Revelation Part 7
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Tuesday 21st October 1997
Revelation Part 7
(Revelation 1:5-6 NKJV) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the
earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own
blood, {6} and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to
Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
God loves the wretched sinner. Jesus Christ does the opposite of what
we intuitively expect from God. We tend to think of sinners as being
in mortal peril (they are) but they are also loved. If they give in
to that love Jesus will cleanse them and exalt them and make them
kings and priests to His God. God does not want to throw anyone into
Hell. The Christian can look back on the grace he or she has received
and know that three great things have happened -he or she has been
loved by Jesus, cleansed in the blood and given a new and glorious
status in the Kingdom of God.
"To Him who loved us". The clearest statement of God's love for the
unlovely is found in the following verses in Romans. "(Romans 5:6-10
NKJV) For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly. {7} For scarcely for a righteous man will one
die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. {8}
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then, having now
been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
Him. {10} For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we
shall be saved by His life." God's love far exceeds ours in that He
loved us while we were helpless ungodly sinners.
"and washed us from our sins in His own blood, " What a shocking
image! Picture it someone bleeding profusely and washing someone in
their own blood. Christ did not wash us in the blood of bulls and
goats but in His own precious blood shed upon the cross. What did
that washing accomplish? Earlier readers might remember my four part
series on the blood. If you don't you can read an article based on it
at http://www.eternitymag.com/bloodjc.htm which speaks of the 12
things the blood does for the believer. The blood gives us
cleansing, forgiveness, righteousness, victory and reconciliation
amongst other things.
"and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father". This is
PAST tense. Even at the time of writing this was a past action! This
does not say "will make you kings and priests.." it is "has made us
kings and priests". We are already kings and priests but our reigning
and serving is as yet partial. It will reach its fullness only in the
New Jerusalem. These verses mean that a) we have spiritual authority
b) we have direct access to God and need no human mediator other than
Jesus Christ.
We are kings within the Kingdom of God and our kingdom is not of this
world. We strive for dominion not on this earth but in the heavenly
realms against "powers and principalities". They may be princes but
we are kings! We have the higher authority not because we are good
but because God is gracious. "(Ephesians 2:6-7 NRSV) and raised us
up with him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, {7} so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable
riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." We are
seated with Christ in the heavenly realm and He is far above all
principalities and power and we are co-regents with Him (though in a
lesser way).
We are priests to His God and Father. Our primary service is to God.
We are not priests to the flock or to the church or to the world. We
are priests to God. It is Him we serve and please and honour and
praise. This brings me back to balance. I am frequently in danger of
being totally consumed by the busyness of my ministry and torn to
shreds by the demands that come each day. When I step back and ask
"Am I being a priest to God in this.." my priorities become
rearranged into a much more sensible, worshipful and peaceful order.
We must worship God not our ministries. A few Christians have not
discovered their own priesthood and the fact that they have a
ministry before God. They see that as belonging to the clergy. The
clergy are busy enough. They, and the body of Christ, need you to
get into action for God and exercise your ministry whether it be
large or small.
"to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." This is saying
that Jesus is God and deserves glory and dominion. It is a
not-so-subtle undermining of emperor worship which was the driving
force for Christian persecution. The Roman emperors were preoccupied
with glory and dominion but these things belonged only to Jesus whom
they persecuted and despised. He is the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords and will reign upon the earth. Emperors watch out!
Prayer:
You have done so much for us Jesus! In Your love you have washed us
in Your own blood and set us high as kings and priests to Your God
and Father. Show us how to take up our roles as kings and priests in
all purity and holiness so that we may bring to you the glory and
dominion that you deserve. Amen.
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John Edmiston ([email protected])
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