“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

When Jesus came to this world, He came to redeem us from our sins and give us a new life that will last for eternity. He said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28) Those who will come to Him will come from all the people groups all round the world. “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” (Revelation 7:9-10) Those who will be a part of this multitude are those who come by faith and receive Jesus Christ into their lives. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12-13)

When we come by faith, God makes us His own people. God’s people come from those who are lost in the darkness and come to the light who is Jesus Christ. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) They are also people who have received mercy. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)

When we come by faith to Jesus Christ, He calls us to take His message to a world in need of Him. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) He also calls us to be a kingdom of priests, coming before God on behalf of the people of this world. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6) We are also to be people who reflect the character of God in His holiness. “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14) We are also God’s own people, because He paid for our sin. “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.’” (Revelation 5:9)

When we come by faith to Christ, He provides all we need to reveal Him to this world in need of Him, always looking to the promise of our eternity with Him. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” (Revelation 21:3)

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block