21 Days in 2024
CHOSEN BY GOD
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9).
The sons of God have been chosen by God and adopted into His family. He has hand-picked each of us out of our generation to represent Him in our time. We are alive right now to bring Him glory. This is the time - not some future time - that we are called upon to make Him known in the earth (2 Corinthians 6:2).
We are also a royal priesthood. A priest serves in a temple. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and collectively, we are the dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Our service to Him includes connecting our generation to the provision of His love and grace (Eph. 2:19-22, 1 Cor. 6:19).
Being a son carries the responsibility of the firstborn. The reason firstborn sons received a double portion of the inheritance in the Old Testament wasn’t as a show of favortism. It was the provision God made to enable firstborn sons to take on the care and blessing of the family after the father’s passing. The extra resources were for carrying out that responsibility within the family (Isa. 61:7, Deut. 21:17, 2 Kings 2:9).
Among the nations, the people of His Kingdom are a nation (and family) established by His holiness. Our influence and responsibility in the world are by divine calling. Because we share in the inheritance of Christ as co-heirs (Romans 8:14-18), It means we also receive the double-portion of the firstborn. We have been fully commissioned by God to demonstrate and proclaim His love to the world with POWER (Matt. 28:18-20, 2 Peter 1:10-11).
As His own special people we are uniquely qualified and positioned within His family to represent His glory to the nations. We have passed from darkness into the light. The one with the light is responsible to help those in the dark. The responsibility of our inheritance as His sons includes loving the unsaved as God loves them (Col. 1:13-14, Matt. 5:14, Is. 9:2, Isa. 60:1-3).
We are called to live for the display of His Glory. Once, we were lost and bereft of all hope. But now, because of His immeasurable love and grace toward us, He has delivered us from darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His son (Ephesians 2:4-10).
The Book of Hosea tells the story of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer. At the birth of each of his children, Hosea became more certain of his wife’s infidelity. The children were named accordingly. This sad progression in Hosea’s marriage spoke prophetically to the unfaithfulness of Israel. The first child was named, “God’s Seed.” The second was named, “Not Loved- or No Mercy.” The third child was named, “Not my People.” This tragic progression indicated God’s broken heart over the sin of Israel (Hosea 1-3).
Peter references this portion of Biblical history to show us that the reverse progression that has now taken place for the people of God through Jesus Christ.
“[You] who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (2 Peter 2:10).
The sons of God represent the restoration of the heart of God toward His people. His love and mercy have reversed the shame of our sin. The blood of Jesus secures us firmly in His family. And we have been given the great responsibility to deliver the message of hope and reconciliation to our generations.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
The sons of God have been chosen by God and adopted into His family. He has hand-picked each of us out of our generation to represent Him in our time. We are alive right now to bring Him glory. This is the time - not some future time - that we are called upon to make Him known in the earth (2 Corinthians 6:2).
We are also a royal priesthood. A priest serves in a temple. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and collectively, we are the dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Our service to Him includes connecting our generation to the provision of His love and grace (Eph. 2:19-22, 1 Cor. 6:19).
Being a son carries the responsibility of the firstborn. The reason firstborn sons received a double portion of the inheritance in the Old Testament wasn’t as a show of favortism. It was the provision God made to enable firstborn sons to take on the care and blessing of the family after the father’s passing. The extra resources were for carrying out that responsibility within the family (Isa. 61:7, Deut. 21:17, 2 Kings 2:9).
Among the nations, the people of His Kingdom are a nation (and family) established by His holiness. Our influence and responsibility in the world are by divine calling. Because we share in the inheritance of Christ as co-heirs (Romans 8:14-18), It means we also receive the double-portion of the firstborn. We have been fully commissioned by God to demonstrate and proclaim His love to the world with POWER (Matt. 28:18-20, 2 Peter 1:10-11).
As His own special people we are uniquely qualified and positioned within His family to represent His glory to the nations. We have passed from darkness into the light. The one with the light is responsible to help those in the dark. The responsibility of our inheritance as His sons includes loving the unsaved as God loves them (Col. 1:13-14, Matt. 5:14, Is. 9:2, Isa. 60:1-3).
We are called to live for the display of His Glory. Once, we were lost and bereft of all hope. But now, because of His immeasurable love and grace toward us, He has delivered us from darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His son (Ephesians 2:4-10).
The Book of Hosea tells the story of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer. At the birth of each of his children, Hosea became more certain of his wife’s infidelity. The children were named accordingly. This sad progression in Hosea’s marriage spoke prophetically to the unfaithfulness of Israel. The first child was named, “God’s Seed.” The second was named, “Not Loved- or No Mercy.” The third child was named, “Not my People.” This tragic progression indicated God’s broken heart over the sin of Israel (Hosea 1-3).
Peter references this portion of Biblical history to show us that the reverse progression that has now taken place for the people of God through Jesus Christ.
“[You] who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (2 Peter 2:10).
The sons of God represent the restoration of the heart of God toward His people. His love and mercy have reversed the shame of our sin. The blood of Jesus secures us firmly in His family. And we have been given the great responsibility to deliver the message of hope and reconciliation to our generations.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
Posted in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting