You have been elevated. You have been set aside. You have been separated. You belong to God and He greatly desires to use you.
Did you know that? If you have called upon Jesus as your Lord, you are a completely new creature.
“Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.” (2 Cor 5:17)
The second your soul cried out to Jesus to save you from your sins, one of the greatest of miracles happened, the Holy Spirit of God moved into your beating heart. You are a new creature indeed.
New creatures are just that. As a result, they do things differently. They look at the world differently, they hear differently, they speak differently, their hands move with a different purpose. You see God didn’t separate you aimlessly, God has a specific role for you to fulfill within the body of Christ. In order to do that He elevated you. He changed you. He separated you from the world.
We see today in Leviticus chapter 21 a careful description of the sanctification (setting aside) of the priests. There were two different priests that manned God’s tabernacle, the priest and the high priest. They were both from the tribe of Levi, one of the 12 tribes of Israel that God had deemed worthy to care for and execute the tasks of the tabernacle. In order to best serve God, the priests needed to have a pure heart. Sin could not be readily and easily living in a heart that was set aside and separated to serve God. In order for a vessel to fully serve God it must not only be clean on the outside, but first clean on the inside. (Matt 23:26) God sees into a person’s heart and it must be clean and pure first before He can fill it. The priests also had to be very careful how they walked in this world. If you walk down a muddy road, you’re gonna get muddy . As you and I walk through this sin-filled world, it will seek to contaminate us, we must be cautious with our steps. The priests were given careful instructions to guard their daily walk.
But as we read about the requirements God had for the Old Testament priests from the tribe of Levi, think about this. You, my friends, as followers of Jesus Christ…are priests for God.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10
Take a moment and let that sink in good and deep. Let it slowly trickle down from your head into your heart. You are a priest of the Most High God, a direct representative of our Lord Jesus Christ. You really are different. You really have been elevated. So the question is no longer whether or not you are a priest of God, the question is, how can you be the best priest of God you can possibly be? If you’re asking that question in your heart, now you’re truly thinking like a child of God that has been separated from this world for His use.
I remember as kid I had this really cool toy that would mesmerize me. It was a clear plastic container and it held this really cool mixture of colored water and oil. The two elements would slowly dance and flow around the interior but would never mix. It was so fun to move it and shake it and then simply watch the two elements be true to themselves, never seeming to touch. The two seemed destined to always be in contact, but never become one. Folks, that is us and this world. You have been separated by God, for God’s use. To do that you must walk this sin-filled world and not fully mix. You must fiercely protect your heart at all costs. A clean heart is a powerful tool in the hands of Jesus Christ. Listen to the verses that directly follow those declaring us as priests above:
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11-12
You have been separated. You have been elevated. You have been set aside. As a priest of Holy God today, make it known to the world. Live your life elevated above the sin, darkness and evil that live freely in this world. Watch your words carefully, refuse to curse and use foul language, an immediate sign that your water has mixed with the world’s oil. Be careful where your feet take you. If you find yourself in the wrong place, your testimony for Jesus has already been nullified simply by your environment. Be careful of the company you keep. You might have a grand vision of saving all of your sinful, lost friends by hanging with them and doing what they do, but folks, if you play with snakes, you’ll get bit. Remember you’re elevated, don’t seek to lower yourself to the world’s level but show others the way up to God. Sometimes life can be like a vertical game of tug of war and it’s just you trying to pull many up, but in reality it’s much easier for many to pull you down.
As you look in the mirror today, see something different in that reflection. Don’t see just a mere man or woman living an ordinary mundane life, see a priest of Almighty God. See a soul that has been gifted with the power of God’s Spirit. See a person that God wants greatly to use for His purpose to further His Kingdom. See a person that holds the power to show people the way to Jesus Christ. See a person that as a priest of God can radically change lives. But to do that your vessel must be clean on the inside to hold the purity of God’s living water. Repent of sin in your life and ask God’s forgiveness. He is rich in mercy and full of grace and wants nothing more than to see you rise above. To rise above this world and serve Him in a way that will bring Him glory. And as He does begin to use you in powerful ways, praise Him. Praise Him that He allows common sinners like you and me to be His faithful servants.
Praise be to God for His unending love for us.
Comments