“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 NET).
Human value is not limited exclusively to those external qualities that others find good or desirable. Instead, the concept of human value is (or should be) based upon the idea of inherent human worth. As human beings who are created in the image of God, every member of the human family is a person who possesses worth and value based on his or her status as God’s image-bearer. It is that same God who subsequently calls us to become “…a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, [and] a people of his own…”
Yet, if we’re honest with ourselves, we must admit that we rarely feel much like royalty. Since God’s people inhabit a world that is populated by many who choose to live as if God did not exist, we often face pressure to become “just like everyone else.” Since it is always easier to “go with the flow” of a world that rejects God, a person who seeks to follow Christ is bound to meet resistance in various forms.
In these instances, we can find encouragement in Jesus’ message from the Beatitudes…
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:10-12 NIV).
This reminds us that the economy of heaven will be far different from what we know today. Those who live for Christ and follow His example in a world that has little use for Him have a substantial reward waiting in eternity. These passages are important to remember whenever we are tempted with the desire to join with a world that has no use for God, or quit when things become difficult.
In those instances, we must focus upon our calling as members of a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people of God’s own. As Jesus promised from the Book of Revelation…
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5, see also John 6:37-39, John 10:27-28, and Romans 8:33-39).