1Pet 2:9-12 - "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. 10Once 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.

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul."

Sometimes we lose out on what God has for us because we do not understand the high and exalted calling God has for us and His love towards us.

Include yourself in this passage. You are chosen of God. You haven't chosen yourself. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. You have been called by His Name because you have been loved of God.

Indeed if it hadn't been for God choosing you, you would have been totally lost today.

But now also see the calling God has for us. We are counted amongst the kings and priests, a holy nation. There is a work and task for us to fulfill. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood.
A person part of the royal family ought to conduct himself likewise. But what would you say of a person part of that royalty dragging his name and his family's name through the mud?

God places us in the privileged position to be part of Himself. We are identified with Him - made to be one with Him. Because of His great love towards us, we have fellowship with Him.
He kept nothing of Himself back from us.

John 15:15, 16 - "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

Here Jesus doesn't call us servants because a servant only knows his Master's business to a certain extent. He calls us friends, such as have an intimate relationship with each other.

Do you take after the Lord Jesus? When people slander you do you slander them back or are like Him who kept silence and let God vindicate Him.

He has bought us so that we can testify of Him. We are here on earth not for ourselves but for Him.

We are not like the world but have been separated and dedicated unto God. Those separated unto God have this mark upon them that they are obedient.
Do we demonstrate that He has separated us by having the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, e.g. the love of God, joy, patience, meekness, long-suffering, kindness, perseverance, discernment, self-control?

We must be washed in His Blood of the Lamb. We must make our lives right with God, and go to those against whom we have sinned and be reconciled.

We cannot live and act like the heathen nations. The unbelievers look at how we walk, speak to each other, and live together. They look upon us as the friends of Jesus and they want to know our secret.

Do not conform to the people of the world. Do not dress like the world.

They should see how we respect each other, are patient with each other, love each other. But it all starts by having love towards God.

Sometimes it is something small that enters and brings division. Do not slander your brother but go to him in love to help him. The people of the world slander one another.

Our unity should not be superficial to be seen by people. We have been called from darkness into His wonderful light. It should be transparent and clear that we who belong to God have come from darkness into light. There should no longer be any doubt where we stand, for we have renounced the hidden sins of darkness. We are bought by His Blood.

Your life belongs to God. You no longer belong to yourself. God has called you to work for Him and serve Him. You haven't been saved to rest on your laurels and do nothing. You must declare His holiness.

Maybe you are working for God but you must do it as unto the Lord, faithfully.

Those who only work while the boss is watching them are hirelings. But those who work for God are faithful in their work for they do not work for man but for God.

We are also urged to abstain from sinful desires which war against the soul. Be alert, on your guard. God might have wrought great things in your life but if you allow these sinful desires to enter in they will destroy everything. Flee the desires of youth. Your testimony can be destroyed in a moment. Your walking in holiness can come to an end in a short time, unless you watch and pray.

Some people will be very ashamed if their e-mail or sms records are revealed. But God's people are not like that. They stay away from everything that has the appearance of evil.

Child of God watch yourself that nothing enters in that will separate you from God. Make it evident that you belong to Jesus, that you are one with Him.
He promised that whatever we should ask in His Name He would do for us. We need to love Him with all our hearts, serve Him with all our energy and depart from all evil for His sake.