“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
What was once true only for a single ethnic people (Israel) is now absolutely true for you, if Jesus is your Lord (see 1 Peter 2:9-10). Followers of Jesus are united into the beautiful, treasured, beloved, holy, special family of God! If you’ve trusted in Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection to atone for your sins, then you’ve already been chosen to be treasured by God!
What a beautiful and encouraging thought! Let this truth soak into your soul right now… Whatever others may say or think… whatever labels the world might apply to you… in Christ, you are treasured by the Creator of the Universe. You are holy to the Lord. To be holy to the Lord doesn’t just describe a pattern of “churchy” behavior once or twice a week. It describes being set apart, devoted, and fully dedicated to God.
This reality carries with it significant responsibility. God had chosen you, treasured you, and included you in His people. In Christ, your sins are forgiven and you’re made new in Jesus Christ. Now God calls you to live like it. Followers of Jesus are to be set apart for God. We must be distinctly different, in a good way, from those who don’t follow Jesus. It should be obvious to God, to our neighbors, our coworkers, and our families that we have been transformed by Jesus Christ. We must seek to obey the commands and imitate the example of Jesus not to save ourselves but because we’ve already been saved, set apart, and treasured by God.
We must live lives that really are devoted and dedicated to God. Not as an afterthought. Not as a part-time gig as time permits. Not as one priority among many. Devotion to God should be THE driving priority and principle of our lives. God first, everything else second. King Jesus as the center of our lives, not our careers, families, countries, or amusements. Are you living like you’re holy to the Lord? #FollowJesus