Sunday, March 15, 2015 am
GOING ON TO PERFECTION
2015 (11)
What It Means to Be a Christian (7)
The Christian is…A Priest
As
we continue our study of what it means to be a Christian, today we
notice how the Christian is a priest.
a.
What is a priest?
A priest is a servant assigned to approach God usually on behalf
of others.
b.
Priest of the Most High
God –
Melchizedek – while we know little about him, Melchizedek was a priest
that Abraham met after delivering his nephew Lot from captivity and to
whom he gave a tithe. He is
mentioned only twice in the Old Testament - in Genesis 14:18-20 and
again in Psalm 110:4 which says, “The Lord has sworn And will not
relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of
Melchizedek.””
c.
The Levitical priesthood – also known as the Aaronic priesthood was the priest system
of the Law of Moses.
It was instituted at Mt. Sinai as Aaron and his sons were appointed to
serve as priests for Israel (Exodus 28:1-3, Num. 3:10).
- The priests (along with the Levites) were responsible for offering the
sacrifices for Israel and maintaining the tabernacle where God would
meet with them.
- They also enforced the purity of the people with various laws and
through their sacrifices.
Exodus and Leviticus describe their responsibilities and qualifications
to serve.
- Lev. 10:8-11 also notes that they were to be sober so that they could
teach the Law (cf. Neh. 8:1-8)
God gave a very specific pattern for the tabernacle, their garments, who
could serve (they had to be without blemish) and their varying works.
We learn from Hebrews that this was a pattern and God had a
purpose with the details (Hebrews 8:5).
They were fulfilled in Christ and His kingdom/church.
d.
The High Priesthood of
Jesus -
is patterned after both the order of Melchizedek and the Levitical
priesthood. The Hebrew writer
addresses the priesthood of Jesus beginning in Hebrews 2:17, “Therefore,
in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a
merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people.”
He explains how Jesus can be our
priest and discusses His work and how He became the sacrifice for our
sins (Heb. 5, 7-10). He is
OUR High Priest and we serve God through Him.
e.
False priesthoods –
i.
In the Old Testament,
many gods had their priesthoods and priests.
Time will not permit a discussion of these.
ii.
Catholicism
- makes a distinction between the priest and other believers (the
clergy/laity system). He has
special functions assigned by the Catholic church – he offers the
sacraments (baptism, communion, penance, confirmation, marriage, holy
orders and anointing) and absolution (providing instruction for
forgiveness of sins)
The errors of this are many – 1) The New Testament makes no clergy/laity
distinction. We answer
directly to God (through Jesus our High Priest); 2) Matt. 23:5-10
forbids the use of titles which tend to elevate one class above others;
3) The so-called “sacraments” while some are Biblically based – do not
require a special class of people to administer.
There is no hint of priests being necessary to serve the Lord’s
Supper or to baptize. 4) We
receive forgiveness of sins directly through Jesus (1 John 1:9).
iii.
Mormonism has a dual
priesthood –
the Aaronic priesthood (which is designed for young men and new converts
– a priesthood of training), and the Melchizedek priesthood (the more
common priesthood for more experienced members).
Time will not permit an explanation, but according to LDS sources
every Mormon elder is part of the Melchizedek priesthood.
It is authorized by a manipulation of the book of Hebrews as well
as their own creed books (BoM, D&D, etc.).
It is NOT in the Bible.
iv.
Many other religions
have their priesthoods as well.
f.
The Christian is a Priest -– Rev. 1:5-6, “To Him who loved us and washed us from our
sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and
Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Also Rev. 5:10, 20:6.
(Note: The NAS family says, “Made
us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.”)
1 Peter 2:4-5,
“Coming to Him
as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and
precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual
house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
God through Jesus Christ.”
“But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the
people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
(1 Peter 2:9–10)
In these texts we find that now we are ALL priests of God.
The Aaronic priesthood has been completed and replaced with the
priesthood of Jesus (Heb. 7:11-19).
We all serve under Him and appeal directly to Him.
a.
Enter into our duty – be washed. Heb.
10:19-22, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest
by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for
us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our
bodies washed with pure water.”
