In our first talk, I shared with you that Peter declared that all believers are chosen by God to become one people. I also told you that salvation leads us to a life marked by holiness, reverence and love. Today, I want to take it a step further and talk about the fact that Peter taught us that we are now a part of a chosen Priesthood.

If you read I Peter 2:1-10, you’ll notice that Peter defined the Priesthood quite differently than some do today. He identified some things that mark God’s Chosen Priesthood:

1. We rid ourselves of destructive behaviors
2. We crave God’s Word
3. We build on Christ, the one the world rejected.
4. We tell others about Jesus.
5. We live in the blessing of God’s mercies.

Let’s talk about each of these for a moment.

First, through Jesus Christ, we have the power to shake off bad behavior. We can trust God to transform us, but we are the ones who must choose to rid ourselves of wrong attitudes and actions. The problem is that sometimes we just don’t want what God wants. That can stunt our spiritual growth and limit our ability to follow God.

That’s why Peter tells us to crave God’s Word in verse 2. When we read about God and His amazing love for us, we are motivated to surrender to Him and more likely to seek His power in our lives.

It is at that point, that we begin to build on the foundation that Jesus laid. He surrendered heaven to provide our salvation. Now it becomes our privilege to surrender to Him so that God’s will is done in our lives.

It’s something worth shouting about and that is why Peter encourages us to speak boldly about Christ to all who still do not know Him and offer His salvation to everyone we meet who doesn’t know Him.

• That is the kind of surrendered life that God blesses.
• A life that reflects God’s light to a dark world. A
• life that marvels in the saving power of Christ to unite us as one people a royal priesthood even though we might have once been enemies.

As I close this talk, let me ask you a few personal questions. What stops you from becoming more like Jesus? If you were honest with yourself right now, would you say that you crave God’s Word? How much are you growing in your spiritual life?

And finally, what would you gain if you decided right here and right now to take a few steps closer to God?

Take a few minutes and talk about these things in your group.

Until next time, Live for Jesus!