Years ago, there was a TV beer advertisement where a man stood on a stage and proudly listed reasons why he was proud of being Canadian… The reason why this commercial drew so much attention, I believe, is that it makes us feel good about our identity as Canadians. Hey, my name is Caleb, and I am a blessed Canadian!

Everybody has their own stories about our country, Canada. In the fall of 2022, almost 22 years ago, my wife, our three sons, and I immigrated to this nation. Our first hometown was Montreal, Quebec. After completing an intensive English program, I was accepted to study theology at McGill University and was also trained to be a minister of the Word and Sacraments at the Presbyterian College. In the summer of 2005, my family and I moved to New Brunswick as a student minster. We served the Lord with a wonderful Presbyterian congregation in one of the smallest cities, Campbellton, with a population of seven thousand.

While living there, I continued my studies at the Presbyterian College. For almost two school years, I commuted between Montreal and Campbellton by train with VIA Rail. Each trip took me around 13 hours to reach my destination. During that time, I enjoyed riding a part of our nation’s amazing railway. This is one of my favoruite stories I often share with my friends in my homeland. In Korea, the longest train journey takes around six hours from north to south. To give you an idea, the journey from Vancouver to Halifax across Canada’s eight provinces by train takes about six days, covering nearly 4,440-kilometers of rail.

Something interesting I learned is that more than half of these railways was built between 1881 and 1885, not long after our country was formed. The creation of the extensive railroad from the West Coast to the East by our ancestors is a marvelous accomplishment. I believe that the construction of this railroad united us as one nation despite our six different time zones and connected us together despite the vast distance from one side of the country to the other.
God has blessed Canada with many things. We have abundant natural resources, fertile lands for crops, and plenty of water. In Ontario alone, there are more than 250,000 lakes besides the Great Lakes. Whether we recognize it or not, our naton has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. We have one of the highest life expectancies at birth on this planet. We enjoy the freedom of worship and speech. We are fortunate to live in safe places. We have so many reasons to say that God has blessed this land.

This year, the town in which our church is located, Fenelon Falls, has been celebrating its 150th birthday. In the early and mid-nineteenth century, many immigrants came to the Fenelon Township area. According to the description found on the Maryboro Lodge Museum’s website, “In 1874, Fenelon Falls residents decided to become their own municipality…”

Today, at St. Andrew’s, we are excited to participate in the Doors Open event and to be one of the thirteen historical sites. Following the service, we may see many visitors stopping by our church, exploring our amalgamated spiritual heritage of Knox Glenarm and St. Andrew’s Fenelon Falls. We pray that God will continue to bless and keep our country, city, county, churches, loved ones, and ourselves godly and glorious.

As I mentioned earlier, being Canadian is part of our identity. But how would we introduce ourselves? How do we tell people who we are? Some of us might talk about our family, education, career, or hobbies. Others might describe what kinds of vehicles we drive, how nice our homes are, or even what kinds of pets we have. In a way, these are good descriptions of who we are. However, our possessions, appearances, and backgrounds do not define our true distinctiveness. They don’t reveal what we are in spirit; they only describe what we do or what we have.

This morning, I want us to examine what the Bible says about our spiritual uniqueness. In today’s text, the Apostle Peter provides four identifications in God, answering the question of who we are in the Lord. In the first century, Christians were persecuted and isolated because of their firm faith in Christ. They lived under the pressure of a secular society and may have lost their sacred identity. However, Peter encourages them to remember who they are in Jesus, the Living Stone who is rejected by people but chosen by God. He emphasizes their spiritual uniqueness.

Let’s read the first part of verse 9 again: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” Wow! Like the early believers, we are called to live with the same identity. Our Creator God wonderfully made each of us in our mother’s womb before we were born. In this sermon, I want us to reflect on our true divine identity and remember who we are in God the Creator.

Firstly, as Christians, we are a chosen people. In the Old Testament, God called Abraham to be a blessing for the world. He promised Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). God led Abraham in the very best way according to His promises. God also chose the people of Israel for the salvation of the entire world.

To be chosen as employees in the Parliament of Canada, people must be bilingual and meet certain qualifications. However, when we believe in Jesus, we are called a chosen people by God, not because of our qualification but because of His grace. Can we imagine we are chosen by the King of kings, the Almighty God? Why are we chosen? Are we better than others? Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last” (John 15: 16). Once again, the reason we are chosen is the grace of Christ.

Secondly, we are a royal priesthood. God not only saves us from our sins but also makes us part of a royal priesthood. The word “royal” refers to the authority that a king possesses, while “priesthood” refers to being a mediator between God and human beings. In the Old Testament, one main duty of a priest was to sacrifice an animal at the temple and offer some portion of the blood at the altar, seeking God’s pardon for the people. This sacrificial ritual was temporary and performed only by a high priest.

