we are not a holy nation, but we are a holy nation

we are not a holy nation, but we are a holy nation

Every strongly opinionated, religious, and ‘vote my candidate or you hate Jesus’ person knows that 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a holy nation. But Peter is not telling us that we are a holy nation, he’s telling us that we are a holy nation. Confused?

Most people are as well. They take these words to defend political ideas, behavior system, or religious beliefs without understanding what Peter was really describing. Peter really wasn’t concerned with how people voted, he had probably never voted in his life. He wasn’t concerned with political systems, because Jesus always stated that he wasn’t creating a new one or transforming the one in place. Peter was reminding followers of Christ that they are set-apart.

That can be just as confusing. Because sometimes when we think of Christians being set-apart we think of Christians schools, Christians bookstores, Christians radio and tv, Christian movies, Christian clothes, etc. it can seem like Christians already are set-apart; far from culture and safe from its influences. We see Christians as those people over in the dark corner, afraid to get any of that “world juice’ on them.

No, Peter was referring to the type of set-apart described in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Peter is reminding you that you’re not set-apart to be sheltered, you’re set-apart for a purpose, to tell and show others of the rich life that only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.