A Royal Priesthood

1 Peter 2:9-12

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of the 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.

11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.

12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing win which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of Christ's coming Judgement.

As we all know, many denominations use these versus to promote their doctrine over others. Who is the Chosen Race? Is it about me personally, is it about literal Israel, is it about which church is replacing Israel (covenant), visible v. invisible church, etc.

Is this about predestination? Am I one of the chosen? What if I desire God, but am not one of the chosen? Can I refuse the call from the Holy Spirit?

These questions can go on and on...

Unfortunately, people take these (and all others) to promote their own 'points of view'.

The bottom line for me today

I am a child of God, who accepted Jesus' Death and Resurrection as the payment for my sins. When I die and stand in front of Almighty God, and He demands payment for my sin, Jesus will be beside me and all God will see is His Grace (Blood of the Lamb) covering me.

Jesus is our High Priest. He went before the Father and sacrificed His life. The Old Testament picture of Passover paints the perfect picture. Once a year, the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies and, in the Presence of God, sacrificed the lamb for the sins of the nation.

Jesus went into the presence of God as the Unblemished Lamb, paying the price of His Children. Sins in the past, present and future.

It is Finished

Jesus paid the price, once and for all. Period. We are now a Royal Priesthood, we have received Mercy, called to be salt and light. What an awesome picture Peter paints as to the privilege of being one of His children. It is not to be taken lightly.

The day of judgement is coming. We need to act accordingly. He will separate the sheep from the goats, wheat from the chaff, hot from the cold.

I pray that I will draw closer to Him daily. I slip daily, if not hourly, probably closer each minute!

These versus should speak to us as ways to live desiring God, not debating doctrine.