Christians Have a New Identity

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. —1 Peter 2:9–10 A Chosen Race Genuine believers together make up “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.” That four-part description defines Christians’ true identity. First, Peter says, believers collectively are God’s “chosen race.” This race is made up of individuals set apart by God to be his very own, to belong to him by faith in his Son (see also Eph. 1:5). As we noted in our discussion of 1 Peter 2:8, we choose to believe in him only because he determined, before time began, that we would believe (see also Rom. 8:28–29). No one comes to God apart from God’s enabling through the gift of faith. John Piper encourages us: Revel in the wonder that you are a Christian because God chose you to be one. Your roots, as a child of God, are in eternity—in the infinite mind and heart of God. Your faith, and all its fruits, are G...