"Therefore, having put aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisies and envies and all slanders, as newborn babies long for the spiritual, pure milk, so that you shall grow by it, if indeed you tasted [fig., experienced] that the Lord is gracious. To whom having approached as to a living stone, on the one hand having been rejected by people, on the other hand chosen [and] precious before God,
and you yourselves, as living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For this reason, it is contained in the Scripture, "Look! I lay in Zion a stone, a cornerstone, chosen, precious, and the one believing on Him shall by no means be put to shame [or, be disappointed]." [Isa 28:16] Therefore, the honor is to you, the ones believing. But to the ones disobeying [or, refusing to believe], "The stone which the builders rejected, this [One] became the head of the corner [or, the chief cornerstone]" [Psalm 118:22] and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offence," who stumble at the word, refusing to believe, to which also they were appointed. [Isaiah 8:14]
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, in order that you shall proclaim the excellencies of the One having called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, [Exod 9:16; Isaiah 43:20] who at one time were not a people, but now are the people of God; the ones not having found mercy, but now having found mercy. 1 Peter 2:1-10
Note above all the titles which formerly belonged to the circumcised people known as the Jews or Israelites are given to those in Christ or Christians. And this not by accident as we read our LORD'S words,
Hear another parable: There was a certain man, a house master, who planted a vineyard and placed a hedge around it; and he dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. And he rented it to vinedressers and left the country. [Isaiah 5:1,2] And when the season of the fruits came, he sent his slaves to the vinedressers to receive his fruits. And the vinedressers, taking his slaves, they beat this one, and they killed one, and they stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first. And they did the same to them. And at last he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son. But seeing the son, the vinedressers said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and possess his inheritance. And taking him, they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers? They said to Him, Evil men! He will miserably destroy them, and he will rent out the vineyard to other vinedressers who will give to him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, "A Stone which the builders rejected, this One became the Head of the Corner? This was from the Lord, and it is a wonder in our eyes?" [Psalm 118:22,23]
Because of this I say to you, The kingdom of God will be taken from you, and it will be given to a nation producing the fruits of it. Matthew 21:33-43
He says, "Because of this I say to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and it will be given to a nation producing the fruits of it.", which means that 'Holy Nation' spoken of by Peter in the above verses, which has been born of God in Christ consisting of all those believing ones ("that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For thus God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eternal." (John 3:15,16).
There are not two peoples of God but one,this is why we read also,
"Wherefore, remember that once you, the nations in flesh - who are termed 'Uncircumcision' by those termed 'Circumcision,' in flesh, made by hands -" At that time you were apart from Christ, foreigners from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world. Yet now, in Christ Jesus, you, who once are far off, are become near by the blood of Christ." For He is our peace, He making us both one, and breaking down the middle wall of partition, by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and should be reconciling both in one body to God through the cross, killing the enmity in it."
And coming, He proclaimed "peace to you, the ones afar off, and to the ones near." For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Then, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of God, being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being chief corner-stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together doth increase to an holy temple in the Lord, in whom also ye are builded together, for a habitation of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:11-22
And again we read,
"For Moses truly said to the fathers, A Prophet will the Lord your God raise up to you, of your brethren, like me; him shall ye hear in all things, whatever he shall say to you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul who will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. And all the prophets also from Samuel, and those that follow, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed." Acts 3;22-25
And finally,
"For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect. Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all; (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations) before him whom he believed, even God, who reviveth the dead, and calleth those things which are not, as though they were. Who against hope believed with hope, that he should become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be." Romans 4:13-18
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 1 Cor. 15:50
Do you not yet understand?
"From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Cor. 5:16,17
STOP focusing on flesh and blood! God doesn't!
"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." Romans 8:8,9
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." Romans 8:16,17
Amen and Amen.
