Tag: 1 Peter 2:9

Wearing God’s Glory

Opening the door, the student aide walked in with a message from the school office. Furrowing her brow, she scanned the classroom before turning to me and asking, “Where’s the teacher?” Grimacing and willing my face not to turn red, I snatched the note from her hand and replied, “I’m the teacher, I’ll take care of that, thanks.” 

I was a few weeks into my first year teaching and trying desperately to command the respect of my high school pupils. At twenty-three years old, it had only been five years since I’d graduated from their ranks. After a few embarrassing run-ins like this one, I was determined to differentiate myself from the teens on campus. So, I headed to the mall to buy some clothes that were more tailored and less youthful. Until the students got to know me, I knew what I wore needed to set me apart from them. 

Although it happened years ago, I remembered this season in my life as I read the instructions about the clothing for the priests serving in the Tabernacle. What they wore showed they were different; they’d been set apart by God to perform sacred duties: “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.” (Exodus 28:40-41, ESV) Covered with precious gemstones, the ornate priestly garb displayed the Lord’s glory, beauty, dignity, and honor (“glory and beauty” are used in the ESV, “dignity and honor” are used in the NIV).   

Today we might be tempted to view this as interesting but irrelevant information. Because of Jesus, we no longer need priests to make blood sacrifices on our behalf. However, the New Testament clarifies that every follower of Jesus now serves in this role: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV) 

We too, are a royal priesthood called to live set apart from the world around us. Instead of sacrificing animals, our charge is to tell people Christ made the sacrifice for them. We get to help others move from the darkness of sin and death to the light of God’s love and mercy.

While we’re no longer required to wear elaborate clothing like the priests serving in the Tabernacle, Scripture still emphasizes the importance of adorning ourselves with glory, beauty, dignity and honor: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14, NIV) 

Through the Holy Spirit, followers of Christ display character qualities that set them apart from the world. Let’s consider each piece of “clothing” and how wearing it honors the Lord and reveals Him to others.

Compassion is “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”1 Demonstrating compassion gives us an opportunity to show the Lord’s love and concern for people in difficult and vulnerable situations. If you’re not naturally compassionate, consider asking the Holy Spirit to increase it in you. Then, invite Him to lead you to people who would be blessed by receiving it.

Kindness is being benevolent, considerate, and helpful to others. Kind people look outward beyond their own needs and desires to notice others. Through kind words and actions, we reveal the fruit of the Spirit and become the hands and feet of Jesus. Try praying for the Lord to fill you with His kindness, then be on the lookout for someone who needs it today.

Humility is “not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”2 C.S. Lewis said a truly humble person “will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”3 Pride and self-absorption stand in opposition to humility. It may be challenging, but consider asking the Lord to humble you and to help you to think of yourself less frequently.

Gentleness is the quality of being free from harshness, sternness, or violence. It is being docile, soft, and delicate.4 Scripture explains, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1, NIV). Gentleness diffuses tension and softens defensiveness. Do others feel soothed by your words or stirred up by them? Ask the Lord to give you more of this fruit of the Spirit if it’s lacking in your character.

Patience is “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.”4 This vital fruit of the Spirit is in short supply in our world today, so demonstrating it to others makes believers stand out from the crowd. If patience is a struggle for you, ask the Spirit to pour it out on your life to bless you and those in your presence.

Forgiveness is releasing resentment for wrongs and offenses committed against you. It means letting go of grudges and relinquishing your hurt to the Lord. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15, NIV) The world tells us to stoke the fires of resentment and to hold fast to grudges. However, remembering God’s forgiveness should compel us to offer grace and forgiveness to those who sin against us.

Clothing ourselves with the characteristics of Christ reveals God’s presence in the world. Like the priests of ancient Israel, we bring the Lord’s glory and beauty to those around us. Dan Bremnes’ song “Fingerprints” will inspire you to remember the important part you play in shining God’s light into darkness. Click here to listen.

Inspired by God of Freedom by Jen Wilkin, Lifeway Press 2022, Week 8.

