Chosen - The people of God
Today, we have a treat on the Blog as Pastor Phil Starbuck has written a deep and challenging article on our identity in Christ. Grab a brew and a few biscuits and get ready to dive in.
Psychological studies establish that by age five a child has formed a fairly definite impression of him/herself. The same studies reveal that self-esteem is not closely related to social position, family work background, education or any combination of such factors. A young child sees himself from the reflections of those close to him, mainly his parents. How they react to his activities largely determines the self image he builds.
So the foundations of self image are laid at a tender age, good and bad, true and false.
In our generation there is a massive emphasis on how we look, and/or how we perceive how we look to others. There are many negative messages sprayed out through tv, media, social media, adverts, magazines & films; which are full of self image lies, not to include the classroom, changing rooms, work place, families and even in our own houses....many people young and old alike have issues around self esteem.
It is also true for those who attend churches; if you are not 100% sure about who you are in Christ, if you’re confused about your identity then you may have a low estimation of self.
I wonder how we all see ourselves ? When you look at your face in a mirror in the morning and see a wart when you wash and brush your teeth…when you shower and see your body….I wonder if you are bothered how you look as well as how other people see you?
What are your self esteem levels? Are they high or low? Do you lack confidence to step out in public and in God and do something different, are you comfortable with the familiar because its a safe place for you staying away from the new things?
Patrick Rothfuss said this...
“It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.”
If thats true there is a major major problem for many because there is one who will lie to you, whisper deceit into your ears, question your heart and try to mislead you….his name is satan.
Its also true that there are only 3 sources when it comes to our thought life….God, devil, us….which one are you listening to?
The order should be as follows:-
God always
Self sometimes
satan never.
We must not be unaware of his schemes and ways so we can counter them.
So i ask again, how do you see yourself, what does your heart and mind tell you about yourself?
Its a sad state of affairs when so many people young and old are depressed, or anxious, or struggling with who they are and what they look like…..the stats are ridiculously high too if you take a look….
The repercussions of this can be devastating…..it causes them to act, speak and live with a lack of confidence and peace of mind. They are anxious, fearful, have a lack of motivation which sadly can push them to self harm or even suicide.
So, the key question is this...if we are to listen to Abba Father 1st, what does Father say in His Word about you ? What does He say about us?
1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB95
But you are a CHOSEN RACE, A royal priesthood, A holy NATION, a PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; [10] for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Firstly, the Christian faith turns guilty sinners into saints. And it’s all supernatural. The essence of Christianity is not to behave but behold, (so pastor i can behold and behave like i want) NO….because when you behold you want to behave.
Jesus said in John 14:15
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Behold your King, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Behold His beauty, behold what He did for you on Calvary’s cross.
Jesus doesn’t say, “Perform, earn your righteousness and pay” but simply “Receive abundance of Grace and My free gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17). Where every other religion says “Do, do, do”, Jesus says “Done, done, done!”
Peter unpacks our royal identity and missionbeautifully.
The Scripture speaks directly to the challenge of self-image. It declares that our basic problem with a poor self-image is spiritual.
Peter speaks very specifically about the need. Although he does not label it as “self-image,” he teaches that the solution to enjoying an adequate self-image is in living a life that is authentic in order for the communication of self to be adequate.
Many people unfortunately live in an inadequate, unauthentic place....they say they care for you but the reality is not so. This leaves them with issues of trust, insecurity and inadequacy.
The message that comes across is one of a person with little or no self esteem because of the way they act.
It is important how we act....faith and action singularly are dead, put them together and you are a power house in and for God, people will see your faith in action.
In a memorable meeting of the Billy Graham team, one of his team members shared a spiritual insight. The topic of discussion was the “image” of Dr. Graham and his ministry. He summarised the subject by declaring, “Our need is not to create any kind of image for this ministry. It is our task to simply and honestly communicate the image God and the image God has created for Dr. Graham and his ministry!”
This is the key to our self image….His image working in and through us...becoming more like Him, but also knowing that He made us in His image and it was very good.
We should work hard not to reflect an image that the world portrays in any way shape or form, but we should strive to communicate and live an image and truth in word, action and deed, that image of course being the Lord Jesus Christ.
He should be the image people see when people look at us.
Of course it should remind us that if we are born again, when Father looks at us what do you think He see’s? Our sin? Our mess, our good/bad......no, none of that, when He looks at you and me, He see’s His Son Jesus. We are covered completely by His blood sacrifice. The heavenly currency.
