This is God's word to you who believe: "The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." (Deut. 7:6). If you belong to God, you are special. God's people are special people. You do not need me to tell you that in and of yourself you are nothing else but sin. There is nothing special about you by nature. And you have never done, felt, experienced, or even thought anything that could win God's favor or approval. But God declares you and me to be "a special people unto himself." We are the special objects of his love, the special objects of his blood, and the special objects of his grace. Sovereign grace has distinguished us from the rest of Adam's fallen race (I Cor. 4:7) and bestowed special privileges upon us. Paul tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ "gave himself for us. Paul tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (a special) people, zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:14). Our text clearly speaks of two special privileges of grace, which belong to God's elect. Here the saints of God, Christ's redeemed ones in heaven ascribe praise and honor to him, saying, "Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth."
This is what God promised to do for his covenant people in Exodus 19:6; "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." And the apostle Peter tells us that God has fulfilled his word to us in Christ. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ… ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (I Pet. 2:5, 9). Is Christ a King? HE has made us kings too! His church is a family of royalty, an assembly of kings. Is Christ a Priest? HE has made us priests too! He stands alone as our sin-atoning Great High Priest. But his church is a royal priesthood, an holy nation, an assembly of holy men and women who do service in the sanctuary and offer up spiritual sacrifices in the holy place, sacrifices acceptable and well-pleasing to God by the merits of Christ. And in Revelation 5:10 we see the church of God, this kingly priesthood showing forth the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Proposition:All True Believers, Being Redeemed By Christ And Regenerated By His Spirit, Are Kings And Priests Unto God Forever.
Divisions:I call your attention to three things plainly revealed in this text:
Those who are before the throne sing of the Lamb who was slain. They sing of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who prevailed, took the book, and opened its seals. "Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests." The saints in heaven ascribe the whole of their salvation from beginning to end, to the Lamb. They know who deserves the glory and they give it to him alone. There is no talk of free-will in heaven. There they speak not of the church, the ordinances, or of themselves, but of the Lamb. They speak not of baptism, but of blood. They speak not of creeds, but of Christ. They speak not of their faithfulness, but of the Lamb's faithfulness.
Let all who dwell upon the earth learn to do the same! What do we have that we have not received? "Who maketh thee to differ?" I am a redeemed, justified, forgiven man.
There is not a sin recorded against me in the book of God. The have all been blotted out by the blood of Christ. I have nothing to fear. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" God will not. He is the One who justified me." Who is he that condemneth?" Not the Son of God! He is the One who died for me and rose again, who even makes intercession for me in heaven. I know that I am a justified man. And I know equally well that, if I am justified, I have nothing of which to boast. I am justified by grace alone! "By the grace of God I am what I am." All that I am before God I am because of Christ the Lamb. Christ redeemed me by his blood. He is my Redemption! Christ's righteousness is imputed to me. He is my Righteousness! Christ alone has sanctified me. He is my Sanctification! Who then shall I praise? Who deserves the honor? Christ alone! Whatever we are now by the grace of God, or hope to be in the future, we say with the saints in heaven, "Lord Jesus, Thou art Worthy, for thou hast made us!"
In particular, our text declares that Christ Jesus has "made us unto our God kings and priests." When? When did the Son of God make his people kings and priests?
A. Christ Made Us Kings And Priests To God Virtually When He Struck Hands With The Father As Our Surety In The Covenant of Grace – (Ps. 47:1-8).
Our dominion over this world and our service to God in Christ was written out in the purpose and decree of God. It was settled in the covenant of grace when Christ, our Mediatorial King/Priest, struck hands with the Father and agreed to it. The stipulation was that the Son of God agree to assume our nature, live in obedience to God for us, and endure the shameful death rightfully due unto us. Once Christ agreed to the conditions of the covenant, the whole work of our salvation was virtually done. All the blessings of grace were virtually accomplished and bestowed upon us (Rom. 8:29-30; II Tim. 1:9-10). Among all the rest, this is included, "Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests." Indeed, it appears that John is viewing this event from the standpoint of God's eternal throne. He seems to be telling us what took place in heaven before the world was made, which is what took place in heaven before the world was made, which is what will take place in time. But it does not stop with God's decree.
B. In Due Time, Our Savior Fulfilled His Covenant Engagements And Wrought Out For Us Such A Perfect Salvation That We Were Made By Him Kings And Priests Unto Our God – (Eph. 2:1-7).
1. By his obedience unto death as our Substitute, our Lord Jesus Christ purchased for us all the blessings of grace and glory (Eph. 1:11-14).
Calvary is the birthplace of heaven. The cross of Christ is the gateway to glory. Had it not been for the sufferings, the agonies, the shame, the blood, and the death of the Son of God on the cross we would have no blessing from God. Every mercy flows to us through our Savior's blood. The Book of God is a blood-sprinkled Book. Our daily food was purchased by the precious blood of Christ. And our crowns and mitres were purchased by his death. Value every precious mercy as a blood-bought treasure. Take nothing for granted.
2. Having died in our place, satisfying the demands of justice for our sins, our dear Savior ascended back into heaven and received royal, priestly gifts in our name (Ps. 68:18-19).
