A Chosen People

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Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Devotion:

          If someone from another planet came down and asked you to explain the Christian faith to them, could you do it? How far would you get? C.S. Lewis first proposed a scenario like this nearly 90 years ago. At the time he suspected that most Christians would not get very far.[1] I fear nearly a century later we are not in much better shape. It is up for debate whether the visitor would take with him or her anything of great value.

          According to the Apostle Peter in our scripture today we Christians are a chosen race and a royal priesthood. Why in spite of all our privileges that being God’s own people brings are we unable to explain the basics of the faith? This is a fault that needs remedying. Because the scripture above tells us that we are to be able to proclaim our faith. And that this proclamation is the very reason Christ called us to be followers in the first place.

          Every Christian is called to be able to do this. Proclaiming the faith is not something exclusively for those we ordain to help us understand the faith better. Therefore, this is not an option for us. We simply must get over our fear and learn to be witnesses for Jesus Christ in this world. For it is not beyond our ability to understand this message. If we know enough to know we are saved by Jesus’ blood, we know enough to speak of him to those who ask us to give a reason for the hope that we have in him.

          We can all take courage then. Even though like Moses and Gideon in the Bible we may be afraid to speak and act as God’s mouthpiece in world. God has promised to empower us to do just that. If we are Christians, then we know enough to be qualified to speak of the way we were called out of darkness and into the wonderful light of Christ.

Prayer:

O Lord, be with us each day. Give us courage to speak of the salvation that you have provided for us in your son Jesus Christ. May the love of the Son be overflowing to all whom we meet each day. Grant us, O Lord, the ability to share the reason for the hope we have in Jesus. Amen.


[1] God in the Dock, C S Lewis, p. 10 (Kindle Edition)

 

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