Something Different About You.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9. Did you notice the phrase “a peculiar people” in our opening verse? That's you; you’re a peculiar being. There’s something different about you; you’re unique; you’re not like everybody else. Never talk down on yourself or allow anyone talk you down. You’re a partaker of the divine nature, a God-carrying vessel. You represent divinity. You’re a heavenly being. You’re the extension and expression of Christ in your world. It brings to mind a lovely testimony by one of our pastors of a certain family that came to see him in his office. The family had a three-year-old girl with them. After they had exchanged pleasantries with the pastor and shared nice thoughts from God’s Word, they turned to leave. As they walked away, the little girl noticed a picture on the wall, stopped, turned to her parents and the pastor, and said, “This is Jesus Christ on TV,” pointing to my picture that the pastor had on the wall in his office. But that’s exactly what Jesus said about us; we’re bearers of His divine presence. Jesus minced no words in John 14:9 when He said, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” Jesus is the image or icon of the invisible God (2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1: 15). That means He’s the visual representation of God, the profile of God. Hebrews 1: 3 says He’s the brightness of God’s glory and the “express image” of His person. The Greek term for the expression “express image” is “character” and it means facsimile or print copy. Jesus is the facsimile or print copy of God. Then, the Bible says, “As He is, so are we in this world!” Can you see why you must never see yourself as an ordinary person? Christ in you makes you different. You’re the effulgence of His glory, the express image of His person. Hallelujah.

Confession:

I'm a unique and precious treasure to God, a bearer of His divine presence, the effulgence of His glory, the express image of His person, born anew with the supernatural life of glory, excellence and power in my spirit! Today, through my words and actions, I manifest the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of my heavenly Father who has called me to glory, honour and excellence, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

1 Peter 2:9 AMPC; Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 4:17

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Mark 11:27-12:1-17 & Numbers 18-19

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Acts 24:22-27 & Psalm 59-60

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18. Has it really dawned on you that Jesus Christ was crucified for us? He actually became us on the Cross. Not only did He bear our sins, He also bore our very nature of sin. That’s why the Bible says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus was our sin-bearer and thus was made sin, meaning that we were literally on that Cross when Jesus was crucified. He wasn’t only our representative, He was our substitute; our sins were laid on His spirit. He took our nature and took our place. There’s the legal aspect and there’s the vital aspect. He was legally your representative and vitally you on the Cross. What’s the implication of all these? If He took your place and nature, it means you now have His place and nature as well. He took your place so that you might take His place. Therefore, since He was sinless, that means you have His sinless nature now that you’re born again. Now you can understand why the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation….” Did you notice that it says you’re holy? It’s the result of the sacrifice and substitutionary work of Jesus Christ in your behalf. He took your sin-nature and made you holy. Now you can live a holy life. Hallelujah! The most beautiful part isn’t that He took our place and our nature but His purpose for doing it. It was to give us His place and His nature. Ephesians 2:4-6 is so beautiful; it says, “But God, who is rich in mercy…hath quickened us together with Christ…And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” He gave us His place of glory, dominion, power, honour, and majesty, and made us partakers of His divine nature. Today, you’re as righteous as Jesus is righteous. You have the same life with Him: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5: 11 - 12). Blessed be God!

Prayer:

Dear Father, I thank you for the sacrifice and substitutionary work of Jesus Christ in my behalf, for which the righteousness of God has been imparted to my spirit. Now, I’ve been justified by faith and ushered into a life of peace with you through the Lord Jesus Christ, with dominion over sin and circumstances, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 6:3-5

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Mark 11:1-26 & Numbers 16-17

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Acts 24:10-21 & Psalm 57-58

For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Romans 5: 17. love what Paul said in Philippians 3: 8-9, referring to the supremacy of the righteousness which is by faith in Jesus Christ. He said, “…that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” When you confessed the Lordship of Jesus over your life, instantly, His righteousness was imparted to you. The righteousness of Christ is flawless; that’s the righteousness you have. It’s perfect and therefore can’t be improved upon. Nothing you do today will make you more righteous or less righteous before God. When God looks at you, He sees the righteousness of Christ. That’s why Paul said in Galatians 2: 20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Just as you’re now living by the faith of the Son of God, you’re no longer living by your own righteousness; you're living by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus was righteous before God, and He was the only one who qualified to be our substitute, being the only One who was born sinless, because He was born of a virgin. Romans 4: 25 tells us that He “…was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” This is followed by Romans 5: 1 which says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” To be “justified” means to be declared righteous as though you never sinned, because no charges were found against you. Hallelujah! Today, if you’ve been struggling to be righteous, you’re on a journey to nowhere. We couldn’t attain righteousness by ourselves; that’s why God gave us His own righteousness. You’re as righteous as Jesus is righteous because He substituted His righteousness for your sin-nature and gave you eternal life in the new birth. Hallelujah!

Confession:

The ability to be right, to do right, and to produce fruits and works of righteousness is inherent in my spirit. I’m living by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I’m as righteous as Jesus is righteous. Hallelujah!

FURTHER STUDY:

Philippians 3:7-9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9

1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Mark 10:32-52 & Numbers 14-15

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Acts 24:1-9 & Psalm 56