Our beliefs about who we are dramatically impact our behavior. In a recent blog, I wrote about the reality that we are people God has chosen to bear much fruit. We are God’s chosen instruments. It is a beautiful thing to be chosen by Him to do His work. In this article, I will focus on another aspect of our identity – who we are as royal priests of God.
1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
New International Version
It’s impossible to over-emphasize the importance of the massive shift Jesus brought about when he died to the cross and rose again. At His crucifixion, Jesus destroyed the old system of Levitical priesthood and established a new system where all who followed Him would be royal priests. In the New Covenant we are not physically born into the priesthood. Instead, when we receive Jesus, we are spiritually born into this status.
A Spiritual Caste Through Spiritual Birth
For many years I lived in India. There, people of high caste birth have certain privileges. In Hindu society, there are specific things only Brahmins are allowed to do. You can not become a Brahmin through study or effort – you must be born a Brahmin. It is not that different from how things were in the Levitical tribe. You could not become a Levite either. You had to be born one.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are born anew. Our spiritual birth is into a new family – and it is a family of priests, those who are called to minister in the Kingdom. We are priests of God based on our spiritual birth.
Being A Royal Priest And What That Means
Not only are we priests, we are royal priests! I’ve had the privilege of living in Thailand as well, a land that honors and loves its king. In Thai, they even have a completely different way of speaking for addressing members of the royal family. The royals receive notable respect and carry significant influence and authority. It’s a helpful picture of what these verses might indicate when they call us a “royal priesthood.” We now have a place of favor, privilege, and authority as children of the King of Kings. I am a member of a royal family. I’m not a nobody, I’m a royal priest. And so are you!
What does this practically mean as we think of pursuing Disciple Making Movements? There are huge implications! There is no type of spiritual work followers of Jesus can not do. We have been given authority by God to establish His Kingdom, to make disciples, and to do our Father’s work as His representatives here on earth. The same is true for all those we train. We (and they) can share the gospel, heal the sick, baptize, and serve the Lord’s supper- we are royal priests of the Kingdom.
Influence Of Our Former Religious Worldview
While we know this in our heads, often our behavior sadly reflects an Old Covenant type of belief system. Our worldview can be deeply influenced by Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, or whatever system we have come out of…even traditional Christianity. In those religious systems, only special people are qualified to do spiritual tasks. Only Levites, brahmins, monks, imams, pastors, or priests are to do spiritual work. Jesus came to abolish that Old Covenant and to bring in something new.
Why are we so quick to go back to the old?
Often our beliefs have not gone from our head, to our heart, to our actions.
To release rapidly multiplying Disciple Making Movements, we must deeply embrace the understanding that every disciple is a royal priest. Every follower of Jesus must be encouraged to make disciples, baptize them, and teach new believers to obey all that Jesus commanded.
Who Gave Us This Authority?
Jesus himself gave it in the Great Commission.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Without genuinely and actively living out the priesthood of all believers, we will only see a limited multiplication of disciples among the unreached (or anywhere). This is one of the core reasons why many churches do not multiply. They have not understood that every disciple has the same level of priestly authority to do God’s work.
Declare Your Priestly Identity
Declare it with me today. I am a royal priest of God. He has appointed and commissioned me to represent Him on this earth. Every work of spiritual service, especially the task of making disciples, is mine to do. The people I lead to Christ are also given authority by Jesus to make more disciples and to serve as royal priests.
Let’s start Disciple Making Movements– multiplying groups of royal priests who make more royal priests!
Comments
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I like the idea very much
Author
Thanks! It’s so important! Please share this with those you are leading and training.
This training is important and helpfulness to me and I will participate if possible may God bless you people.
Life change orented mattarial
Those who have vusion for disciple making; should use the mattarials
Iam very much happy for this course of DMM it is a good iam starting right up now teaching them about who we are , that we are the royal priests: Now my questions is,is there some materials or Bibles so the new disciples at list they can have something to study, please especially Bibles, please, I would like to hear from you.Thank you .
Yours Sincerely
Pastor Edward Phiri
Author
Thanks Edward! So glad this is helping them. Please email me at admin@dmmsfrontiermissions.com to discuss this need further! Blessings.
It delights me to learn and know that I am a Royal Priest, I embrace this course as it is an Eye-opener to so many things that I didn’t know about. Am already approaching quite a number of lost souls to make them, royal priests, who will, in turn, make other royal priests, and l know by the time l am through with this course, l will have made a BIG step on the Kingdom. God, here l come!!! Holy Spirit, guide me!
Very good. Amen!
I decree and declare that I am royal priest , chosen to serve in priesthood , making disciple of all nation . this material, is really motivating and bring sense of who we are in God’s kingdom.
i like it and being encouraged
thanks
pst Erick
God allow this to happen so that he may challenge the world of sin.
I’m really demiring your family teaching , we shall change the world through disciple teaching method.
Thank you for sharing the bible verse of priesthood. Thank God for giving us the authority to be a priest. And in the same verse He encourages us and says that He is with us always to the very end of age.
Hi Knew I am a Christian, but never knew that I am a part of the royal priesthood.the other thing is about finding the person of peace, that is amazing
Author
So great that God is showing this to you in these days! Walk in that new revelation!
I thank God Almighty for this revelation to us.And l will use these lessons to make many more disciples for the Glory of God’s kingdom
Am a royal priest who serves people of God in prayer I would like to asked about materials for reading like bible study,story bible study lessons,and many more for teaching gospel please let me know
I’m blessed… I AM A ROYAL PRIEST.
I am very interested to start DDM course it’s was my prayer so I thank God for this opportunity has given me to join in this family so standing with me so that I can reach my goals.
Blessings
Author
That is great! Have you enrolled already? If not, please let us know if you have any questions about how to do that.
firstly I would like to appreciate
DMMS course, it’s really wonderful and would request please pray for my pastor team may God bless we all to reach that people who never heard the name of Jesus Christ till now, and pray for that people who have accepted Jesus Christ as the personal lod and able to make disciples more in different other nations.
Blessings!
This training is important and helpfulness to me and I will participate if possible may God bless you people.
very true priestly blessing
Thank you for reminding me about my possition in the Gods kingdom. I am declaring today that” I’m not a nobody, I’m a royal priest of God/. amen
We now have a place of favor, privilege and authority as children of the King of Kings. I am a member of the royal family. I’m not a nobody, I’m a royal priest. And so are you! Amen