But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9 NIV
Today’s verse calls us chosen, royal, holy, and special–terms that may not come immediately to mind when we think of ourselves. The world will tell us we are broken, hopeless, insignificant, and unworthy. Upon hearing this, we may be tempted to believe it. Don’t buy it; that’s a load of hooey! God has always seen us as His special possessions, even when we sometimes fail to see ourselves that way,
Instead, this is what the Word of God says, “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (2:4-5)
In accepting Christ, our eyes become opened to the truth. Like the Apostle Paul, at that moment, “something like scales” (Acts 9:18) falls from our eyes, and we can see that which was once obscure. Because of God’s mercy, that to which we once were blinded becomes abundantly clear, and we can see our worthiness through the eyes of God; we are chosen, royal, holy, and special.
We are chosen and precious to Him. He has brought us out of the “darkness into His wonderful light.” He has pursued and wooed us in His prevenient grace because He loves us.
He has made us royal priests who can come directly into the Holy of Holies because we have been purified and sanctified. Anytime we worship God, whether as individuals in the privacy of our sacred spaces or union with each other at Communion on Sunday morning, we come as priests, bringing our praise and our troubles directly to our mediator and High Priest, Jesus Christ.
We are a holy nation; in accepting Christ, we are set apart as the children of Israel were set apart. When those scales drop, we immediately realize that our eyes are fixed upward while we have our feet on the earthly ground. As the old hymn goes:
This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.
We are a holy people, born of Christ into a holy nation. We are all members of Christ’s “one holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church,” as the Nicene Creed states, regardless of which doctrinal banner flies over our doors. We are a sacred nation united by the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We are not our own possessions but God’s special possessions; this is a hard lump to swallow for the modern, enlightened world. Confession of being a possession means we must humble ourselves before God. But when we relinquish ourselves freely to Him, we understand that we are gaining so much more than we’re giving up.
Heavenly Father, we come before You as Your chosen people, humbled and grateful for the grace You have bestowed upon us. You have called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light, and we offer our heartfelt praise for this. As a royal priesthood and a holy nation, let us live in the fullness of Your Spirit, proclaiming Your excellencies to all. May our lives reflect Your goodness and love, and always remember that we are Your special possessions. Guide us to declare Your praises, not just with our words, but through our actions and deeds. Help us walk in the light of Your truth, spreading hope and joy in a world that desperately needs Your presence. In Jesus' name, we pray,
Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
Click here for full lyrics of “This World Is Not My Home.”
Click here for more information on the Nicene Creed.
