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.
1 Peter 2:9-10
Two things are essential to a healthy, thriving, joy-filled spiritual life. First, know who God is. Second, know who you are. The second depends on the first. Define yourself by who you are in God.
1 Peter 2:9-10 is one of the clearest passages on who we are in God. This is who we are:
“A chosen race.”
God has chosen you. This means he has set his love on you and adopted you. You did not choose him but he chose you. Or, you chose him because he chose you. You are loved, chosen, adopted.
“A royal priesthood.”
Every believer is considered a priest, bringing people to the grace of God and praying for people. That’s who you are: one of God’s priests. Moreover, you are a royal priest. You are royal because you belong to the family of the King.
“A holy nation.”
Holy. You are holy and blameless in God’s eyes, because the blood of Christ has washed all your sins away. You are just as holy as Jesus Christ because God sees you in Christ and through his blood.
“A people for his own possession.”
You belong to God. You are known, you are loved, you are adopted. You belong. Indeed, who you are is based on whose you are. You are God’s.
“God’s people.”
Again, you belong to God. You are one of his people.
“Recipients of God’s mercy.”
You are not just the object of God’s choice. You are the object of God’s mercy. God has poured mercy and grace and love into you and over you. You are much loved, completely forgiven, blood-bought.
There are condemning voices out there saying: “You’re so bad! You’re such a failure! God can never use you. God is angry at you!”
Don’t listen to those voices. Shut your ears to every voice except God’s voice. This is what God says about you.
Take the attitude: “God said it. I believe it. That settles it!”