But you are a chosen race, 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;

 Other:

 

            Chosen race; Royal Priesthood; Holy nation:

 

1 Peter 2:9

9     But you are a chosen race, 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;

     

            Look at some of the things we are! We’re a chosen race. That doesn’t mean race in the natural. We’re a brand new race … Christian. We’re also a royal priesthood. There was a separation between those related to the king (David), and those who were of the priesthood (Aaron). The two didn’t mix, but we do. We’re also God’s possession. Why are we all this? So that we may proclaim His excellencies. That people can see what God desires in His children. We were all living in darkness. He called us out; but not just out of darkness. That would be great in itself. He called us into something … His marvelous light. He brought us out to bring us in … just like He did for the children of Israel … out of Egypt into the Promised Land.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are My chosen ones. I did not choose you from the world to be nothing. I chose you to be great among the nations. I chose you to show forth My glory in the earth. There is no other people that can compare to you when you walk in My Word. There is nothing that I would not do for you, My people. I have a plan for you in the earth, and you cannot know it apart from Me. I have a plan for you to conquer the world and all that’s in it. It is not a plan for failure, but a plan for success. You shall be a great people and a great nation in the midst of all the nations of the world. You shall become a part of My Kingdom as you walk in My Word and listen to My Spirit as He gives you directions. Then you shall reign as priests in My Kingdom. You shall do great exploits as you work together to bring about My Kingdom throughout the earth.”

 

            104. I am of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. I will proclaim His excellencies for he has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.

 

 

            We need each other. God designed the system so that we would. Otherwise, some would go off into a corner of the world with their own little group and never associate with other believers. When we work together, the whole becomes bigger and better than the sum of its parts. It is our destiny as a group. We can’t become individually what He wants without becoming collectively what He wants and vice versa.

Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

 Unity of the faith:

 

Ephesians 4:13

13     until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

 

            This passage is talking about the apostles, prophets, etc. being given to the Church. What we want to look at though is that there is a promise of us attaining to the unity of the faith. Right now, there isn’t a lot of unity of the faith in the Body of Christ. This indicates that one day there will be … every one of us attaining to it. We’re also promised that we will become mature Christians one day … to the point of being to the measure of the stature belonging to the fullness of Christ. We all have a long way to go; but we’ll get there one day. We can depend on God to do what He said He will do in us.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "My desire is for a perfect body; not some scraggly corpse. You are not dead, nor dying. You are alive in Me. You shall come together in Me and shall grow into what I have desired for you. You will no longer argue and fight over My Word. You will come to the point that you agree on My commands. It may not look like it now, but it will happen eventually. You cannot disagree on My Word and become what I have in mind for you. You have to put aside your petty grievances and trust in Me to fulfill all that I have said that I would do through you. You are the apple of My eye, and I have no desire for a fragmented body. It is to be perfect and whole. It cannot be that, as long as you fight over things that are unimportant. Trust in Me to bring you into agreement with My Word. I will not fail, and neither will you. I have said it, and it will come to pass. My Son has proclaimed it, and it will come to pass. You shall be made whole. You shall agree with each other over My Word. You shall mature into the one that I have planned from the beginning. There is no other plan in effect. It will happen in My time and in My way.”

 

            103. I will be of those who attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Jesus to a mature person to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Him.

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

 Unity:

 

            He is in our midst:

 

Matthew 18:20

20     “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

 

            Of course God is inside each one of us; so wherever you are, He is. However, this means more than that. He is promising to manifest Himself when two or three of us gather together in His name. It doesn’t have to be a Sunday morning church service. It could be a Friday night prayer meeting. Or, it could even be a husband and wife. In these cases and others, we can be sure He’s there. Since He’s in all believers, He wouldn’t need to tell us that He would be in our midst unless it was more than a statement of the obvious that He is there. He is in our midst to meet our needs … to make Himself known to us and others. He will speak to us to comfort us, to guide us, or to supply anything that we need.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "I am with you My children wherever you are. There is no boundary too big or too small for My people. I am with you wherever you go. I will meet with you between the cherubim above the mercy seat. I will talk with you, and I will listen to you as you tell Me of your desires and needs. I will never turn My back on you, but will always be open to hear all that you have need of. Come together in My name and see what glorious things that I have in store for you. There is nothing that I won’t do for My children when they seek My face diligently.”

 

            102. I will gather together with other believers for when two or three of us gather together in His name, He is in our midst.

In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

 Holy Temple:

 

            Holy temple of the Living God:

 

Ephesians 2:21-22

21     in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,

     22     in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

 

2 Corinthians 6:16

16     Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,

“I will dwell in them and walk among them;

And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

     

            Wow! Is this overwhelming or what? We’re not just members of each other; we’re part of a building … and not just any building … a holy temple in the Lord. The point of this temple is for God to dwell in. As a holy temple in the Lord, we should act like it. If we could visibly see God in our midst, would we think and act the way we do? Hopefully we would not. We need each other to help complete this holy temple. Let’s work together to bring it about quickly so Jesus will return soon.

 

If you could hear God speak to you, I believe this is what He would say:

            "You are all needed My children. You are all special. There is no one who does not have a place in My body. You are all a part of what I have planned. I will make you into a glorious Church; a glorious body. Each one of you has a place in this building of Mine in which My glory resides. You are My special temple. I reside in My temple. There is no one nor any thing that can destroy My temple. It is My holy dwelling place. It is built without hammer or chisel. It is a place where My glory resides. Do not think that I came to build a weak and unfruitful building. I came to build a glorious abode. All of you are needed to complete the work. Trust in Me that it will come to pass. Do not look at the way things appear now. I have plans for you … for good and not ill. You will be glorious as you allow Me to fulfill all that I have planned for you.”

 

            101. I am being fitted together with the other members of Christ into a holy temple in the Lord … a fit dwelling of God in the Spirit. He will dwell in us and walk among us. We shall commune with God like Adam and Eve in the Garden before the fall.