1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 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. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:1-12
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/1PE.2.1-12

What do you like about this passage?

Verse 9 “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.” Peter was just talking about all these negative things that the people were doing and the verse p starts with “but” showing me that we have a choice to not be in the dark but a child of light.

What is difficult about this passage?

Verse 11 “to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” we can all be drawn back into the darkness. We have to be diligent to keep our hearts in check and represent the King/kingdom with honor so that the people around us will see his grace and mercy through us.

There will be a time that the people around us will speak against us by the deed we are doing or not doing.

What does this passage tell me about God?

He desires us to be part of Him and His kingdom. That He loves us so much that he has these instructions for us to follow.

What does the passage tell us about People?

We don’t always see that full picture of God’s kingdom and we can miss He’s provision for our life. That we can be judgemental of the things we don’t understand and become evildoers without knowing.

What are you going to do with this passage / your personal revelation?

Daily remember verse 11 “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” In remembering this I have to view the people around me with the same outlook. They are not his people and have not received mercy until I encounter their life.