Doubt & Devotion

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Just as Jesus is the chosen stone, so are His followers a chosen people. To be called “elect” is special because it’s the same honorific applied to Israel as God’s chosen nation, and now, it is used to refer to us who follow Christ. Not only that. To be a chosen race means to be descended from a common ancestor. In the case of believers, our lineage is not biological but divine.​

Peter goes on to say that believers are a royal priesthood and a holy nation. This is the same formula used in Exodus 19:6, which is the source and origin of many covenantal texts in the Old Testament. To be royal means we belong to the king, but not just any king. We belong to the King of the Universe. We are the people among whom God dwells. We are His royal residence.​

As a holy nation, we have been acquired by God to be his possession. He has called us from the darkness of our former lives, and we have become recipients of divine favor. And to what end? To publicly praise the excellencies of the divine King who has chosen us by his grace and made us His own. We must continually lift the name of our God, thanking Him, honoring Him, speaking well of Him, and celebrating the ways He has brought us from our former bondage into His light.  ​

God did not choose us to isolate us from the world. On the contrary, He called us to become a people of deliberate praise. He chose us to declare the power and glory of His regenerating power, and we are to do it in all circumstances, whether privately or publicly. This is the spiritual sacrifice that God deems acceptable. And it is through this activity that we can encourage outsiders to join us in glorifying God.​

Lord, thank You for calling us out of darkness and making us part of Your royal priesthood. Help us live with praise, purpose, and bold devotion to Your name.

Eric James Estante

Eric has a deep passion for teaching God’s Word. He holds a degree in Theology from Central Philippine University and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling. He served as an associate pastor in his local church in Iloilo City for four years. Eric currently volunteers with his wife, Joey, teaching biblical marriage principles at their church in Alabang. They have one son.