Castles, knights, princesses, and crowns – these are the stuff of every girl’s pretend years. What girl (of any age) doesn’t love her a sparkling tiara? I will be the first to admit that I got up in the middle of the night in the summer of 1981 to watch Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s royal wedding. We have a fascination with royalty. And yet, in our modern society, I think we miss the true depth of the Word of God’s references to Kingdom things.
Once upon a time, there were kingdoms, and each kingdom was ruled by a king. Usually, that king was born into and prepared for the position or came from a lineage of rulers. But sometimes they were chosen. When done right, the royal family understood the privilege and gave their lives to rule their kingdom and do what was best for their subjects, the people.
A king went to battle with his army to protect his realm. Royalty was revered. People would line the streets just for a glimpse of the royal family. To find favor with the king would elevate your status and would come with privileges. People were loyal to their king and honored to be chosen in any capacity for service to the king. We have many examples of kingdoms and kings in the Bible: King David, King Solomon, King Xerxes, King Darius, King Nebuchadnezzar, to name a few. But Jesus was called the King of Kings, the Prince of peace–both references to His royalty and not fairytale fluff.
So it is with this context Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:9 (TPT):
“But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience His marvelous light, and now He claims you as His very own. He did this so that you would broadcast His glorious wonders throughout the world”.
You are chosen royalty! I can picture the heralds getting the attention of the crowd as the sound of their trumpets announce your arrival. All eyes turn in anticipation of catching a glimpse of the royal representative. —That’s the impact we are to make on our world, as children of the King. Not out of a boastful attitude but with humble pride in our given position.
We are His chosen ones and we serve with the authority given to us by the King of Kings.
“You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Put up with one another. Forgive one another if you are holding something against someone. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you. And over all these good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one. Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your hearts. As parts of one body, you were appointed to live in peace. And be thankful. Let the message about Christ live among you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct one another wisely. Teach one another by singing psalms and hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing to God with thanks in your hearts. Do everything you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ.”
This is what a member of God’s royal family should look like! I love the reference to putting on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Can’t you just imagine the royal attendants helping you dress for the day, choosing an outfit that makes just the right statement to those you will come in contact with? A gown that speaks of your nobility and represents the character of the King. And your beautiful shoes of peace go perfectly! (Ephesians 6:15 NLT) To complete the ensemble, they place the crown on your head that signals to the world “who” you are—“whose” you are, a daughter of the King.! The jewels that embellish the crown reflect light at every turn of your head, catching the eye of all that you come close to. Can’t you feel the confidence, authority, and nobility that flows from this scene? This is how we are to walk out our time here on this earth. Paul speaks again on this topic in Ephesians 4:1-2 (TPT):
“As a prisoner of the Lord, I plead with you to walk holy, in a way that is suitable to your high rank, given to you in your divine calling. With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience. Be faithful to guard the sweet harmony of the Holy Spirit among you in the bonds of peace, being one body and one spirit, as you were all called into the same glorious hope of divine destiny.”
We are to walk holy, in a way that is suitable to our high rank. Holy means to be “set apart”, sacred.
Is my walk worthy of the divine calling the Lord has put on my life?
We are called to a higher standard, we are set apart and holy because of Jesus, and our lives should reflect that. We represent our King to the people around us.
On a side note, remember earlier when I mentioned that a King went to battle with his army to protect his realm? That means that the King is battle-ready, and there is a suit of armor in the King’s closet. God has given us His armor to protect us when we battle with our true enemy, and not to battle each other–the flesh and blood people of His kingdom. (Read about this suit of armor in Ephesians 6:10-18.) We need to put on that armor every day against the battles Satan wages against us. But we also have to be dressed in love, peace, forgiveness, mercy, kindness, gentleness, and patience, and more to reflect the royalty that we are in Christ. I leave you with this prayer from Paul and Timothy found in 2 Thessalonians 1:11- 12 (NLT):
“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with Him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Ladies let’s walk worthy!
Written by Kim Hughes
