"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a unique people; that ye should shew
forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1Peter:2:9)
One of the most wonderful and exciting revelations in the Word of God is the news that we are Royal Family of God. That's
right, fellow nobody, I said ROYAL Family! If this doesn't get you a little flustered, let me explain a few things about
this fantastic news.
You know who Prince Charles is, ofcourse. And you also are aware that Charlie was born with, not a silver spoon, but a
solid gold spoon in his mouth. What did the Prince do to deserve the extreme privilages of being born with such lavish
advantages? Nothing! He was just born.
Well, this same principle applies to me and thee, everyone born in the dispensation of the Church,
or the Church Age, are Royal Family of God, not just family. All believers of the old testement, and those who believe
after the Rapture of the Church, are simply identified as the "Family of God", or the His children.
There are spectacular differences, just as there is a vast difference between the life we live as compared to Prince Charlie's
daily routine.
God has promised us that He will make us "like His Son" in every respect. This means that everything Christ has, we will have.
We are Co-heirs of the Kingdom of God. We also share His Sonship. We are Royal Priests and Royal Ambassadors. We will be made
"higher than the angels" and, we will reside in God's Palace in heaven, not on the earth. In other words, friends, we are the
Princes and Princesses of God's eternal Kingdom, forever.
But let's slow down and have a look at the individual aspects of this high station to which we are born spiritually.
Perhaps it has never ocurred to you that a man like Charles, or any child born into his circumstances, doesn't live what we
would call a "normal" life. While we were playing in the sandbox as kids, Charles was undergoing a rigid system of training
which would prepare him to meet the demands of his future office. We can't imagine how tough this was, and is. There are
hundreds of minute details involved, a system of protocol which has evolved over hundreds of years, which require everything
from knowing which fork to use for what at the dinner table, to the proper comportment at Ocassions of State. How he dresses,
how he eats, how he talks, how he shakes hands, how he dresses for bed, how he does every simple activity of life is based
upon a complex system of protocol.
My point in stating these facts is that we, as God's Royal Family, are also expected to conduct ourselves with regal bearing
and acknowledge the tenets of our high calling. "To whom much is given, much is expected". Christians of all ages were
expected to execute certain mandates and live their lives according to God's laws, but we have a code of conduct which far
exceeds any other age. However, God hasn't merely dubbed us Royal Family and turned us loose to "fly by the seat of our
pants". We have many, many advantages that are designed to facilitate this gracious gift.
Most importantly, we have the Filing of The Holy Spirit, and this is a facet of the christian life
which we MUST understand. But we also have a unique Honor Code, a unique priesthood, and many other
one-of-a-kind dimensions to our lives as God has given it to us. All of this falls under the unique age of all human history,
the Church Age. Once this age ends, all the unique gifts which are given to us will also end. No other age will have the
Filling of the Spirit, for example. In the old testement, before the Church, certain men were given the temporary filling,
but this was a state called "enduement", and not technically "filling". In other words, God enabled certain key people of
the past age to perform spectacular activities. Just a few of the individuals who had the enduement were Sampson, David,
Moses, Daniel, and others.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John:14:26)
The key feature which distinguishes enduement from filling, as we have it, is that those who had the enabling ministry of
the Spirit in the past had to pray for it, and it could be lost to them. We, on the other hand, simply have to
"rebound" to be filled. If you are not familiar with this coined term, you should study it, for it is the most basic of
all techniques for living the christian life in this Church Age.
Another of the many unique aspects of our exaulted heritage is our Royal Priesthood, alluded to in
the verse which begins this section. Confusion abounds concerning this matter, some churches claiming that only certain men
are "priests", saying that we must consult them concerning all things that deal with God. This is not true. At best, it is an
adaptation of the old testement priesthood, and at worst, blasphemy.
There have been two priesthoods in operation before the Church Age. The first was that of the head of a family, and the
second was the one given to Israel, The Levitical Priesthood. The latter was the patriachial version in which all members
of one line, in this case Levi's, were qualified to serve as priests or in some other capacity which dealt with their system
of worship.
With the advent of Jesus Christ a new priesthood has come to pass, and we all have it whether we exercise it or not. No other
human being stands between us and God, for we share the singular priviledge of representing ourselves before Him. Ofcourse,
it serves the purpose of certain religious orders to keep the power of priestly functions confined to a few, for this gives
them great influence over the unenlightened congregation who are led to believe that, without their intervention and guidance,
they are doomed to hell. History tells a bleak story of the terrible persecutions which have come of this great lie.
A third subject that we should examine regarding our status as spiritual blue bloods is the royalty of the person of Christ.
There are 3 distinct royal warrants which belong to Him; One as God, One as the Son of David, and the third, as unique as the
age in which we live; The Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. This last royal Person is the subject which pertains to us, for
as every ruler has a royal family, we are the benefactors.
As God, The Son's royal family are The Father and Holy Spirit. As a Jew, according to the promises of God to David, Christ
is "David's Greater Son", the heir of David's throne, for God swore to David that his line would rule Israel forever. But this
third throne is new, unprecedented, for the ruler in this case is one-of-a-kind; God and man in one Person. Just so, His
family is unusual. In our case, God has taken the low and made them high, co-inheritors of His Kingdom in heaven. Our family
is made up of all races, all social classes. One day, in the eternal state, we will reflect this high station, for our
birth right is a rank which exceeds even the great men of the past, and even the ruling angels.
I don't know about you, but it is humbling to me to imagine that men like Moses and David, and great and powerful angels like
Michael and Uriel, will one day bow before me. Ofcourse, their repect will be directed to the Monarch of our Royal House, but
it is a stimulating thought nonetheless.