1 Peter 2:9,10

Results of Obeying Christ

In contrast, the obedient are an "elect race" (A.S.V.) in Christ (Revelation 14:13). They are set free from their sins by Christ's blood and made to be kings and priest in God's service (Revelation 1:5-6; Revelation 5:10). Christians are a nation under Christ the king. They are holy because they are set apart for his service (Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 5:25-27) As an alternative to "His own special people," the A. S. V. puts "a people for God's own possession." God purchased the members of Christ's body with the blood of his Son and set them apart to His special use (Romans 5:8-10; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 7:23). God's special use for his people is to shine with His glory as those who have been called out of sin's darkness into the light of the gospel (Matthew 5:13-16; John 3:19-21; Romans 13:12).

The expressions Peter used in 1 Peter 2:9 to describe Christians are reminiscent of descriptions of Israel used in the Old Testament (Isaiah 43:20-21; Exodus 19:6; Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 14:2). That is because Christians are now the Israel of God (Galatians 6:15-16; Matthew 21:43; Romans 9:8; Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 3:16; Galatians 3:26-29; Galatians 3:7; 1 Peter 3:3). He follows those with a quotation from Hosea 2:23 which applied by Paul to the Gentiles in Romans 9:24-26 (compare Ephesians 2:11-13). It seems likely that the letter was sent to a great number of Gentiles. In Christ, all Christians become God's people and receive mercy in the form of the forgiveness of sins (1 Peter 2:10).