Peter instructs us that we are called to suffering for the sake of righteousness, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example.
In this suffering, there is an extreme contrast between how the world sees the Lord's people, and how the Lord sees us.
The world persecutes, belittles, counts as nothing, enslaves, and punishes the Lord's people because of our obedience to God.
But all the while, the Lord's people are held in the highest esteem by God Himself!
According to God's view, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a special people, who once had no mercy, but now have obtained mercy from God!
In other words, we are princes in the royal family of the God of all glory! God has specially chosen us to be His Own family members! He has made us royal priests, to render praise, thanksgiving, and obedience unto Him Who loves us!
Not only that, but He has made us holy - set apart, justified, counted faultless by the blood of Jesus shed to redeem us!
Being thus exalted by God, so cherished by our Savior, how can we refuse obedience unto Him!
Intertwined with all this is the parallel difference between how the world views Christ, and how we view Him.
Jesus is revealed to be the precious cornerstone, upon which all our salvation depends.
But the world disregards Him, despises Him, and rejects Him.
But no matter: the Father has made Christ the chief cornerstone anyway! Nothing man does can budge Jesus out of His ordained and exalted rule over all things!
The Lord Jesus Himself explained what the cornerstone's rejection entailed: the murder of God's blessed Son sent to rule over the world. |
