Remember Who You Are!
When our children were younger, and they were leaving to go hang out with friends, we would say to them, “Remember who you are and who you represent.” The reason was to remind them that their last name was Bingle, and as Bingles, we represent Jesus. Our goal with this statement was that they would hopefully understand they were blessed to be part of our family and even more so that they were representatives of the King of kings and Lord of lords. As children of God, they had unique privileges reserved for those who loved Him.
There is an epidemic of identity crises in this world. People are struggling more than ever to find out who they are and what their purpose is on this earth. The good news is that all we must do is turn to the Word of God, and those questions will be answered.
God designed us to have dominion on the earth (Gen. 1:26), but Satan has been causing confusion, shame, and every evil work since the Garden. This has led men and women to live far below what God intended. In 1 Peter 2:9 KJV, it says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that he should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:” Paul details God’s intentions for us, so let’s unpack the verse and see what it says. We are 1) a chosen generation, 2) a royal priesthood, 3) a holy nation, and 4) a peculiar people. He then tells us the purpose is to declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. What lies have you accepted that has caused you to live a life believing less than who God says you are? Doing less than he purposed you to do? What would life be like if we embraced who God said we are and believed what HE said instead of what the enemy says?
A CHOSEN GENERATION
Paul begins by stating that we are a chosen generation. If we stop for a moment to think about this, he is communicating that we are God’s favorite family. Out of all the people on this earth, God chose us. Deuteronomy 7:6 NIV says, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord, your God, has chosen you out of all the peoples on the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” God is the “chooser,” He took great joy in choosing us. Not only that, but it says we are God’s treasured possession! What a beautiful picture that paints for us- one of incredible worth that He values and holds dear. He chose us to be His.
As ones who are chosen, God also called us. Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:26, “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.” And when God calls us, he equips us. He doesn’t look at our natural abilities, birth order, or financial status. His plans for us are more than what we could think or imagine. Our job is to remain pliable and moldable so He can shape us precisely how He wants.
Did you know God thought of you before He created the world? Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose us in him before the world's creation to be holy and blameless in his sight.” The enemy would like us to think we are nothing and no one. However, God planned for us to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him (James 2:5). Before we made him Lord, we belonged to no one and were shown no mercy, but now we belong to God, and He has shown us his mercy. He wouldn’t do all this for us if He didn’t love us, believe in us, or have great plans for our lives.
A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
The second characteristic in our text is that we are a royal priesthood. A tiny percentage of the world (about 8%) is royalty. However, as Christians, we are of noble birth because we are children of God, making us part of an elite community created for God’s exclusive use.
In Greek, to be royal means we are kingly and part of a priestly fraternity; we are uncommon. Exodus 19:6 says, “you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation….” Isaiah 61:6 tells us we are priests and ministers of the Lord. In 1 Peter 2:5, we learn that we are living stones being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And as part of this priestly community, we serve the Father. Revelation 1:6 tells us that Jesus made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever.
As royalty, we are uncommon. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines uncommon as “not ordinarily encountered; unusual. Remarkable, exceptional.” By its very definition, uncommon points to our uniqueness and places us in a special category. God’s plan has always been for us to realize we are not common- we are His children with rights and privileges that are not available to those outside our family. We are separated from sinners and consecrated to God. He has made us acceptable through Christ.
AN HOLY NATION
The third characteristic mentioned in our text says we are a holy nation. We are a sacred race or tribe, a collective with one head, Christ, and are governed by the same laws. We are a people who are devoted to God; we abide by His word, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. Take a look at this list of scriptures and what they tell us:
- We are to be holy because he is holy- Leviticus 11:45
- We serve him without fear- Luke 1:74
- We are to live our life out of holy reverence for God- 2 Corinthians 7:1
- We are to live a peaceable life and be holy; without holiness, we will not see the Lord- Hebrews 12:14
- We are to pattern ourselves after our holy Father- 1 Peter 1:16
- We are to live holy and godly lives- 2 Peter 3:11
So, being a holy nation has a lot of responsibility on our part. We have all the rights and privileges, but we must maintain our minds, will, and emotions so we do not dishonor God in any way.
A PECULIAR PEOPLE
The last characteristic noted in our text says we are a peculiar people. A 19th-century minister and theologian, Matthew Henry, said this about peculiar people. “It is the honour of the servants of Christ that they are God’s peculiar people. They are the people of his acquisition, choice, care, and delight. These four dignities of all genuine Christians are not natural to them; for their first state is a state of horrid darkness, but they are effectually called out of darkness into a state of marvelous light, joy, pleasure, and prosperity, with this intent and view, that they should show forth, by words and actions, the virtues and praises of Him who hast called them.”
So, what does it mean to be peculiar? In Greek, it means preserved. God has preserved us because his plans for us are exceptional. Here are a few more scriptures to help you understand how peculiar you are:
- You are a treasured possession—Exodus 19:5a states, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.”
- Chosen by the Lord—Deuteronomy 14:2 says, " For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”
- Exalted above all nations- Deuteronomy 26:19, “He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.”
- Guided like a flock- Psalm 78:52, “But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness.”
- Prepared for service- Luke 1:17, “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
- Characterized by zeal- Titus 2:14, “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
- The law written upon their hearts- Hebrews 8:10, “This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
For what purpose did God do this? So, we could celebrate the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. We will no longer have an identity crisis when we truly realize who God has created us to be. And the deception and accusations of the enemy will have no power over us. These exhortations will help you remember who you are and who you represent! Every time you look in the mirror, tell yourself you are chosen, you are royal, you are holy, and you are peculiar.