In Part 1, we
discussed being the servant and the attitude of a servant that keeps us from
becoming who we truly are in Christ. The key to remember is that God’s grace
still keeps us and God sees us as we ready are, no matter how we think and see
ourselves. Abram saw himself as a servant, God called him a friend.
This part of
the teaching we shall look at ourselves as kings and priests. The scriptures
for this are:
1 Peter 2:9-10 (AMP) 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation,
[God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set
forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…
Exodus
19:5-8 (AMP) 5Now therefore,
if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My
own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all
the earth is Mine.6And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, a
holy nation [consecrated, set apart to the worship of God]…
These two scriptures, among many, make
reference to being kings and priests. This goes back to the very beginning when God told Adam; he had
dominion over all the earth. This is kingship.
A king has authority and power to establish
laws and to enforce those laws. Adam only had one greater authority above him
and that was God, The King of Kings.
The
kings of Israel were supposed to represent the King of Kings, the Lord God to
his people. They were to be examples the goodness, the mercy, and protection of
God for his people. The king was also to lead the people to God. The king was
to seek the counsel of God on how to lead the people. Sadly nearly every king
of Israel failed in these responsibilities.
The
priests were not only to make sacrifices to God and worship Him; they were to
teach the people about God. They were to teach people that, their sin kept them
from God but that God had made a way through the atonement sacrifices for their
sins they could have a relationship with God. The priests were also to teach
all the people of the earth God’s message of love and mercy through the
atonement. God never intended that Israel were the only ones to have a relationship with Him.
Priests and kings have a relationship with God. They are invited to do
more than just make petitions in the Throne of God. They are invited into the
banquet hall; share the table of God’s blessings, to eat and drink with Him.
They can hear God plans and discuss those plans and with God’s help implement
those plans. They are also given their own authority and power under the King
of Kings to do the work they have been assigned.
We
believers in Christ Jesus are the kings and priest of God today. We have been
given authority, Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-18 and the power came in Acts
2:1-4.
As
great as all this is we, as with the servant, are more than a king or a priest.
In fact, we are much more as we will see in Part 3.
©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD SPANGLER
Please support this ministry, by purchasing my book,
“Adventures in the Spirit A Series of Prophetic Visions"
Highly descriptive article, I liked that a lot. Will there be a part 2?
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