Anything less than that would be unauthentic, inadequate, deception and hypocrisy. Peter reveals specific characteristics of the Christian’s life that should be lived and appreciated. In turn, they will make major positive contributions to our lifestyle and self esteem.
We are a chosen people (v. 9). We have all been chosen!! Within the kingdom of our Lord, there is that wonderful mystery regarding whether we have chosen the Lord or He has chosen us.
For example, in 1 Peter 1:2, Peter has reminded us that we are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” He proceeds to teach us to be holy in all our conduct, “as He who has called you is holy” (1:15). Indeed, God has called us and elected us to be His chosen people. Isn’t that amazing!
We are members of His body—the church. He is the Head, and we are the various parts of His body.
Peter’s primary audience was comprised of Jewish Christians who knew a great deal about the covenant which God made with the children of Israel through Moses.
(Ex. 19:5). “If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine”
Think about this... God has extended that covenant to all who will follow Jesus as Lord, that’s me and you.
We, through faith in Christ, are God’s chosen people. There is an old gospel hymn which goes, “I’m a child of the King!” What should this do for our self-image? We should have a big smile on our face at this point!
Ephesians 4:11-13 NASB95
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, [12] for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
In the “New Covenant” through Jesus Christ, He invites all of us to be members of His royal priesthood.
That means ALL of us have been called to ministry, not just the levites, not just me stood here, but all of us. (Eph. 4:11–13). All of us have both the joy and the responsibility of serving Christ and each other.
Second, God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us (Rom. 8:26).
Third, the priest would bring offerings to God for the people. Now, we can bring those offerings directly to God through His Son and the Holy Spirit.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that the offerings which are most acceptable to God are those of praise and service.
(Heb. 13:15–16). “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”
Hebrews 13:15-16 NASB95
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. [16] And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Within the first covenant the priests were given three major functions which have been passed on to all Christian believers. First, we have direct access to God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus is our high priest, and we do not need any other (Heb. 4:14, 5:6).
Second, God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us (Rom. 8:26).
Third, the priest would bring offerings to God for the people. Now, we can bring those offerings directly to God.
So, as Priest's, we have....
Direct access
HS intercedes for us
We can bring offerings direct to God
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that the offerings which are most acceptable to God are those of praise and service. I remind you again.....Interesting don't you think?
(Heb. 13:15–16).
“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”
We are citizens of a “holy nation” (v. 9). From the very beginning of his first epistle, Peter is reminding his readers that we are citizens of a holy nation. He refers to Christians as “pilgrims [strangers, aliens] scattered throughout the world” (1:1).
To belong to Christ is to belong to His kingdom. You could be citizens of one of the nations of the world such as the United States of America, Australia, India, or the UK.
But Peter is writing about a spiritual citizenship that transcends all geographical borders or political differences. If we belong to Christ, we are citizens of His holy nation which is eternal. “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19).
There is a shot across the bow here, we are a part of His kingdom, citizens of heaven.
We are “His own special people” (vv. 9–10). Peter reminds us of the awesome and wonderful truth that once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God (v. 10). This marvellous fact has not come to reality by mere chance; it has been the plan of God for ages.
In Romans 9:25, Paul quotes from the prophet Hosea, “I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved” (Hos. 2:23). And, in the following verse, Romans 9:26, he quotes Isaiah, “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people.’ There they shall be called sons of the living God”
For those who are interested, Paul shares that same truth in 2 Corinthians 6:16 NASB
"I WILL dwell IN THEM AND walk AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
as he quotes from Leviticus 26:12, Jeremiah 32:38, and Ezekiel 37:27. In addition, the writer of Hebrews communicates about the wonderful fact that those who were not the people of God in the first covenant have become the people of God through the New Covenant
In summary, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own special people who were once not a people but are now the people of God. That description should enhance the self-image of all of God’s people. The key to a good self-image is found in the image of what we are in Jesus Christ. It is His image that is available to us as we trust in Christ Jesus. As the apostle Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
1 Peter 2:5
you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:6
and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
As a result of becoming the people of God, we should be proclaiming or communicating the praises of God who has called us into His marvellous light (v. 9). And we, who had not obtained mercy, have now obtained mercy (v. 10). What marvellous contributions to a healthy and good self-image.
So when you look in the mirror each morning, if your feeling inadequate, if your self esteem is wavering, remember who you are. You are a child of the King, have been chosen by Him, you are a royal priesthood and a holy nation, you are His special people.
Amen.
Rev. Phil Starbuck
