The Chosen People of God
In Christ, no one remains in the audience—each believer is invited into the light of sacred participation.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones offers a stirring reminder that the Holy Spirit was not given solely to religious leaders, but to all who belong to Christ. At Pentecost, the Spirit descended on 120 people—men and women, not just the Twelve. This wasn’t a trivial historical detail—it was a radical, Spirit-driven affirmation that no one in Christ is “less sacred” than another.
In the early church, the Greek word laos, from which we get “laity,” simply meant “the chosen people of God.” Likewise, kleros, the root of “clergy,” originally meant the same thing. All were God's people. All were priests. Every believer was included in the sacred fellowship and ministry of the Spirit.
But over time, human institutions altered that vision. Councils, beginning with Nicea, imposed a distinction that the New Testament never made: clergy became the “spiritual elite,” and the laity faded into the background. Sacredness became confined to office. The Church’s leadership began to absorb the identity of the Church itself, and ordinary believers were subtly—but tragically—devalued.
Jones calls us to remember and reclaim this truth: in Christ, there are no second-class citizens. All believers are God’s chosen ones. All are called. All are sacred. And every one of us, wherever we are, carries the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit—not as spectators, but as His vessels.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You are Mine—My royal priesthood, My holy nation, My own special possession, that you may proclaim My excellencies in every corner of your life. I have not called you into a system of hierarchy but into a family, a body, where every member belongs and matters. I poured Myself out on all flesh—on sons and daughters, old and young, the visible and the hidden, so that no one would think they are left behind.
There is no separation between sacred and common in those who are in Me. Your work is sacred, your home is sacred, your errands are sacred, because I dwell in you. You are My temple. You are My letter to the world, written not with ink but with My Spirit on your heart of flesh.
Stand, then, as one who has been chosen—not by men, but by Me. You are not a spectator in My Kingdom. You are My ambassador. You are My co-laborer. You are My light in the midst of this world, not hidden beneath the robes of others, but lit openly, personally, purposefully.
Walk worthy of the calling with which I have called you, not in fear or comparison, but in the confidence of grace, for I have equipped you fully to be who I’ve made you to be.
(Scripture references: 1 Peter 2:9; Acts 2:17-18; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 2 Corinthians 3:3; Ephesians 4:1-7; 2 Corinthians 6:16)
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine you're sitting in a large theater, but instead of attending a performance, you're told: “You belong on the stage.” At first, you hesitate—surely only the trained, the famous, or the uniquely gifted are meant to be up there. But then you realize: the stage was built for everyone. The script was written with you in mind. The spotlight isn't reserved for the few—it's wide enough to shine on you too. That’s what it’s like in the Body of Christ. No one is just in the audience. Every believer has a role—sacred, vital, Spirit-empowered.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that You have not left me on the sidelines of Your story. I am not waiting to be deemed worthy or elevated by man—I already am Your chosen, indwelt, and set-apart child. Thank You for the honor of being included in Your priesthood, not by title or role, but by union with Christ. I trust You to express Yourself through me today, wherever You’ve placed me. May my ordinary moments be filled with extraordinary grace as I live not as a second-class believer, but as one fully Yours.