- We are a royal priesthood. "The offices of royalty and priesthood were jealously separated in Israel, but Jesus, who is our King and Priest, has brought them together for His people." (Guzik) Because of Christ, we have full access to the Father. "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
- We are a holy nation. "'You will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'" (Exodus 19:6a) God sets apart His children from the world to serve Him in wholehearted devotion. We're reborn to stand up and stand out for Christ.
- We are God's special possession. We are the people belonging to God. "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession." (Deuteronomy 7:6)
- We are saved to proclaim the praises/excellencies of Him Who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. "Giving joyful thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1:12) "I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders." (Psalm 9:1) We, the redeemed, are no longer under the dominion of darkness but under the rule of Jesus Christ. We are now children of light living in the kingdom of light. In the Bible, light represents truth, holiness, love, and life. We've been rescued to reflect our Redeemer, the Light of the World! Show and tell the world about God! The Greek work for church is "ekklesia" which means "called out". The Church/the Body of Christ are made up of those who have been called out of the world and darkness (sin) to love and serve Jesus Christ.
"You are called with a holy calling
The light of the world to be;
To lift up the lamp of the gospel
That others the light may see." (Unknown)
- Do you see yourself as God sees you? You are loved by God, chosen by God, treasured by God, called out by God, royal, priestly, and holy in God's eyes!
- What a contrast it is between life without Christ and life with Christ/in Christ! "You were redeemed from the empty way of life" (1 Peter 1:18b) Without Christ, life is empty with no hope, meaning, or purpose. "How the apostle delights to set forth these contrasts between the past and the present of the Lord’s chosen people! By remembering what we were, we are made to appreciate and enjoy more what we now are. We may well praise Him who has wrought this wondrous change in us. We were not His people, we were sinners of the Gentiles, not the chosen Hebrew race. In times past, we were not worthy to be called a people, but we are now the people of God. We had not obtained mercy, we had not even asked for it; some of us were so blinded by our self-righteousness that we did not know what we needed God’s mercy, or did not want it; but now we have obtained mercy." (Charles Spurgeon) Though we once deserved condemnation because of our unbelief, we are no longer under the sentence of judgment. "Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
- We are God's special possession. We are the people belonging to God. "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession." (Deuteronomy 7:6)
- We are saved to proclaim the praises/excellencies of Him Who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. "Giving joyful thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1:12) "I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders." (Psalm 9:1) We, the redeemed, are no longer under the dominion of darkness but under the rule of Jesus Christ. We are now children of light living in the kingdom of light. In the Bible, light represents truth, holiness, love, and life. We've been rescued to reflect our Redeemer, the Light of the World! Show and tell the world about God! The Greek work for church is "ekklesia" which means "called out". The Church/the Body of Christ are made up of those who have been called out of the world and darkness (sin) to love and serve Jesus Christ.
"You are called with a holy calling
The light of the world to be;
To lift up the lamp of the gospel
That others the light may see." (Unknown)
- Do you see yourself as God sees you? You are loved by God, chosen by God, treasured by God, called out by God, royal, priestly, and holy in God's eyes!
- What a contrast it is between life without Christ and life with Christ/in Christ! "You were redeemed from the empty way of life" (1 Peter 1:18b) Without Christ, life is empty with no hope, meaning, or purpose. "How the apostle delights to set forth these contrasts between the past and the present of the Lord’s chosen people! By remembering what we were, we are made to appreciate and enjoy more what we now are. We may well praise Him who has wrought this wondrous change in us. We were not His people, we were sinners of the Gentiles, not the chosen Hebrew race. In times past, we were not worthy to be called a people, but we are now the people of God. We had not obtained mercy, we had not even asked for it; some of us were so blinded by our self-righteousness that we did not know what we needed God’s mercy, or did not want it; but now we have obtained mercy." (Charles Spurgeon) Though we once deserved condemnation because of our unbelief, we are no longer under the sentence of judgment. "Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
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