"But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

These verses remind us who we are as the church. We are not just individuals trying to live for Jesus - we are a people, called together, chosen by God for His glory. Being a church is not simply attending a Sunday Servivce. It is being part of a spiritual family, set apart for God's purposes.

Notice how Peter describes the church: a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God's own possession. Each of these phrases tells us something rich about our own identity.

We are chosen - not because we deserved it, but because of God's sovereign grace. We were "not a people", but now we are His people. As the 1689 Baptist Confession puts it, "The catholic [universal] church ... consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof." (26.1)

We are priests - not offering animal sacrifices, but offering spiritual sacrificies of prayer, praise, and service. Every believer has access to God through Christ and is called to minister to others.

We are a holy nation - set apart in the midst of a sinful world. Holiness is not optional. We are meant to be visibly different, marked by purity love and truth.

And we are God's possession - we belong to Him. That is our comfort and our calling. We exist to "proclaim the excellencies" of the One who saved us. The church is meant to be a lighthouse, shining the truth of Christ into the darkness.

Bishop J.C. Ryle once said: "A holy church is an effective church. A worldly church is a powerless church." The church cannot fulfil her calling if she blends in with the world. Our strength lies not in numbers, money or buildings, but in being faithful to Our Lord.

Let us remember we are not our own. We have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20). As the church we are Christ's body on earth, His witnesses, His ambassadors. We are here to make much of him.

So today, take heart. You are part of something far greater than yourself. You are part of God's people - saved by mercy, set apart for His glory, and called to proclaim His Name.

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Francois