Dave spoke from 1 Pet 2:9-10 about being God’s chosen people. People, for all their flaws and imperfections, have wonderful capacities for love, beauty, joy and kindness, being made in God’s image. To be alive is a wondrous thing, but humans constantly ask ‘Who am I?’ What God says about us is the most important factor in answering this question, and in these verses, Peter highlights key truths about our identity as God’s people.

1. We are a chosen people, having a corporate identity, not simply an individual one.

2. We have received mercy – God has acted on our behalf.

3. We belong to God and are His possessions.

4. We are holy – something that may seem very odd to those around us, but we are called to be like God.

5. We are a royal priesthood, having direct access to God through Christ.

Our identity, meaning and calling are all from God. We are then called to declare His praises. What we are is defined by God; our purpose is God-centred, to make Him known.