A re-post on the position of the believer… The author of this blog is on a short break…
The priest is not made. He must be born a priest; must inherit his office. I refer to the new birth—the birth of water and the Spirit. Thus all Christians must became priests, children of God and co-heirs with Christ the Most High Priest. Men universally consider the title of priest glorious and honorable; it is acceptable to everyone. But the duties and the sacrifice of the office are rarely accepted. … The Christian priesthood costs life, property, honor, friends and all worldly things. It cost Christ the same on the holy cross.
~ Martin Luther
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.
~ Exodus 19:4-6
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… 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.
~1Peter 2:5,9
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
~ Revelation 5:9-10
Can we see it beloved?
We are priests. Yeah, some of us wear garments and cassocks. But most of us don’t. We are simply those who have been born into the job, upon entering into this new Life after He brought about the death of the old.
We are brothers and sisters fully accepted in the Beloved. We are those who merely manifest the Presence of the One Who saves us to those around us. Really, we have died and our new Life is wrapped up in Christ. And it is to this mystery of death-become-Life that we bid people to come.
Oh, He does not need us. We are not mediators of His Grace and forgiveness. Rather, we are simply ambassadors of His Light and Life and Hope and Peace and Grace and Mercy and Joy and Peace.
But, Oh does He use us if we will let Him. And it is amazing what He can do with a jar of clay. Through us, He can minister profound healing. He can make us be strength to those in need. He can make us the actual hand of Jesus to a person in deep anger and pain.
This writer watched it happen one morning.
A dear friend was hurting in a way i may have never hurt. She was so hurt, that she didn’t even really want contact with anyone, not even me (a good friend). Regardless, she did need a priest. And one showed up. He did not have a cassock. He did not need one. This man simply stopped for a minute in the middle of a very busy moment before a church service. He came to a full-stop, and gave himself fully to the girl in need. And from a distance, i watched Jesus reach through this man’s hand and touch that hurting girl’s face. He then went on to invite the girl into a path to find a way out of the pain she most surely feels.
Perhaps nothing got fixed in that moment, but priests rarely hit home runs. Priests are merely conduits of the everflowing Grace of an everloving G_d. God does do instant miracles, and maybe the seed of one of them was planted today – but it surely takes time for any seed to fully grow.
Are we willing? Are we willing to set aside our petty needs, and reach out into this gargantuan ocean of pain? It is impossible in our own strength, but it is impossible to fail in His strength. Many will misunderstand – especially by those to whom we are called to be priests. Many will actually hate us – even those we help. No matter. Some will – by the Grace of G_d – awake to a new day by what He does in and through us. And we, as priests, get the privilege of watching people come alive and then begin to grow in Him.
This is a gorgeous and luxurious privilege, this priesthood He has made us! Anyone for some service?
There is a false self-distrust which denies the worth of its own talent. It is not humility – it is petty pride, withholding its simple gifts from the hands of Christ because they are not more pretentious. There are men who would endow colleges, they say, if they were millionaires. They would help in the work of Bible study if they were as gifted as Henry Drummond. They would strive to lead their associates into the Christian life if they had the gifts of Dwight L. Moody. But they are not ready to give what they have and do what they can and be as it has pleased God to make them, in His service – and that is their condemnation.
~Charles Reynolds Brown
