New Covenant Blessings, New Covenant Living

In this message, we continue our expositional series through 1 Peter, arriving at one of the richest passages in the letter. Peter declares that believers are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession" — language lifted directly from Exodus 19, where God offered these same titles to Israel conditionally, "if you will indeed obey my voice."

Israel failed to keep that covenant. So how can the church now claim these blessings? We trace this tension through Hosea's prophecy of "Not My People" and "No Mercy" being renamed "My People" and "Mercy," and see how Jesus Christ — as our perfect law-keeper and substitutionary sacrifice — fulfills the conditions Israel couldn't meet, securing these blessings for all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike.

From there, we turn to new covenant living: abstaining from the passions of the flesh that wage war against the soul, and keeping honorable conduct among unbelievers so that our lives back up the gospel we proclaim.