THE OUTSTANDING PRIEST- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Exo. 18-20

THE OUTSTANDING PRIEST

Sunday, February 07, 2010

MEMORIZE: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (1 Peter 1:15)

READ: 2 Cor. 6:14 -18

As God’s royal priest, we must set the pace in every good deed (1 Tim. 4:12). You must lead by example. You must be seen practicing whatever you teach your congregation. Be positively different. Even when it was the vogue for men of God to identify themselves by their flamboyant attires, I towed a different line. The Lord will cause you to be His true representative in Jesus’ Name.

Another role of a royal priest is praise. You are called to offer praise to God and cause Him to be praised by what you do. We should praise God, not ourselves or other men. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”. Do you know that you can glorify God or make Him unhappy in little things like what and how you eat and drink? The royal priest who recognizes his spiritual position in Christ will mind table manners and watch what goes into his belly. Some believers are so fond of food that they do not watch what they eat and how they eat.

Apart from the pace-setter role and call to praise, the royal priest is expected to be resolutely holy. This is why we are called a holy nation. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy: for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Some compromising believers blame their unsteadiness on the corrupt nature of their environment. They would argue: ‘Can a fish in the sea avoid drinking from its waters?’ The organization where you are may be rotten but that is not enough reason to drink from its defiled waters. God wants you different for all to see. You should be different from those who take advantage of others, cut corners, sleep around and compromise. As a peculiar priest, you should be identified as one who practices God’s commandment contained in the Bible. Ask God for grace to be an outstanding priest. Your light should so shine that everyone will be able to attest by your works that you are truly of God. You can be a priest with a difference! You can stand out for righteousness in your generation!

ACTION POINT:

Thank God for all men and women of God in your nation. Ask God to make them positively different so that they can affect their generation for good.