Ku 1 UPetru 2:9-10, kulotshiwe ukuthi amaKristu, abalunakile ubizo lukaNkulunkulu, Ababizile baphume ebumnyameni bangene ezimangalisweni zaKhe, bayisizukulwane esikhethiwe, ubupristi bobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, nabantu abangajwayelekile. Kusho ukuthini lokhu? Ingabe amaKristu aphila njengesizukulwane esikhethiwe, ubupristi bobukhosi, holy nation, nabantu abangajwayelekile?
What does a chosen generation mean?
But ye are a chosen generation, ubupristi bobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, abantu abangajwayelekile; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light: Okwakudala kwakungesona isizwe, kodwa khathesi selingabantu bakaNkulunkulu: ababengahawukelwanga, kodwa khathesi selihawukelwe (1 UPetru 2:9-10)
Wonke umuntu, who has given heed to the call of God and by faith in Jesus Christ has repented and is born again in Christ, isibe yindalo entsha, indodana kaNkulunkulu.
Labo, ababengabobumnyama, 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 ubumnyama, but they have become the children of the day, who belong to the Ukukhanya and shall live in the Light in the truth of God on earth (Funda futhi: Isono masingabe sisabusa njengenkosi!).
What does a royal priesthood mean?
Manje ngakho-ke, Uma niyolalela izwi lami ngempela, futhi ugcine isivumelwano sami, then ye shall be a peculiar (special) treasure unto Me above all people: Ngoba wonke umhlaba ungowami: Niyakuba ngumbuso wabapristi, nesizwe esingcwele (Eksodusi 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 UPetru 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, kodwa ufile kuNkulunkulu. Nokho, Ngokukholwa nokwenziwa kabusha kuKristu, 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, iBandla. The assembly of believers are the Church and are the Body of Christ on earth (Funda futhi: Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body; iBandla).
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 (Funda futhi: Luyini uhlelo lukaMelkisedeki?).
Because believers are a royal priesthood, they shall live as priests. Lokhu akusho, that they shall isolate themselves from the world, wear special (mpristi) izingubo zokugqoka, forbid to marry, njll. 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 imisebenzi yenyama.
But believers are a royal priesthood and should live holy in obedience to God in His will and do righteous works, NjengoJesu Kristu, 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?
Makatuswe uNkulunkulu noYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, Ngubani osibusisile ngazo zonke izibusiso ezingokomoya ezindaweni zasezulwini kuKristu: Njengoba elondolozile kuye ngaphambi kokusekelwa komhlaba, ukuthi kufanele sibe ngcwele futhi singasoli phambi kwakhe othandweni: wasimisela ngaphambili ukuba sibe ngabantwana kuye ngoJesu Kristu, ngokwentando yakhe enhle, Ukuze kudunyiswe inkazimulo yomusa wakhe, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved (Kwabase-Efesu 1:3-6)
Noma ngubani ozelwe nguNkulunkulu, ungayenzi isono; Ngoba inzalo yakhe ihlala kuye: futhi ngeke akwazi ukona, ngoba uzalwa uNkulunkulu. Kulokhu izingane zikaNkulunkulu ziyabonakala, Futhi abantwana bakaDeveli: Yilowo nalowo ongenzi ukulunga akayonakaNkulunkulu, Lowo ongathandanga umfowabo (1 UJohane 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; ubumnyama, and devoted unto God.
Although they live in the world, abasibo abezwe, 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 (Oh. UJohane 3:19-20; 7:7; 15:18-20 (Funda futhi: Kungani izwe liwazonda amaKristu?)).
By this, Amakholwa, 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 (Funda futhi: Uyini umehluko phakathi kwezimvu nezimbuzi?).
What does a peculiar people mean?
lokhu senihlanzile imiphefumulo yenu ngokulalela iqiniso ngoMoya kuze kube sothandweni olungenabuzenzisi lwabazalwane, bhekani ukuthi nithandane ngenhliziyo emhlophe: Ukuzalwa kabusha, kungeyisikho ngembewu eyonakeleyo, kodwa ngeyokungonakali, ngezwi likaNkulunkulu, ophilayo futhi omi phakade (1 UPetru 1:22-23)
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: kodwa, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Leyo, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed (AmaRoma 9:6-8)
Manje izithembiso zenziwa ku-Abrahama nasenzalweni yakhe. Akasho, Futhi imbewu, njengabaningi; kodwa njengokukodwa, Nasenzalweni yakho, onguKristu (KwabaseGalathiya 3:16)
Ngoba ninabo bonke abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngokukholwa kuKristu Jesu. Ngoba abaningi bakho njengoba ubhapathizwe kuKristu ngibeke kuKristu. Akekho umJuda noma isiGreki, Akukho bond futhi mahhala, Akekho owesilisa nowesifazane: ngoba nonke nina munye kuKristu Jesu. Futhi uma ningabakaKristu, ngakho-ke niyinzalo ka-Abrahama, nezindlalifa ngokwesithembiso (KwabaseGalathiya 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. Labo, 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 (Funda futhi: Kuthiwani uma intando kaNkulunkulu ingeyona intando yakho?).
If they don’t do this, then their lives show, that they don’t belong to God, no matter what humanists say, abanomoya waleli zwe.
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 (ubumnyama) 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, njengoJesu, 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, ababefile, 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 (Funda futhi: Ingabe unesibindi sokukhuluma iZwi likaNkulunkulu?).
The sons of God testify of His greatness
Ngoba thina singumsebenzi wakhe, Edalwe KuKristu Jesu Kwemisebenzi Emihle, uNkulunkulu wangaphambi kokukhululwa uNkulunkulu ukuthi kufanele sihambe kuzo (Kwabase-Efesu 2:10)
Jesus has given us the example and we are (perfectly) created in Him after His image, Ngokuvuselelwa kabusha, futhi semukele uMoya waKhe oNgcwele, Who will teach and guide us into all truth and convict the world of sin, lokulunga, kanye lokwahlulela, 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 (Oh. UJohane 16:8-13, Kwabase-Efesu 2:10, 4:15-24, AbaseKolose 3:10).
‘Yibani usawoti womhlaba’
