Bask in God’s spiritual light. New creature in Christ, child of God our Father, heir of salvation, brother or sister in the Lord, saint—holy one made holy by the blood of the Lamb, hear what the Holy Spirit says to you. God called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Bask, delight, take pleasure, enjoy, glory in and reflect God’s marvelous light.
By God’s grace, He made us: “a chosen/eklekton people, a royal/basileion priesthood/hierateuma, a holy/hagion nation/ethnos, God’s special/laos possession, that you may declare/exangeilēte the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
- Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 ISV (Is 9:2; Ac 26:18; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12-13)
In order to get full perspective of that, let’s see how Peter prefaced it.
1 Peter, an emissary/apostle of Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah/Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Diaspora in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Yeshua the Messiah and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah from the dead, 4 to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, 5 who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah— 8 whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, 9 receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently. They prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Messiah which was in them pointed to when he predicted the sufferings of Messiah and the glories that would follow them. 12 To them it was revealed that they served not themselves, but you, in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.
13 Therefore prepare your minds for action.† Be sober, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah— 14 as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance, 15 but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior, 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”✡
17 If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear, 18 knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Messiah, 20 who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in this last age for your sake, 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.
- 22 Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever. 24 For,
All flesh is like grass,
and all of man’s glory like the flower in the grass.
The grass withers, and its flower falls;
25 but the Lord’s word endures forever.”
This is the word of Good News which was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:3-25
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. 5 You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Yeshua the Messiah. 6 Because it is contained in Scripture,
7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,”✡ and,“a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.”✡For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme, 14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well. 15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.1 Peter 2:1-16
You are a vital part of God’s people, who have obtained mercy. Walk in and bask in God’s spiritual light and continue to grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Messiah. Ephesians 4:15-16 Shine as light in this dark world. Matthew 5:14-16. Bask in God’s spiritual light, loving your brothers and sisters in the Lord. Psalms 97:11-12 Basking in God’s marvelous light, do the good works God created you in Messiah Jesus to do. Ephesians 2:4-10
Be at peace among yourselves. 14 We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the weak; be patient toward all. 15 See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all.
16 Always rejoice. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Messiah Yeshua toward you. 19 Don’t quench the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies. 21 Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.1 Thessalonians 5:16-23
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quoted above is from the World Messianic Bible WMB