But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s special possession, so that you may declare the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. For once you had no identity as a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2: 9-10
Unfortunately, many people live in darkness and gloom and adjust to it as normal. We, as Christians, look at the world and it is hard not to see a blackness overtaking it. Social media, streaming programs, podcasts and news broadcasts are full of examples of what it means to live out a life in the murkiness of sin and without the Light of Christ who came for us. For good or bad, I still vote, but I have not watched the news since 2016. Still, it is so clear to me that our country is in trouble and needs more than the false light of new and shiny, bright things!
Why might we burrow into our Christian communities and ignore the people who are ravaged by the world, the evil one and the fleshly lusts that are now so commonly displayed in public?
The Message Version describes it this way:
Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a musty cellar. If you put blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! Matthew 6: 22-23 (MSG)
God has called us to live wide-eyed, not squinty-eyed, in His world! We have been called out of this musty cellar of darkness and have been given His marvelous Light to fill up our lives. This Light came for us as a baby who grew to show us what living in the Light looks like. This Light is not just for us, but for everyone around us, too.
And more … Peter pulls together concepts from the Old Testament for this list (Deuteronomy 7:6, Exodus 19:6):
We are a chosen people. God has selected us to represent Him in the world. We are to carry His bright image within ourselves.
We are a royal priesthood. We do not need an intermediary between us and God. Because of Jesus, we can now approach God directly.
We are a holy nation. We have been set apart by God and we are part of the kingdom of God. This earthly home is not our true home.
We are God’s possession. God has paid a price for us so that He can have a relationship with each one of us personally.
This is what it means to be the people of God. We are also the people who don’t deserve it, but have been given mercy because we need it. We have opened our eyes and we see Him.
We do not need to be afraid to be His light. We have this love letter from God in 1 Peter and His promise that our light will break out and rise in the darkness in Isaiah 58.
Write your own love letter to God in response. Add to it as you continue to live in wonder and belief.
Lord God, help me to be the wide-eyed child of Light that reflects Your wonderful love to all. Open my eyes to truly see Your people. Amen.
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