TITLE: YOU ARE NOT A PRODUCT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT BUT OF YOUR CHOICES

TITLE: YOU ARE NOT A PRODUCT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT BUT OF YOUR CHOICES

SCRIPTURE:

“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 2:9-10 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

         The apostle Peter wrote to believers who were living under worldly authority on how to behave as believers because they are different from the rest.  They are living stones because they have come to Christ.  They are to know how to live in a godless society.  I must admit this is not always an easy thing to do.  The apostle Peter didn’t say it was easy.  He is saying we must choose.  It is a choice to be a different person in a midst of crookedness. 

         Yet it is not about the world that I live in, but it is about me who is living in a world that is different from me.  While living under the influence of a wicked world, I am free from their control.  I am in Christ, and that was the point of Peter’s letter.  We are different as believers in this darkened world.  We are different, because we are salt and light in a fallen world.  We are different because we have come to Christ.  

         Peter is making a point of who we are in this darkened world.  He reminded believers fo who they are saying:

§  You are a chosen people

§  You are a royal priesthood

§  You are a holy nation

§  You are God’s special possession

§  You are declared God’s praises

§  You called out of darkness

§  You belong to his wonderful light

§  Now you are the people of God

§  Now you have receive mercy

This is my identity in God.  I am different, and not of the world that I live in.  I am not a product of my environment but of my choices.  I am called into Christ.  How often we forget who we are.  We were not his people, BUT NOW we are.  We did not receive mercy, BUT NOW we have.  We were not his people, BUT NOW, we are.  We were CALLED OUT to be his light in the darkness.  What privilege and what honor that our Heavenly gave us this amazing identity.  We were given this new identity so we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness. 

APPLICATION:

         This is a powerful reminder of who I am.  It will be terrible to forget who we are in this darkened world.  Thus is the more reason for us to know who we are in this perverse and crooked world.  I am determined    to live out who I am in Christ daily.

PRAYER:

         Heavenly Father I am grateful for my new identity in You.  Thank you for reminding me of who I am in Christ.  I pray that you continue to speak and guide me in your truth.  Help me to live out your life that you have called me out of darkness to do.  I ask that you continue to anoint me to declare your praises and to walk upright with you wherever I am.  In Jesus name, Amen!