"No one should regard us as anything else than
ministers of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God. (ref: 1 Corinthians 4:1)" — Martin Luther (Babylonian Captivity)
Dear Friends,
prayer and financial partners,
As far back as Exodus 19:6 God declared
that His elect were a universal priesthood—further in New Testament times Peter
reconfirmed this with these words:
“[We] are a chosen people. [We] are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s
very own possession. As a result, [we] can show others the goodness of God, for
he called [us] out of the darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).”
Of course, this priesthood has sacrifices to offer. As 1
Peter 2:5 states,
We also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ.
What are these
spiritual sacrifices? Romans 12:1 says we offer our bodies. Philippians 4:18 says we offer our donations. And Hebrews 13:15-16 state that we offer our praise, our good
deeds, and our sharing with others. Far too many Christians, in my opinion, are
so turned off by the word sacrifice that they never bother to understand what a
universal priesthood means. Priestly duties for them mean work for those
ordained pastors or priests or otherwise so designated, not something that is
obligatory for every true believer.
This, however, runs
counterintuitive to Paul’s analogy of the functions of Body of Christ of which
we are all members. Each part has its unique function, and, yet, each
contributes to the overall good of the body and the purposes for which we are
chosen.
I’m not an eye, perhaps,
I am only a big toe. However, without the toe, the body will limp along its way
to fulfill the purposes of God.
And, what are those
purposes? Romans 8:28-29 answers that—we are all called into the
perfection of Christ. This is line with: “Be ye perfect as your Father in
Heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:3)” — and, these are not just idle words, they have the force of Christ
behind them.
Sometimes fulfilling
the purposes of God, as a sacrificial offering, can be messy work, long,
arduous, work. Sometimes, yes, even unpleasant work. None-the-less, it is no
less priestly work as was the slaughtering of animals at Temple. True Christ
was our sacrifice, but, none-the-less, He told us that we turn must bear a
cross. Here are His words in black and white:
“And whoever does not carry their cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27).”
Such work is global
work, too. No one is exempt, not even those in the most remote jungles of the
world. Read it, it’s in the Bible:
For from the rising of the sun even unto the
going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every
place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name
shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts (Malachi
1:11).
So, by this, we
understand that the priestly duties of the Old Testament were brought into the
new. But not just confined to the Temple in Jerusalem, but globally. Thus, at
the very heart of who and what we are to become is missions.
Thanks be to God,
we can proclaim:
Must of us revel in the kingship; few, however, delight in
the priestly. Now, may these words sustain you unto full perfection in Christ (Colossians 2:10).
Now may you embrace
the fullness of His Grace that you shall never be put to shame (Rom. 10:11),
JimR__/
