful and proud to be Americas, we have either turned a blind eye or, willfully chosen to look the other way and not see our country for what it is:
One Paganized Nation Under The Judgement of Almighty God.
And in so doing …
We keep thinking/hoping/believing/praying we can “right the ship” through citizen involvement and participation in the system (s) that guide and direct this country. But that’s not God’s way.
What is His way?
God’s way, through Christ, is a new humanity created BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION, AND RENEWING OF THE HOLY GHOST. (Titus 2:5)
That’s why Peter is calling upon those of us still in the Diaspora to never forget, and to draw upon the fact that, we are:
Lively stones, [who] are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
We, God’s people, are a living people-group, a living entity pulled out from the systems of this world unto God and His Kingdom. We are His citizens. Our true, and only, citizenship is in Heaven.
And though we are “citizens” in America, we are ultimately subservient to the rules and obligations of the Kingdom of God to which we belong.
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I’m endeavoring to reawaken us all to who and what we are:
We are “lively stones … a spiritual house, an holy priesthood .…”
Meaning …
Our perspective has to undergo a process of reorientation. Acts 17 presents a pertinent paradigm which presents the life-pattern God uses to invoke change in society.
Acts 17
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, THESE THAT HAVE TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN are come hither also;
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
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As a spiritual people-group subsisting within the greater national-people group, we are …
Peculiar: “Belonging distinctively or primarily to one person, group, or kind; special or unique.” As such, we are to live out our calling as …
One (Holy) Nation Under God