A Chosen Race

 

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

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:

            Today’s scripture serves as a powerful vision of what the church is meant to be in the world. Peter, in the verses preceding this, had been highlighting the Nation of Israel's struggle to recognize Jesus and their resistance to worship Him. The contrast between these two worlds is striking. In the centuries since Peter penned these words, the church has often fallen short of this ideal. It's crucial to acknowledge this. The church has strived, too often in its own strength, to live up to these words, and we should strive towards living up to the challenge of this scripture.

            How does the church today measure up to these words? The results are varied. However, in the global south, the church is a beacon of hope. It is thriving and expanding, reaching the lost and suffering masses with the message of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ. Those who were once trapped in poverty and darkness, both physical and spiritual, are now stepping into the marvelous light and freedom that Peter speaks about in today's passage.

            While in the Western church we see a church that is afraid to show the light of the cross and obedience to the commandments of Jesus to love. The church in the West has attempted to make itself into the image of the false idols of the culture around them. We have failed to stand firm in our commitment to Jesus and His saving love. We prefer to go along to get along. We seek to reflect the darkness of the culture rather than be filled with the light of Christ so that the world will see where it has failed to live up to Christ’s standards and repent.

            Today, the church in the West must stop stumbling in the dark and turn toward the light of Jesus. We must forsake the pleasures and perks of being in love with this world system, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. In the West, God's words are seen as restrictions on a person’s freedom. We must show that the truths of scripture are really a fence God has erected to guide a person into the way of Christ that leads to eternal life. We can be truly free only by being filled with the Holy Spirit and living for Christ.

Prayer:

            Lord, help us live up to the promise of these words from You through your servant Peter. Show us how we can be, individually and corporately, a beacon of hope in the world. Let our lives point consistently toward the way of Jesus Christ. Forgive us for the times we have tried to walk in the dim light of the culture of death that surrounds us in this world. Let us fix our eyes on the bright light of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.