We Are A People!

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
- First Peter 2:9-10 (KJV)

Did you ever stop and think about who you are in Christ? It's something that makes me so glad, yet so ashamed at the same time. Glad because I'm growing into the person whom God wants me to be. Ashamed because I still struggle with the small things that hinder my relationship with God. I'm sure we're all like that. In First Peter 2:4-12 we see that we, as born again children of God, are a royal priesthood. Wow! I want to encourage you to take time and read the whole passage on your own. Here, I want to focus on verses 9-10. Take a moment and look at verse 9 and what Peter says about those who have put their faith in Christ.

We are a chosen generation. We are a royal priesthood. We are a holy nation. We are a peculiar people. Why are we these things? So ye can show praise to God. What do you think when you see these descriptions of who you are in Christ? Which one jumps out at you? Which one brings you fear? We are a holy nation. Most nations are united behind their leader. Are we united in Christ? Do we live like it?

Look at verse 10. Peter starts contrasting our life before Christ and after Christ. "Which in time past were not a people, buy are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." Before Christ, we had not received the mercy of God, we were not a people. We were just living and doing what pleased us. Now, after Christ, we have obtained mercy. We have been forgiven for our sins. And we are now the people of God. Living and doing what God has called us to do. As you grow into the person that Jesus desires you to be,  your wants and what pleases you line up with what Jesus wants in your life.

We are to show the praises of God to our lost and hurting world around us. We are the people of God. We should be united as one behind our leader, Jesus Christ. Why? Because God has called us out of the darkness and into His Light, His Marvellous Light. We've been called out of sin, and into life.