1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV)

“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. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

This passage is calling back to the Old Testament and the Jewish nation. God chose the Jewish people to reveal Himself, His law, and, eventually, the Messiah to the world. The Bible says they were a chosen race and a nation of priests. Then Christ came into the world and the Gentiles (non-Jews) were grafted into the true Israel: those who are in Christ. These became the chosen race and royal priesthood.

This is something Christians should never take for granted. As we see in verse 10, we were not always a part of this special people. We were once apart from God and His nation. We were once separated from the royal priesthood. We were once sinful and not a part of a holy nation. We did not proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness because we were in darkness.

It is Christ who pulled us out of sin and raised us to life. He is the one who anointed us as royal priests and claimed us for His own possession. We were once not a people, but He brought us into His people. We once had no mercy, but now God has shown His mercy to us by sending His Son to die for us.

This is an amazing truth. God took sinners, raised them to life and washed them clean of all the wrong we have done. He brought us into a relationship with Christ and raised us up to be a part of His nation. Let us take this privilege that God has bestowed upon us to proclaim Christ to all we see.

This week, if you have never experienced the power of God in salvation, come quickly to the throne of God. For those who have, be quick to share the love of God with others, so that they too may be a part of His chosen race.