1 Peter 2:4–10
4 As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 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. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honour is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 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 marvellous light. 10 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.
Much of the world today has turned away from God, and there is evidence of this everywhere.
As Christians we can become easily discouraged by what we see all around us, but the proper attitude of the Christian is not to complain, but rather with God’s help to seek solutions to problems and apply them.
True happiness in this life and the life to come will be found only in God and the grace of Jesus Christ. Through salvation offered in Jesus Christ, God has bridged the gap of sin and death that separates us from Him, and people from other people. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 says, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
Added to that, God calls people in every generation - people like you and me - to stand in the gap with Jesus to help bridge the separation between people and God where the grace of God needs to be made real.
One of the names we have for this function or ministry is the priesthood of all believers.
It’s a Biblical concept that is important for understanding the church and the role of laity in the church. All believers, laity and clergy alike, are called and given authority to be priests to one another.
All Christians are baptised in Christ and are one in Christ. We are all members in the body of Christ. Every member is important, and no individual is more important than another.
This means the popular notion that clergy "do ministry" and laity consume it is wrong and unbiblical.
What is a priest? The roots of this ministry are found in the Old Testament. A priest functions as God's representative in the world, communicating God's word and shedding light on God's will in people's lives. A priest pronounces God's word of forgiveness and healing grace. A priest also acts as the people's representative to God. A priest intercedes for the people, going to God for the sake of the people, and offering sacrifices of love on their behalf.
However, in this New Testament age of grace in which we live, a priest is not only the ordained clergy but anyone who has experienced the love, acceptance, and forgiveness of God, and who helps others experience that grace as well.
Jesus is the great high priest, the supreme mediator between God and us.
In Him, the separation between God and humanity is overcome. Jesus is God's representative to us. He is the Word made flesh, mediating God's grace and truth to us.
Jesus is also our representative to God. He shared our humanity and in love He sacrificed His life for our salvation. As John wrote, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
All Christians share in this priesthood in partnership with Jesus. This is what Peter meant when he called us a royal priesthood.
As part of the priesthood of all believers, each of us is called to represent Jesus and share His grace with others. Believers are called to bridge the separation between people and God, and to work with Jesus by His Spirit.
As part of the priesthood of all believers, we participate in His ongoing ministry when we perform loving, sacrificial acts and share the good news of God's grace and forgiveness.
Of course, this phrase "priesthood of all believers" does not mean every person acts as his or her own priest. Rather, we are given the authority of love to be priests to one another. Jesus laid down his life for others to make the grace of God real; and as the church we are called to the same degree of servanthood.
The church is the body of Christ - people who have experienced the love, acceptance, and forgiveness of God and have committed their lives to Jesus and to His ministry of sharing God's grace with others.
As the church, we have a mission in this world. Our number one task is not to take Christian doctrine into the world, telling people what they can or can’t do (this is what we learn within the church once we become part of the body). What we are to do in the non-believing world is to make Christ real for people. We are to show others by our own example what it means to make Him relevant in all circumstances of life.
As we know, and have heard many times, the church is not a building or an institution, but a ministry of love. The church is the community of believers in ministry, the royal priesthood who are the body of Christ in the world.
We don’t just belong to the church; we are the church, wherever we are. We are to be channels of God's grace; we are to share love and forgiveness with each other.
To a person in pain, the words "God loves you," "You are forgiven," or a simple prayer can be a word from God. To someone drowning in difficulty, the touch of a hand on the shoulder, the company of a friend, or an offer of help can represent the presence of God to them, and these are the kind of opportunities we should be looking for, as they are offered to us every day.
As Peter wrote, we are to “declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light” with all of our lives. This may mean reflecting light in the darkness and bringing hope into seemingly hopeless situations. We’re all in danger of allowing the darkness of the world to overpower us, but in and through Christ, we must not and cannot allow that to happen.
If the non-believing world is not going to hear the message of hope from the church, where else will they find it?
And it all starts with ourselves. Jesus struggled in the wilderness with His own temptations before setting out on His mission. Just be authentic. Avoid religious language and stereotypes. Just witness for Jesus in a way that is natural to you.
God offers fullness of life here and now, as well as after death, and this is what we’re to proclaim as the royal priesthood.
As we love and serve, we don’t do it on our own authority but as representatives of our Master. Our mission is to serve as Jesus served, and this includes both the laity and clergy working as partners.
What did Jesus do before He began His earthly ministry? He surrounded Himself with people to help Him.
The whole point of being a church that serves is to understand that God calls us today not to be passive participants in the problem but to be active partners in mission – the mission to be the church. We have the opportunity to make our lives modern-day translations of the Gospel. Each of us has a personal and non-transferable mission: to make Christ real in our lives and to then share His grace so that others may know the salvation of God. We are the church, the priesthood of all believers, and we are called to take the message of peace and reconciliation into the world.
