"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (I Peter 2:9).

God's people have always been special to Him. Exodus 19:5 speaks of them as a "peculiar treasure," chosen and set apart by God.

The word peculiar has several meanings. As a teenager I never took time to check a dictionary. In my mind peculiar meant being strange, weird, or odd. I wondered why I had to be strange to be a Christian. Had I done a little research, I would have discovered that peculiar also means "to have a character exclusively its own; select or special; separate; belonging particularly or exclusively to one." Peculiar denotes ownership.

GOD'S PROTECTION

When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He gave numerous laws to guide their conduct and worship. The restrictions He placed on them were not designed to make their lives miserable. Instead, they were to keep His people from adopting the sinful practices of surrounding nations.

God's laws were given for protection, not punishment. They were to preserve Israel's distinctness, to keep them from blending in with the heathen society of their neighbors.

"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 7:6, ESV)

CALLED AND SET APART

Today God's people are also at odds with the world's culture. We are surrounded by those who not only tolerate immorality but condone it. Sin is not called sin. Those who stand up for godliness and morality are ridiculed or blamed. We are portrayed as the one in error, the problem in society.

Rather than be embarrassed by our distinctness, we should feel blessed and rejoice in our ownership by the Lord. Ephesians 1:4 says, "He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world" and we are "the purchased possession" (verse 14).

In I Peter 2:9 God's people are called a royal priesthood. Old Testament priests were set apart for service. Being a representative of God demanded responsibility. There were also visible differences that set the priests apart from the general population. (See Exodus 28 and 39.)

If we are to be priests of the Lord, giving ourselves in service to Him, we must be different from those around us in our attitudes, our actions, and our appearance.

If there was ever a time when God's people need to stand out from the crowd rather than blend in with the world, it is today. We are to "Come out from among them and be separate" (II Corinthians 6:17, NKJV).

light in the darkness

The Christian must maintain separation from the world while still living in the world. We do not cloister ourselves and hide away. Nor do we divide our allegiance in an attempt to follow two masters. The separation we maintain in our godly lifestyle becomes our strongest witness. We are visible, a light in darkness. Have you ever experienced someone coming up to ask if you are a Christian? They sense your difference, so they know to approach you with their spiritual questions and to ask prayer for their needs.

To recognize God's ownership in our lives is a wonderful thing. Rejoice in the fact that you are chosen, separate, and His own special people.

"But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself." (Psalm 4:3)

Devotion by Mary Loudermilk