PRIEST NATION
Now that we are in Christ, who are we? The Apostles Peter and John say we are priests. “You also…are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood” 1Pe. 2:5. A few verses later, we read, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood” 1 Pe. 2:9. We discover in the Book of Revelation that Jesus has made us priests, “And has made us a kingdom and priests to serve his God” Re. 1:6. We are not just ordinary priests, we are a spiritual house, a family of holy priests. The Lord calls us royal priests. We are King’s kids and that makes us royal priests. We could call the church, “A House of Priests,” but people might get the wrong idea and think we were a monastery. c
START BY CLEANING HOUSE
Before you are ready to serve as a priest you must work on yourself. The first verse in this portion of scripture about being a priest tells us to walk in holiness. “Therefore rid yourself of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind” 1 Pe. 2:1.
The Bible says we have to get rid of it all. Malice is the intention to hurt someone, deceit is the cunning plan to lie and trick someone, hypocrisy is being a fake, envy is jealousy, and for all of us, the last one is really difficult; we are called to rid ourselves of every kind of slander. Slander is speaking ill of someone, and apparently, there are many different ways to speak negatively about someone because we are told to rid ourselves of every kind of slander. As a holy priest you must stop speaking ill of someone. These negative ways are common in the world of sinners but not in the life of a disciple. Sometimes, ungodly behavior is seen in Christians when they are hurt and offended. They react and become vengeful and that is when our royal priesthood is tested the most.
Priests function in two different directions; they look to God and they look to people. They offer sacrifices of praise, prayers, worship, and proclamations before God’s throne, and they pour themselves out for people.
Priests fix things for the needy. They help people find their way and always serve, intercede, and pray for people. Priests provide comfort, teaching, protection, and provisions. They are defenders of the weak and they extend encouragement and care for the weary. They are always compassionate, always giving of themselves, and they never give up even when family and close friends do. You are called to be a priest like that, and the world expects that kind of behavior from a priest.
In short – a priest is a person of extraordinary love. The love of a priest is so powerful that sinners are won over because of it. The last verse on this theme of being a priest says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits you” 1 Pe. 2:12.
God has set up a special day of His visitation when he will increase His manifest presence on your behalf. That day will be full of miracles. On that day, hardened sinners who have been watching your priestly behavior will be miraculously saved because God will personally go after them. In His time, He is irresistible, but He first ordains you as a priest to be the light of the world for those around you.
How deep should the love of a priest be? What is expected of you? Matthew tells us that God is not willing that anyone should be lost, and Jesus explains what we should do with someone who sins against us. He doesn’t want them to be lost. First we are to go to them and point out their fault. If they won’t listen, we are to take 2 or 3 witnesses along. If they still refuse to listen, we are to take the matter to the church. Lastly, Jesus says, “If he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector” Mt. 18:17.
For years, I thought that meant we should disassociate with them, shun them, and stop having fellowship with them, but recently the Lord showed me something different. He told me that is the way sinners in the world would treat a tax collector but that is not the way He treated them. He extended more love. We see it with Matthew and Zacchaeus, and in His teaching on prayer when He said that the tax collector who cried out to God with a humble prayer was more righteous that the religious leader who was proud. Jesus did not shun these people; He turned up the heat to win them.
The next couple of verses in Matthew teach us how to win over such a rebellious person. “If he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven” Mt. 18:17-19.
This is the amazing power of priests; they are unstoppable. It may take time, but in agreement with 2 or 3 others, you can bind the demonic power over a rebel’s life and loose the miracles and blessings of God on their behalf. They still have a free will to resist the gospel but, in time, God will win them over if the priests do their part.
Paul described this kind of conquering love when he said, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” 1 Cor. 13:4-8.
It has been said that Christianity is the only group of people that shoots its own fallen generals. A nation of royal priests can reconcile and restore. They can win the unwinnable and be the holy nation that God desires. You are a priest, so be full of extraordinary, unexplainable love. Be holy; be a royal priesthood.
We pray our monthly teaching
devotional empowers & inspires you
to live a supernatural Christian life.
DR. PETER WYNS
Founder & President
Christian for Messiah Ministries
Pastor at Antioch International Church
Instructions in Righteousness is produced by “Christians for Messiah Ministries” (CFM). Dr. Peter Wyns is the President of CFM and the Head Pastor of Antioch International Church. He has served as a pastor for 54 years and ministered in more than 45 nations.
4 Comments
patricia ward January 21, 2024
Thank you for sharing the royal priesthood, December was Joyful Sorrow, my heart wants to reach out to this broken world, I’m thankful for God’s Amazing Grace, His Love for us all!! What breaks His heart almost everyday breaks my heart, but the Joy of the Lord is our strength! I do devotionals every morning with heart cry in prayer. I need prayer to get my house in order (a balanced life one day at a time). I’m thankful that I’m learning to carry God’s Peace & Joy in the challenging times, to be that living example of Jesus love. 🙂
Jerry Palmeri January 21, 2024
This is an awesome article. My hearts prayer is to be more of him and less of me.Lately ive been thinking of the word deciple. and am being reminded that the words meaning is diciplined one. Preist Nation is who we are called to be. deciple Diciplined one is whom I am striving to be . May my life become more and more a living sacrifice to his will purpose and calling and may I realize more that it is not me working for him but him working in and through me.Hebrews 4 is one of my favorites therefore there remains a rest for the people of God who have ceased from their own works as c christ did from his. So his fruits can shine brightly in my life and be a reflection of his love. Thank you Pastor Peter for your awesome article
Myra Clayton January 21, 2024
Encouraging word. Confirms a prayer that I prayed a few weeks ago—it wasn’t just me praying. The heart of God is to woo and win the lost. The same way that He wooed and won me! I desire that same heart. A desire that HE has given me. Thankful for the Word of encouragement to press in and press on. And never stop! Thank you.
Barbara ann January 21, 2024
Outstanding
Thanks for THIS❣️