Inclusion and Revelation

This morning I am reading out of Peter's first letter. He wrote the letter to the Christians scattered throughout what is now modern day Turkey. These were, by and large, people who believed the Gospel but had never seen Jesus, people who were converts from paganism. They were likely not of Jewish decent, and that is significant as it regards the passages I am thinking about this morning.

1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV:

[9] "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. [10] 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."

The first line is very significant for these were previously only terms that God used for the Jews, sons and daughters of Abraham. They were the chosen people, the holy nation, God's special possession, meant to be a nation of priests. Here Peter is extending these very same titles to all Christians, and in this case former pagans. This is also echoed b Paul in his let!her to the Colossians 3:12. This verse describes the reality of the ingrafting that Paul speaks about in Romans 11. We have been included into the promises that God made to Abraham and his descendants. This really is good news, for the Lord demonstrated over and over again His affection and love and faithfulness to His people.

This inclusion of the gentiles and pagan converts is also one of things that was hidden by God, only to be revealed to the Church, and the Apostles (Eph 3:4-6). In Acts 10, Peter is directed by the Lord to go to Cornelius's house, and while He is preaching the Gospel, the Holy Spirit falls on all the people gathered there, all of whom were gentiles. This was amazing to Peter and his companions, and was so controversial that they had to defend their actions in front of the believers in Jerusalem (Acts 11). According to some timelines of the Book of Acts, this occurred fully 10 years after Pentecost. In 10 years the church had only included Jewish believers. In 10 years they thought they had a developed a pretty clear sense of what God was saying and doing in their midst, and then POW! The Holy Spirit descends on gentiles! This really was am surprise to them all and that one event opened the door to the rest of the world for the Gospel to be proclaimed. Praise God!

Again, I am amazed at how the Apostles and who heard Jesus' commissioning, described in Matthew 28, could have misunderstood or forgotten His words. Here are the verses - Matthew 28:18-20 NIV: "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The simple reality is that sometimes what the Lord speaks and what we hear are different. We can only understand something within the context of what we have already learned or understood. In the defense of the Apostles, Jesus had made it clear several times that He was sent to the Jews, most notably in Matt 15:24 where He said He was sent only for the lost sheep of Israel, when asked by a Cannanite women to heal her daughter. In Matthew 10:5, Jesus specifically told the Apostles, “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans." It was through this paradigm that they understood Jesus' command. They likely believed that they were called to Jews scattered in every nation, not literally all nations.

Anyway, this morning I am encouraged in two ways. First, to express my gratitude in being included in with the Jewish people in all the promises of God. It is wonderful to know that I am part of His chosen people, the people He has a set apart. Second, I am encouraged to look back on some of things I have heard the Lord say in the past. I believe that with my increased experience and knowledge of the Lord, I might understand things differently than I did before. I want to know and experience the fullness of all the Lord has planned for me, and purposed for me, and I want to make sure that I am not bing like noted by old paradigms. Lord, I pray that You would bring about revelation of anything I have missed or misunderstood in my past. I am so grateful that the Lord extends mercy to us all daily.