Class Outline:

Wednesday March 3,2021

 

Christ is the Head of the body. He is the Husband and the church is His bride. He is the vine and the members of the church are His branches. He is the Chief Cornerstone and the members of the church are stones in the building.

 

He has always ruled a universal kingdom over the universe. He has always had all authority. In Daniel 2 He is the stone cut without hands and at His second coming He will rule a kingdom that will fill the whole earth.

 

In 1Pe 2 He is a living stone and all believers are living stones in His spiritual house.

 

Christ is the High Priest of the royal priesthood. There was no true high priest before Him, and His Priesthood is eternal, so there will never be another. Since that is true, He is the only true High Priest, and therefore, His priests are the true priests as God would have them, of which the OT priesthood was a shadow.

 

Israel was designed to be a kingdom of priests, but they renounced their obligation and were given intermediaries. In the church, all believers, whether they want to function in it or not, are made priests. So, we run into another position, like righteousness, sanctification, or being called, etc., in which we are made something or given something that cannot change or fade, and we can function in it, and if we don’t we still are it. On the one hand, we might see that as a opportunity to be rich in Christ and lazy or neglectful, or we can take full advantage of it by searching it out.

 

Being the true priesthood desired by God, the church age believer must feel the weight of his obligation and the importance of his office as well as the joy of its gift.

 

A priest is one who is duly qualified to minister in sacred things, particularly to offer sacrifices at the altar, and to act as mediator between man and God. We have a great responsibility as priests and we can find great joy in its fulfillment. It demands an investment of time, selflessness, and diligence to continue to perform the duties of a priest, and so over time, learn to be the priest that God would desire.

 

God’s Kingdom is mediatorial. There is always a need for a Mediating Priest, Husband, Cornerstone, Vine, and Head between the Divine and mankind.

 

One Lord means there is one High Priest. There is no other, neither before or after Him.

 

He has gifted believers with the office of priest so that they may join Him in sacrificing to God, sacrificing for others, serving others, and giving to others in a way that also mediatorial, but only in the fashion of Christ’s mediation.

 

1PE 2:4-5

And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 

1PE 2:9-10

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

 

It’s important to see the similar patters in Christ and in ourselves, and certainly to not overstate them or overstep them, but also to not shy away from them. These patterns are shown to us. We are told to lay down our lives for one another. Christ laid down His life for the sheep. We are to love one another as He loved us. We are to have His attitude within ourselves. We are to be conformed to His image. We are to be like Him.

 

He brought us to God as our Mediator. We know that we had no work to contribute to that monumental achievement. We don’t die for others, pay for sins, or satisfy Divine righteousness. Yet, we do something like it, in the spirit of it.

 

The believer’s priesthood is also mediatorial, in that he gives, serves, and intercedes with the spirit of helping another in their walk with God.

 

We find this principle repeated often in the scripture. We find the apostles acting like the Lord, caring for the body as He did, building the church as He built up them. We find the same instruction to love like Him, be like Him, think like Him, give like Him, and rejoice in Him.

 

Christ laid down His life as a priestly offering to God and so did Paul …

 

PHI 2:17

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

 

… and so must we.

 

PHI 4:18-20

But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. 19 And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

HEB 13:15-16

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

 

So then, our priesthood is mediatorial, but not the extent that Christ’s was. When we serve others and give to others it is to always be done with the spirit of revealing truth to them, bringing God to them or them to God. Our service is done in the spirit of revealing God to them, or more of God to them. In this way our role as priests is mediatorial, but certainly not to the magnitude or effect of our Lord. When we intercede for others, we are to pray in the spirit of helping them ultimately with their relationship with the Lord. Even when we pray for reason of improving another’s health, the ultimate reason is for them to be back on their feet in the vigor of life so as to serve the Lord themselves in whatever capacity good health can afford.