Bible Passage: 1 Peter 2:9-12
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: February 8, 2026

Bulleltin – February 8, 2026

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

The time had come.  They had helped him move all his stuff into his room in the freshman dorm.  They had gone to the campus bookstore and purchased the books he would need for his first semester classes.  They had walked around campus a little bit.  They had taken him out for supper.  There was nothing more to do.  The time had come to say goodbye.  Dad, who was not usually a “hugger,” leaned in and gave his son a tight hug.  As they separated, Dad locked eyes with his son and, with a father’s earnestness, said, “Remember who you are.”

“Remember who you are.”  Why does a father say that to his son when he drops him off at college for the first time?  Is he afraid that his son may suddenly forget his name and wander around campus mumbling, “Who am I?”  Of course not!  We understand there is more to these words.  These words remind a person there is a corresponding relationship between WHO they are and HOW they act.  The father is saying to his son, “You have a family name that means something.  You have a set of values that means something.”

If those words are important for an incoming freshman to hear from his dad, how much more important is it for us to hear words like these from our heavenly Father.  And that is what our text is for us today.  Through the inspired writer Peter, our heavenly Father is leaning in, looking us in the eyes and saying to each one of us:  Remember Who You Are.

We can’t ignore the first word of our text.  But.  It is important because it tips us off that our text is set in contrast to what precedes.  It means we can’t fully appreciate our text unless we glance backward if just for a moment.  Just before our text Peter had been speaking about people who reject Jesus Christ.  Peter had spoken of the sad outcome for such people.  It is after speaking of them that Peter says, But…  Whatever is true of them is not true of YOU!  And Peter sets out to remind Christians who they are.

To remind us who we are, Peter uses language the Lord had used in the Old Testament to describe the Jews.  Listen to the two passages I am about to read to you, one from Deuteronomy and one from Exodus.  The Lord said to the descendants of Abraham, For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. (Deuteronomy 7:6).  And from Exodus:  You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:7)   Now listen to Peter’s words in our text:  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God (v. 9)

Peter is doing the same thing when he says, At one time you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.  At one time you were not shown mercy, but now you have been shown mercy. (v. 10)  These words would remind Peter’s readers of the story of Hosea in the Old Testament.  The Lord told the prophet Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman, a woman who would be unfaithful to him.  Gomer, by name.  Hosea and Gomer had a baby girl.  The Lord told Hosea to name the girl Lo-Ruhamah (Hosea 1:6).  Lo-Ruhamah means “no mercy.”  Later, Gomer had a son and the Lord gave him the name Lo-Ammi (Hosea 1:9).  Lo-Ammi means “not my people.”   Hosea’s children were little living symbols of Israel at that time.  They had wandered from the Lord.  But later in Hosea, the Lord does the completely unexpected!  He says this, Say to your brothers, “My people,” and to your sisters, “My loved one.” (Hosea 2:1)

This is who WE are!  We are like an unloved, abandoned little baby the Lord has rescued!  He scooped us up in his arms and he says, “I love you!  You are mine!  You will be my people, my family!”  He washes us clean in the blood of Jesus.  He wraps us up in the flawless linen robe of Christ’s righteousness.  We have become the new, true Israel of God, and it is all God’s doing!  We are not a “choosing people” who chose him; we are a “chosen people,” picked by his grace.  A King has taken us in as family, we are royalty.  Our elder brother is the crucified and risen Jesus!  He is now enthroned as the King of kings and Lord of lords!  We are priests.  Each one of us has access to God through the blood-sacrifice of Jesus.  Each of us has the authority to speak God’s Word to other people!  We are a people belonging to God (v. 9)   This is more than saying you are a “belonging” to God, like my socks are my “belongings.”  Rather, we find our sense of belonging in God.  Not only do you belong TO him, you belong WITH him.

Peter tells us this not as some cold piece of data.  Who you are in Christ is a living, dynamic thing!  It affects what you do.  It will affect the way you speak.  We go about in this world declaring the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (v. 9)  We talk up our Lord and Savior!  Further, Peter says:  Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful [literally: fleshly] desires, which war against your soul.   (v. 11)  Our motto as the chosen people of God is not, “If it feels good, do it!”  Many things that feel good to our flesh are harmful to our souls!  So our lives are not governed by doing whatever releases endorphins.  Rather, another impulse governs us:  Live an honorable life among the Gentiles so that even though they slander you as evildoers, when they observe your noble deeds, they may glorify God on the day he visits us. (v. 12)  We want Jesus to be glorified!  The world tries to lay many of the evils of this world at the doorstep of the Christian Church.  They know it is a lie.  And when Jesus comes back, they will admit as much.  In the book of Revelation, the Lord comforted his slandered people with this promise about their slanderers:  I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. (Revelation 3:9)

There is just one more word I would like to highlight before we end.  In our text it is translated as “dear friends.”  Some older translations said, “Beloved.”  I like that word better.  With the word “beloved,”  God leans in and gives you a hug with a word.  You are dearly loved by God!  Then, he locks eyes with you, and says, “Now, my beloved, remember who you are.”

Amen.