“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the 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.” (I Peter 2:9, 10)
I think this verse needs to be printed out and hung in a very conspicuous place in every Christian home in the world. We need to be reminded amidst all the chaos and craziness that surrounds us that we are the people of God. We are chosen, we are royal, and we are different.
First of all, we are chosen. I love the way Peter wrote this. He could have said that we have been chosen (which would, of course, also be true), but he said we ARE chosen. The apostle John seems to have gotten it, too, when he wrote in I John 4:17, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” There is a special attachment used in these two verses that transcends our immediate head knowledge and goes straight to our spirit. That attachment goes with the phrase I AM. Notice how many times Jesus Christ uses that phrase in His speech and begin to use it yourself – on purpose. How many times during the day do you say things like, “I’m tired, I’m broke, I’m sick, etc.” When you say that, you are attaching I AM to that thing – it penetrates you to your core and you act accordingly. Know your God – I AM – and begin to speak only in line with the attributes that align with Him and watch how quickly things begin to turn around in your life. Think on that. As you read these verses in I Peter, change them to the first person – speaking out of your own heart: “I AM chosen...I AM royal...I AM holy...I AM different – set apart for Him.” See how different that feels?
Secondly, I AM royal. Watch how a King carries himself. Observe how the Queen behaves. A king decrees a thing and it is done. The Queen issues an edict and it is carried out. A King or Queen doesn’t wring their hands wondering how it’s all going to work out. They have a plan, a vision, and it is done accordingly. A King or Queen doesn’t dirty their hands working in the yard of the castle. They don’t handle the punishment of miscreants because the laws they have put in place declares the outcome. The King or Queen was born for this role and they deport themselves accordingly.
I AM holy – I AM different. God has placed within each believer a measure of the Holy Spirit. Whether you are Protestant or Catholic you understand this to be true. At the christening of a Catholic infant, that child is set aside for the kingdom of God. At the completion of their catechism they are imparted (or spoken over) by the priest a greater measure of that same Holy Spirit. We, as Protestants, understand that when we give our lives to Christ we receive that measure of the Spirit and as we mature in our walk with God that measure grows. There is a teaching concerning the second work of the Spirit – whereby one goes from possessing just a measure of the Spirit to full-on possession, being filled with the Holy Spirit. We are expected to grow, to change, to mature, going from being babes in the Kingdom to mature, adult, representatives of Christ on the earth (note the verse I quoted from I John). As He is in heaven, so are we in the earth.
Today I challenge you to pull your shoulders back, stick your chest out, lift your chin, and carry yourself like royalty. Not in a cocky or degrading way to those around you, but as one in power who has all the necessary authority and resources to help those in your realm. A true and godly king or queen loves their subjects and will do everything within their power to see them thrive and the kingdom grow. So may you be today.
Be blessed.
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