Royal Priests

Royal Priests As believers in Christ Jesus, we have become a kingdom of priests unto God. Our priesthood differs greatly from the Old Testament priesthood. There were many functions the Old Testament priests had to fulfill their tabernacle or temple duties. Some of these include presenting the burnt offering, meal offering, dough offering, sin offering, guilt offering, peace offering, heave offering, drink offering, incense offering, thank offering as required by the Law. Additionally, they would carry out many different rituals, such as the priestly blessing, the redemption of the firstborn, and various purification rituals. It was a very arduous and difficult calling. When Jesus came and gave His life as the last sacrifice for sin, all those rituals, types and shadows were no longer needed. Jesus ushered in the New Covenant or Testament in His blood. By doing so, He could make us kings and priest unto His God and Father. “…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5 -6 As New Testament priests we do not have to kill a sacrifice to offer its blood upon an altar. We do not have to do a litany of rituals as the Old Testament priests to approach God. Jesus has done that for us through His death burial and resurrection. (Hebrews 10:19-20) What is our main service to God as His priests? You might think of many things, but I believe our primary vertical service is to daily give Him our praise, worship, and thanksgiving. 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. 1 Peter 2:5 Often, we are seeking God for answers, miracles, answers to our prayers, but often get up from praying without one word of thanks. The scripture plainly instructs us how to come into the Father’s Presence, yet we can be so caught up in our request, we fail to honor Him as God through praise and thanksgiving. This is a sin, and one that has been rampant in much of today’s church culture. The Bible instructs us to enter His Presence with thanksgiving and praise. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. Psalms 95:2 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalms 100:4 Notice the emphasis on thanksgiving and praise. This theme is spread throughout the Old Testament and continues in the New Testament. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Colossians 4:2 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:15 I am convinced thanksgiving and praise are the seeds for miracles in our lives. When we remember God’s goodness and thank Him out of a pure heart, He often responds with His goodness, love, and blessings. Just like you and I are touched when someone sincerely thanks us for a gift or kind act, He delights in our thankfulness for things He has already done, is doing, and will do in the future. Let us give thanks to the Father, through Jesus Christ, for His salvation, grace, mercy, blessings, and amazing love. He is good, and He is worthy of our praise. Decide you will start and end each day with thanksgiving. If you forget, as I have often done, do not get under condemnation, but trust the Holy Spirit to keep reminding you until it is a daily practice that becomes part of your nature. God inhabits the praise of His people (Psalms 22:3). He wants to inhabit our praise and thanksgiving every day. He owns the heavens and earth. Our surrender, thanksgiving, worship, and praise are the things you and I have to offer Him that He does not already have. (John 4:23-24) He does not want forced surrender, worship, praise, or thanksgiving. He wants us to freely give these sacrifices to Him out of a heart of gratitude, awe, and reverence. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Psalms 29:2 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. John 4:23 Offering God worship, praise, and thanksgiving is part of our royal priestly service and will continue throughout eternity as we enjoy His goodness and unending kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Until next time, may God our Heavenly Father richly bless and keep you. James Brown CST 03/02/2023