You BELONG!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “STRANGERS in the World”
Week 6 of 7: “Strangers…Am I the only one?”
Full Sunday message, CONTEMPORARY or TRADITIONAL
5 IDENTITIES God wants you to embrace!
1 Peter 2:9 “…you are a…people belonging to God…”
About 40 years ago, I had to have it. I saved up money from my newspaper route for a few months. I watched the ads to see what the best price was. In some ways I don’t remember why I wanted it so much, but when I had that Sony dual cassette, mega bass, boom box in my possession, it was a great day. The boom box I had always wanted belonged to me. (I still have it by the way – if anyone ever needs to play a cassette!)
In our culture we don’t like to think of ourselves as people “belonging” to someone else. We value our independence and don’t want someone “owning” us and able to force our decisions, our actions, our schedules etc. To understand this identity God gives us, think of your most treasured possession and how proud you are that it belongs to you. Think how lovingly you treasure the children in your family and that they belong to/are connected to you. Now magnify this truth about you…YOU BELONG to GOD!
The phrase in the original literally reads, “a people for a possession”…here’s what God did for you so that you would belong to him:
- He desires you.
God’s heart is for YOU to be part of his family. “God so LOVED the world…” (John 3:16)
- He paid the price for you.
The price was not just a few dollars, it was the price of his Son’s body and blood. Peter wrote of it earlier, ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
- He does not want to lose you.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 2:9)
- He is proud to associate with you.
And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised. (Deuteronomy 26:18-19)
Just like when you invest in purchasing something to be your own, you desire it to accomplish the purpose for which you purchased it. God purchased us for a purpose…a loving and privileged purpose. What is it? “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). God has us part of his family to simply share the amazing work that he has done in our life to bring us into his wonderful light…who knows, your praises may be the tool God uses to bring another soul into his wonderful light!
Apply: What happens as you embrace the identity that you “belong to God”? What opportunities do you have today to “declare the praises” of God in your words and in your work?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for finding me important enough to spend the blood of your son to purchase me from a life of sin to belong to you and enjoy a life of declaring your praises to you and to others! AMEN.
You are HOLY!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “STRANGERS in the World”
Week 6 of 7: “Strangers…Am I the only one?”
Full Sunday message, CONTEMPORARY or TRADITIONAL
5 IDENTITIES God wants you to embrace!
1 Peter 2:9 “… you are a HOLY people…”
“Nobody’s perfect.”
This phrase comforts us when we have a failure in life or say or do something we later regret. Comparing ourselves to others eases our conscience as we give ourselves a pass and breathe a sigh of relief that there are worse people who have done way more wrong than I have.
It is true, nobody’s perfect. Unfortunately, it’s also easy to say this to God to dismiss or tell ourselves that his command to “Be perfect, as I your heavenly Father is perfect” is an unreasonable demand that no one can live up to.
Yet, the words don’t go away. They ring in our ears. “Be perfect. Be perfect. Be perfect…”
“But, God” I plead, “Nobody’s perfect!?!? How can you expect me to be perfect?”
To which God responds, “I am God. Be perfect!”
We quickly realize the status God demands is one we can never achieve. In fact, it would be more natural for us to embrace the identity we often confess, “I a poor miserable sinner…”
Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Like the owner of a theater has every right to prevent you from seeing a movie if you don’t have the proper admission cost, so God has every right to refuse us admission to heaven because we fall short of the holiness he demands. Yet, realizing nobody’s perfect and without lowering the standard of holiness, God, our holy and loving Father did something we could never do.
Romans 5:8 God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
He died because he took our imperfection and made it his own…even though he WAS perfect!
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The result?
Hebrews 10:14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
YOU have been GIVEN a new identity: HOLY! Because of Christ, you are no longer a poor miserable sinner (although we certainly still struggle with our sinful nature) but a HOLY person of God!
Why does this identity matter? You have been given the status necessary to be in the presence of a holy God! You ARE holy. You ARE perfect!
Apply: What happens when you shift your primary identity from sinner to saint (holy one)?
Prayer: Thank you Father for not lowering your standard of perfection, but rather raising me to meet that standard through your son Jesus. Lead me to enjoy each day knowing I AM a HOLY person! Amen.
You are ROYAL!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “STRANGERS in the World”
Week 6 of 7: “Strangers…Am I the only one?”
Full Sunday message, CONTEMPORARY or TRADITIONAL
5 IDENTITIES God wants you to embrace!
1 Peter 2:9 “…you are a ROYAL priesthood…”
If you have daughters in your home, at some point most of them have embraced one of the Disney princesses as their identity. They watched the movie. They were enthralled with the fantasy. They got the pretty dress and were proud to move around the house in the elegance and mindset of royalty.
Something about royalty captures the mind and heart of interest. Perhaps for some it’s the perceived luxurious lifestyle. Perhaps it’s the “happily ever after” that fairy tales are made of. Or perhaps it’s the lure of power captured by playing a game of “King of the Hill.”
No matter what your perception, to have the designation of “royal” is a positive and prestigious status…especially when it comes from the King of kings! God calls you royal which means you are part of HIS kingdom.
Martin Luther in his explanation to the 2nd Article of the Apostles Creed put it this way:
I believe that Jesus Christ, …who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, ….
No matter what status we have in the world in which we live, through the work of Jesus you have been made royalty in the kingdom of God…and given a special role…to serve as priests!
