God’s people are blessed to be a blessing to the nations.
1 Peter 2:9-10
9 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. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
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Peter was writing to Gentiles who had come to faith in Jesus Christ. By extension, each of the phrases he uses to describe them is applied to each of us as well. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then you are part of:
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- a chosen race — God has chosen us
- a royal priesthood — every believer serves God, talks directly to Him through prayer, and hears from Him through His Word, without the need of an intercessor
- a holy nation — God makes us holy and leads us to holy living
- a people for His possession — we are God’s people
Let’s trace these themes through important verses in the Bible (emphasis mine) —
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Genesis 12:1-3
1 The LORD said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
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Genesis 22:17-18
17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command.”
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Exodus 19:5-6
5 Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, 6 and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”
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Galatians 3:6-9
6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, 7 then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. 8 Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you. 9 So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.
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Galatians 3:14-16
14 The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith. 15 Brothers, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant that has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ.
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Galatians 3:27-29
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. 28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.
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Revelation 5:9-10
9 And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.
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God’s people are blessed to be a blessing to the nations. Because of all the incredible things He has done for us, we…
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- proclaim the praises… — tell someone how good God has been to you
- of the One who called you… — He called your name, and you responded with faith in Him
- out of darkness… — you were spiritually lost, but you’re not anymore
- into His marvelous light… — God has changed your life, and brought you into His marvelous light
God’s people are blessed to be a blessing to the nations.
- Once you were not a people,
- but now you are a people;
- You had not received mercy,
- but now you have received mercy.
Find someone this week, from any nation of the world, and tell them this amazing news: they can become one of God’s people too. Through Christ, they can experience salvation, joy and eternal life. Out of darkness into His marvelous light. God will do that for anyone who believes. That’s my God!