Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”
Our Bible verse for today: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Being a chose people comes with a cost.”
Peter wrote the letter we call 1 Peter to Christians. In 2:9-10 he explained to his Christian readers that they (we) are a people chosen by God for a specific purpose. This is reminiscent of what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 when he asked, “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”
Peter and Paul were expressing the same truth. We are not our own. We were chosen by God for a purpose; purchased by Jesus, on the cross, by His blood. What is that purpose for which we were chosen and purchased? Paul expressed it as glorifying God with our bodies. Peter said it was so we can proclaim His praises. Either way, we belong to God and we have been tasked by Him to further His purposes in this world.
It’s a wonderful thing to have been chosen by God, to be part of His family (1 Peter 2:9). And to be a walking, talking, mobile temple of His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)? Well how can you put a price on that? It’s priceless. But with the blessing comes responsibility. The privilege is given for a purpose. From the book of Acts on, the entire New Testament is the story of God’s chosen people on a mission in this world to carry out His agenda for the human race.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ then your primary purpose in life should be to represent Him in this world and to further the spread of God’s kingdom. As you make decisions about how you are going to use your time and resources your first thoughts should be for your primary mission. That doesn’t mean we ignore other important things like family and work. It only means that our first concern is for the things of God. Everything else has a lower priority.
It may seem to you that such thinking would be inconvenient and that living that way will probably require sacrifice and maybe hardship. Well, yes. But being chosen by God for His purposes comes with a cost. There are great rewards, now and in eternity, but there are responsibilities and expectations that come with it. God has given us much – forgiveness of sins; the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts now; and an eternity in paradise. But with the blessing comes responsibility. We have been chosen by Him for the purpose of furthering His kingdom in this world. I encourage you to do your part. Tell somebody about Jesus today. Show them His love by the way that you treat them. Help to build the kingdom. It is your primary purpose here on earth.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 