This may seem like an odd designation, but consider what a priest did…
- He got to speak with and interact with God directly…(you do too!)
- He was to understand the will and words of God and share them with others…(you get to do this too).
- He represented God to the people…(he calls you to this as well!)
Ironic that a king and a priest were anointed in the Old Testament for these very special and important rolls. You, by God’s grace in the waters of your baptism, have been given this identity and set apart for this special roll…to be a ROYAL PRIEST…a servant in the kingdom of the most high God.
So you may not have the pretty dress or the jeweled crown, but you have a royal identity with a prestigious purpose to carry out today…enjoy being a royal priest of the King of kings. Serve him with your heart full and your head held high!
Apply: How does your perspective on your day’s activities change as you embrace your status as a “royal priest”?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for changing my status and my position through Jesus to be included as a royal member of your majestic kingdom and entrusted with serving you as a priest. Assist me today in embracing this identity and carrying out this role to your glory!
The Word is NURTURING!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “STRANGERS in the World”
Week 5 of 7: “Strangers Speak a Different Language!”
Full Sunday message, CLICK HERE
5 characteristics of God’s Word and why they matter.
1 Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Perhaps an infant doesn’t realize it, but when they crave their mother’s milk, it is both the taste they love, and the nutrition their body needs. God has designed a mother’s body to bring to her baby pure nutrition. For months, that is all a baby eats…but it’s all a baby needs. And they grow up…
As a child grows, unfortunately the food they eat isn’t always as pure and nutritious as their mothers’ milk was. Their body can take the good and dispose of the bad, but if enough good nutrition is not received, it is harmful to the physical well-being of the child.
Our spiritual life is the same way. Our soul needs “pure spiritual milk.” Yet our souls eat the fast-food of media sound bites. Our souls try to find nutrition in the candy bars of social media. Our souls are starving for something that tastes good, and feeds it.
What our souls need is the pure spiritual nutrition of the word of God.
The word of God is so nutritious and nurturing to our soul because it comes straight from the source. God has given us his word to be the good tasting, soul nurturing nutrition we need.
God was so intent on giving us the “pure spiritual milk” that he sent his Son to be that very Word that came into this world to say all and do all our souls need for life today and for tomorrow.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus took the words he was given from his Father and fed them to his disciples
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.
Do you have a favorite food that once you taste, you can’t get enough? For me it’s triple chocolate brownie fudge anything…one taste and I’m not stopping! God wants his word to be the same thing for our souls…taste its goodness and keep craving it (By the way, God’s Word is MUCH better for you than triple chocolate fudge brownie something!).
What “taste of goodness” have you had from God’s Word of truth? If it’s been awhile since you have tasted the goodness of God in his Word, perhaps it’s time to sit down and once again drink a glass of this pure spiritual milk. I pray it is so tasty that you crave it each and every day!
Apply: Take a moment to list ways you have “tasted that the Lord is good.” Then make a commitment to crave and taste the nutritious word of God each and every day. Watch your soul grow and be strengthened!
Prayer: Lord thank you for your Word and all its aspects. I know your Word is tasty for all its goodness it gives. Lead me to crave it every day! AMEN.
The Word is PREACHED!
Daily Devotions based on the Sermon Series: “STRANGERS in the World”
Week 5 of 7: “Strangers Speak a Different Language!”
Full Sunday message, CLICK HERE
5 characteristics of God’s Word and why they matter.
1 Peter 1:25 And this is the word that was preached to you.
What comes to mind when I say the word “preach” or “preacher”?
Perhaps you think of a pastor past or present and reflect on his sermons and whether they inspired you or put you to sleep. Perhaps you recall a rebuke of a person you felt was all too pious and condescending in correcting you and retorted, “Don’t preach at me!”
Preaching “at” someone in a condescending way is not beneficial. Peter doesn’t say, “This is the word that was preached AT you…” Rather he says, “This is the word that was preached TO you.” (The enduring word of God we talked about yesterday).
Why can he say this?
The nuance behind the English word “preach” is “announcing good news.” The word that is translated “preach” in this verse is actually the same root as “Gospel” or “good news.” You could read this verse as,” And this is the word that was shared as good news with you.”
God’s word IS good news!
God’s Word does point out our sin and how far we have fallen short of the glory of God, but it shares this hard news to set up the glorious reality that Jesus came and lived, died and rose again FOR you…for me!
The good news that is given to us is the news that we are fully forgiven by the blood of Jesus. It’s the news that when this life ends, we are going to spend eternity in the joys of heaven. It’s the news that while life on this earth can get hard, God will never leave us forsake us. It’s the news that whispers in our ear, “I love you. You are my child.” It’s the good news our hearts need…every day.
It’s the good news that was preached…shared…with you.
Why does this matter? Without someone sharing this good news with YOU, you would not be connected to the saving work of Jesus and life forever in heaven. Consider Romans 10:12-17
Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
The faith you have is because of the word that was PREACHED to you!
Now it’s your turn. The word that was preached to you is good news for you to preach to someone else. You don’t need to be a pastor, you simply need the good news that has been given to you and take your beautiful feet and share it with someone else.
Apply: Who in your sphere of influence needs some good news today? Find your favorite promise or good news passage from the Bible and send it to them!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the people in my life that have preached the good news to me. Now use me to preach this same good news to others! AMEN.