Royal Priesthood

I'm still slowly working my way through 1 Peter. Partly because there are days when I just don't read it and also partly because I'm just reading such small parts at a time.

Yesterday, Tony Ling was talking about the restoration of God's church. We may not be seeing it here in the UK, but God's church is worldwide and it is growing. God's church is being restored. What we need to be doing is making sure that we are not left behind.

1 Peter 2 4 - 12 talks about us being built together. We are the living stones that are being put in place as God's temple. We are his priesthood, his nation. His sacrifice.

The Jews had different types of sacrifice. We are not the sin sacrifice. That sacrifice has been totally paid through the death of Jesus. He paid the final price for every sin, both past, present and future.

We are the sacrifice of praise. Everything we do is to be a sacrifice of praise that raises glory to God. Our lives should be such that when non-believers look at us, they see the glory of God.

It's hard to make everything we do a pure sacrifice of praise. We so often mess up. But God knows our weaknesses. He knows our human-ness. That's why he hasn't left us on our own. He's given us, not only the gift of a new life, but also the gift of his Holy Spirit that we may have the strength to do God's will. His Holy Spirit within us guides us, speaks to us, counsels us, empowers us.

I've gone through the year getting to know the Trinity but the Holy Spirit seems to be the one who is most difficult to bring into my everyday life. Yet the Holy Spirit is the one who dwells in me.

If I am to be the person God wants me to be, if I am to fulfill his will, I need to daily acknowledge the person of the Holy Spirit and allow him to be my guide and strength for each day, for each action, for each second of my life.

Get to know the Holy Spirit in your life, get filled each day that you may live God's way that the glory of God may fill the place where you are as the life you lead is a sacrifice of praise to the most holy God. Worship the Lamb of God, worship Jesus by the way you live. Let your life be a sacrifice of praise in every moment you live.

It's a tough call, but with God's spirit in us, it isn't impossible!