4 As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 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. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honour is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 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 marvellous light. 10 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.
Much of the world today has turned away from God, and there is evidence of this everywhere.
As Christians we can become easily discouraged by what we see all around us, but the proper attitude of the Christian is not to complain, but rather with God’s help to seek solutions to problems and apply them.
True happiness in this life and the life to come will be found only in God and the grace of Jesus Christ. Through salvation offered in Jesus Christ, God has bridged the gap of sin and death that separates us from Him, and people from other people. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 says, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
Added to that, God calls people in every generation - people like you and me - to stand in the gap with Jesus to help bridge the separation between people and God where the grace of God needs to be made real.
One of the names we have for this function or ministry is the priesthood of all believers.
It’s a Biblical concept that is important for understanding the church and the role of laity in the church. All believers, laity and clergy alike, are called and given authority to be priests to one another.
All Christians are baptised in Christ and are one in Christ. We are all members in the body of Christ. Every member is important, and no individual is more important than another.
This means the popular notion that clergy "do ministry" and laity consume it is wrong and unbiblical.
What is a priest? The roots of this ministry are found in the Old Testament. A priest functions as God's representative in the world, communicating God's word and shedding light on God's will in people's lives. A priest pronounces God's word of forgiveness and healing grace. A priest also acts as the people's representative to God. A priest intercedes for the people, going to God for the sake of the people, and offering sacrifices of love on their behalf.
However, in this New Testament age of grace in which we live, a priest is not only the ordained clergy but anyone who has experienced the love, acceptance, and forgiveness of God, and who helps others experience that grace as well.
Jesus is the great high priest, the supreme mediator between God and us.
In Him, the separation between God and humanity is overcome. Jesus is God's representative to us. He is the Word made flesh, mediating God's grace and truth to us.
Jesus is also our representative to God. He shared our humanity and in love He sacrificed His life for our salvation. As John wrote, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
All Christians share in this priesthood in partnership with Jesus. This is what Peter meant when he called us a royal priesthood.
As part of the priesthood of all believers, each of us is called to represent Jesus and share His grace with others. Believers are called to bridge the separation between people and God, and to work with Jesus by His Spirit.
As part of the priesthood of all believers, we participate in His ongoing ministry when we perform loving, sacrificial acts and share the good news of God's grace and forgiveness.
Of course, this phrase "priesthood of all believers" does not mean every person acts as his or her own priest. Rather, we are given the authority of love to be priests to one another. Jesus laid down his life for others to make the grace of God real; and as the church we are called to the same degree of servanthood.
The church is the body of Christ - people who have experienced the love, acceptance, and forgiveness of God and have committed their lives to Jesus and to His ministry of sharing God's grace with others.
As the church, we have a mission in this world. Our number one task is not to take Christian doctrine into the world, telling people what they can or can’t do (this is what we learn within the church once we become part of the body). What we are to do in the non-believing world is to make Christ real for people. We are to show others by our own example what it means to make Him relevant in all circumstances of life.
As we know, and have heard many times, the church is not a building or an institution, but a ministry of love. The church is the community of believers in ministry, the royal priesthood who are the body of Christ in the world.
We don’t just belong to the church; we are the church, wherever we are. We are to be channels of God's grace; we are to share love and forgiveness with each other.
To a person in pain, the words "God loves you," "You are forgiven," or a simple prayer can be a word from God. To someone drowning in difficulty, the touch of a hand on the shoulder, the company of a friend, or an offer of help can represent the presence of God to them, and these are the kind of opportunities we should be looking for, as they are offered to us every day.
As Peter wrote, we are to “declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light” with all of our lives. This may mean reflecting light in the darkness and bringing hope into seemingly hopeless situations. We’re all in danger of allowing the darkness of the world to overpower us, but in and through Christ, we must not and cannot allow that to happen.
If the non-believing world is not going to hear the message of hope from the church, where else will they find it?
And it all starts with ourselves. Jesus struggled in the wilderness with His own temptations before setting out on His mission. Just be authentic. Avoid religious language and stereotypes. Just witness for Jesus in a way that is natural to you.
God offers fullness of life here and now, as well as after death, and this is what we’re to proclaim as the royal priesthood.
As we love and serve, we don’t do it on our own authority but as representatives of our Master. Our mission is to serve as Jesus served, and this includes both the laity and clergy working as partners.
What did Jesus do before He began His earthly ministry? He surrounded Himself with people to help Him.
The whole point of being a church that serves is to understand that God calls us today not to be passive participants in the problem but to be active partners in mission – the mission to be the church. We have the opportunity to make our lives modern-day translations of the Gospel. Each of us has a personal and non-transferable mission: to make Christ real in our lives and to then share His grace so that others may know the salvation of God. We are the church, the priesthood of all believers, and we are called to take the message of peace and reconciliation into the world.