God’s Chosen, Called, Special Possession

This past week there have been several reports regarding the increase in the number of people taking their own lives. This rise is occurring at an even higher rate among young people of color and girls.  One thing that has been theorized as a cause is the false images of perfect lives often promoted on social media which leads young people to believe that their lives are less than.  But the apostle Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:1-10, that as believers we are not less than.  We are the chosen, called and special possession of God.  And we have been given new life and new purpose.  I pray that this week you will be blessed by the knowledge that you are God’s chosen, called and special possession. 

Listen as Wess Morgan worships in song “You Paid It All”

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:1–3 The apostle Peter instructed Christians that we have been called by God and we must come to God’s word with a humble and honest heart.  We must crave His pure, simple word just as a newborn baby craves it’s mother’s milk.  Just as milk helps a baby grow, God’s word provides what we need in order to grow spiritually. We must have a humble, honest heart willing to do 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. For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.”

1 Peter 2:4–6 As we come to Christ we are being used to build God’s church.  His church is a spiritual house that is made up of living stones (ie Christians).  And through Christ we are priests of this spiritual house. We require no hierarchy of priests above us, instead, we have direct access to God.  And we are to offer ourselves as the priestly sacrifice. We are the sacrifice that God desires and finds acceptable.  While we are the living stones that God uses to build His spiritual house, Jesus is the cornerstone.  The cornerstone is that essential first stone that connects two walls of a building.  As such, Jesus is the precious cornerstone that connects Israel and the church in God’s spiritual house.  Jesus is precious to all who are saved and we will never be put to shame when we trust in Him.  Through Christ, we are called to be priests… offering ourselves to the Father in daily sacrifice to be used in service to Him. 

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”

and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

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. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  1 Peter 2:6-10 Christ, the cornerstone of our faith, is precious to believers because through faith in Him we received our salvation.  But to the unbeliever, the simple message of the cross becomes a stumbling stone that causes them to reject their salvation.  Believers are precious to God and have been called into a new life by Him. We were called to be the new generation of His chosen people (Israel was the preceding generation).  We are called by God to be a new priesthood… a “royal priesthood”.  A combination of royalty (children of the King) and priests, (these two things were always separate in Israel).  God also called us to be a new nation, a “holy nation” (just as He had called Israel to be a holy nation).  Finally, we were called to belong to a new owner… we are the people of God and we belong to Him because of His great mercy and His grace.  God has  called us to live a new life!

We have been chosen and called by God into a new life. We did not receive our salvation through our own efforts, but only through God’s grace and mercy.  We are God’s special possession reflected in the fact that we were bought back from sin at a great price.  Having been chosen and called by God into our salvation, we have been called and chosen to live a new life.  In that new life we are royalty, we are priests and we are members of a holy nation.  In our new life God desires that we offer ourselves to Him to be used as “living stones” in the building of His spiritual house.  Given all of this, It’s time for us to start living like we matter, as those who have been called into a new life of blessing and service to the Him… because He chose you and called you personally and He loves you unconditionally as His special possession. Now go ahead and give Him praise!

Blessings,

Rev. Glenn