LIGHTBEARERS

Who doesn't want all things to work together for good?  The verse says they do for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Are you one of those?  What is His purpose for you?

Most people wonder about God's demands on them.  They just want to know what it is He wants.  The Old and New Testaments both use exactly the same words to describe what He wants.

Did you think the Old Testament has an expired shelf life?  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  And we remember Jesus said "Don't think I came to abolish the law; I came to fulfill it."

In our Exodus study at BSF, we just have read how God saved Israel out of Egypt and now is about to give them the law on Mt. Sinai.

Here's how God explained His expectations to Israel:

"You yourselves (Israel) have seen what I did to the Egyptians 

and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.

Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,

then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples

for all the earth is Mine;

and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Exodus 19:4-6

He wants a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  Wanting to know more about what that phrase "kingdom of priests" means, I found this summation from Dr. Matthew S. Harmon, a prof at Grace Theological Seminary.  He melted the phrase down to four "I's".  See if this job description for Israel doesn't match our job description, too.

INCARNATE

As they lived, Israel was to be an example to the people of other nations who would see her holy beliefs and actions - and be impressed enough to want to know personally the same God Israel knew.

INVITE

Israel was to proclaim the truth of God and invite people from other nations to accept Him in faith as shown by confession of belief in Him and acceptance of His covenant.

INTERCEDE

Israel would intercede for the rest of the world by offering acceptable offerings to God (both sacrifices and right behavior) and thus ameliorate the general distance between God and humankind.

INSCRIBE

Israel would preserve the promises of God, preserving His word already spoken and record His word as it was revealed to them...so that once the fullness of time had come, anyone in the whole world could promptly benefit from that great body of divinely revealed truth, that is, the Scriptures.

Priests serve, and Israel was called to be servant lightbearers.  So are we.  In 1Peter 2:9, the exact same message is given to believers.  

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

We are set-asides...consecrated for God's purposes...a holy nation employing intentional missional living.

We were not saved just for going to heaven.  We were saved to carry His good news to the whole world so they might come out from underneath their heavy burden of guilt...and go to heaven with us.  Doesn't that stand starkly opposite to those who make believers at the tip of the sword?

In Revelation 5:10, it says believer priests will "reign" on the earth.  That's not a "lording it over others" rule, but a continuation of service as we take our cue from Jesus, the Servant Leader who came not to be served, but to serve.