If he had not risen up on high and led captivity captive, his death would have been insufficient. Christ Jesus was "delivered" up unto death "for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." His resurrection in majesty was to us the assurance that God had accepted his sacrifice. His ascension and exaltation was the pledge of our own. As our Head was raised, we shall be raised. As he was exalted, we shall be exalted. Indeed, in him we have already been made to sit down with him in heaven, in the holy place, as kings and priests upon the very throne of God!
3. And in regeneration the Son of God sends forth his Spirit into the hearts of God's elect, making us kings and priests to God (Gal. 4:6-7).
The sons of the King are themselves kings! The sons of the Priest are themselves priests!
This is what Christ, the Lamb of God, has done for us. "Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests." To him be all praise, honor, glory, and power forever! The work is all his. He has done it. And he has done it all alone!
II. Now, try to grasp this second thing – We Are Kings And Priests Unto Our God!
What an honor! What a peculiar, special privilege! We are all by nature maggots in the dungheap of fallen humanity. We are by nature the enemies of God. We are by nature separated from God. We are by nature the bondslaves of sin. But grace has made us kings and priests to our God!
A. Here Is The Royal Office Of Every True Believer – We Are Kings!
We are not merely going to be kings in heaven, we are kings right now, at this very moment. And we shall be kings forever. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal (kingly) priesthood!" I want you to understand this. A believer is a king. We are not merely like kings. We are kings!
1. Every king has a royal ancestry.Child of God, you are descended from The King of kings! You have every reason to exult and glory in your ancestry. You are God's son, positively and actually a son of God (I John 3:1). Our mother, the church of the living God, is the bride of Christ. We are twice born heirs of heaven. We who believe are the blood royal of the universe. Our royal Ancestor is the eternal I Am!
2. Every king has his attendants.We may look like a rag-tag mob of nobodies to this world, but there is a body guard of holy angels constantly attending every member of this royal family. The chariots of God are about us! (Heb. 1:14). From the cradle to the grave the angels of God encamp around God's elect, constantly ministering to us, protecting us, and preserving us.
I have no palace here; nor do I desire any earthly domain. But I do have a palace, a royal place of residence, which I shall soon enter – (John 14:1; II Cor. 5:1).
4. Every king has a crown.And the saints of God have a royal crown, which shall adorn their brows forever. And that crown is Christ himself. It is written, "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of bounty, unto the residue of his people." (Isa. 28:5).
5. Every king has an inheritance, which rightfully belongs to him.
The empire belongs to the king. And though we can hardly imagine it, the vast empire of God's universe belongs to all who are made kings in Christ – (Rom. 8:17).
6. Every king is a ruler.Kings have dominion. And the saints of God in this world are men and women who, by the grace and power of God the Holy Spirit, rule and exercise dominion as kings.
We do not rule the world by the power of law, but by the power of God. Our only weapons are prayer and preaching.
7. Kings are the most honorable of all men.Everyone looks up to, respects and makes way for a king. And Christ Jesus has made us honorable (Isa. 43:4). The believer is a man of honor. God has respect unto him. The angels of God respect him. And the universe will one day respect him (Eph. 2:7). When Christ says, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter into the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," every creature of God will honor those whom he has made kings.
NOTE: Though David was anointed king, he suffered much from Saul and from Absalom. But in due time God lifted him up, and he was honored. Those whom God makes honorable shall be honored.
B. Christ Has Made Us Kings. But Our Text Also Declares That We Are Priests Unto Our God.
The priesthood of the Roman church is blasphemy, idolatry, and separation. The same may be said for the priesthood of the Anglican church and the morman church. Any man who calls himself a priest by whom men may approach God assumes the blasphemous claim that he is a mediator between God and man. Whereas the Word of God declares that there is but one Mediator; and that Mediator is Christ! (I Tim. 2:5-6). But there is a priesthood of which every true believer is a part. We who are born of God are priests unto our God.
1. We are priests, because priests are chosen and ordained of God – (Heb. 5:4).
We were divinely ordained as priests by God's election and constituted priests by God's calling. Every believer is a priest at God's altar. We are anointed as priests by the Holy Spirit to worship God with the holy incense of prayer and praise.
2. As the priests of God we enjoy the very special privilege of access to God (Eph. 2:18; Heb. 4:16; 10:19-22).
None but priests enter within the vail and draw near to God. We draw near to God by Christ Jesus. We approach the Mercy-Seat. There we commune with our Savior. There we pour out our hearts. There we confess our sins. There we obtain forgiveness. There we spread our needs. There we obtain mercy and grace to help. There we are taught of God. These things are the privileges of a select company, the priests of God!
3. As the priest of God we offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through the blood and righteousness of Christ – (I Pet. 3:5).
Our substance is the Lord's. Let us honor him with it by devoting a good portion of it entirely to him. We do not believe in, nor do we practice the legal precept of tithing. We make our free-will offering. God has said, "Honor me with thy substance." As the priests of God, let us do so continually – (Luke 6:38).
III. Now, let me briefly show you one last precious fact revealed in our text – We Shall Reign As Kings And Priests On The Earth.
I do not pretend to know all that is involved in this promise. But I do know this – When Christ comes to make all things new and establishes his glorious kingdom upon the earth, we who believe shall reign with him as kings forever – (Rev. 3:21).
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