1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
The third principle implied is that access to God has both a personal and a corporate aspect. All of God’s children have access to the Father. Born-again Believers do not need a pastor or priest as a mediator between God and them; we can go directly to God, our Father. This foundational belief of direct access to God is referred to this Theologians as the “royal priesthood of Believers”. Unfortunately, some claim that individuals can live out their faith on their own; not needing to be a member of any local body of Believers or anyone else telling them what the Bible means. They read the Bible or not, but can figure it all out on their own. Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
The Bible tells us that our faith is not just for us alone, but to be lived out in the community of faith called Christ’s church; the family of God. Romans 12:4-5 “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” All have been brought together in Christ, when He tore down the wall between us and God. It is a corporate aspect in experiencing the presence of God in our lives. We gather together with the brethren in corporate access to experience and enjoy the presence of God the Father, while encouraging each other in our united faith and helping other to live the glorious life that the Lord has provided and called us to on this side of eternity. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Because of what Jesus has done for us on the Cross (removing the sin barrier, opening the gate to the narrow path and paving the way, we have access to go to God whenever we want. And we should go to our Heavenly Father more often.
We approach God in personal prayer and meditation, and in corporate prayer and worship as the community of Believers; and that is amazing! The Creator of the Universe wants a personal relationship in His presence. We many, many times fail to take advantage of that privilege. We do not take advantage of our privileged access to God through the door that Christ open for us. Jesus is the Way to God. Did He do that for us to turn away and miss out on life to the full? The Lord opened the door, but we have to choose to walk through it. Heed the proclamation of the Apostle James, who states in James 4:8, “Come close to God and He will come close to you.” We have an open invitation for an audience with the King of the kingdom of Heaven and God is waiting for you today; the rest is up to you.
In Christ, Brian
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