by Ester yusufu | 23 December 2023 08:46 am12
“And has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
— Revelation 1:6
Revelation 1:6 declares that, through Jesus Christ, we have been made both a kingdom and priests to God. But how exactly does that happen? What does it mean, and what does it look like in the life of a believer?
The starting point is understanding who we are in Christ. When someone believes in Jesus, they are united with Him spiritually. This union transforms their identity.
“This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: in this world we are like Jesus.”
— 1 John 4:17
This means that believers are not just followers of Jesus; they are spiritually joined with Him. What is true of Him is now spiritually true of us.
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
— Romans 8:16
Because Jesus is the Son of God, and we are “in Him,” we are also called children of God. This shared sonship includes the privileges and responsibilities of God’s family.
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead… we too may live a new life.”
— Romans 6:4
“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”
— Romans 6:8
At salvation, believers are spiritually united with Christ’s death and resurrection. This is symbolized in baptism and results in a new spiritual position.
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”
— Ephesians 2:6
This spiritual reality means we already share in His reign and authority in the spiritual realm. We’re not waiting for some distant future to begin walking in this identity—it’s already true in Christ.
Jesus occupies the role of High Priest, and through our union with Him, we share in His priestly ministry.
“We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.”
— Hebrews 8:1
Under the Old Covenant, priests offered sacrifices, interceded, and taught God’s Word. That didn’t change—it was fulfilled in Christ and extended to His people.
“Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”
— 1 Samuel 12:23
“…if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
— 1 John 2:1
We are also called to:
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
“…And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:18–19
We are priests because we carry the message and ministry of reconciliation, bringing people back to God through Christ.
“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
— Revelation 19:16
This title makes sense only if there are other “kings” under Him—that’s us, His people. We are a kingdom because He is our King.
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection… they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”
— Revelation 20:6
This refers to the Millennial Reign of Christ, where His saints will rule with Him. But even now, we live as those who carry His authority and reflect His reign.
When we place our faith in Jesus:
This is not just theological theory—it is practical identity. We live out our calling daily, empowered by the Holy Spirit, looking forward to the fullness of God’s Kingdom.
These blessings are for those who have put their trust in Jesus. If you haven’t made that decision yet, know that we are living in the season of Christ’s soon return.
Don’t wait. Come to Him today.
“To him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
— Revelation 1:6
May the Lord bless you and give you understanding.
Shalom.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2023/12/23/how-have-we-become-priests-and-a-kingdom/
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