Camilo Buchanan reminds us that when we know whose we are, we can then know who and why we are, and we can live out our purpose of proclaiming His name to a broken and lost people.
Key Takeaway
We belong to God, so let that inform how we live. But we also belong to each other.
In 1 Peter 2:9-12, Peter recites to the audience their identity.
Do you know who you are?
If you're a believer, your past doesn't matter. It doesn't negate the truth of 1 Peter 2:9.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
But do you know why God chose you?
Because He loves you. Not because you did anything but because you're His child.
You are who you are because He chose You and grafted you in, adopting you into sonship and transforming you because you're born again. You're now His chosen people.
He saved you along with a community. Your identity is deeply connected to the community He has placed you in. You're not a chosen person but a chosen people. You are a special people unto Himself—a Holy nation.
Do you know who we are?
It's not just about you or me. We need to understand the "we" that we exist within, and knowing who we are is key. Knowing who you are in isolation builds ego, and knowing who we are builds confidence.
It's when your name exists in THE name that things change. That people see something better.
We are the Church that the gates of hell will not stand against. Why are we? We are this because God, our Father, loves us.
Do you know why we are?
We exist to be proclaimers so that the world might see who He is. This is why we are what we are: to tell the world of His glory. It's not because of us or for us; it's so that we might tell the world of the One who makes everything possible.
Because you are beloved and an exile, we abstain. We look different than the world. We don't abstain to be chosen—we already are chosen. But we abstain because we show that we are chosen.
Why do we abstain? Because people are watching us. We want people to see God through us. Your conduct isn't for your salvation; Jesus's conduct is for your salvation. Your conduct is for your neighbor's revelation. Your life should be your greatest apologetic. When you live differently, it reveals the difference-maker.
Discussion Questions
Re-read 1 Peter 2:9. How did reading this impact how you see yourself?
Do you find yourself trying to earn the love of God? How has the truth of Him loving you despite what you have done given you peace today?
Your identity is deeply connected to the community He has placed you in. How has community shaped your faith?
How have you seen isolation build ego in your life?
Have you experienced the confidence that comes with knowing your identity in Christ? In what ways?
In knowing that your purpose is to proclaim God so that the world sees and knows Him, how can you reshift your priorities to be reflective of that?
What is the purpose of abstaining from the things of this world if we don't receive salvation through our works?
How have you seen the life of another impacted by the Gospel by how someone else lives their life?
Scripture References
