Chosen to declare
1 Peter 2:4-10
4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.
5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6 As the Scriptures say,
“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”7 Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”8 And,
“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.”They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
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.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”
My job title at work changed recently. I resisted the change. I didn’t want to communicate any elitism or technical superiority to my work mates. I was happy to simply lead the team and our port.
My immediate managers listened politely to my suggested job title, then firmly turned me down. “You deserve this title” they said, “and you need it – it communicates our faith in you to our consumers!”
Listen – you are chosen by God Himself! Today’s passage says that He appointed you to declare His goodness to those around you. That’s your job title – Chosen to Declare. And by the blood of Jesus, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in you (who raised Jesus from the dead, no less), you are worthy of the title. Not only that – You are royalty! You are cleansed completely and made holy ready for the task. You are God’s special – dearly, dearly loved Son or Daughter. So go and speak – all of heaven is on your side!
Lord, help me own my job title – Chosen to declare – and step into the job you’ve appointed me to do.
Amen
Written by B van Noppen