Seeking Jesus First Jan. 31, 2025
The Levitical Priesthood is not a model for the New Covenant Church.
It doesn’t even seem to have been God’s original intention. GOD promised Moses, in Exodus 19:5–6,(paraphrased) “If you will listen and obey and keep covenant with Me, then I will make you a My treasure, and you’ll be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
He was not able to create this New Covenant model until Jesus came and made the Old Testament priesthood obsolete. “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, NKJV)
Every believer is a priest with a direct connection to GOD by the Holy Spirit. Every believer becomes a minister of reconciliation who can connect a lost person to GOD. However, once we connect someone to GOD, we do not become their priest.
The New Covenant model’ for the ‘ekklesia’ is first apostle, then prophet, then teacher, then healings and miracles. The church is built upon the foundation of New Covenant apostles and prophets of which Christ Jesus is The Chief Apostle and High Priest of our confession. It is the responsibility of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to disciple, equip, train and raise up the body of believers. It is the responsibility of all believers to serve one another by the love of God and bear one another’s burdens.
The gifts of the Spirit are awesome and necessary in the church, but love is a more excellent way to show each other that you are a disciple of Christ Jesus. It is the commandment of The New Covenant that fulfills all of the law. If your love is not evident to all, keep growing in love. If you are able to love, then you are in Christ Jesus. If you are able to forgive, you are in Christ Jesus. On the other hand, if we are hardening our hearts and not loving nor forgiving others, we are not of GOD. When we are receiving the love of God, we are giving love to others. “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” (1 John 4:20–21, NKJV)