Why Christians are a ‘chosen nation’

There are three things that normally distinguish a nation from other nations: its Constitution, its national anthem and its flag. The Constitution is the law that determines how the citizens are governed and what their rights and obligations are. The national anthem is the song that is sung at every important occasion to signify the citizens’ loyalty and patriotism, while the national flag is the symbol that is raised high to signify the identity of the particular nation and to distinguish it from the identity symbol of any other nation.

The cross is our national flag; the Creed is our national anthem; and the Bible our Constitution (Photo: Nancy Wiechec, CNS)

In today’s world, Christians do not realise that they are a true nation with a set of symbols that distinguish them from any other nation. Because we live in a world dominated by secular values, we can easily forget that we are a real nation with national symbols.

Our Constitution as Christians is the Bible; our national anthem is the Creed that we say or sing every Sunday at Mass; and our flag is the Cross.

Just as you can identify, say, a South African government building or embassy anywhere in South Africa or in the world by the presence of the South African flag, so also can you tell the presence of a Christian community by the presence of the Cross on a building.

The idea of the Christian community as a nation is not just fanciful way of describing the People of God. It is a key aspect of the apostle Peter’s idea of what a Christian community should be.

Peter was writing to Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor when, in his First Letter, he described them and all Christians as a nation. What was important for Peter was not just that Christians had an identity, but that they were a nation with intrinsic characteristics that distinguished them from other nations.

First and foremost, they were to be holy. They had been called by the Holy One of Israel, and like him, they had to be holy: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).

Second, they had to love one another, and they had to love one another because they had been born again in the Spirit, “not of perishable seed, but of imperishable”. And without a doubt one of the distinguishing characteristics of the early Christians is that they loved one another so visibly that the rest of the world could not help commenting: “See how these Christians love one another!”

The early Christians reflected God’s love because they had tasted the goodness of God , and, like new-born babes, they craved for pure spiritual milk , and according to Peter, had to rid themselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander (1 Peter 2:1-3).

Because the food they craved was spiritual, they as a community were more than a nation that is identifiable merely in terms of its physical structures and its symbols and sacred documents. They were, instead, being built into a “spiritual house” whose foundation was the capstone, Jesus Christ.

And what was their purpose? Their purpose was “to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God”, and to conduct themselves in such a way that even those who accused them of doing wrong “may see your good deeds and glorify God”.

We are all used to the idea of the Israelites as the Chosen People. With the coming of Christ, a new nation was born, one whose nationality cuts across all normal national, ethnic and racial boundaries.

Peter was moved to wax lyrical in his commendation of the Christian community as the new Chosen Nation: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

From this we can see that it is a privilege to be a Christian. We are an especially chosen race; but being a chosen race comes with a big responsibility— the obligation to bring others to share the privilege of being children of God.

Religious and laity alike, all those baptised in the name of Jesus form part of a consecrated nation, a holy priesthood called to give glory to God and to lead others to his wonderful light.

But are we all aware of our true identity and obligations?