Lesson 47: The Royal Priesthood

INTRODUCTION: There is a common idea, which is unbiblical. That is there is a distinction between the clergy and the laity. In I Peter 2:9, the Apostle says that all Christians are …”a royal priesthood…” which means all “clergy” are laymen and all “laymen” are clergy. We are all part of the Royal Priesthood of God.

1. This should not surprise us because several passages in the Bible said that God’s people are to be named the priests of the Lord and Ministers of our God. Some of such passages are – Exodus 19:5-6, Isaiah 61:6, Revelation 1:6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 20:6

2. As priests of God, we are to offer sacrifices unto God, not of rams and goats as the Old Testament priests, but spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. What are these spiritual sacrifices? They includes, among other things:

a) Praise, – Psalms 9:11, Psalms 67:3, Hebrew 13:15, Revelation 19:5
b) Singing – Psalms 81:1, Ephesians 5:19, Revelation 5:9, Revelation 5:19
c) Rejoicing – Psalms 107:22, Philippians 4:4, Isaiah 12:6
d) Glorifying – Revelation 5:12, Revelation 7:12, Luke 2:20
e) Thanksgiving = Psalms 100:4, Colossians 3:15, I Thessalonians 5:18
f) Listening – Ecclesiastes 5:1, Isaiah 55:3, John 5:25,
g) Doing – Matthew 5:16, I Corinthians 10:31, Hebrew 13:16.

Thus we see that praise and thanksgiving are offerings but we must remember as worth priests at God, that there is a great temptation just to praise God in song without offering one’s self, money, and one’s time. Remember Romans 12:1.