Sa 1 Pedro 2:9-10, nasusulat na ang mga Kristiyano, na tumugon sa tawag ng Diyos, Na tumawag sa kanila mula sa kadiliman tungo sa Kanyang kagilagilalas, ay isang piniling henerasyon, isang maharlikang pagkasaserdote, isang banal na bansa, at isang kakaibang tao. Ano ang ibig sabihin nito? Ang mga Kristiyano ba ay nabubuhay bilang isang napiling henerasyon, Royal Pari, holy nation, at isang kakaibang tao?
What does a chosen generation mean?
But ye are a chosen generation, isang maharlikang pagkasaserdote, isang banal na bansa, isang kakaibang tao; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: Na sa nakaraan ay hindi isang tao, ngunit ngayon ay mga tao ng Diyos: na hindi nakakuha ng awa, ngunit ngayon ay nakamit ang awa (1 Pedro 2:9-10)
Lahat ng tao, who has given heed to the call of God and by faith in Jesus Christ has repented and is born again in Christ, ay naging isang bagong likha, isang anak ng Diyos.
Ang mga, who belonged to the darkness, but have given heed to the call of God, are transferred from the darkness into His marvelous light and are reconciled with God and belong to God, and have become God’s people.
They are a new creation and don’t belong to the generation of fallen man, who is a carnal and a sinner and has the devil as their father and live after the flesh in disobedience to God. But they belong to the generation of the new man, a chosen generation, who has been made righteous by the blood of Jesus and His redemptive work, and have God as their Father and live after the Spirit in obedience to God.
They are no longer children of the night, who belong to the dilim na, but they have become the children of the day, who belong to the Liwanag and shall live in the Light in the truth of God on earth (Basahin mo rin: Huwag nang maghari ang kasalanan bilang hari!).
What does a royal priesthood mean?
Ngayon nga kaya, kung talagang susundin ninyo ang Aking tinig, at tuparin ang Aking tipan, then ye shall be a peculiar (special) treasure unto Me above all people: sapagka't ang buong lupa ay akin: At kayo ay magiging isang kaharian ng mga saserdote sa Akin, at isang banal na bansa (Exodo 19:5-6)
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, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Pedro 2:4-5)
Just as Jesus was a living Stone, who was disallowed by men, but chosen of God and precious, the believers are also living stones, who are persecuted and disallowed by the world, but chosen by God and precious to Him.
They were alive to the world, Ngunit patay sa Diyos. Gayunpaman, sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya at pagbabagong lakas kay Cristo, they have become alive to God, but dead to the world.
Jesus Christ is King and High Priest and He is the Head of His Body, ang Simbahan. The assembly of believers are the Church and are the Body of Christ on earth (Basahin mo rin: Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body; ang Simbahan).
Believers are a body of priests, who are called into the holy and royal priesthood and shall offer up spiritual sacrifices, which are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, the Mediator.
And just as the Lord was the inheritance of the levitical priesthood, the Lord is also their inheritance by the Holy Spirit, Who abides in them and shall always be with them (Basahin mo rin: Ano ang pagkakasunud sunod ni Melquisedec?).
Because believers are a royal priesthood, they shall live as priests. Hindi ito nangangahulugang, that they shall isolate themselves from the world, wear special (pari) damit, forbid to marry, atbp. but it means that they shall live in this world among the people as priests in submission and devotion to God in obedience to God and His Word in His will.
Every believer wants to reign as king, but there are only a few believers, who want to live holy as priests and lay down Ang Mga Gawa ng Laman.
But believers are a royal priesthood and should live holy in obedience to God in His will and do righteous works, Tulad ni Jesucristo, Who is King of the Kingdom of Heaven and Highpriest of the New Covenant that is sealed with His precious blood.
What does a holy nation mean?
Purihin ang Diyos at Ama ng ating Panginoong Jesucristo, sino ang nagpala sa atin ng lahat ng espirituwal na pagpapala sa mga dakong langit kay Cristo: Ayon sa pinili niya tayo sa kanya bago ang pundasyon ng mundo, na dapat tayong maging banal at walang sisihin sa harap Niya sa pag -ibig: Ang pagkakaroon ng paunang natukoy sa amin sa pag -ampon ng mga bata ni Jesucristo sa kanyang sarili, Ayon sa magandang kasiyahan ng Kanyang kalooban, Sa papuri ng kaluwalhatian ng Kanyang biyaya, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved (Mga Taga Efeso 1:3-6)
Ang sinumang ipinanganak ng Diyos ay hindi nagkakasala; sapagkat ang Kanyang binhi ay nananatili sa kanya: at hindi siya maaaring magkasala, dahil siya ay ipinanganak ng Diyos. Sa bagay na ito ang mga anak ng Diyos ay naipakikita, at ang mga anak ng diyablo: ang sinumang hindi gumagawa ng katuwiran ay hindi sa Diyos, ni ang hindi umiibig sa kaniyang kapatid (1 John 3:9-10)
Believers don’t belong to the world and therefore they shall not live as the world in the pride, knowledge and wisdom of man and persevere in sin. But believers are a holy nation and therefore live holy lives, which means separated from the world; ang dilim, and devoted unto God.
