"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, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:5, 6)
Having a discussion a few days ago with a friend of mine, I was reminded once again of our standing before God as Christians. We often get bogged down with the cares and concerns of this world and feel powerless. Yet here, in this passage, John (the Revelator of Jesus Christ) is reminding his readers just what all has been accomplished on our behalf.
We all understand (to an extent) the washing of our souls and lives in the blood of Jesus. We accept the fact that He saved us from hell and we sort of understand that He took away our sins and forgave our past. But we don't allow ourselves to go to the next level. We weren't saved to just be pulled along on this Christian walk. We aren't boat anchors for Jesus. Our salvation was not given so we could just sit back and coast into heaven. We were brought into the kingdom for so much more!
Throughout the epistles we read very graphic action words that describe us. Two in particular stand out. We are called soldiers (or warriors) in the service of our Commander. We are being trained to fight and win. Actually, we are commissioned officers in the army of God. We are empowered and commanded to bring others in as enlisted men and women under us as God brings them into our lives. These we are to teach the ways of the kingdom (mentor them), raise them up, and send them out to further build the family of God. That is our calling.
In other places we are compared to athletes. As such, we are commanded to train ourselves, to deny those things that would hinder us, and to build endurance for the run ahead. Athletes endure SO MUCH discipline in order to win their race! Both the soldier and the athlete are ordered to place themselves under the guidance and mentorship of their trainers and commanders, to deny their own wishes, and to focus on the goal.
One other set of titles that John reminds us of in this passage is that we are called to be kings and priests unto God. That means we don't have an opinion. We merely speak the words of God to the people without holding back or trying to interpret. We are to display the power and honor of God before the world. We are to be strong in His might, devout in our worship, and unwavering in our stance. In that place we WILL know the thrill of victory and success in battle. We shall, as Mark stated in Mark 16:17, 18: "...cast out devils; ... shall speak with new tongues; ... shall take up serpents; and if (they/we) drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt (them/us); ... shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." THAT, my friend, IS OUR CALLING. To set those in captivity free, heal the sick, raise the dead, and to show them the love of God.
Go forth today, mighty warrior, and be blessed.
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