Focus: Priesthood of All Believers

Text: 1Pet.2:9

"But ye are a chosen generation, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD..."

God says to Israel, "And ye shall be unto me a KINGDOM of PRIESTS, and an holy nation" (Ex.19:6). Israel is a priestly nation - God's priest on earth. But every Israelite cannot serve as a priest, so God appoints Levi to serve as priest on behalf of all Israel, and further still, God appoints the house of Aaron to serve as priests for all Israel. When an ordained priest or high priest is in the holy place, he is there for all Israel. Someone has to function in the priestly office for the rest of the people, and that someone has to come from the tribe of Levi and from the house of Aaron.

Now in the New Testament, the church is a body of priests. Peter writes, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an HOLY PRIESTHOOD, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1Pet.2:5). All believers make up the holy priesthood. Individually and collectively, we offer up spiritual sacrifices to our God.

Peter describes our priesthood as both 'royal' and 'holy.' This is the romance of holiness and majesty, and the beauty of throne and temple in togetherness. Rev.1:6 says, "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father…" Also in Rev.5:10, we read, "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall REIGN ON THE EARTH." We will exercise our kingly authority in the earth. Rev.20:6 says, "They shall be PRIESTS of God and of Christ, and shall REIGN with him a thousand years." We are going to be reigning priests of God and of Christ.

In the Old Testament, one person cannot be prophet, king and priest. A prophet may come from any tribe in Israel, because it's by calling, not by birth. But one must be born from Judah to be a king and from Levi to be a priest. But in the person of Lord Jesus Christ, we have the three titles. He functioned on earth as the prophet. He is functioning in heaven now as the high priest, and He will be returning to the earth to reign as the King from David's throne. Remember that He is David's Son, naturally by Mary and legally by Joseph.

The church right now is God's prophetic and priestly body on earth. On the vertical level, we are priests, and on the horizontal level, we are prophets. But when Christ returns to the earth to assume His kingly role, we shall rule by His side and serve forever as priests under Him.

Similar to the Old Testament practice, Christ has raised for the church the gifts of men, known as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. In our prophetic and priestly assignment, they are the leaders. Under the headship of Christ they direct the affairs and ministries of the church. Yet individually, we can all worship, pray, evangelize, and do other things. As individual believers, we all have access to God. Every believer has a place to stand and a role to play in the body. There's no space for grandstanding in the body of Christ, but only a place for service. The church is a place where every member serves as a minister. The ministry of the church is for association and participation, not for competition and domination. We offer spiritual sacrifices to God and spiritual services to one another and to those who are outside of the sanctuary.

I pray you find your place in the body and commit yourself to offering up to God your spiritual SACRIFICES. No one can worship for you, pray your prayers, give your offerings, or evangelize souls for you. You are personally responsible and accountable to God. In the spiritual sphere of things, privileges are indeed responsibilities. You are not allowed to become ANYTHING by mouth, but by deeds. Moses was known in his days as a person "mighty in words and deeds." And you can as well be mighty in prayer, mighty in soul-winning, mighty in generosity, mighty in singing, mighty in loving, and so on. Take your place and do your bit.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter