You Are Chosen By God | A SOAP Devotional by Pastor Jamie

 

Over the next 5 weeks here on the SOAP in all of our Sunday worship services, and on Wednesday night gatherings for adults we'll be focusing on our 5 year Vision Plan with specific attention on each of our 5 Strategic Priorities: 1) Discipleship, 2) Next Generation, 3) Human Care, 4) Evangelism and Outreach, and 5) Legacy Building.

Read 1 Peter 2 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%202&version=NLT   1 Peter 2:9- But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

Earlier in this chapter Peter said: "Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness." (Verses 2-3) In verse 9 Peter told the people in the community of faith that they were like living stones that were designed to become a living temple for God. In other words, he was saying the real dwelling place of God is not in buildings like the Tabernacle or the Temple, but in us as individuals who have received the Holy Spirit and people who come together to be the church (not a building!) Here is a great truth we often take for granted- we are chosen by God, special, unique. By being the people God has called us to be, we recognize, for instance, that none of us is "just a lay person," who should blend into the background; rather we, all of us together, are "royal priests" getting to serve our Lord with an abundance of joy. This is the essence of discipleship. You and I are called to mediate the presence of Christ in this world as those living out the goodness of God on behalf of a world that often times doesn't care about God's goodness. We communicate God's mercy as those who have received great mercy.

This chapter identifies what Protestants emphasize as "the priesthood of all believers;" that is, everyone in Christ has direct access to the Father through the gift of the Son, which means every member of the Body of Christ is equally "called into the ministry." So remember that while you may not be a pastor, you most certainly are a MINISTER according to God's Word. The New Testament doesn't really permit us to see ourselves as disengaged, non-invested "pew sitters" in the life of Jesus' church. You and I get to be mediators of the very presence of God for the world He loves so much! After all, Peter wasn't talking here to a pastor's convention when he said, "You are royal priests!" Each of us gets a new identity when we step over the line of faith in Christ. As those who have received mercy, we become conduits of God's mercy to all those we meet. Each of us as "God's very own possession" has an absolutely vital role to play as a "royal priest." How will you choose to live out your new identity as a part of the royal priesthood today?

Lord, thank You for declaring- on the basis of our unique identity in Christ- that we get to be Your ministers- royal priests- for the world You love so much. Help us discern how You want us to live out our "priesthood" to mediate, communicate, and incarnate the truth and love of Jesus as we seek to show others Your goodness. You could reach every person on this planet without us, but You have chosen to use the likes of us to accomplish Your will. I pray that each person reading this will grow in their understanding of the ways You have called them to uniquely mediate the presence of Jesus here and now for Your glory. Amen.

Discipleship is lifelong learning on the way with Jesus,   Pastor Jamie   P. S. - To find out more about our Vision Team and our Strategic Priorities go to: https://universitycarillon.net/vision/