Chosen for Good deeds (1Peter 2:9-12)

CHOSEN FOR GOOD DEEDS: (1 Peter 2:9-12): 

Peter continues telling out the Elect about responsibility and the commitment they need to hold as they believe in God. Those who don’t believe in God stumble but those who believe in God are a chosen people as everyone who had come into the knowledge of Christ and Salvation are destined to be sons or daughters of God. At the Old Testament times, only a clan of people were identified by others or themselves as Priest and the responsibility of priesthood was commonly carried out by them as per the instruction of God. Still, God doesn’t forbid anyone who pleased him, even in the Old Testament times. Now, by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ everyone who accepted and believed, has the privilege to be a royal priesthood. At the same time, they are also needed to be a witness by being holy in all their conduct so that they could be called a holy nation who are followers of genuine God. Only people who strive to grow into the likeness of Christ have a guiltless and joyful life. They could proclaim Jesus by following his foot-steps, proclaim the excellence of God, and call the deprived to come out of the darkness into marvelous light. For God who is the source of everything in the world could alone give the solution for all.

Peter often reminds the Old status of the Elect. He says to them that they were once not God’s people but after they were cleansed from the former ignorance and committing their lives for God, they had become God’s people. Peter also says that because they weren’t God’s people, they didn’t know or accept Him and thereby doesn’t receive mercy previously. But once they had known God and committed their lives for Him, they received mercy. Peter calls the believers as beloved, as they had become close to him in spirit by the relation they have in Christ. Peter knew that the passions of the flesh will not be ended as God created human beings as Man and Woman. It’s not just about sexuality but also all other unfair desire to gratify the self, without considering others with love. Everyone should fight it and abstain from it, as it is something everyone faces at least during certain points of life, against the inner soul. Peter advises the believers to be sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, as passions of the flesh could not be completely avoided and, we need to run away from it at times. There should be a right, ethical, and moral conduct in every believer.

Peter stresses the importance of witnessing lives among the gentiles who are readily waiting to point out the mistakes and limitations of those who claim to proclaim the truth. Peter advises the believers to have honorable conduct among gentiles because they will absolutely convict by saying that believers are not right and their actions are to convert and change people. They could even say the believers as evildoers. But on the contrary, even those who accuse could see and change by the good deeds God has bestowed and commanded to the believers with their personal encounter with the true God. 

Stimulations for Self-Reflection

1.      What are the adjuncts given to believers by Peter?

2.      What the Believers are supposed to do?

3.      What God has done to the Believers?

4.      Who were received as God’s people? Why?

5.      What does Peter urge the fellow believers?

6.      What do you mean when Peter said ‘as sojourners and exiles?

7.      How flesh wage war against the soul?

8.      Who should see the believers' conduct as honorable? Why?

9.      What does the day of visitation mean?

10.  How believers could conduct themselves honorable before unbelievers?