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1. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/compassion

2. Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, Zondervan, 2002.

3. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Geoffrey Bles, 1952.

4 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentle

5. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=definition+of+patience&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Spreading Christ’s Aroma

Clenching a pipe between his teeth, my grandpa would light sweet-smelling tobacco and stand puffing away in our garage. This is one of my most vivid childhood memories. Every year he would travel from Philadelphia to California to spend two weeks with the family of his only child, my mom. His visits included a few predictable elements: he would always bring mint bark from his favorite candy shop on the Jersey shore and rye bread from a Jewish deli in Philadelphia. At some point during the visit my grandpa would bake a Philadelphia cheesecake (he eschewed the “lesser” New York cheesecake with a crust that he considered too sweet). But the thing I remember most about my grandpa’s visits is the spicy, pungent scent of tobacco that would permeate our garage long after he’d flown back to Pennsylvania. I don’t smell pipe tobacco very often, but when I do, it makes me smile.

That sweet fragrance of my grandpa’s tobacco came to mind as I learned about the outer court of the Israelites’ Tent of Meeting in Exodus recently. I never realized the important role fragrance played as an element of worship. Outside the Holy Place, a powerful mix of acrid smells wafted through the courtyard; the comingled scents of livestock, urine, manure, and blood were probably overpowering as the people brought animals to be sacrificed. 

In contrast, a sweeter scent met the nostrils of any priest entering the Holy Place. The Lord gave Moses a specific recipe of spices to combine and explained: “Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.” He instructed Moses to consecrate all objects inside the Tent of Meeting by anointing them. Additionally, the Lord told Moses to anoint Aaron and his sons, consecrating them as priests. He concluded by explaining, “This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.” (Exodus 30:25 & 31-33)

The smell the people would detect on the priests would be uniquely associated with the Lord. It was sacred and signified what Scripture reiterates numerous times: “The Lord is God; besides him there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:35b, NIV)

Here’s the part that’s most inspiring, though. Each element of the Tent of Meeting pointed the way to Jesus and has corresponding facets in the Christian faith. When it comes to the aroma of God, here’s what the Apostle Paul explains in the New Testament:

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16, NIV)

“Paul’s metaphor would be readily understood by his audience, with the apostle and his co-laborers portrayed as victorious soldiers in a triumphal procession. During these Roman military parades, captives of war would be marched through the streets as garlands of flowers were carried and incense was burned to the gods. The aromatic perfumes wafted on the air as spectators and those in the procession breathed in their fragrance. At the parade’s finale, many prisoners would be put to death. Thus, the aromas were pleasing and life-giving to the victors, but they were the smell of death to those who had been defeated.”1

Unlike the Roman processions, every person now has the option to side with the victor by accepting Christ. The truth of the gospel causes people to face the reality of their sin. Those who smell the aroma of life recognize they need the blood of Jesus to atone for their sins. Those who smell the aroma of death hear the truth and reject it—preferring to ignore sin or re-frame it rather than admitting it. Jesus states this clearly in John’s gospel: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36, NIV)

The New Testament declares that followers of Jesus are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9)  So, just as the priests came out of the Tabernacle emitting the smell of the sacred oil and incense, followers of Jesus give off the scent of Christ through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 

We have the privilege and responsibility of spreading the aroma of the knowledge of Christ wherever we go. The smell of Jesus is always good, right, and true, but that doesn’t mean it’s always nice, easy, or pleasant. Some people will be drawn to it and others will be repelled by it. Jesus told His disciples: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” (John 15:18-19, NIV)

If you’re walking with Jesus, you’re going to smell like Him. Sometimes people are going to like this about you, and sometimes they’re not. Don’t be tempted to veer from the truth, even when it’s not popular. True life and freedom are found only in Christ: “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (John 8:31b-32, NIV)

Envisioning Jesus leading a triumphal procession in victory over death and sin inspires celebration in me. Click here and “smell” the aroma of victory as you listen to Phil Wickham’s “Battle Belongs.”

