“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
The apostle Peter pointed out something in this chapter that we, as Christians, already knew. We are “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11). That doesn’t mean that we are weird but it does mean that we are different. We have a different set of values. We have a different perspective on life. We have joy that isn’t related to our circumstances. We have hope that isn’t disturbed by daily news events. We are kind in a world where unkindness is far too familiar. In other words, we are different.
Peter explained why Christians are different. It’s not because we’re better than anyone else. We have just embraced the truth that God values us! We are “chosen,” “royal,” “holy” and “called out of darkness.” All that is because of His grace, not our innate goodness. By the way, “Holy” doesn’t mean that we are eerily strange, aloof from others, and out of style in the way we look and dress. It does mean that we are set apart for God. Everything Peter said was intended to reinforce how much God values us.
William Barclay made a keen observation about our value as Christians. “In any museum, we find quite ordinary things—clothes, a walking-stick, a pen, books, pieces of furniture—which are of value only because they were once possessed by some great person. It is the same with Christians. Christians may be very ordinary people, but they acquire a new value because they belong to God.”
Don’t let anyone tell you that you are worthless. God has chosen us, set us apart and called us out of darkness. We are valuable because when we believe in His Son, Jesus, He has made us His very own people. How awesome is that?
