Being a Royal Priest - The Calling of the Christian

Continuing on in my study in 1 Peter this morning nothing has changed. There is a call to each and every man, woman, and child who calls Jesus Lord to seek holiness. Peter goes so far as to declare us to be priests. Not only does he call us priests, he adds royalty to the name.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

God has called us out of the world to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation. By accepting the mercy we have been given through the sacrifice of Christ we are now part of something bigger than anything we have ever known. We are a people for God’s own possession. And why? “…That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

This, my friends, is what the church is. It is not your specific denomination and it is not the building you attend Sunday morning, it is each of us whom God has called. Yes, we have differences in how we worship and fellowship. We disagree on various doctrines and theologies. We don’t even all like the same music. But the truth is God has built His church and we are the living stones.

1 Peter 2:5
 You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The church is a spiritual house. We are a holy priesthood. By the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside every believer according to the Word of God, we can be what God has called us to be.

Sometimes we look at those around us and we compare ourselves to the worst of the world. We look pretty good next to them. Holiness is more than being better than someone else. Even if we aren’t murderers, adulterers, and thieves, though probably we are because Jesus says that inside our hearts reside these sins, we still have a long way to go in declaring ourselves perfect. Listen to the sinful behavior Peter describes.

1 Peter 2:1
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

If you think you’re beyond this type of behavior then put a body camera on and review your day and the conversations you carried on with others, even in your church fellowship hall. Take a good look at your Facebook page. I’ve seen some pretty ugly things there and I’m pretty sure all my Facebook friends are Christians. We are guilty.

I leave you this morning with the words of Peter as chapter two closes. As Jesus would say, those who have ears, listen.

1 Peter 2:11-12
 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.  Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

We must be living out our lives in a way that glorifies God. You want to witness for Christ? Live out your faith as the royal priest you are.