ON
BEING PECULIAR
I
Peter 2:5-10
The King James has what to modern ears
sounds peculiar
when it refers to Christians as “peculiar people” (I Pet. 2:9). In Greek the
phrase is literally, “a people for possession.” The New King James gives the
contemporary sense when it says, “special people.” The idea is easy to grasp, God’s people are to be different from
all other people. It is not the concept that presents the problem; it is the
practice of the distinctive lifestyle that presents the difficulty.
In this postmodern world of ours, everybody
and his dog has an idea about how Christianity ought to be practiced. God,
however, does not merely want a people who are different; He want’s a people
who are different as He is different (Lev. 19:2; Matt. 5:48). Let us first take
a look at the commonplace things of the world that we are not to be like, then
we will consider some of the peculiar things that are to distinguish us
as Christians.
A LOOK AT THE
COMMONPLACE
1. Selfishness
(Rom. 16:18).
2. Looking
for the worst in people (Titus 1:15).
3. Lack
of commitment (John 10:12-13).
4. Binding
opinions (Mk. 7:8).
5. Untrustworthy
(Rom. 1:28-32).
6. Hardhearted
(Eph. 4:17-18).
7. Out
of control (Jude 10-13).
8. Materialistic
(Matt. 6:31-33).
9. Rejecting
the truth (Rom. 1:18).
ON BEING PECULIAR
1. Self-denial
(Lk. 9:23).
2. Believing
the best, unless we cannot (I Cor. 13:7).
3. Commitment
(Matt. 10:32-39).
4. Liberty
in opinions (Rom. 14:1).
5. Trustworthy
(I Cor. 4:1-2).
6. A
forbearing spirit (Eph. 4:2).
7. Temperate
(Acts 24:25).
8. Spiritual
(Lk. 12:13-21).
9. Receiving
the truth (Acts 2:41; Jn. 8:31-32).
Yes, Christians are to be peculiar. They
are to live the characteristics of God before a world of commonplace
ungodliness. We are to be a people for God’s on unique possession.
ESJ
7/23/00
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