Sons & Daughters | Kings & Priests

Pastor Ben Diaz
 

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10

Continuing his series on Identity, Pastor Ben shared a powerful truth: You are unique, created for a specific calling, and your calling is directly tied to your identity in Christ. He emphasized, “If you don’t know your identity in Christ, you won’t be able to fulfill your calling.”

He illustrated this with the story of Moses. While the Israelites lived in slavery, Moses was raised as royalty in the palace. Only someone with a royal identity could be positioned to rescue those in slavery. The same is true for us—our ability to step into our calling begins with understanding who we truly are in Christ.

You aren’t what you do; you are who God created you to be.

Pastor Ben challenged us with a question regarding last week’s message: “How well are you doing at believing that you are God’s favorite child? Does that truth feel real to you?” The more comfortable you become with this truth, the more you align your identity with what God says about you. This truth must become second nature in order to walk fully in your identity and calling.
 

There are three steps to the revelation of your identity in Christ:

1) Discovery of Identity – Recognizing that you are unique, deeply loved. You are God’s favorite child. There is no one else like you
 

2) The Journey of Identity – Asking yourself:

   - What did I used to believe about myself?

   - What do I believe now?
   - What do I need to believe to fully align with what God says about me?

Pastor Ben explained that when you embrace your identity as God’s favorite, it changes everything:

"It means I can be at peace with myself, without comparing my life to others—their possessions, achievements, or looks. I don’t have to prove my worth because I’ve been reconciled with God, and that gives me true peace. My only goal is to become the best version of myself. I was never called or equipped to be anyone else—just me!"

He continued, “The only way to become the best version of yourself is through a relationship with the Manufacturer— your Creator. When you hold His opinion of you as the highest truth, you no longer question His love, His acceptance, or your value—you live from it.”

Religion says you have to work for God’s approval, but grace says you already have it. When you don’t know your identity in Christ, you’ll strive to earn God’s love. But when you do know who you are, you live from a place of rest—secure in your identity as His favorite child. Pastor Ben said, “The difference is astronomical!
 

3) The Evolution of Our Identity – As we grow in our relationship with God, our identity matures:

   - From knowing Him only as our Savior to surrendering to Him as our Lord
   - From being a servant of God to becoming His co-laborer
   - And ultimately, to walking in the highest place of intimacy—being called a friend of God
 

Our perception of God and closeness of our relationship with Him, shapes how we read His Word and perceive its truth.

Just as Moses had to understand his identity as royalty before he could deliver the Israelites from slavery, we must fully grasp that we are no longer slaves to sin. We are a royal priesthood, chosen and accepted by God—His favorite child—then from that place of freedom and peace we can help others get free from slavery and bondage to sin as well.

There’s so much more to this powerful message!


Click here to watch the full sermon.