Royal Priesthood

UV 2270/10000 Royal Priesthood
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 1 v 6

Our new identity in Christ is to be kings and priests before Christ and God, the Father. A priest is known for fear of God. The law of God inspires more respect and reverence in a true priest of God than the laws of man. For him the awe of God is the wow of life. He is known for his word of wisdom, his word of worship and his word of worth. A true priest is humble before and under Christ and God, the Father. A true priest leans not on his own understanding but learns from the Holy Spirit the truths of God. A true priest slays his own ego at the altar of the Father. He never takes the place of God by judging others and he does not bear a grudge against anyone. He is compassionate. He is always conscious of his own limitations and the infinite power of God. A true priest is obedient to the word of the Father and of Jesus. He desires not his own glory or benefit but the glory of God and the benefit of others. He aims to be perfect like the Father and Jesus. He tries his best to do all things well in order to bring blessing, honour, glory, power, praise to the Lord. He is not conceited or proud. He manifests the love of God or agape to all he comes in contact with as a messenger of the Lord. He is one who blesses and not one who curses others, one who appreciates and not criticises others. He is self effacing and points everyone and everything to the Lord. He relies on grace, wisdom and spirit of the Lord. He offers sacrifices of his own preferences, comforts and choices to the Lord. He is cheerful despite all circumstances. He is hopeful that things will always change for the better. He always acts out of faith that God will provide. A priest exercises influence on behalf of the kingdom of God. A true priest practices the beatitudes of Christ. He seeks to be pure in his thoughts, clear in his goals and clean in his words. He remains calm and meek and is a seeker and keeper of peace. As a priest of the Most High God, he is a counsellor, a comforter, a friend, guide, teacher and coach to those who seek his help or advice. A true priest talks the walk. He is known for his anointed words or God-enabled words.

The uni-verse places a paradox before our eyes. A believer is not only a priest who is humble but he is a true king who exercises authority over the spiritual world. When he commands, “ Let there be light”, there will be light or truth in the world of darkness. When he commands, “Let there be healing and deliverance,” there will be healing and deliverance. A king exercises power on behalf of the kingdom of God. The boundaries of the kingdom of God is marked not by territory but by the hearts of people. A king always secures his existing boundaries of authority and power while seeking to expand it further through spiritual warfare. A king’s mind is directed and led by the Lord who has anointed him. A true king is assertive without being aggressive, gracious without having his generosity being taken advantage of. A true king is proud of his lineage from the Christ, the King of Kings. He seeks to leave his mark and legacy as a tribute to Christ. A true king delights in works of perfection and excellence. A true king is merciful and faithful. A true king is not bound by mere precedent or tradition and custom. He is insightful, wise and creative. He stands for justice and integrity. He is bold as a lion even as he is gentle as a dove. Like Jesus, a true king is focussed on service and not on being served. A true king walks the talk. He is known for his anointed actions or God-enabled actions.

A true king and priest tries to honour God in all that he is, does and has. The biblical parallels for a true king and priest are the king of Salem, Melchizedek, Daniel, the slave turned administrator, Joseph, the slave turned ruler of Egypt and above all Jesus, the carpenter-turned-Rabbi turned Sacrifice turned Saviour turned Most High Priest and Prince among Kings. A true king and priest thinks as well as prays globally and acts locally. He sets an example to those he leads. He is a person of both words and actions, words when words are required, actions when actions are called for. We have not made ourselves kings and priests but Jesus has called us and anointed us as kings and priests, not bound or limited by time or space. This divine calling has several implications: all glory and thanksgiving belongs to Jesus and the Father who sent Him to us and He will equip and enable us to complete our mandate to be kings and priests forever. The territory or domain is not physical but spiritual. Miracles are expected. Angels serve us to enable us to serve the Lord. Physical manifestations of spiritual power and grace of priests and kings may not always accompany the exercise of royal priesthood.

Prateep V Philip