Good Morning Friends,
“But 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. 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. Live 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.” (1 Peter 2:9-12)
Peter presents a stark contrast in these
verses.
To God, those who are in Christ are --
A chosen people – When we make a choice, we
select what we want, what is special to us, what we love. Those who are in
Christ are the ones God wants, we are special to God, we are loved by Him. He
has made us so by His own choice.
A royal priesthood – Priests are those who
have a special relationship with God and special access to God. To God, those
terms describe those of us who are in Christ. We have a special relationship
with God – as His beloved children. We have special access to God – we can come
confidently into His presence, right to His throne. And we are royal priests –
those who have a special relationship to the
King!
A holy nation – The word holy simply means
set apart as something different and for something special. God has done that
for us. He has set us apart as special to Him. He has set us apart for
something special – to be His co-workers, His servants, His partners.
A people belonging to God – a people
commissioned to praise God – a people called by God out of the darkness – a
people granted mercy by God.
Those are the descriptions of who we are to
God.
But to the world, we are aliens and
strangers. We are special to God, but strangers to the world. We don’t fit in –
and God doesn’t want us to! And for my part, I’d rather fit in with God than fit
in with the world!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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