“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should [show] forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
1 Peter 2:9 KJV
In Paul’s letter to Titus, he wrote the following:
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own peculiar people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11–14
David wrote, “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special [peculiar] treasure.” Psalm 135:4
If you are reading closely, you will notice a theme running through these verses: God’s people are to be peculiar. In the original languages, the words translated as peculiar can also mean special or chosen. Regardless of which translation you choose, it is clear that God’s people are unique compared to the “broad-road” world.
What is it that makes God’s people peculiar?
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” Exodus 19:5
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” Deuteronomy 14:2
“Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special [peculiar] people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments.” Deuteronomy 26:18
We have a clue in this last verse as to what makes His people peculiar: they “keep all His commandments.”
The immediate thought to a Seventh-day Adventist is that keeping the fourth commandment is what makes God’s people peculiar. That is indeed true, but that is not the only act of following God’s will that makes His people peculiar.
Revelation 14:12 confirms what we have already noted: God’s peculiar people are obedient to all of His commandments.
Searching the Scriptures confirms other “peculiar” character traits.
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he stressed the importance of appropriate apparel, advising against wearing gold, pearls, or anything that would bring attention to a person’s appearance rather than to his or her character.
Another peculiar aspect to the character of God’s people is their diet. We are told in 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20, that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Our diet should be pure and unpolluted—a vegan diet consisting of vegetables, grains, fruits, and nuts.
Inspiration augments that counsel by advising that it is best for optimum health to eat only two meals a day so that we can retire at night with an empty stomach. We are also counseled not to snack or do anything that would activate digestive activity between meals.
In Galatians 5, Paul provides some excellent guidance on developing the peculiar character that God expects His people to possess.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19–21
Then in verse 24, Paul states that God’s peculiar people will abstain from these habits and attitudes that degrade the image of Christ in them: “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires,” the very passions and desires that he has given in the previous verses.
It is interesting that Paul interjects within his writing those character traits that clearly identify God’s people: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Verses 22, 23
Based on what we see in society today, anyone who consistently manifests the righteous character traits listed in verses 22 and 23 would likely be very different from the majority of the population and would therefore be viewed as peculiar, to say the least.
Another peculiar, special, or interesting thing often noticed among Adventists is a sincere desire to speak the truth at all times. How many times have you been listening to an Adventist tell a story and then stop and correct himself in mid-story concerning a statement in the story that didn’t come out right the first time? It may not even be a material or significant point in the conversation, and certainly not be an intentional misstatement, but it shows how seriously Adventists keep in mind the fact that no liar will enter the kingdom of heaven.
Given more time and thought, we could think of many other habits or character traits that God’s peculiar people manifest that make them stand apart, which is exactly what God wants in His people. After all, in 2 Corinthians 6:17, first part, we are told, “Come out from among them and be separate.”
One would think that such people would have a positive influence on their unbelieving friends and relatives. Unfortunately, sometimes there is a problem. In addressing this problem, Inspiration makes the following statement:
“There are many in the church who at heart belong to the world, but God calls upon those who claim to believe the advanced truth to rise above the present attitude of the popular churches of today. Where is the self-denial, where is the cross-bearing that Christ has said should characterize His followers? The reason we have had so little influence upon unbelieving relatives and associates is that we have manifested little decided difference in our practices from those of the world.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 289
However, there is a remedy, one that is well-known to us.
“When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie—to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this. But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, we ‘are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord’ (2 Corinthians 3:18).” Steps to Christ, 72
In seeking to be the peculiar people that the Lord wants us to be, I’m sure that we all recognize that we have an enemy, and most of us rightly recognize that enemy as Satan. But we also have to recognize that just as God needs human agents to bring the news of salvation to the world, Satan also needs human agents to do his work. In a testimony to a church member, the pen of Inspiration wrote the following concerning Satan’s agents:
“Sister K, although possessing excellent natural qualities, is being drawn away from God by her unbelieving friends and relatives, who love not the truth and have no sympathy with the sacrifice and self-denial that must be made for the truth’s sake. Sister K has not felt the importance of separation from the world, as the command of God enjoins. The sight of her eyes and the hearing of her ears have perverted her heart.” Testimonies, Vol. 4, 108
Eyes and ears—two of the avenues Satan uses to reach our souls and lead us astray!
“God has given you abilities which you can use to good account, or abuse to your own injury and to the injury of others. You have not realized the claims that God has upon you. It should be ever borne in mind that we are living in this world to form characters for the next. And all our associations with our fellow mortals should be with reference to their eternal interest and to our own; but if our interviews with them are devoted only to pleasure and to our own selfish gratification, if we are light and trifling, if we indulge in wrong acts, we are not coworkers with God, but are decidedly working against Him. The precious lives God has given us are not to be molded by unbelieving relatives in a way to please the carnal mind, but to be spent in a manner which God can approve.” Ibid., 236
In other words, do not let your unbelieving friends and relatives prevent you from becoming the peculiar person that God wants you to be.
Consider this description of a home where there is a lone Adventist, “a home where the shadows are never lifted … .” Ibid., Vol. 5, 362
“… perhaps while one member of the family gives his heart to God, others do not. They are still under the control of the Saviour’s worst enemy, and they feel annoyed and angry that division has come into their household. He who has accepted Christ is no less dutiful than before; on the contrary, he is [to be] more kind, more faithful, more affectionate, because his nature is being purified, sanctified, and ennobled by the truth.” The Bible Echo, March 19, 1894
In other words, he is striving to become one of God’s peculiar people.
May the Lord guide us daily as we seek to know and do His will in all situations and all circumstances so that we may indeed become one of His peculiar people.
John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at johnpearson@stepstolife.org