KINGLY PRIESTS

But you are a royal priesthood … 1Peter 2:9

The Book of Hebrews makes much of Jesus being our High Priest. As our King and High Priest, Jesus does many things for us. Hebrews 7:24-25 says He makes intercession for us. “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore Jesus is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

One thing stands out clearly in this verse and that is, Jesus prays for our salvation. Since we are already saved and are eternally secure, the only aspect of a believer’s salvation that He needs to pray for is our Christian growth.

First Peter 2:9 declares that believers are kingly priests. The Apostle Paul is an excellent example of one doing the work of God’s kingly priests.

In his letters, Paul shows that he does the same thing for believers that Jesus does. Often he expresses in detail his prayers for the Christian growth of his readers. When any believer prays under the leadership of the Spirit as commanded in Ephesians 6:18, he will pray for the Christian growth of other believers—family, friends, fellow church members and other believers around the earth.

In addition to setting an example for us as kingly priests to pray for the spiritual growth of other believers, Paul taught us that we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies.

We experience life in the heavenlies and are filled with the Holy Spirit when we live out our oneness with Christ in our spiritual crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

As kingly priests abiding in the heavenlies, we join our King and High Priest in asking the Father to guide and empower other believers to grow spiritually into the likeness of Christ.