The Bible says that everyone who believes in Jesus is a priest (1 Peter 2:5,9). There is no clergy and laity distinction in the New Testament, but every Christian is a priest. Being priests is one of our basic identities, and it’s who we are in God. Being a priest is a high calling, and it’s important for us to understand what we’re supposed to do as God’s New Testament priests, so we can fulfill our priestly duties well.
One main thing priests do is offer sacrifices. Throughout the Old Testament, priests continually offered sacrifices to God to pay for sin. Today, we don’t offer sacrifices for sins, because Jesus has already laid down his life as the final sacrifice for all sin. Instead, there are other sacrifices that we are called to offer today.
What sacrifices do we offer as New Testament priests?
We are called to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:5). In order to offer such sacrifices, we must find out what they are. It’s important for every Christian to know what we’re supposed to sacrifice as priests, because we want to do our job as priests well.
1. Broken and Contrite Heart (Psalm 51:17). We should be broken for our sins, contrite, and humble about our condition. We recognize our helplessness and utter dependence upon God. This type of heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God because God wants to dwell in our hearts by his Spirit.
2. Lifting Up Hands (Psalm 141:2; 1 Timothy 2:8). The lifting up of hands is a physical posture that reflects our inward condition. The lifting up of hands shows surrender. It shows neediness. It shows that we are receiving something. When we do this in prayer or praise to God, we show God that we are relying on him. God says the lifting up of hands is a sacrifice that pleases him, because it represents a proper condition of our heart.
3. Bodies (Romans 12:1). We are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Our sinful flesh is to be put off, and our Spirit-man is to be renewed. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are members of Christ’s body. We are to lay aside our own will and do God’s will, speaking his words and doing his works. Our bodies are owned by Jesus, who bought them at the price of his life, and it is only reasonable to give them over to God and allow him to live his life through us. We are not to yield our bodies to sin, but unto God to serve him. Our bodies are an acceptable sacrifice to God.
4. Our Life (Philippians 2:17). Paul poured out his life in ministering to people, and it was like a drink offering that pleased God. When we pour out our lives in service to God, we offer God a sacrifice that pleases him.
5. Faith (Philippians 2:17). Our faith is a sacrifice that pleases God. Faith shows that we trust God, rely on him, and are willing to serve him and others. When we are strong in faith, we open the door for God to act. Faith is an acceptable sacrifice, and without faith we cannot please God.
6. Support to Servants of God (Philippians 4:18). When people donate support to servants of God, it is like giving a sacrifice to God. Supporting the ministry of true servants of God means supporting the works of Christ, and the Bible says such donations are sacrifices that are pleasing to God.
7. Praise and Thanks to God (Hebrews 13:15). God is worthy of receiving our thanks and praise, for he is good and all he does is good. Every good gift we have is from him. It is reasonable to praise God, and it is spiritually healthy to offer such sacrifices to him.
8. Doing Good and Sharing (Hebrews 13:16). When we do good and share our resources with those in the body of Christ, we offer an acceptable sacrifice to God. Jesus said if we do something good to the least of our fellow-Christians, we do it to Jesus. This is because Christ is a many-membered body (1 Corinthians 12:12). We are called to share our resources in the church, for we are all members of Christ and united with each other. These sacrifices will bless God and help others.
We are priests, and one of our main jobs as priests is to offer sacrifices to God. We don’t offer sacrifices for our sins, because Jesus’ blood has paid for our sins once for all. Instead, we are called to offer spiritual sacrifices that are listed in the Bible. As we offer these sacrifices to God, we will please him and fulfill our calling as priests.
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