Who Are You?

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood: May grace and peace be yours in abundance” (1 Peter 1:1-2)

Who are you? What is your purpose?

In these two short verses God tells us much about who we are and what our purpose is.

Who does God say we are?

• Apostle
  • Apostle literally means “one sent on a mission”
  • There is a particular life and purpose God sends us out for
  • Who has sent us? Jesus Christ is the one who sends us
• Exiles
  • This world is not our home. We are created to live forever in God’s presence
  • Our investment in life ought to demonstrate the reality that our aim is to prepare all people for eternity with Christ
  • Invest well. Spend what you need for the journey here, but spend everything else – our money, time, talents – to invest in our eternal home
• Chosen and Destined
  • God chose us. Because God chose us, God was willing to pay the ultimate price for us by sending his Son to die and rise again for us
  • God saves us for a purpose. We are not to live aimlessly but live lives that are destined
  • We are chosen and destined to be sent out as apostles to a world that needs what only God offers in Jesus Christ
  • Jesus is the only hope for our world
• Sanctified
  • God continues to shape and change us to be more like him
  • The more we grow in our love and understanding of who God is and what God has called us for, the more we become more like Christ
  • The more we become like Christ in our character, hope, and our life the more God uses sanctified ones to establish his kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven
• Obedient
  • What is the chief characteristic of apostles, exiles, chosen and destined, sanctified ones? Obedience
  • Through our acts of obedience God begins to carve out strongholds of the Kingdom in enemy territory

That’s an awesome list!

Wow! You’re all pretty amazing people!

When we live into our calling as Christ’s apostles, grace and peace is ours in abundance even in a world characterized by suffering and darkness. Each time we live into our calling, Christ’s light and hope pushes back the darkness of this world.

That’s awesome!

Wow! You’re all pretty amazing people!!!