Sunday November 4
The People of God
Read 1 Peter 2:9; Exodus 19:5, 6; Deuteronomy 4:20; and Deuteronomy 7:6.
2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine:
19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
4:20 But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, [even] out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as [ye are] this day.
7:6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth.
Praise God, the lesson has right off pointed out that the church of God is a holy people. How can this be?
What do these verses say about the special status of the people of God?
The church is about people, but not any kind of people. The church is the people of God, the people who belong to God, who claim God as their Father and Savior, and who have been redeemed by Christ and who obey Him. This image underscores the concept that God has had a people on earth since the introduction of the plan of salvation and that there is continuity between Israel in the Old Testament and the church in the New. From the time of Adam, the patriarchs before and after the Flood, and Abraham, God has made a covenant with His people to be representatives of His love, mercy, and justice to the world.
We need to take a second to understand that God repented of having made man and destroyed every single living thing off the face of the Earth except for the 8 people and the animals on the ark. And, for 2,000 years after that, God had chosen Israel as His people, but, they were cut off as His people for they were not a holy nation and misrepresented His character of love and justice. How does that apply to our church today?
God’s people are called a “chosen generation”, a “royal priesthood”, and a “holy nation.” These terms indicate that they are set aside for a special purpose: to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9, NKJV). This is also an echo of a description of God’s gracious character, as described in Exodus 34:6, 7. “God acquired the church as His own special possession in order that its members might reflect His precious traits of character in their own lives and proclaim His goodness and mercy to all men.” - The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 562.
Who are God's people? Are they the professed people of God, or are they the ones who love God supremely and keep His commandments?
Read Deuteronomy 7:6-8.
7:6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth.
7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people:
7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
What prompted God to select the descendants of Abraham as His people? How is this still applicable today?
He selected Abraham because Abraham would be faithful. God promised Abraham that He would make him the father of a great nation. The people themselves were little better than brute slaves when they came out of Egypt. The nation failed to obey God, so He cut them off as a nation. Today, individual Jews may become a part of modern Israel if they will allow Christ to take possession of the heart.
Perhaps we could ask ourselves, What country today deserves the label of “holy nation” (another image of the church)? None. All nations and ethnic groups are composed of people who do not deserve God’s love and grace. And though the Bible calls us to be a holy people, Scripture also teaches that the selection and establishment of Israel was based entirely on His love and not on any merits that human beings could bring to Him. The formation of God’s people is an act of loving creation and-despite sin and apostasy on a national scale-God kept His promise to Abraham that through his seed, Christ, He would save His people. Just as the election of God’s people was an act of His grace, so is their salvation. This theme reminds us of our common roots in the unmerited grace of God.
Indeed the election of God's children is an act of grace, but it also requires a complete submission and a dying to self. Israel as a nation refused to submit to God. So it has been today. Modern day Israel remains in a Laodicean condition. But, that does not mean that there are not converted Christians in His church. There are. And, it does not mean that the church will be cut off as was Israel as a nation. It will not. There is no prophecy in Scripture saying the Seventh-day Adventist Church will be cut off as there is for Israel of Old. To the contrary, we shared in last week's lessons that both Scripture and a modern day prophet have revealed there will be revival and reformation God last day church.
Why must we always keep before us the sacred truth that our salvation rests upon what Christ has done for us and not upon what we can ever do for ourselves, even if we are “the people of God”?
First, the elect of God are those who accept Christ as Savior. The "people of God" are the elect of God. Then there are the professed people of God. What is the difference? Are there "decoys" in the church of God?