Your Priestly Service

"You . . . are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:5).

Peter identified believers as holy priests, but many Christians don't really know what that means because priests aren't part of our culture as a whole.

The primary purpose of an Old Testament priest was to offer acceptable sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. Priests were chosen by God Himself, specially cleansed through prescribed ceremonies, clothed in a prescribed manner, and anointed with oil as symbolic of God's Spirit upon them. They were expected to obey God, love His Word, and walk with Him.

Faithful priests had a positive impact on believers and unbelievers alike. Malachi 2:6 says they "turned many back from iniquity." Verse 7 adds that "the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts."

Those qualifications are paralleled in Christians, whom God regards as the only true priests. You were chosen by Him from before the foundation of the world and cleansed by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. You are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and anointed by the Holy Spirit. Your purpose is "to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:5).

Scripture tells you therefore to present your body a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Rom. 12:1). Obedience, love for the Word, and communion with God should characterize your life; saints and sinners alike should see Christ in you and be affected by what they see.

The priesthood of believers is a high and holy calling to which no one is suited apart from God's grace and power. But be assured that He who called you will accomplish His good pleasure in you. Be committed to that goal each day as you lean on His resources and trust in His sufficiency.

Thank God for the priesthood He has entrusted to you. Ask Him to use you today to influence others in godly ways.

Read Leviticus 8 and 9, which tell of the consecration and inauguration of the Aaronic priesthood.

1 Peter 2:5-9. Peter says: “like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ . . . But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people . . .”

When Peter declares all Christians to be priests, he does not contradict Christ as our “one mediator between God and men,” which is the definition of a priest (1 Tm 2:5). The Catholic Church affirms and harmonizes both texts and both concepts.

First of all, a careful reading of 1 Peter 2, verses 5 and 9 reveals a reference to Exodus 19:6: “. . . and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” This text from Exodus indicates a universal priesthood in the Old Testament. And yet, in Exodus 19:22, we read, “And also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves . . . ” In other words, a universal priesthood in the Old Covenant did not exclude the possibility of a distinct ministerial priesthood as well. It would be natural then to expect the same in the New Covenant. And indeed, that is precisely what we discover.

From the ordained ministerial priests we receive the Sacraments which helps us in the process towards salvation.

To put it simply: God’s power being released “from heaven” is contingent upon a future event of Peter and his successors acting on earth. That, in a nutshell, could be a dictionary definition of priest.

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/the-priesthood-is-both-ministerial-and-universal

In the old testament for Passover, Jews presented an unblemished lamb to be killed by spilling blood on the altar as a sacrifice to God.

Catholic priests (acting on behalf of Jesus) at Mass consecrates the bread and wine into the BODY and BLOOD of Jesus Christ along with the Church members and offers this as a sacrifice for the Glory of God the Father and for the salvation of the whole world.

Jesus was obedient to the will of God the Father and shows us the way to do His will.

The Mass is the action of the whole Christ and a celebration of the Church to give glory to God. We participate in a spiritual sacrifice.

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