Set Apart for God: Stepping Into Your Royal Priesthood

Introduction

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. What only one man had the right to do once a year (enter the Most Holy Place to stand before God), has become your daily privilege. This Sunday, Jean Calvin Nana opens up the Word from Exodus 19:1-6 and reminds us of a truth many Christians leave in the background: every member of God's people is called, without exception, to become a priest for the Lord.

This isn't reserved for pastors, apostles, or teachers of the Church. It's a personal calling that touches the teacher, the factory worker, the doctor, the engineer, the accountant, the shopkeeper. This is about you. And this calling asks for a response: consecration.

Article Outline

1. From a Reserved Priesthood to a Universal One

In the old covenant, the priests were the Levites. God had taken them in place of all the firstborn of Israel, who had been struck down in Egypt and then redeemed. They no longer belonged to themselves. They belonged to the Lord, set apart for service at the tabernacle, entrusted with everything related to worship.

In the middle of the tabernacle stood the holy place, separated from the Most Holy Place by a veil. Only one person entered it: the high priest. Only once a year. And only after a long preparation to sanctify himself.

Then Jesus came. At the cross, the veil was torn from top to bottom. The Most Holy Place became accessible to everyone. This is the fulfillment of the word given to Moses: "You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). And Peter applies this directly to the Church: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession" (1 Peter 2:9).

The Lord's Church is a kingdom of priests. All are included. No exceptions.

2. The Priesthood Calls for Consecration

In the priestly office, one thing cannot be separated from it: consecration. It is God who consecrates, according to what he calls us to in his house. Our part is to long for it. To say: "Lord, I want to be consecrated. I want to enter into this priestly service for you."

In the past, the Levites laid their hands on the heads of the bulls sacrificed for the atonement of sins, a gesture that marked their desire to become priests of God. No one was forced. Those who refused could stay behind. But those who responded were brought into a holy office.

In the new covenant, it's the same. Being a priest is a commitment. A commitment to belong entirely to God, to be set apart for his work, to live for him because our life belongs to him. From now on, the conversation is no longer first about our plans, but about God's plans for us.

3. Serving God Isn't a Favor, It's a Privilege

Praying, watching, fasting, serving: these aren't favors we do for God. They are a privilege God grants us to enter his presence. In the past, only one man had access, once a year. Today, everyone can go. It's a privilege to be used without restraint.

4. Two Groups in the Church

There are two groups of people in the Church. The first are consecrated: they have surrendered everything into the Lord's hands. It isn't always easy to make that decision, but by doing so, they have become priests of God.

The second are still delaying. They want to keep control of their own lives. Yet the Word is clear: "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Christ's sake will find it" (Mark 8:35). It's paradoxical, but it's true.

Be careful here: you can be part of God's people without being a priest. In ancient times, there was the group of priests (the Levites), and there was the people. God wanted the situation to change, so that all would now be priests in his house. But if we aren't careful, we can belong to God's people without ever entering into this consecration.

5. The Subtle Idols That Delay Consecration

The people of Israel walked with God in the wilderness, accompanied by the cloud, and they still made themselves a golden calf. This isn't meant to condemn them, it's a reminder that we need to stay watchful. Our idols today aren't made of gold. They're subtle:

• Lack of faith, which refuses the leap into the unknown to fall back into God's hands.
• Self, wanting to be in control, to manage things, to rely first on our own abilities.
• Addictions, which keep us far from the calling in God's house.
• Neglect and laziness toward the things of God, which the devil uses to delay our commitment.
• Love of the world and its attractions: "Don't love the world, neither the things that are in the world" (1 John 2:15).
• Love of money: "No one can serve two masters... You can't serve both God and Mammon" (Matthew 6:24).
• Bad company, harmful to our spiritual life.
• Individualism and the constant pursuit of our own interest alone.
• Failing to prioritize spiritual things, the devil always presents seemingly important matters to keep us from doing what truly matters for God.
• Lack of discernment, which lets even happy events pull us away from the plan God has for us.

6. The Priest of the New Covenant Is a Harvester

In ancient times, the priest had no missionary role: the people of Israel were taught the things of God from childhood, and the mission of spreading the gospel across the whole world hadn't yet begun. This role has since evolved. The priest of the new covenant is a worker in the harvest.

"The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he send out laborers into his harvest" (Luke 10:2).

The Lord's Church is a missionary church. This is why Jesus came down from his throne and went up on the cross: to bring many souls back to himself. His last words were: "Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). When someone wants to give an important message at the end of their life, they focus on what matters most. That's exactly what Jesus did.

7. Three Groups in the Missionary Church

Romans 10:13-15 describes a chain for us: "For, 'Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent?"

Three groups are active in the mission:

1. Those who send: they pray, intercede for those on the field, and provide for the needs so that God's work can move forward.
2. Those who are sent: they rise up and go, far away or close by, to bring the good news.
3. Those who do both: they rise up, they go, and they also send others.

This third group applies to all of us in some measure, because Christian witness is for everyone. Even as "those who send," we bear witness right where the Lord has placed us: at our workplace, in the children's nursery, in community groups, in our neighborhood, with the neighbor down the hall, in our building.

Key Takeaways

• The torn veil at the cross opened the Most Holy Place to every believer: we are now a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:9).
• This calling touches everyone in the Church, whatever their profession or role.
• Consecration and priesthood cannot be separated: it is God who consecrates, but our part is to long for it and surrender everything into his hands.
• Serving God isn't a favor we do him, it's a privilege he grants us.
• Subtle idols (self, money, the world, addictions, laziness, lack of discernment) can delay this consecration if we aren't careful.
• The priest of the new covenant is also a harvester: sent, sending, or both.

Personal Application

1. Which group am I in today: consecrated, or am I still delaying giving everything over to the Lord?
2. Which subtle idol (self, money, an addiction, love of the world, laziness) is delaying my consecration?
3. Do I approach my times of prayer, service, and worship as a favor I'm doing for God, or as a privilege I'm receiving from him?
4. Have I ever taken the time to tell the Lord: "I want to be consecrated for you"?
5. In the Church's mission, am I one who sends, one who is sent, or both? Right where God has placed me this week, who can I bring the good news to?

Scriptures Cited

• Exodus 19:1-6 · a kingdom of priests, a holy nation
• 1 Peter 2:9 · you are a royal priesthood
• Mark 8:35 · whoever wants to save his life will lose it
• 1 John 2:15 · don't love the world
• Matthew 6:24 · no one can serve God and Mammon
• Luke 10:2 · the harvest is plentiful
• Mark 16:15 · go into all the world
• Romans 10:13-15 · the chain of mission

FAQ

Who is called to be a priest in the Church?

Every member of the Church, without exception. This isn't reserved for pastors, apostles, or teachers. Teachers, factory workers, doctors, engineers, accountants, shopkeepers: each one is called to this priestly role, in their own life and in God's house.

What does "being consecrated" actually mean?

It means belonging entirely to God, being set apart for his work, living for him because our life belongs to him. It begins with a sincere longing: telling the Lord we want to enter into this priestly service. From there, it is God who consecrates, according to what he calls us to.

Can you be a Christian without being a priest?

You can be part of God's people without fully entering into this consecration. Even in ancient times, there was the people, and there were the priests. Today, God wants everyone in his house to be priests, but that calls for a personal response, a commitment to no longer keep control of your own life.