1月20日

標 題：君尊的祭司

經 節：惟有你們是被揀選的族類，是有君尊的祭司，是聖潔的國度，是屬神的子民，要叫你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。（彼得前書二章9節）

如果你是個基督徒，你就是神所挑選的祭司。身為君尊祭司的一員，你得時常面謁皇帝。生活中有欠缺時，你不需要找仲介，也不需要另一位祭司的協助，好能得到神的回答；你所擁有君尊祭司的身分允許你能直接面謁神。這是你祭司身分的特權。

然而，祭司也有其應盡職責。祭司的責任是與全體的祭司同工。聖經中並沒有鼓勵每位祭司擔負其個人獨特的事工。相反地，祭司們一起同工事奉（利未記九：1）。個人主義會孤立你與眾祭司的搭配，這並不是神在聖經的教導。

祭司在百姓面前代表神，也把百姓的憂慮帶到神的面前。你周圍是否有人正急迫地需要一位神的祭司的代禱？或許某人唯有藉著看到你的生命，才前來認識神。我們的世界饑渴地找尋真神。藉著祂的百姓能活出祂的生命，才能表彰神。將我們自己的工作放在神的呼召之上，是極其危險的。我們首要的職分是祭司，工作是次要的。當我們的優先次序弄混時，周遭的人無法藉由我們面謁神。神給你的召命可能是一份世俗的工作，但更重要的是，祂早已指定你作祂的君尊祭司。

Royal Priests

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. (1 Peter 2:9)

If you are a Christian, you are a priest, chosen by God. As a member of the royal priesthood you have constant access to the King. If there is ever a need in your life, you don’t have to find an intermediary or enlist another priest in order to gain a hearing from the King. Your position as a royal priest allows you direct access. This privilege describes your position as a priest.

However, priests also have a function. It is the responsibility of a priest to work within a priesthood. Scripture does not promote the practice of individual priests, each with a separate ministry. Rather, priests function together (Lev. 9:1). An unbiblical sense of individualism can isolate you from functioning within God’s royal priesthood as_He intended.

The priest represents God to the people, but he also takes the people’s concerns to God. Is there someone around you who desperately needs the intercession of one of God’s priests? Perhaps someone will only come to know God by seeing Him in your life. Our world hungers for an expression of Christ as He really is, living out His life through His people. It is dangerous to put our job above our calling by God. We are called to be priests first, and to hold a job second. When we get these out of order, everyone around us is denied access to the Father through us. God may have called you into a secular job as a vocation, but more importantly He has appointed you to be one of His royal priests.