Holy, Chosen, Royal, Special

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

I love this description proclaiming God's children: chosen, royal, holy and special. This is not simply feel-good apostolic lip service; it is a creative proclamation of the Word of God. It is the same technique God used creating the heavens and earth in Genesis; as if God is saying, "...let them be chosen, royal, holy and special." It is God speaking, "who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did." (Romans 4:17) In order to grow into God's purpose, all Christians should have this proclamation often on our lips and permanently tattooed on our minds: we are chosen, royal, holy, and special.

The Mystery of the Seed

In gardening, a seed packet may bear a photo of lovely red tomatoes but inside are crusty little pieces of grain that do not look anything like a tomato. Through faith we plant the odd looking particle in the ground and in time and under proper conditions, the seed will produce an amazing tomato factory. No one is surprised by this miracle, although to some alien not informed of the process it would have to seem absurd. How can such a thing be? An entire system for a reproductive tomato kingdom self contained in a tiny seed.

Faith as a Mustard Seed

That is how God's Word works. His words are spiritual seeds having the power to produce fruit in the lives of His people. The picture on the outside of God's seed packet is Jesus Christ, the perfect juicy red tomato we are to become like: chosen, holy, royal, special. His example and testimony serves as a vision and prophecy for our continuing growth and development.

Seeds and Sons

This scriptural proclamation correlates with John's Gospel where it says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God..." (John 1:12) The children of God take on the identity of our adopted Father. We, who were not a people but are now the people of God, have been pronounced chosen, royal, holy and special and now we are actually becoming chosen, royal, holy and special. It is not by our will power or positive mental attitude; it is a transformation through faith in the Word of God.

This Scripture also serves as a warning sign. If we see that our lives are, instead of tomatoes, producing spiritual fruit more like lemons, poison ivy, thorns, weeds, cacti or briars, we have a problem. Instead of chosen, holy, royal, and special we feel ignored, low class, dirty and common, we are missing the point of becoming children of God. Honestly, growing up in Jesus' tomato patch is not always easy but it always has the same objective... to grow into the master's image. "Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?9 "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." (Luke 13:18-19)