Your Identity as a Royal Priesthood

Have you ever wondered about your true identity as a believer? Many Christians struggle with understanding who they really are in God's kingdom. The answer lies in recognizing that you are part of a royal priesthood - not a religious title, but your actual spiritual identity that comes with real authority and purpose.

What Does It Mean to Have Dominion and Authority?

From the very beginning, God had a specific plan for humanity. In Genesis 1:26, God said, "Let us give mankind dominion and authority over all the earth." This wasn't just for Adam and Eve - it was God's design for all humanity, both male and female.

When Adam and Eve fell, they didn't fall from heaven - they fell from dominion and authority. They gave away what God had freely given them through an act of treason against God. To restore this original plan, God sent Jesus as "the last Adam" and "the second man" (1 Corinthians 15:45).

Why God Works Through Humans

Here's a crucial truth: God has limited His access to interfere on earth by His own Word. When He gave mankind dominion, His character wouldn't allow Him to simply take it back. God cannot violate His word or compromise His character.

This means God doesn't act on earth without partnership with a human being. He needs a permit through an agreement with a person - someone functioning as a royal priesthood.

How Does Prayer Authorize God's Intervention?

When Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer, He said, "Father, your kingdom come, your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). This isn't just a nice prayer - it's actually authorizing God's will to be done on earth.

Without this kind of prayer, God's will cannot be done on earth as it is in heaven. This is why your words, prayers, and worship are so vital - they're how you authorize life over death and permit God to intervene.

The Power of Faith Permits

As James 5:16 tells us, "The earnest, heartfelt, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working." Why? Because your identity in Christ makes you a child of God, authorized as a royal priesthood.

In Ezekiel 22:30, God was looking for a human to stand in the gap and intercede so He could save people. Your prayers literally issue "faith permits" that allow heaven's power to work on earth.

What Is the Difference Between Identity and Calling?

Many people make the mistake of knowing too much about their calling and too little about their identity. This creates problems because they become driven by what they do rather than led by who they are.

Before God gave the Ten Commandments, He told His people in Exodus 19:6 that they would be "a kingdom of priests, a holy nation." Your identity can't evolve from doing - it issues from being reborn.

The Royal Priesthood Explained

First Peter 2:9 declares: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, God's own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

This dual role means:

• Royal authority - You master things and circumstances
• Priestly authority - You serve and bless people

How Did Jesus Demonstrate This Authority?

Even Jesus, when performing miracles, said in Matthew 9:6, "But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth." Notice He didn't say "Son of God" - He said "Son of Man." Jesus came as fully God and fully human to legally authorize salvation and healing on earth.

This is why God had to send His Son in the flesh. There was no perfect human without sin, so "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14) to legally authorize our redemption.

The Christmas Connection

Christmas represents God's grace in becoming Emmanuel - "God with us" - in human flesh. This wasn't just about forgiveness; it was about restoring us to the original abundant life plan that Jesus described in John 10:10: "I came to give you life and have life more abundantly."

Why Does the Enemy Fight This Truth?

When Adam gave away dominion, Satan set up his counterfeit kingdom of darkness. He knew Jesus came to restore humanity's authority, and he didn't want to lose control.

Even Satan tried to tempt Jesus directly, showing Him "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" and saying, "All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus responded with the truth about worship and service belonging to God alone.

Taking Responsibility for Authority

Too often, people blame God for tragedies and evil, calling them "acts of God." But this is character assassination against our Heavenly Father. As Psalm 115:16 says, "The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth has he given to the children of men."

The ignorant misuse and neglect of authority isn't innocence - it's responsibility we must acknowledge to receive the antidote Jesus provides.

What Are the Practical Benefits of This Identity?

Consider this real-life testimony: A wealthy businessman who had become an atheist was diagnosed with aggressive bone cancer. After spending all his wealth on doctors with no success, he found himself dying in a cheap hotel room.

Desperate, he prayed, "God, if you're real, I need you to speak to me and save my life." He randomly opened a Bible and read Proverbs 3:5-9, which promised health to his bones if he would trust and honor the Lord with his possessions.

With only $200 left, he gave it all to a Salvation Army mission in obedience. The result? Complete healing and restoration to even greater wealth than before - all because he activated his faith and stepped into his royal priesthood identity.

From the Inside Out

The Kingdom works from the inside out, not from external religious activities. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away."

Jesus said in Luke 17:21, "The kingdom of God is within you." When you welcome Jesus as King of your heart - not just into your life but onto the throne of your heart - His kingdom power flows from the inside out.

Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to live from your true identity as a royal priesthood rather than from your circumstances or feelings. Begin each day by declaring who you are in Christ: chosen, royal, authorized, and loved by God.

Practice issuing "faith permits" through prayer - specifically pray "Your kingdom come, Your will be done" over situations in your life and the lives of others. Remember, you're not begging God to act; you're authorizing Him to work through the authority He's given you.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I living from my identity in Christ or from my circumstances?
• Do I truly believe I have authority to pray with confidence and expectation?
• How can I better serve others while exercising dominion over the challenges in my life?
• What areas of my life need me to step into my royal priesthood identity this week?

Your identity as a royal priesthood isn't about religious activity - it's about understanding who you really are and the authority God has given you to make a difference in this world. Step into that identity today and watch how God moves through your life to bless others and bring His kingdom to earth.

~Dr. Stephen Marshall