Kings and Priests

Have you ever seen something new in a verse you’ve read a million times before? Recently, I saw something in a really famous verse I had never noticed.

In Revelation 5, John has a vision in which he sees a scroll that no one is worthy of opening until the spotless Lamb, Jesus, shows up. And when the saints see him, this is what they began to sing:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”
Revelation 5:9–10 (NKJV)

I’ve always focused on the “every” part of this verse. God has called people from every nation on this planet. He has adopted people with every skin tone, language, and culture. He doesn’t discriminate and there won’t be any racism in heaven because we’re all part of one family — God’s.

In the past, I’ve gotten so caught up in that part of this verse (which is absolutely incredible) that I don’t keep reading. Somehow I’ve missed that next line that says that because of God and his redemption, we have all been made kings and priests.

This verse leads to asking an important question:

Are you treating everyone like they’re a king and a priest?

A king is worthy of utmost respect and honor.
A priest is holy and righteous.

If we are in Christ, we have been made holy and righteous by his precious sacrifice. When we were adopted into God’s family, we became his children, people of authority and influence. We are called to use our position, not to lord it over others or point out all of their flaws or mistakes like the Pharisees did. Instead, we are called to give grace and love to those around us.

Of course, this verse is talking about the saints, those who follow God. We are kings and priests. But that doesn’t mean that we treat the church well and treat everyone else miserably. The truth is that God is constantly inviting those who don’t know him into his Kingdom. They are potential kings and priests… and they deserve honor and love as well.

Obviously, this is a nice verse to talk about, but treating others as kings and priests is much more difficult in practice. I’m grateful that we don’t have to try and muster this up on our own. I believe that this comes from an outpouring of the Spirit of God in our lives. When we know who God is and who we are, our behaviors begin to change.

Love, honor, peace, and grace are all accessible to us today because of the finished work of Jesus. The church is full of kings and priests, and the world is full of potential kings and priests — let’s live like it today!

Do you see yourself as a king and a priest?

How can you treat someone else as a king and a priest today?

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The Add-Ons of Life