Although they live in the world, hindi sila kabilang sa mundo, but they belong to God. Because they belong to God and no longer belong to the world and live like the world, they shall not be acknowledged and loved by the world, but the world shall hate them, because of Christ and because they testify that her works are evil (a.o. John 3:19-20; 7:7; 15:18-20 (Basahin mo rin: Bakit kinamumuhian ng mundo ang mga Kristiyano?)).
By this, ang mga mananampalataya, who belong to God and walk in obedience to Him after the Spirit in His will distinguish themselves from unbelievers, who belong to the world and walk in disobedience to God and His Word after the flesh in darkness (Basahin mo rin: Ano ang pagkakaiba ng tupa sa mga kambing?).
What does a peculiar people mean?
Nakikita ninyong nilinis ninyo ang inyong mga kaluluwa sa pagsunod sa katotohanan sa pamamagitan ng Espiritu tungo sa walang kunwaring pag ibig ng mga kapatid, tiyakin na kayo'y magmahalan nang may dalisay na puso na taimtim: Ang pagiging ipinanganak na muli, hindi ng nabubulok na binhi, kundi ng di nasisira, sa pamamagitan ng salita ng Diyos, na nabubuhay at nananatili magpakailanman (1 Pedro 1:22-23)
Hindi na parang ang salita ng Diyos ay walang bisa. Sapagkat hindi silang lahat ay Israel, na mula sa Israel: hindi rin, sapagkat sila ay binhi ni Abraham, bata ba silang lahat: pero, Kay Isaac tatawagin ang iyong binhi. Iyon ay, Sila na mga anak ng laman, hindi ito ang mga anak ng Diyos: ngunit ang mga anak ng pangako ay binibilang na binhi (Mga Taga Roma 9:6-8)
Ngayon kay Abraham at sa kanyang binhi ay ginawa ang mga pangako. Sabi niya hindi, At sa mga buto, bilang ng marami; ngunit bilang ng isa, At sa iyong binhi, na si Kristo (Mga Taga Galacia 3:16)
Sapagkat kayong lahat ay mga anak ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya kay Cristo Jesus. Sapagkat kasing dami ninyo na nabinyagan kay Cristo ang nagsusuot kay Cristo. Walang Hudyo o Greek, Walang bono o libre, Walang lalaki o babae: Sapagka't kayong lahat ay isa kay Cristo Jesus. At kung kayo ay kay Cristo, kung gayon kayo ay binhi ni Abraham, at mga tagapagmana ayon sa pangako (Mga Taga Galacia 3:26-29)
Just as everyone, who was born of the seed of Israel belonged to God’s people, so everyone who is born of the incorruptible Seed belongs to God’s people.
Belonging to God’s people, means belonging to God and no one else. Ang mga, who belong to God’s people are God’s own. They are His possession. They shall listen to Him and obey Him and keep His commandments, which means that they shall obey His words and shall do His will (Basahin mo rin: Paano kung ang kalooban ng Diyos ay hindi ang iyong kalooban?).
If they don’t do this, then their lives show, that they don’t belong to God, no matter what humanists say, na may espiritu ng mundong ito.
The Word is clear and eventually, it is the eternal Word that shall judge everyone according to his works and not the findings and opinions of people, who temporarily live on this earth.
God has chosen His people and He wants His sons to separate themselves from the world and distinguish themselves from the world (ang dilim) instead of compromising and carrying along with the world and living as sons of the devil in pride after their own will.
It is the will of God that believers, who are His sons and belong to Him, are a reflection of Him on earth, tulad ni Jesus, and live in His will and therefore live sanctified lives on earth.
God doesn’t want His sons to hide and stay silent about the Truth and live as cameleons and undercover agents on earth.
But God wants His sons, who were dead, but in Christ became alive, to be His faithful witnesses and shine as lights in the darkness of this world and boldly preach His truth and greatness on earth and expose the lies and the works of the devil and destroy them and remove the covering of people (Basahin mo rin: Sapat na ba ang iyong lakas ng loob na magsalita ng Salita ng Diyos?).
The sons of God testify of His greatness
Sapagkat tayo ay Kanyang gawa, nilikha kay Cristo Jesus tungo sa mabubuting gawa, na itinakda ng Diyos bago pa man tayo lumakad sa kanila (Mga Taga Efeso 2:10)
Jesus has given us the example and we are (perfectly) created in Him after His image, sa pamamagitan ng pagbabagong -buhay, at tinanggap ang Kanyang Banal na Espiritu, Who will teach and guide us into all truth and convict the world of sin, ng kabutihan, at ng paghuhukom, so that we can be witnesses of Jesus Christ on earth and represent, preach and establish His Kingdom on earth, so that Jesus Christ and the Father will be eulogized (a.o. John 16:8-13, Mga Taga Efeso 2:10, 4:15-24, Mga Taga Colosas 3:10).
'Maging asin ng lupa’
