His Wonderful Light

19 September 2010 - Dr. Timothy Keller

1 Peter 2:9-12

⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. ¹²Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

God saves you and then obey him---not vice versa.

1. Promise - Experience of grace and form a community and God will dwell in your midst.
2. Purpose - the church is the declaration of God's glory.
3. Method of declaring God's glory--we are all prophets, priests, and kings so we should all hold each other accountable.
4. Power to do these things comes from recognizing a new identity that God has chosen us.

We're not arguing the existence of God, but rather sharing in the wonder of God.

Understanding that we came from darkness into the light is a sign of a converted Christian as we e

xperience a sense of wonder.