GOD'S OWN PEOPLE - PART 1

THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2022

In Petrine epistolary expression, Peter talked about Christ, the Living Stone and the saints, a chosen people. He specified that born again Christians are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, because they've been delivered and called out of darkness into God's wonderful light, to declare His praises with the sense of His Kingdom identity.

Reference: 1 Peter 2:9 Amplified Bible (AMP) "Once you were NOT A PEOPLE [at all], but now you are GOD'S PEOPLE; once you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY."

By God's grace, we were rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of light. Now watch this: according to the above Scripture, "Once you were NOT A PEOPLE [at all]," implies that the natural man does not have any base, significance, nation, race because they don't belong to sovereign God of power. So this Scripture is talking about spiritual identity. Simply put, the natural man has no identity in God's sight. Although they (unbelievers) belong to the kingdom of darkness, however, darkness is equal to "nothingness", which denotes the absence or cessation of life or existence. Did you grasp it? This is to show you how God thinks.

Before salvation we were not a people at all because we lacked the mercy of God. What is this mercy? Mercy is an undeniable accuracy of acquittal, vindication and redemption of mankind. After man's fatal error of disobedience, it so happened that God still showed us mercy through the efficacy of the atoning sacrifice of Christ and it was a perfect sacrifice. We were a condemned people without hope but God who is rich in mercy, sent His only beloved Son to die for our sins.

Evidently, mercy is an image which symbolises a concept that dominates and nullifies the idea of judgement, disapproval and condemnation to eternal punishment in hell. Sin brought eternal damnation to mankind but the thought of the graciousness of God's nature brought mercy. Mercy is the fairest heritage of God's own people that comes with serene joy and an enduring pleasure. It is always available at the throne of God. No wonder Hebrews 4:16 reads, "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most" (NLT). What does this mean? Simply put, mercy conveys a ray of a larger hope, once received. In other words, you can trust God for more when you have it. Yes, with obtained mercy, you can find grace for anything else in this glorious Kingdom.

Obtained mercy is a mode that expresses the sense of complete satisfaction and peace in God's approval. When you obtain mercy from throne room, you're bound to accept that it is not your own doing because it is given to you by a deep trust in God's extraordinary goodness. It is the steadfastness of God that emerges as His eternal delight. This is the reason Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) reads, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." In other words, the mercy of God is an inexhaustible store that never runs out, and can always be drawn upon for ever.

Mercy vivifies the goodness of God in our lives. Think about this: It is mercy that qualified us as God's chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and His special possession because of Christ's tender sympathy and perfect sacrifice. Beloved, its a great thing that God furnished us with His mercy by His imperishable and everlasting sovereignty. Thus, mercy is an echo of Kingly and priestly benediction produced on a large scale from heaven's court. It inspired God's decision to choose and predestine us in Christ in order to manifest us as His peculiar people, and its a glorious decision from the mercy-seat. Stay tuned for part two of this topic. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6-7; 1 Peter 2:9; Deuteronomy 26:17-19.

Guided Prayer: Gracious and merciful Father, your loving-kindness is a remarkable link to the full expression of divine mercy. It is the concluding rapturous plan of salvation for mankind wrought by the expression of Christ's death, resurrection and victory. By your grace, I have been saved through my faith in Christ. And this is not my own doing; it is the gift of your irrevocable and interminable mercy. Thank you for delivering me out of darkness and transferring me into your wonderful light, as your chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation and special possession, in Jesus' Name, Amen!