However, in the New Testament, when Jesus was presented as the “once for all” sacrificial offering on the cross. His act of forgiveness was complete and permanent. Since then, those who trust in God’s atonement through Jesus Christ can come to Him at any time and place, asking for His forgiveness directly, without presenting a sacrifice or needing a priest at the temple. In today’s scripture, God calls each of His disciples a priest. In God, every believer carries dual authority – as both a king and a priest. As followers of Christ, we are called to serve His ministry as a spiritual priest with the mindset of kings.

Thirdly, we are a holy nation. This means we are set apart from worldly environments and called to live for the Kingdom of God. Our God is holy, and His Kingdom is filled with holiness. However, our secular society often tries to influence us with ungodly fashions and perspectives. We hear and see various things that can make us impure and our hearts unclean. The Apostle Paul warns that there will be terrible times in the last days when people will be “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, without self-control, not lovers of the good, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-3).

As a holy nation, we need to follow Paul’s urging: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2). We must examine our spiritual hearts using the spiritual mirror of the Word of God to see if we are corrupt or not. If we find corruption, we must repent of our sinful natures before God every day.

Fourth, we are a people who belong to God. Peter says, “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God (2 Peter 2:10). Have you ever seen items sold at auctions at high prices simply because they once belonged to famous people? Even a pair of shoes can become valuable because of who wore them. In the same way, we belong to the Lord our God. Not only our lives but everything we have belongs to God. He is our Creator.

Sometimes we act as if we are the owners of our possessions, positions, and pleasure. In a way, it may seem true because we work hard to achieve these things. But we must remember again that all things we have belong to God, the true owner. Knowing this helps us rely on Him wholeheartedly in life. It can also free us from worries and anxieties for when we place all that we are enjoying and stewarding into His Hands, the Lord our God will keep us and care for what is His.

Jesus introduces Himself and the connection between Him and His followers with the statement: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). When we dwell in Jesus every day and ask ourselves, “Who I am in Christ?” we can confidently and courageously answer that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people belonging to God.

Have you heard the story written by Mark Twain titled The Prince and the Pauper? In this tale, the prince and the pauper surprisingly switch places, trading their social statuses…
We need to ask ourselves these questions: Do I think, speak, act, and treat others as a prince or a pauper? Do I live as a spiritual king or a divine queen on my journey of faith? Our answers may vary. Sometimes, we live according to what the Word of God teaches us, and at other times, we struggle to live out what we have learned. One key reason we face this challenge is the spiritual battle we are in, fighting against our enemy, Satan. A crucial weapon Satan uses against us is deception – trying to make us forget our true identity in Christ.

Have you ever experience identify theft? I have. A couple of times, I’ve been scammed, and my personal information was stolen. After one incident involving online banking, I received some valuable advice that I’d like to paraphrase from memory. First, I was reminded that hackers are out there, and my identity can be stolen at any time. Second, I was advised to immediately lock any accounts that might be affected and contact my bank or credit card company. Third, I was instructed to take control of my identity by regular reviewing my bank and credit card statements, updating my passwords, and changing my security questions. Fourth, I was encouraged to set up mobile alerts and payment notifications through my bank or credit card issuer’s app. Finally, I was warned to stay vigilant because what happened once could happen again.
I think these tips can also apply to our spiritual identity thefts. Spiritual hackers exist – our enemy, the devil, seeks to steal our true identity in God. When we are attacked by evil and tempted to give up our spiritual battle, we need to immediately call out to God for His help. We must examine our spiritual accounts daily through the Word of God and stand firm, using our time wisely according to the guidance of our spiritual adviser, the Holy Spirit, rather than being swayed by our emotions. We must stay alert to the ongoing spiritual battles we face and continually seek God’s power and direction.

Throughout this process of recognizing our true identity in Christ and becoming holy warriors for the Lord, we can enjoy a deeper relationship with Him, grow into mature believers, and receive His divine strength to accomplish His purposes for us this year. Along the way, we might stumble once, twice, three times, or even seven times. But as righteous people, we can rise again with the assistance of our Mighty God and continue to fulfill the dreams He has placed within us with renewed determination.

Today is the time to remember who we are in Christ! The Apostle Paul declares, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). What a profound statement – we are all God’s masterpieces! Today is also the time to remember anew who Jesus is. In the Bible, our Lord Jesus is depicted as both the Lion and the King of kings. (Revelation 5:5; 19:16) Think about Jesus Christ and who we are: we are the children of the Lion King, Jesus Christ. We are called to be like little versions of Jesus for His Kingdom.

Once again, remember who we are in God. We are chosen by Him to be His exclusive possession. We are holy, royal priests to Him. We are priceless in His eye. Let us keep remembering our true identity in God, who we are and whose we are so that we may speak, think, and act like little lion kings, making a difference in this beautiful, God-given world. We are more than Canadians; we are proud children of God.

*This sermon includes reflections inspired by various sermons based on John 15:5-17; 1 Peter 2:4-9.