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Lesson 4 – P is for Priesthood of the Believer

A priest is someone who speaks to God for a man or woman. They usually offer sacrifices to the god that they serve on behave of another person. They have usually dedicated their life in this type of service. Practically every religion that I can think of has a type of priest – a holy man who brings a petition to a god on the behalf of another person. The Bible clearly teaches that “…there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” I Timothy 2:5. Because Jesus is God, and because Jesus is the only mediator between men and God, we do not need a man (other than Christ) to be our priest. The Bible also says that he has made us priests. first century Christians and Baptists today declare that we are made priests before God, and we need no other man to approach God other than Jesus who is our high priest. The vail that kept back the priests from entering into the Holies of Holies was rent in two as Christs body was rent for us, He gave us access to the father by his death, burial, and resurrection. We can enter in boldly – Hebrews declares – into the presence of God because we are made heirs of God by Christs death.

Revelation 1 KJV

⁴ John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

⁵ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

⁶ And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 2: 4-5&9 KJV

⁴ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

⁵ Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

⁹ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

1 Timothy 2 KJV

⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

⁶ Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Romans 8 KJV

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

AND

³⁴ Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

We do not need to go to a priest for our prayers to be heard. We have the ear of God by Jesus Christ, and we have the spirit of God that indwells us – if we are born again – and is always praying for us. We have a direct line to God; we do not need a priest a bishop, a guru, an imam, or a so-called holy man to pray for us. If we are saved, we priest before God, we have direct access to God. We cannot buy it, we cannot sell it, we can only believe it. The first century church knew this. They were not confessing their sins to a priest, they were not asking a priest to go to God for them. They prayed and God answered. It wasn’t that they were special and now we need to go back to the old way. No that is completely against what the Bible teaches.

S.T.
Acts 20:24
"But none of these things move me..."