1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father;
This priesthood is the fulfillment of Exodus 19:6 - And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation...
To understand what our priesthood is, what is the service that priests were performing in the OT? There are many verses in Leviticus: they were making atonement for the people for forgiveness, with sacrificial blood.
Leviticus 6:7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.
How does this apply to the New Testament? The sacrifice is Christ's. The blood of Jesus is sufficient to wash away all sins, He died so atonement could take place and redemption pour down from Heaven. Being a priestly nation, our priesthood consists also of making atonement for other souls before the LORD through FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
Luke 5:24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. ---This is the priestly authority of Jesus, who is our High Priest. Notice that the man was sick. When we forgive others, we make them whole.
Forgiveness is so important that it gets into The Lord's prayer!
Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. ---Why would Jesus command us to forgive sins, if we had no power to do so?
2 Corinthians 2:10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;---Through Christ living in us we have this power, or authority.
Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.---Authority further confirmed.
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
This is the beautiful calling and priesthood that we have through Christ. To allow God's mercy to flow through us and pass over transgressions (Proverbs 19:11). This is how we are His priests, upholding the other creatures in love.
A lot of people block forgiveness, I used to block forgiveness, until I understood I was blocking God's will when He wanted Heaven to reign in us and not hell, and to pour out mercy and forgiveness through me as a vessel.
It is like an upside-down pyramid where Christ is in the bottom, upholding every man in forgiveness of sins that is washing of regeneration. The more we grow in mercy, the lower we are on this pyramid serving others and forgiving their weaknesses and trespasses, the closer we become to Jesus in the Kingdom of God.
Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father;
This priesthood is the fulfillment of Exodus 19:6 - And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation...
To understand what our priesthood is, what is the service that priests were performing in the OT? There are many verses in Leviticus: they were making atonement for the people for forgiveness, with sacrificial blood.
Leviticus 6:7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.
How does this apply to the New Testament? The sacrifice is Christ's. The blood of Jesus is sufficient to wash away all sins, He died so atonement could take place and redemption pour down from Heaven. Being a priestly nation, our priesthood consists also of making atonement for other souls before the LORD through FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
Luke 5:24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. ---This is the priestly authority of Jesus, who is our High Priest. Notice that the man was sick. When we forgive others, we make them whole.
Forgiveness is so important that it gets into The Lord's prayer!
Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. ---Why would Jesus command us to forgive sins, if we had no power to do so?
2 Corinthians 2:10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;---Through Christ living in us we have this power, or authority.
Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.---Authority further confirmed.
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
This is the beautiful calling and priesthood that we have through Christ. To allow God's mercy to flow through us and pass over transgressions (Proverbs 19:11). This is how we are His priests, upholding the other creatures in love.
A lot of people block forgiveness, I used to block forgiveness, until I understood I was blocking God's will when He wanted Heaven to reign in us and not hell, and to pour out mercy and forgiveness through me as a vessel.
It is like an upside-down pyramid where Christ is in the bottom, upholding every man in forgiveness of sins that is washing of regeneration. The more we grow in mercy, the lower we are on this pyramid serving others and forgiving their weaknesses and trespasses, the closer we become to Jesus in the Kingdom of God.
