You are a chosen people
“9 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. 10 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.
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession." This passage highlights the important identity that God has given us. In Christ, we have received a new identity, and it is a gift that comes solely from God.
In this scripture, we come to understand who God is and how He has called us. Our identity is not found in the world. If we try to seek our identity within ourselves, we are prone to fall into confusion and anxiety. We must find our identity in God. The fact that God created humans in His own image, and that He came to die for us, gives us our sense of worth, beauty, and mission.
Many Christians in the early church, especially those Gentiles who were scattered as a diaspora, were a minority in society. Living in the Roman Empire and under Hellenistic culture, maintaining their Christian faith was not an easy task. However, Peter uses terms like "chosen people," which had been used to describe Jews, and applies them to these believers, declaring that they are a special people called by God. Though they were a minority, they were called to reveal God's glory.
Today, as immigrants and minorities, we too are a chosen people called by God, entrusted with His holy mission. We may live like strangers in this world, but our calling is to proclaim God's virtues and reveal His glory. Those who live with the spirituality of the diaspora are the right people to display who God is and the grace He offers to the world. Let us give thanks for God's calling and strive to live a life worthy of that calling. Let us pray that our church may proclaim the beautiful virtues of the One who called us into His wonderful light.
Prayer: Even though we live as strangers in this world, we believe that You have called us to a special mission, Lord. May our lives be tools that reveal Your glory, and may we be people who proclaim Your grace in all aspects of our daily lives. Let our church, as a holy nation established by You, shine the light of Christ into the world. Amen.
(Note: This summary was created based on an AI draft.)
Devotional content is available on the Our Daily Bread website.