1 Peter 2:9–10 (ESV): But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
 
- Comfort for his readers, going through suffering
- They have an identity
- Humans have a deep desire to belong. We go to great lenths, even gang membership tied to desire to have a family, a group to call their own.
- Readers we're not fitting in to the Roman culture--persecution was there or coming
- Yet they belonged to a world wide, shared identity--the body of Christ
- No ordinary, ho hum club, but royal, preistly and with a mission: to proclaim His excellencies
- We have common fellowship the world over, no matter where we go.
- Common experiences, common faith
- I can see why it was comforting to these suffering believers: they were not alone, but part of a special group: the people of God
- We are too, comforted, invigorated, with a purpose and mission and much to do
- A great gift got Gods through salvation