Getting Back to Basics

Today was a beautiful day. I've been spending my time outdoors after an overly long winter (where are all the Global Warming people now?). Mom has been kind of lonely (well, she did lose my dad about a year and a half ago) and I've been just a bit guilty of not "honoring my parents" by spending too much time on my own stuff and not any time just talking with her. She's 84 and doing reasonably well but still, you never want to take your parents for granted.

After borrowing dad's mower and doing a couple lawns, I spent the time on her deck reading. It was good just spending time there with her dog and ours playing.

The book was "Facing Your Final Job Interview" by Woodrow Kroll. I didn't really "read" it. I scanned through parts of it. The book is very readable but I just didn't have the energy today to concentrate on a lot, so I just scanned it for a few nuggets. And, while I wouldn't agree with every thing that Woodrow Kroll has to say, I was reminded of some very relevant and basic things.

While there were a few things that popped out at me, one of the main things was his reference to 1 Peter 2:9 although I'll include verse 10 just to complete the thought:


1Pe 2:9
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR {God's} OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1Pe 2:10
for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Can't get more basic than this, can you? That is such a loaded passage! We are:

A chosen race
A Royal priesthood
A Holy Nation
A people for God's own possession

Think of this. The Sovereign Lord of Glory, Who made all things for Himself, has done all this. Those of us who have been regenerate, thus becoming part of the Body of Christ, has by His mercy and Grace, chosen us...into not just a priesthood, but a ROYAL priesthood, separated unto God (Holy), that exist as God's own possession!

But what for? To run around and do a lot? To sit back and take it all for granted? No. "...so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;...".

It is so that we may make a proclaimation! A proclaimation of God's excellencies. And what are those excellencies related to? Read on. . ."the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light".

Simply put we are to proclaim the excellencies of God that, in particular, involve the Gospel. The saving work of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Does it mean "win converts"? It's not up to us to win converts. That is up to God. It is up to us to just tell of the excellencies of God, which have been shown most profoundly in the work of Christ in everything He has done by His mercy and grace to save those Whom He will save.

You can't get more profound than that.

It was Paul Washer who said something to the effect that "We do what we can to get people in the kingdom then try to move on to bigger things. Friends, there is no bigger thing than the Gospel!"

The Gospel is the greatest thing we could proclaim!

Let us do what Peter said is our whole purpose: to "...proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..."

Amen?