"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (NIV)
Christians are often reminded of the need to be humble, but we are also reminded that we have a special calling from God to be His people ln the world. We are all that the text says, not to boast about our position in Christ, but to be His witnesses in the world. The text declares that we are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God." That is heady stuff, isn't it? But the very last lines in this verse tell us why we are all of this. It is certainly not to give us bragging rights, but "to declare the praises of Him Who called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light." We are told what to share with people. We are to share "the praises of Him..." We have a lot to praise God for. We have been called out of a life of sin and degradation to a life of joy and satisfaction in Christ. We need to share this verbally, but we also need to declare it with the way we live our lives and in the way that we treat people. We have the promise of eternity with God in heaven. That is something that a lot of people do not think about, because they are so busy with life, making a living, etc. But we need to call their attention to the fact that there is a life beyond this one and that it is all-important for them to receive Christ as their Savior. I know that sounds quaint today, and is the source of a lot of jokes, but it is, nevertheless true. These are two examples of all that we have to praise God for. We are told why we can share His praises. Notice how we came to be in the position of God’s chosen people. It is because He called us out of the darkness. Those who hear God’s call to become Christians are those who are given the privilege, opportunity, and duty to share “the praises of Him.” I need to be careful here, because I know that in Baptist circles the word “called” is usually in reference to a call into the ministry. It could be a call into the ministry, but that is not what it is about. It is a call for people from all walks of life and in all professions to“declare the praises of Him…” If we are to be what God wants us to be in this world, we can’t all be in church - related vocations. God’s call is to store clerks, doctors, dentists, dental assistants, secretaries, CEOs, or whatever vocation one is involved in. In fact, people out in the workaday world have closer contact with people than church staffs. Think of what a difference it would make in our world if all of the Christians in the workaday world “declared the praises of Him.” I imagine that our churches would have fewer empty pews, and more importantly, the kingdom of God would have more people to “declare the praises of Him.” We are told why we should declare His praises. It is because we have been called out of darkness into light. I consider myself a positive person, but as I look around me, I see a lot of darkness. I see the possibility of darkness in my own life. Satan always calls us back to the earthly pleasures of sin, and we have to be on guard about that. I see the darkness of the world all around me in the newspaper, on television, on the radio, etc. I do not wish to join that darkness. I remember living in a dark world and it was not satisfying. But we are not called to shun this dark world but to encounter it with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember we are declaring that we have been called out of darkness into light. We do not need to be self-righteous about it, because that would be counter-productive.But it is true, nevertheless, and we are to declare it humbly, being thankful that we are in Christ. Bro. Joe
1 Comment
Mario L. Talatala
5/7/2017 10:16:57 am
This script is very good and useful reference for the pastor like me.
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