Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

1Pet.2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 2:10 who in time past were no people, but now are God's people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

The apostle Peter was a Jew from Israel a chosen people, but here he talks about in times past they were no people, but why? Peter spoke too Jews and Gentiles alike, so why did he uses such wording that they had not been a people until Christ called them into the wonderful light? The Jews were not in the wonderful light, they were however under the Laws of God, which law blinded most of them to the wonderful light of Christ Jesus.

John 1:9 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

John 3:19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

When Moses came down the mountain after receiving the Law from God the nation ask Moses to veil his face, the glory of God was too much upon Moses striking fear into the hearts of those fleshly minded Jews. But these Jews and Gentiles alike reading the apostle Peters words need not veil their face to the new covenant the new law written not on stone but hearts by God's Holy Spirit. They had went beyond the law into the promises of God receiving the life of Christ Jesus indwelling them, they were the light of the world.

3:7 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:
3:8 won't service of the Spirit be with much more glory?
3:9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 3:10 For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses. 3:11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. 3:12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, 3:13 and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel wouldn't look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away. 3:14 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.
3:15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
3:16 But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.

They were not a people separated from God by laws, rules, and/or commandments, their judgment was put away from mundane laws of our flesh, judging evil? They were a new people created by God's own hands, untouched by sin. They were a holy spiritual nation without flesh, their flesh was dead in Christ, hence, making them into the temple of the living God, a membership in the Great High Priest Jesus Christ. They were the wonderful light a holy nation a royal priesthood, not alienated from God by sin, and the laws judging sins. Christ life now indwelled them tore down that wall making peace through himself with God for us. We now receive the righteous life of Christ Jesus by faith, not works of law!

Eph.2:8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 2:9 not of works, that no one would boast. 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
2:11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "uncircumcision" by that which is called "circumcision," (in the flesh, made by hands); 2:12 that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. 2:14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, 2:15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace; 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby. 2:17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.

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