Inspired by God of Freedom by Jen Wilkin, Lifeway Press 2022, Week 7.

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1. “What does it mean that Christians are the aroma of christ?”gotquestions.org.

Light of the World

Pushing aside tissue paper, I reached into the gift bag and pulled out a bright yellow sweatshirt with “Be the light” written on the front. It was an early Christmas gift that brought a colorful reminder of the meaning of this season. We can’t live without light. It nourishes our bodies, souls, and minds. Light helps us to walk confidently. It gives us warmth. It lifts our spirits and guides our paths. It is also something we’re meant to share with others.

Christmas is the season when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. I love how the twinkling lights on my tree and on buildings all over town remind me of this. Inspired by my new sweatshirt, I thumbed through the pages of Scripture to see how Jesus embodies light and uses it to bring hope in and through us. Let’s explore a few key passages to see this powerful theme woven throughout Scripture.

About 700 years before Jesus, Isaiah prophesied about Him. He described many aspects of the coming Messiah, including using the imagery of light: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2, NIV) Without the light of Jesus, we walk in spiritual darkness. His light gives us hope and purpose in this life and the promise of eternity with Him.

Turning to the New Testament, we see John start off his gospel by referring to Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5, NIV) Life in Jesus is the source of spiritual light. His light is more powerful than any dark force and has defeated sin. This gives us hope, no matter how dark the world or our circumstances feel at times.

John’s gospel also includes Jesus describing Himself: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12, NIV) True life is found only in Jesus. One commentary explains, “Coming to Christ for salvation results in a different kind of life. A believer will never walk in darkness, that is, he will not live in it (12:46, 1 John 1:6-7). He does not remain in the realm of evil and ignorance (John 12:46) for he has Christ as his Light and salvation (Ps. 36:9).”1

John speaks about the power of light again in another New Testament book: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-8, NIV) God doesn’t just provide us with light, He is light. As we’re drawn to Him, we’re blessed to join with people who are like-minded. This fellowship with other believers provides us with the comfort and encouragement we need to function in a world filled with darkness and sin.

Knowing God is light and that He gives it to us through Jesus has powerful implications for us as believers. Consider Jesus’ teaching on this in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV) Surrendering our lives to Jesus not only enables us to walk in the light, it lets His light shine through us to bless others. That’s what my new yellow sweatshirt reminds me every time I wear it. What I love about this is that we don’t have to try to be the light—it automatically shines through us when we’re walking with Jesus and aligning with the Holy Spirit.

Peter, another one of Jesus’ disciples, also teaches followers of Jesus about light:  “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, NIV) We’ve been called out of darkness and have the blessing and privilege of walking in the warmth, comfort, and hope of God’s light. That’s what we’re celebrating at Christmas!

Peter’s second letter circles us back to the prophecies from the Old Testament about the coming light: “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21, NIV) 

A Bible commentary explains, “Peter told how to derive meaning from God’s Word—pay attention to it. As a Light, God’s written Word has validity and authority…God’s prophetic Word is a Light…shining in a dark place. Though the world is darkened by sin (Isa. 9:2, Eph. 6:12), God’s Word pointing to the future, enlightens believers about His ways…Much as a lamp at night anticipates and is outshined by the bright morning star, so Old Testament prophecy looks ahead to the coming of Christ, ‘the bright Moring Star’ (Rev. 22:16). Until he comes, believers are to let the Scriptures illumine their hearts.”1

So, this Christmas, we celebrate Jesus’ first coming as a baby who was heralded by a special star in the sky, and we anticipate His second coming as the bright Morning Star who will return at the end of days. During this “in between time,” let’s continue basking in the light by drawing near to Him and spending time in His Word.

How about pushing the pause button on the bustle of the season and devoting a few quiet moments to marveling at Jesus as the Light of the World? Be inspired to let His light shine through you wherever you find yourself this season.

Enjoy a worship moment with Lauren Daigle’s “Light of the World.” (I can’t watch this video without shedding a few tears!) Click here to watch.

  1. John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Victor Books. 1983, pages 303 & 868.