Dear ones in Christ,
It is the great love of God that we are called as God’s people. He has delivered and brought us out of the darkness and the slavery of Satan. He has chosen us to proclaim His goodness to the world. God sent His only begotten son and has loved us. He has written down the greatness of His word and has given us. And He wants us to live according as a righteous people. Apostle Paul says to Titus when he writes in Titus 2:14, “Jesus gave himself for us in order to redeem us from all lawlessness and to make pure for himself, a special people who are eager to do good works”. We should live according to the Bible. He wants that there should be a close individual relationship between man and God. Let us meditate on who are God’s people and what kind of people they should be.
1. Blessed are they who are saved by God:
In Deuteronomy 33:29 we read, “Your blessings are many, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, and the sword of your majesty? Your enemies will come trembling to you; you will trample down their high places”. God’s people are saved people. The salvation and the deliverance from our sins comes through the blood of Jesus Christ. Those who received the forgiveness of their sins through the blood of Jesus Christ only can go to heaven. Those who are not clothed with the robe of salvation cannot go to heaven. In the parable which Jesus told, the people who did not wear the wedding dress were not allowed to go inside. God sees you through the blood of Jesus Christ.
2. God’s people are His own wealth:
In Exodus 19:5 we read, “Now then, if you obediently listen to my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession from among all people.” We are God’s wealth or His possession. The house and the land of the foolish who do not follow God. We are the possession of Jesus Christ. It is danger for the enemy to touch us. He who touches you touches the apple of his eye. So we are precious and valuable. He has graven our image in the palm of his hand. We should have faith that we are his and no one can snatch the wealth out of his hands or destroy us.
3. They worship God, and praise Him:
In Exodus 8:1 we read, “Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, Yahweh says this: let my people go so that they may worship me.” The reason behind God delivering the Israelites from Egypt was to worship him. Moreover, in Isaiah 43:21 we read, “This people whom I formed for myself, that they might recount my praise.” God did not choose us to complain or murmur before him. How should we worship God? We should worship him with reverence and devotion. We should surrender ourselves as living sacrifice and worship him. We should worship him in the beauty of his holiness. Our worship should be with truth and spirit. In Daniel 6:20 King Darius asked Daniel saying, “As he came near to the den, he called out to Daniel in a sad voice, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to save you from the lions?” we are saved to worship him only. Many voices arise to the Father in heaven. But you worship God and glorify Him.
4. They are the people of his pasture, and his sheep:
In Psalms 95:7, God says “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand”. We are the sheep of his pasture. We should feed upon his word. We should not feed upon the false teachings. We should not have vain worries. As a good shepherd he will lead us. In Psalms 23:1-3, we see that, as God is our good shepherd, he will lead us without any lack. He will show mercy to thousand generations. But you have to be his sheep. There is no lack or obstacles. You should be the sheep of his hand. Your Pastor should know what you are doing. In John 10:9, we read, “I am the gate. If anyone enters in through me, he will be saved; he will go in and out and will find pasture”.
Let us not have worldly worries. He who worries is foolish. God will hold our hands and will lead us without any lack.
5. They are wise and understanding people:
In Deuteronomy 4:6, “Therefore keep them and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear about all these statutes and say, ‘surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people’.” Our thoughts will be right, when? When our heart is holy. In Psalms 119:97-100, Psalmist says, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for your commandments are always with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for I meditate on your covenant decrees. I understand more than those older than I am; this is because I have kept your instructions”. As God gives the wisdom and understanding, Jews and Christians are very wise and invented lot of things. And many of them are scientists. In Daniel 1:20, we read, “In every question of wisdom and understanding that the king asked them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and those who claimed to speak with the dead, who are in is entire kingdom”. God gives his people more wisdom than the worldly people.
In Deuteronomy 4:7, “For what other great nation is there that has a god so near to them, as Yahweh our God is whenever we call upon him?” The people who have God so near to them means 1) in a touchable distance, 2) in a calling distance, 3) He is great in us. Apostle alone was so near to Jesus that he could lean against the bosom of Jesus Christ. He could experience and know the heartbeat and the burden of the heart of Jesus. But, as we have received the Holy Spirit, we also could lean against the bosom of Jesus. We can walk closely with him. We can talk with him. And we can hear his voice. In Psalms 91:15, we read, “When he calls to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble; I will give him victory and will honor him”. Our God answers us when we call upon him.
6. They have God so near to them:
In Deuteronomy 4:7, “For what other great nation is there that has a god so near to them, as Yahweh our God is whenever we call upon him?” The people who have God so near to them means 1) in a touchable distance, 2) in a calling distance, 3) He is great in us. Apostle alone was so near to Jesus that he could lean against the bosom of Jesus Christ. He could experience and know the heartbeat and the burden of the heart of Jesus. But, as we have received the Holy Spirit, we also could lean against the bosom of Jesus. We can walk closely with him. We can talk with him. And we can hear his voice. In Psalms 91:15, we read, “When he calls to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble; I will give him victory and will honor him”. Our God answers us when we call upon him.
7. They are the chosen people:
In 1 Peter 2:9, Apostle Peter says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that you would announce the wonderful actions of the one who called you out from darkness into his marvelous light.”
As we his chosen people, we should proclaim his good works. Being priests, they should sacrifice. We should offer spiritual sacrifices. We should offer sacrifices like thanksgiving, sacrifice of good works, doing good and giving alms to the poor and obeying God’s word. Royal priesthood means we should stand against Satan and overcome him as Kings. He has chosen us as his holy nation. We are not carnal people; we should live as spiritual people.
My dear friends! We saw about who are God’s people and what kind of people are they? We are blessed to be called as God’s people. This is a matter of pride for us. God did not chose us in flesh. He has chosen as his own people even before the foundation of the world according to his eternal plan and purpose. So let us live as his holy nation for the excellence of his glory in our houses and church. Let us live as a sweet fragrance for his holy name. Maranatha!
