"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

a people for God's own possession,

that you may proclaim the excellencies

of Him who called you out of darkness

into His marvelous light."

I Peter 2:9

Is that what I am feeling as I write this blog?  Is this what you are feeling as you read this blog? Truly, this is how it is, not because of us, but because of Him, the One who invited us, made it possible because of His great love for each of us.  

"A chosen race" has nothing to do with skin color, but everything to do with being part of His family.  "A royal priesthood," is the description of those who serve Him.  "A holy nation" describes God's ideal that goes beyond political barriers or any other national heritage.  And my very favorite description of our Christian life is, "a people for God's own possession."  What a tender, loving way to display the great love God has for us.  We are wanted by Him.  We belong to Him.  He is a jealous God who desires us to be exclusively His.  Through His Holy Spirit, we are possessed in Him. 

John Wesley says, "But ye--Who believe in Christ, are--In a higher sense than ever the Jews were, a chosen or elect race, a royal priesthood--Kings and priests unto God (Rev. 1:6).  As princes, ye have power with God, and victory over sin, the world, and the devil: as priests, ye are consecrated to God, for offering spiritual sacrifices.  Ye Christians are as one holy nation--Under Christ your King; a purchased people--Who are His peculiar property; that ye may show forth--By your whole behavior to all mankind; the virtues--The excellent glory, the mercy, wisdom, and power, of Him--Christ, who called you out of the darkness--Of ignorance, error, sin, and misery."

However, these are fighting words and an insult to Jews.  They previously had these terms exclusively for themselves as the chosen race.  But now, "all those who were in the covenant of God by circumcision, whether they were holy persons or not, are here given to Christians in general in the same way; i.e. to all who believed in Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, and who received baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 

"The Israelites were a chosen or elected race, to be a special people unto the Lord their God, above all people that were on the face of the world.  (Deut. 7:6)   They were a royal priesthood, or what Moses calls a kingdom of priests, (Exodus 19:6)...They were a holy nation, for they were separated from all the people of the earth, that they might worship the one only true God, and abstain from the abominations that were in the heathen world.  They were also a peculiar people, a purchased people; a private property, belonging to God Almighty; none other having any right in them, and they being under obligation to God alone.  All these things the apostle applies to the Christians."(Adam Clarke)  This turns the Jewish world upside down and inside out.  

This is what happens when He calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light.  We can't help but proclaim His excellencies.  Once we were blind, but now we can see.  The darkness is a horrible place to be, where the creepy crawlies live as we are blind, groping along to find a way out.  Darkness is a dangerous place to live; everyone knows that is where evil lurks and seeks to destroy us.  But our merciful God has called us out of darkness.

In the beginning, "the earth was formless and void (a waste and emptiness), and darkness; and the Spirit of God was moving (hovering) over the surface of the waters.  Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness." (Genesis 1:2-4)  Light is good.  

 God did not create man to live in darkness, but in the light.  I John 1:5, 7 says, "And this is the message we  have heard from Him and announce to you that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all...but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

We are chosen, royalty, holy, a peculiar people as God's private property, bought and paid for by His Son.  That is marvelous, darling!