People Of God

1 Peter 2:10-11 - Once 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. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

Hosea 2:1,23 - "Say of your brothers, 'My people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.'…I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.' "

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

Romans 13:14 - Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Galatians 5:16 - So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Conclusions:

• The people in Hosea 2:23 respond to God’s graciousness
• Hosea 2:23 is applied to Gentiles coming into the church
• In Hosea 2:1, the negatives associated with the names of Hosea’s children are dropped
• As aliens and strangers on earth, whose citizenship is in heaven, they are to be separated from the corruption of the world, not yielding to its destructive sinful desires
• Corinthian Christians had come out of a background of paganism
• Temples for the worship of Apollo, Asclepius, Demeter, Aphrodite and other pagan gods and goddesses were seen daily by the Corinthians as they engaged in the activities of everyday life
• The worship of Aphrodite, with its many sacred prostitutes, was a particularly strong temptation
• Paul exhorts believers to display outwardly what has already taken place inwardly—including practicing all the virtues associated with Christ
• Go on living by the Spirit
• Living by the promptings and power of the Spirit is the way to conquering sinful desires

Application:

• Do I respond to God's graciousness?
• Are my brothers my people?
• Am I separated from the corruption of the world?
• Do I flee from idolatry?
• Do I practice all the virtues associated with Chrsit?
• Do I live by the prompting and power of the Spirit?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible