CHAPTER 21 Washed from our Sins, Made Kings, and Made Priests Part 3

Rev. 1:6 "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

In our previous essay we considered God's people as kings. In this essay we will consider God's people as priests.

In the Old Testament the priests were the male descendants of Aaron. Their primary duty was to offer sacrifices. They often were responsible for the killing of the sacrifices, the flaying of the sacrifices, the skinning of the sacrifices, the separating of the fat of the sacrifices from the rest of the body. Anyone who has ever worked in a slaughter house can tell you that the labor the priests were called on to do was hard.

As the Old Testament priests were descendants of the High Priest, today the New Testament priests are born spiritually of their High Priest, Jesus Christ. Thus only those who are born again can be New Testament priests. The existence of New Testament priesthood is set forth in the following two verses:

    1. 1 Pet. 2:5 "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."

    2. 1 Pet. 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:"

Thus the New Testament priesthood is called a "holy" and a "royal" priesthood. "Royalty" generally refers to kings. Thus the priests are also the kings. In the Old Testament the priests could not be kings and the kings could not be priests under the law. However, Jesus came as a King and he also came as a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. Now Jesus has made those he has cleansed from sin, both kings and priests.

The work of the new testament priests are not to offer up animal sacrifices, but to offer up spiritual sacrifices to the praise of him who hath called them out of darkness to his marvelous light. If we do the work of this priesthood we will be busy doing it. There are seven spiritual sacrifices which are set forth in the following verses:

    1. Ps. 4:5 "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."

    2. Ps. 27:6 "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD."

    3. Ps. 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

    4. Ps. 107:22 "And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing."

    5. Phil. 2:17 "Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all."

    6. Heb. 13:15 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."

    7. Heb. 13:16 "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."

The first sacrifice we will consider is the sacrifice of a broken spirit. It is God who breaks the spirit. Man is full of pride and selfishness. He thinks extremely high of himself. Thru the new birth and thru the courtroom of the heart God humbles man and breaks his spirit causing him to realize he is a condemned sinner in the sight of a just and holy God. From this condition comes a broken and contrite heart. Until a man has been humbled he is of no value as a spiritual priest unto God. Once he has his spirit broken, then he humbles himself and shows forth contrition and this pleases God and is to the praise of God, for God is the moving cause of this process. From a broken and contrite heart come the other spiritual sacrifices.

The second spiritual sacrifice we will consider is the sacrifice of righteousness. Man has no righteousness of his own and the scriptures point out that "all of our righteousness are as filthy rags before God." God's elect, however, are clothed with the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is this fact that gives us a desire to do right. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Doing what is right is often unpopular and comes with ridicule from the world. The spiritual priesthood of Jesus Christ is called on to do what is right, regardless of what the world or so called friends think.

The third spiritual sacrifice we will consider is the sacrifice of joy or praise. As one verse said it is "the fruit of our lips giving thanks to God." We are admonished to speak to ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts unto the Lord. Our songs should be songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God. They should never be to glorify man. While we have a song service in our worship service, this should not be the extent of our singing of praise unto God. Often times we can sing in our hearts, even without our lips moving. Other times we can sing audibly either alone or with others. Never should the main focus of our singing be on the quality or tone of our voice, but on giving praise and thanksgiving unto God.

The fourth spiritual sacrifice we will consider is the sacrifice of thanksgiving. While this seems to overlap with the sacrifice of praise or joy, yet it goes beyond just giving of thanks in song, but also we should give thanks in prayer as well. Too often we approach prayer as to what we can ask for from God. We should be even more ready to give thanks to God in our prayers. Sometimes we will hear someone say that I don't know what to pray for. Well at such times we should be pouring out our prayers of thanksgiving to God for his mercy, grace, deliverances, for the gifts that he has given us, and for the church and his word. Furthermore, we should be willing to speak to others of our thankfulness of the grace and mercy and deliverances of God.

The fifth spiritual sacrifice we will consider is the sacrifice of faith. We are told to walk by faith and not by sight. Stepping out on faith rather than the sight of our eyes is sometimes difficult to do, but is always the best thing to do. Our faith is to be in God and his word. It involves a trust that His will is better for us than our will is. Walking by faith says that I want what God would have for me to do rather than what I would naturally desire to do. It also says that I want God to make my major decisions for me, rather than relying on myself and carnal reason.

The sixth spiritual sacrifice we will consider is the sacrifice of doing good. The scriptures say, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven." Also we read, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bring forth much fruit." We also read in Ephesians, that "we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works." Furthermore, the scriptures are a thorough furnisher unto all good works. To do good is a sacrifice that is well pleasing unto God.

The seventh spiritual sacrifice we will consider is to "communicate." The context of ref. 7 above as well as the following verse: Phil 4:18 "But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God" teaches that the sacrifice of communicating means to communicate to the needs of other. John 15:13 says "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Communicating to the needs of others is one form of laying down our life for others. This manifest the greatest love we are capable of and points to the love of God towards us.

A sacrifice indicates that we are giving something up. Rom. 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." This verse summarizes the spiritual sacrifices we are to make as a spiritual priesthood. In presenting our body a living sacrifice, we are sacrificing the living of our lives to the desires and deeds of the flesh, that we may live our lives to the praise and glory of God. In all seven of the spiritual sacrifices, something is given up in order that we may praise and glorify the name of God.