Under the Levitical priesthood, before they could serve they had to wash
to enter the tabernacle – Exodus 30:20, Lev. 8:6-7.
A study of types shows that the tabernacle of Israel was a type
of the church (Acts 15:16, Heb. 8:2, 5; temple – 1 Cor. 3:16-17, Eph.
2:21-22, 1 Peter 2:5 – a spiritual house, etc.).
When we obey the gospel we are added to His church (Acts 2:47,
22:16, etc.).
Thus we enter into our priesthood.
b.
Provide a dwelling place
for God –
He is to dwell within us.
Just as the Levites maintained the tabernacle/temple, so we are to
provide a place for God to dwell.
It is WITHIN US! 1
Cor. 6:18-20 – our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
1 Pet. 2:4 being built up a spiritual house.
In this we are reminded to keep ourselves pure.
A study of the Levitical priesthood demanded purity.
In fact one who was deformed or defiled could not serve as priest
(Lev. 21:16-23, 22:3-9, etc.).
Before entering to serve they had to wash themselves, etc.
While we compared this to baptism.
We are to be pure – again 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 1 John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:22.
James 1:27 speaks of pure and undefiled religion involves, “keep oneself
unspotted from the world.”
Romans 8 describes how the spirit of God dwells within us (8:9).
This is in a passage where Paul is calling for us to live
according to the Spirit rather than according to the flesh (8:1, 5-8).
- Purity helps us ensure that our prayers are not hindered.
- Purity helps us serve God with a clear conscience.
- Purity makes our worship and service acceptable to God!
Note: 1 Cor. 3:16 & Ephesians 2:19-22 describes how the church is also
the temple of the Lord and a dwelling place for God.
We (Christians) are the church!
We serve as priests within this “temple”.
c.
Offer Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God
– 1 Peter 2:5.
One of the primary functions of the priests was to offer sacrifices.
There were at least 5 different types of sacrifices to be offered
(Burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering and
trespass offering – Lev. 1-7).
Similarly in scripture we have different sacrifices.
i.
Praising God –
Heb. 13:15 – when we worship Him properly, it is a sacrifice of praise.
ii.
Good works –
Hebrews 13:16 calls for us to do good and to share.
We need to be thinking about others.
James 1:27 describes “pure and undefiled religion” in terms of
helping others and living a pure life.
Titus 2:14 “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from
every lawless deed and purify
for Himself His own special people,
zealous for good works.”
iii.
Supporting the preaching of the gospel
– Phil. 4:18, Paul commends the church at Philippi for
helping him to preach the gospel.
He describes it in terms of fellowship (Phil. 4:15, 1:5).
In this verse we read, “Indeed I have all and abound. I am
full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a
sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.”
(Philippians 4:18) God
is pleased with such sacrifices.
iv.
Our living bodies – Rom. 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
to God, which is your reasonable service.”
We give ourselves to God.
Galatians 2:20, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me.
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should
obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of
unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but
under grace.” (Romans 6:12–14)
v.
Even our lives
– Phil. 2:17, “Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering
on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with
you all.” Paul was willing to
die for his Lord (cf. Acts 21:23).
Toward the end of his life he says he says, “For I am already
being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at
hand.” (2 Timothy 4:6) but
he’s ready.
We are encouraged in Rev. 2:10 to be faithful until death (both until we
die and unto the point of death) so that we can receive the crown of
life.
d.
We are to proclaim the
praises of Him who called us out of darkness.
Again, 1 Peter 2:9 describes as belong to God being His own special
people – so that we can proclaim His praises.
A necessity of serving as a priest was knowledge of the Law.
We too need that knowledge.
We have also seen how the priest helped the people understand the
Law – we too help others understand God’s will – 1 Pet. 3:15.
In Romans 15:15-16 we
find Paul writing and explaining how he is a minister of Jesus Christ,
ministering the gospel to the Gentiles, “that
the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified in the Holy
Spirit.”
Paul taught so that others too could share in his blessings as a priest.
And
thus we can our lives as priests.
Are you faithfully serving God in His priesthood?