In 1 Peter 2:1-9 we are given the characteristics and duties of the Christian priesthood.
There are three words in this passage which tell us that Christianity is a riving reality.
It is not a set of doctrines, a system of ordinances, or a number of rules and
regulations. It is a heavenly power to be used and felt in every hour and circumstance
of our daily lives. Christianity is the life of Christ communicated to the believer_
dwelling in him and flowing out from him.

The first word is "living" (verses 4 and 5). This is the foundation of Christian
priesthood. Peter was probably referring to Matthew 16:13-20. He had confessed Jesus
to be "the Christ, the Son of the living God." Christ was the Rock on whom the Church
was to be built. God Himself has laid the foundation (verse 6), and that foundation is
Christ; and all who simply believe in Christ, all who give Him the confidence of their
hearts, all who rest satisfied with Him, are made partakers of His resurrection-life and
thus made living stones.

The second word is "holy" (verse 5). All true believers are holy priests. We do not
become priests by offering priestly sacrifices. But being, through grace, made priests,
we are called upon to present the sacrifice. What is the nature of the sacrifice we are
privileged to offer? We are "to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ." We also read in Heb. 13:15, "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of
praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name."

The true nature of our sacrifice then is praise_"praise to God continually." It is not to
be an occasional thing. It is not merely at some special moment when all looks bright
and happy around us. It is not to be merely amidst the fervor of some specially
powerful public meeting when there is a strong current of worship all around us. The
word is, "praise . . . continually." There is no room for complaining, discontent,
impatience, or irritability, lamenting about our surroundings, complaining about the
weather, or finding fault with those with whom we are associated in the assembly, the
family, or in the business.

Holy priests should have no time for any of these things. They are brought nigh to
God, in holy liberty, peace, and blessing. They breathe the atmosphere and walk in the
sunlight of the divine presence, in the new creation, where there are no materials for a
sour and discontented mind to feed upon. A holy priest should "rejoice in the Lord
always" _ever ready to praise God. True, he may be tried in a thousand ways; but he
brings his trials to God in communion, not to his fellow-man in complaining.

The third and last word in our study is "royal" (verse 9). As holy priests, we draw nigh
to God and present the sacrifice of praise. As royal priests we go forth among our
fellow men, in all the details of daily life, to show forth the virtues of Christ. Every
movement of a royal priest should emit the fragrance of the grace of Christ. To be
occupied with myself, to be taking counsel for my own ease, my own interest, my own

enjoyment, to be seeking my own ends is not the action of a royal priest at all. Christ
never did so; and I am told to show forth His virtues.

The work of a royal priest includes, but is not limited to, giving money. But one need
not be rich to act as a royal priest. What riches are required to speak a kindly word, to
extend true sympathy, to give a friendly smile? Only the unsearchable riches of Christ
which are open to the most obscure member of the Christian priesthood.

Let us look at the example of Paul and Silas to see how these two aspects_holy and
royal_of the Christian priesthood are carried out in real life situations. In Acts 16 we
read that Paul and Silas were thrust into the darkest part of the prison and fastened in
the stocks with their backs sore and bleeding from the beatings they had received. What
were Paul and Silas doing? They "prayed and sang praises to God." Talk of
circumstances! It is little any of us know of trying circumstances. Poor things that we
are, the petty annoyances of daily Hie are often more than enough to cause us to lose
our mental balance. Paul and Silas were really in trying circumstances, but they were
there as living stones and holy priests.

How did they function as royal priests? They showed forth the virtues of Christ in their
words, "Do thyself no harm." They had no thought of retribution or anger for the man
who had contributed to their sufferings. The voices of the holy priests went directly up
to the throne of God and did their work there; and the words of the royal priests went
directly to the jailer’s hard heart and did their work there. God was glorified and the
jailer saved by two men rightly discharging the functions of the Christian priesthood.

(From "The Christian Priesthood" in Miscellaneous Writings, Vol. 3.)