The Priesthood of Believers

1 Peter 2:5-10
5: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6: Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7: Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8: And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Old Testament priests were chosen by God, not self-appointed; and they were chosen for a purpose: to serve God with their lives by offering up sacrifices. The priesthood served as a picture or "type" of the coming ministry of Jesus Christ--a picture that was then no longer needed once His sacrifice on the cross was completed. When the thick temple veil that covered the doorway to the Holy of Holies was torn in two by God at the time of Christ's death, God was indicating that the Old Testament priesthood was no longer necessary. Now people could come directly to God through the great High Priest, Jesus Christ. There are now no earthly mediators between God and man as existed in the Old Testament priesthood.

Christ our High Priest has made one sacrifice for sin for all time, and there is no more sacrifice for sin that can be made. But as priests once offered other kinds of sacrifices in the temple, so it is clear from the passage above that God has chosen Christians "to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." The passage speaks of two aspects of the priesthood of the believer.

The first is that believers are privileged. To be chosen by God to be a priest was a privilege. All believers have been chosen by God: a "chosen generation...His own special people" (verse 9). In the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, there were places where only the priests could go. Into the Holy of Holies, behind a thick veil, only the High Priest could go, and that only once a year on the Day of Atonement when he made a sin offering on behalf of all of the people. But as mentioned above, because of Jesus' death upon the cross of Calvary, all believers now have direct access to the throne of God through Jesus Christ our great High Priest. What a privilege to be able to access the very throne of God directly, not through any earthly priest. When Christ returns and the New Jerusalem comes to earth, believers will see God face-to-face and will serve Him there. Again, what a privilege especially for us who were once "not a people" ... "without hope" ... destined for destruction because of our sin.

The second aspect of the believer's priesthood is that we are chosen for a purpose: to offer up spiritual sacrifices, and to proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Thus, by both life and by word, our purpose is to serve God. As the believer's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so God has called us to serve Him from our hearts by first of all offering our lives as living sacrifices. One day we will be serving God in eternity, but not in any temple, for "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple". As the Old Testament priesthood was to be free of defilement, as symbolized by being ceremonially clean, so has Christ made us holy positionally before the Father. He calls on us to live holy lives that we might also be a "holy priesthood".

Charles Spurgeon said it this way...
All of you, who are in Christ Jesus, are the living stones in this spiritual temple; and you are also priests, who offer up spiritual sacrifices. You need no material temple, for you are yourselves the temple. You need no other priest save the great High Priest who has gone into the heavenly, for you are yourselves priests unto the Most High God.

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