Possessed by God

"You are . . . a people for God's own possession" (1 Pet. 2:9).

Since God paid the price to redeem you, you belong to Him.

When Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me" (John 10:14), He stated a truth that has been especially dear to me since the early years of my theological education. One of the pleasant memories from my seminary days is sitting in chapel and singing the hymn by the nineteenth-century lyricist Wade Robinson "I Am His and He Is Mine." I may never fully comprehend the depths of what it means to belong to Christ, but I will forever glory in it.

The Greek word translated "possession" in 1 Peter 2:9 means "to purchase" or "acquire for a price." Paul used it in Ephesians 1:14 to speak of "the redemption of God's own possession." Everyone is His by creation, but we as Christians are uniquely His because He paid the price to redeem us from the bondage of sin and death.

God's ownership of believers is emphasized throughout Scripture. Paul admonished elders to "shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). He said to the Corinthians, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Titus 2:14 says that Christ "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem [or purchase] us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession."

Isaiah 43:21 says, "The people whom I formed for Myself, will declare My praise." That was to be Israel's purpose, and it is yours as well. God chose you as His own possession and gave His Son to purchase your salvation. You are His eternally, so live accordingly and rejoice in such a glorious privilege!

Suggestions for Prayer

Make it your practice to praise God abundantly for the privilege of belonging to Him.

For Further Study

Read John 10:1-33.

What characterizes the Good Shepherd?What did Jesus claim about His relationship with God the Father?How did the Jewish leaders react to His teaching?