Rescued

Can you remember a time in sport where you had a great turnaround, and couldn’t wait to share the news with others?

Perhaps you had been having a terrible season, but finally everything came together and you landed that PB.

Perhaps your team had been losing in the first half, but after an incredible turnaround you achieved a sudden death victory against all odds.

When things like that happen, you can’t help but share this with others.

Here in 1 Peter, we see three contrasts which show us the greatest turnaround of all. We see an unbelievable reversal from what we once were, to what God has now made us.

"…that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

God has called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

We were once in darkness. This means we were lost, ignorant and deserving of God’s judgement. But now God has called us into his wonderful light! Now we can have our eyes opened, we can see joy, freedom, and enjoy a relationship with God.

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

These words often bring me to imagine someone moving to a new place where they don’t know anyone. As it stands they are new, nervous, and alone. They are not sure where they will find their place in this town. But then they join a sports club. Instantly they are part of a new community, they get the stash, they are part of ‘a people’.

Without God, we wander around alone trying to find our place in the world, trying to find belonging. But now he has made us the chosen people of God! We belong to Christ, and to a community of believers across the world. We need never be lost or alone.

Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Without Christ, we are condemned. We deserve God’s anger, we deserve to have nothing to do with Him. And yet in His unfathomable kindness He has given us mercy. Through the infinite cost of the blood of Christ, our sins have been dealt with. We are innocent, clean, pure, forgiven. Guilt and condemnation have no place for us now. Only mercy and freedom.

Response

What’s the right, natural response to this good news?

"…that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

It leads us to praise God! And praise naturally leads to evangelism.

The thankfulness and praise in our hearts wells up and overflows out of us such that we cannot help but declare the praises of Him to others.

→ Who can you tell today?

Pray for yourself

Thank you for calling us from darkness into light. Thank you for making us your people and giving us mercy.

Please help us to remember what you have done for us and may our hearts overflow with praise so we cannot help but share this good news with others.

Pray for your friends

Finally, take a few minutes to pray for those in your sport - that God will open a door for his message in your club or team this Game Day.