Be Encouraged, You Can Be Part of the Harvest
Tim Melton
1 Peter 2:9
In 1 Peter 2:9 we read these words, ''But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.''
Peter is talking to believers of his day. He says chosen race, but they were both Jews and Gentiles. He calls them a royal priesthood yet very few of them had actually been Jewish priests and we don´t know of any who were royal. He refers to them as a holy nation, but that seems to be language that would have been more for Israel in the Old Testament. What is Peter saying?
He is referring to all who by faith belong to the kingdom of God. It is not a kingdom of this world. It is made of people from every nation, tribe and tongue. People who are bonded together not by color of skin or language, but by the Spirit of Christ who lives in them. It is an eternal kingdom.
It is a people whose ethnic identity takes a backseat to their eternal identity that is found in Christ. As we receive Peter´s words it is a call to be more than Nigerian, Filipino, British, Spanish, or American. We belong to the kingdom of God. A Jesus culture. A people of the Word. Citizens of heaven. Everything has changed. And just as Israel was to be a set apart people, giving testimony to the greatness of their God, we, too, are to shine the light of Christ to the nations.
We are just passing through this world. This is not our real residence. We are no longer citizens of this world. So, do not live for this world and all it´s passing riches, but live such honorable lives that they may see your good deeds and glorify God. That is our testimony.
''We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own possession, that we may pro ...
Tim Melton
1 Peter 2:9
In 1 Peter 2:9 we read these words, ''But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.''
Peter is talking to believers of his day. He says chosen race, but they were both Jews and Gentiles. He calls them a royal priesthood yet very few of them had actually been Jewish priests and we don´t know of any who were royal. He refers to them as a holy nation, but that seems to be language that would have been more for Israel in the Old Testament. What is Peter saying?
He is referring to all who by faith belong to the kingdom of God. It is not a kingdom of this world. It is made of people from every nation, tribe and tongue. People who are bonded together not by color of skin or language, but by the Spirit of Christ who lives in them. It is an eternal kingdom.
It is a people whose ethnic identity takes a backseat to their eternal identity that is found in Christ. As we receive Peter´s words it is a call to be more than Nigerian, Filipino, British, Spanish, or American. We belong to the kingdom of God. A Jesus culture. A people of the Word. Citizens of heaven. Everything has changed. And just as Israel was to be a set apart people, giving testimony to the greatness of their God, we, too, are to shine the light of Christ to the nations.
We are just passing through this world. This is not our real residence. We are no longer citizens of this world. So, do not live for this world and all it´s passing riches, but live such honorable lives that they may see your good deeds and glorify God. That is our testimony.
''We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own possession, that we may pro ...
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