What does it mean that we are a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)?

Against so dark a background how beautiful is the contrast of verse 9, "Ye are a chosen generation." Here is the true election of God, those chosen by Him whose knowledge brought Into consideration every circumstance long before creation. Precious, wonderful truth!--much higher than that of Israel's being God's chosen earthly people. "A royal priesthood" is the counterpart of "a holy priesthood." (v.5), the latter toward God, the former toward men, for it is royal character to bear God's witness toward the world (Cf.In.18:37). Precious is such dignity conferred Upon sinners saved by grace! "An holy nation" is in contrast to Israel in the flesh, In her unholy disobedience. It speaks of a vital sanctification for the glory of God, a setting apart to Himself. "A peculiar people" has the sense of being peculiar to Himself, that is, virtually bondslaves rather than hired servants, as Jews under law considered themselves.

Then again they are "a holy nation," when the nation, who ought to have been so, stood with the stamp on it of evil to the uttermost, not of idolatry alone but of disdaining the Holy One of God, the Messiah. Had they not cried in their blind and mad hatred, His blood be on us and on our children? The remnant, on the contrary, who owned Him and were washed from their sins in His blood, were now "a holy nation" accepted in His name.

Finally they were "a people for a possession." If God was morally bound to discard at length the people who were always resisting the Holy Spirit, as their fathers had done, those of them who believed on Christ became "a people for a possession." They were the more dear, because their faith broke through the manifold hindrances by which unbelief, pride, and judicial darkness encompassed the Jewish nation. Few as they were, compared with the mass hurrying on to destruction, they were "a people for a possession" to God, that they "might tell out the excellencies of him that called them out of darkness unto his marvellous light."

"An holy nation". If this new race was to function as a priestly company, it could only be as in sanctified conditions. This is the bearing of the word "holy" — sanctified, or set apart. No doubt it involved being set apart from what is sinful, and from Judaism in which none of these spiritual features were found. The christian company was set apart from all that would keep man from God and hinder its service to Him in the liberty of the Holy Spirit. This sanctified state is twofold in character — from what is contrary to God, and to what is pleasurable to Him. It involves being kept in the liberty into which Christ has brought His own, and into the enjoyment of the spiritual blessings which are experienced in the new Christian circle apart from all that would hinder enjoyment of this new privilege. Thus, Israel, as a nation who served God, has been supplanted, (v. 9).

How came it that those to whom Peter wrote were a chosen generation? The first chapter answers this question. They were "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father" they were, "redeemed… with the precious blood of Christ:" they were, "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God:" and that, as we elsewhere learn, by the Spirit of God. The Triune God had thus acted to produce a race of a new order — a generation not in Adam but in Christ.

Hence there was now a "royal priesthood." something more vital and elevated than anything the sons of Aaron knew. They were also an "holy nation," because really separated unto God — the "nation bringing forth the fruits thereof," of which the Lord spoke in Matthew 21:43. They were a people for God's special or "peculiar" possession.

The second priesthood of which the apostle speaks is to show forth the virtues of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. Its description is taken, as we have seen, from Exodus 19. It is a chosen generation, a holy nation, a royal priesthood. I only allude to the Melchisedec priesthood to show the character of a royal priesthood. Priests, among the Jews, drew near to God. God had formed the people for Himself: they were to show forth all His virtues, His praises Christ will do this perfectly in the day of His glory. The Christian is called to do it now in this world. He is to reproduce Christ in this world. It is the second part of his life.

The apostle, therefore, applies the character of "holy nation" to the elect remnant, investing them in the main with the titles bestowed in Exodus 19 on condition of obedience, but here in connection with the Messiah, their enjoyment of these titles being founded on His obedience and rights acquired by their faith in Him.

Once more Peter mentions the fact of the Christian priesthood. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the excellencies of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (Hosea 2:23). Israel was chosen, Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, they were called "to show forth His praises." They never attained it, because they were not a holy nation, though constituted a separated nation by God's calling. But these believing Jews through grace in Christ had become a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. As a remnant of the nation they possessed now what the nation never possessed. Of course that remnant was embodied in the church, and is a part of the body of Christ. Yet the application to them as a remnant must not be lost sight of.

The contrast between law and grace is complete. Law says, in effect, "If you obey, you shall be." Grace says, "You are, and because you are, certain things should mark you." Such is the drift of that verse in Peter's epistle.

On a cloudless night at the season of full moon we get the benefit of our satellite shining in the light of the sun. How marvellous must be the sunlight that can make a dark body shine so brightly! Well, the world is still in the dark, for its back is turned towards God. We are in the light of His truth and grace, — the light of the knowledge of Himself. How marvellous that light is may be discerned in the fact that it can make dark and unattractive people, like to ourselves, show forth His excellences and reflect Himself.

Another scripture will indicate a further responsibility. "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). We have already seen that the Lord has acquired us by redemption, and this thought is also expressed in the words, "purify to Himself a peculiar people;" but two things are here added, which He desires should characterise the people whom He has redeemed. His object was to redeem us from all iniquity, both from its power (see Rom. 6:14), and its practice; and that we should be zealous of good works. As being redeemed, therefore, we should be known by separation from evil, and separation to Christ, marked out as a peculiar people — a people peculiar and proper to Himself, and known by zeal for good works.