Teaching Article #26
by Bill Nugent
Rick Joyner, senior leader of MorningStar Ministries, Fort Mill South Carolina, had a spiritual encounter with Jesus in which he heard Jesus say “Tell My people who they are.”
A proper understanding of who you are in Christ will revolutionize your walk with God and imbue your prayers with more faith and fervency.
It’s Crucial to Know We Are Priests
To understand who we are let’s consider the following vignette:
A youth pastor, named Larry, stood in front of a huge auditorium filled with more than 500 Christian young people. His loyal assistants, Harry and Jerry were up on the stage with him.
Larry asks “How many priests are here today?” The young people looked flummoxed and confused. Many wondered if a busload of Catholic priests had arrived and mingled among the group.
Larry insisted on a show of hands of those who considered themselves to be priests. Then a few of the students began to get what was going on and haltingly raised their hands, first one, then a few more. Larry said “Every hand should be raised. Every born again Christian is a priest of God!”
Larry continued “Priest’ is a term we’re not comfortable using among theologically conservative protestants. The Bible says God has made us ‘kings and priests unto God’ (Rev. 1:6 KJV). In the 1500s during the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther emphasized the priesthood of the believer. No longer did people have to go through Roman Catholic priests, bishops and Cardinals to officiate over the sacraments as mediators to bring us to Christ. This was the end of sacerdotalism which was a reliance on an ordained caste of priests as mediators.
“The reformers pointed out the scriptures that say we are priests of God and each of us has a one-on-one relationship with God. As priests we have direct access to God through Christ. We don’t pray to Mary or other saints. We intercede for the nations and shape history through prayer!”
You’re a King who Rules With God Over the Earth
Larry was not done. He said “How many kings are present here today?” This elicited some chuckles among the young people. But then some of the more theologically astute among them raised their hands. Larry said “Every hand should be raised! Jesus is “King of kings” (Rev. 17:14). We are the kings over which Jesus is King! God has made us kings and priests!” As kings we have authority in the spiritual, governmental, social and economic realms.
“In the 1600s the royalty of the believer was proclaimed from pulpits in England and America. We are a “royal priesthood” (I Peter 2:9). If every man is a king how does a city or nation govern itself? The answer is simply that every king gets to vote and thereby participate in ruling the nation. This is the basis of our republican form of government and our personal freedom. Since we’re all kings, we’re all spiritually, politically and socially equal. Christians have authority over the nations. What we bind on earth is bound in heaven!”
You Have the Spirit of Prophecy Dwelling Within You
Then one of the assistant youth pastors, named Harry, grabbed the mic. He asked “How many prophetic people are here in the auditorium? I don’t mean the office of prophet but I mean people that are prophetic. How many prophetic people are here?” Again people wondered and looked at one another quizzically. And then a scattering of hands went up.
Harry cried out: “Every hand should be raised! Every born again Christian is prophetic! Every Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him! Every Christian can hear from God. Every Christian has a one-on-one relationship with God. You may not be fully developed in your gift of prophecy but every one of you has the Spirit of prophecy dwelling within you!”
You’re an Evangelist
The other assistant youth pastor, Jerry, took to the podium. “How many evangelists are here in the auditorium? By this time the young people caught on to what they were doing. Every hand went up. Jerry said “Good, you’re finally be beginning to understand. Every born-again Christian has the Spirit of Christ within him and the Spirit of Christ is an evangelist! Don’t ever say you’re too shy to evangelize. Don’t ever say you’re not evangelistic.”
You’re a Teacher
Jerry pressed on and said “How many teachers are here in the auditorium? Again every hand went up. He said “You’re all teachers. Jesus commanded us to go to the nations and make disciples of all nations, ‘Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you’ (Matt. 28:20 KJV). All verbal Christian ministry is teaching. All evangelism is teaching. All of us are teachers!”
You’re a Miracle Worker
The senior youth pastor, Larry, seeing that they were catching on, threw a bit of a curve-ball. He said “How many miracle workers are here in the auditorium today?” The quizzical looks returned to the young people. Larry insisted “How many of you have ever worked a miracle? Do you even know what a miracle is? A miracle is God’s supernatural intervention into this world.”
Then he said, “Well let me explain; let me make it plain to you. Every answer to prayer is a miracle! That’s right, every answer to Christian prayer is a miracle. Most answers to prayer are not as dramatic as parting the Red Sea or raising the dead. Most miraculous answers to Christian prayer are rather subtle.
“You pray to get that great job when there are 12 other applicants more qualified than you. You pray fervently to the Lord and ask for the position. Then you get the phone call and it’s the interviewer saying ‘I don’t know why I’m doing this but I really feel good about you and I think you’ll work out fine in the position, you’ve got the job! That’s a miracle! Your prayers worked a miracle!
If ever you feel discouraged just look in the mirror and say ‘I’m a miracle worker!'”
Your Human Spirit is Righteous
Larry threw another curve-ball. He asked “How many righteous people are here? How many holy people are here?” The young people looked dumbfounded this time. They looked at each other in astonishment and said “Has this guy gone weird?”
Larry said “You’re composed of spirit, soul and body (I Thess. 5:23). When you were born again your spirit was regenerated (Titus 3:5). Your spirit is a righteous Son of God and is a partaker of the divine nature. Your soul and body are not yet redeemed. The sin nature dwells in your soul and in your body (Romans 7:14-18).
“Your spirit is born again and it is experientially righteous. I’ve got chapter and verse on that by the way. Your spirit was resurrected and has “passed from death unto life” (John 5:24 KJV). Your spirit is a “new creation” (II Cor. 5:17 NKJV).
“First John 3:9 says ‘Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (KJV).” Your human spirit cannot sin because it has the divine nature. Your spirit has been saved, your soul is being saved through daily sanctification, your body will be saved at the resurrection of the dead!”
“I know there’s been a lot of confusion about this. Some heretical people claim to be sinlessly perfect in spirit, soul and body. They falsely claim to be totally sinless and the sin nature eradicated from their very souls. If you follow them around, you’ll see them commit sins in attitude or in speech or in deed. Know that your spirit is reborn holy but the soul still has the sin nature and must be sanctified day by day (II Cor. 3:18; 4:16).”
You’re a Son or Daughter of God
Larry asked, “How many sons and daughters of God are here?” Every hand raised. He said “That’s right, the day that you were converted to Christ; the day you were born again, you were born, not adopted, as a son or daughter of God. You were born into God’s family. The Bible also talks about adoption but adoption refers to the placing as a son. The placing of a mature son is something that occurs at full maturity at the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19-23).
“When you were born again as a son or daughter of God, God gives you a beautiful inner witness. Romans 8:16 says that the Holy Spirit “Bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God” (NKJV).”
The young people left the auditorium greatly encouraged. They went out to serve God with much greater energy and confidence. They prayed with much greater faith and fervency. They know who they are!
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
Prayer to receive salvation:
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
“Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!