9  Spiritual Privileges-Part 1:  Union with Christ and Access to God  (1 Peter 2:4–5)

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (2:4–5)

The dictionary defines privilege as “a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor, ” which may be “attached specifically to a position or an office.” It is a blessing or freedom enjoyed by some people, but which most people cannot take advantage of. Christians are a special class of people who enjoy unique and eternal spiritual favors—granted by God—because of their position in Christ. In this portion of his first letter, Peter continually examines the kaleidoscopic array of Christian privilege and rearranges the same basic truths into multiple images so that his readers might see the multifaceted glory of what it means to be children of God.

Many believers view the Christian life more from the standpoint of spiritual duty rather than spiritual privilege. They tend to be preoccupied with the temporal pressures of what they view as obligations and do not cherish the lasting privileges God has given them to enjoy. They often think of those as blessings reserved for heaven, to be appreciated only in the presence of God and Christ in that place of perfect joy, peace, harmony, unity, rest, knowledge, and wisdom. Since there will be no sickness, pain, or death, heaven appears to be the realm where everything is privilege and nothing is duty. However, the privileges of heaven will not exclude duty but will combine perfectly with it in an eternity of worshiping, honoring, serving, and exalting the Lord. So spiritual duty and spiritual privilege are not mutually exclusive for believers, either in this life or in the life to come. In this passage, the apostle emphasizes the richness of the privileges believers already have in Christ.

THE INITIATION OF SPIRITUAL PRIVILEGES

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, (2:4)

It is by coming to Christ that believers enter the realm of spiritual privilege. Jesus Himself, with Peter and the other apostles as eyewitnesses, called people to abandon the turmoil of their sin and come to Him in faith and experience true soul rest. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28–29). The once troubled soul is at peace. In John 6:35 He told the multitude, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst” (cf. vv. 37, 44, 65; 7:37–38). The apostle Paul affirmed to the Ephesians that in Christ alone are all spiritual blessings found: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3; cf. vv. 4–14).

The compound verb coming (proserchomenoi), however, conveys more than a mere drawing close to Christ for salvation. The preposition pros is a prefix to the normal verb erchomai and adds intensity, denoting a drawing near to Christ in intimate, abiding, personal fellowship. The writer of Hebrews uses this same term a number of times to denote a conscious coming into God’s presence with the intent to remain (4:16; 7:25; 10:22). For Peter, the word implied the movement of the entire inner person into the experience of intimate and ongoing communion with Jesus Christ.

Peter then used the metaphor of a living stone to identify the One to whom believers come—Jesus Christ—and to launch his discussion of spiritual privilege. Stone (lithos) sometimes refers to a carved precious stone, but usually it means “building stone.” The Old Testament designates God as the only rock (Deut. 32:3–4, 31), the foundation and strength of His people. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the rock (2:8; 1 Cor. 10:4) and the stone on which the church rests. Here Peter’s image is of a stone that was perfectly designed, shaped, and hewn out to become the cornerstone of the church, not merely a stone but a living stone. That living stone is Christ because He lives forever, having risen from the dead (Rom. 6:9). Not only is He alive, but He also gives life to all who trust in Him (cf. 1:3, 23; John 5:21, 25; 6:51–53; 1 Cor. 15:45; Col. 2:13; 1 John 4:9; 5:11–13). The absence of a definite article before living stone emphasizes the living quality and divine character of Jesus Christ.

Even though Christ is the source of all spiritual privileges, He has been rejected by men. That phrase primarily refers to the Jewish leaders and the Jewish people who followed them in demanding Christ’s crucifixion. But Peter’s words also encompass everyone who has rejected Christ since that time. Has been rejected (apodedokimasmenon) means “rejected having been examined or tested.” Because the Jewish leaders were looking for the Messiah, when Jesus claimed to be the Christ (Matt. 26:63–64; John 1:49–51; 4:25–26; cf. Matt. 16:13–20; Luke 4:14–21) they examined His claim. Based on their blind hearts and false standards (Matt. 12:2, 10, 38; 15:1–2; 16:1; Mark 12:13–34; John 8:12–27), they concluded that He did not measure up, so they rejected Him (John 19:7, 12, 15; cf. 7:41–52; 12:37–38). Contempt and hatred characterized their rejection (Matt. 26:57–68; 27:20–25, 39–43; Mark 12:12; Luke 6:11; 13:14; John 8:59; 10:31, 39; cf. Luke 4:28–30); it was unthinkable to them that Jesus could possibly be the cornerstone of God’s kingdom (cf. Ps. 118:22). They viewed Him as one who foolishly denounced their religious system (cf. Matt. 23:1–36; Mark 8:13–21), was too weak and humble to overthrow the occupying Romans and secure the Jews’ national freedom, and was willing to die ignominiously on a cross (Matt. 17:22–23; 20:17–19; Mark 9:30–32; Luke 18:31–34). He simply did not measure up to any of the Jewish establishment’s expectations.

Even though unbelievers have rejected Jesus Christ, He is choice and precious in the sight of God. The Father measured Him by the standards of divine perfection and declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matt. 3:17). God elected and ordained Christ (Deut. 18:15–16; Isa. 42:1; Jer. 23:5–6; Mic. 5:2; Acts 2:23; Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:22; Heb. 3:1–2; 5:4–5; cf. Gen. 3:15; Num. 24:17; Ps. 45:6–7), as Peter’s use of choice (eklekton) indicates. God also considered Jesus precious (entimon), which means “costly, highly prized, rare” (cf. 1:19; Ps. 45:2), the perfect, living cornerstone (Isa. 28:16; 1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20).

One of the major themes of Peter’s preaching in the book of Acts is God’s attestation of Christ’s perfection. In Acts 2:22, he identified Him this way: “Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst.” Later in Acts he made these declarations: “This Jesus God raised up again” (2:32; cf. 4:10; 5:30); “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone” (4:11). As a trustworthy eyewitness, Peter was convinced of Christ’s extraordinary status: “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, ” he told those gathered in Cornelius’s house, “how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem” (10:38–39). It is to that unique living stone that everyone must go to receive the spiritual privileges that accompany salvation (cf. Matt. 11:28; John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:17).

THE PRIVILEGE OF UNION WITH CHRIST

you also, as living stones, (2:5a)

When sinners come in faith to Christ, the “living stone, ” they too become living stones; when someone believes in Christ he shares His life (cf. John 17:21, 23; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:15–16; 1 John 3:2). To be living stones means that believers have the eternal life of Christ. They are united with Him, which is their first spiritual privilege. They do not just worship Him, obey Him, and pray to Him; they are united with Him as stones in a spiritual building of which He is the cornerstone. Christians become partakers of the divine nature: “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Col. 3:3–4; cf. Gal. 2:20). In addition, Paul told the Ephesians,

The foundation of this spiritual building (“household”) is the apostles’ doctrine (cf. Acts 2:42), the Scripture, which by the Holy Spirit they faithfully received and taught (cf. John 14:26; 15:26–27; 16:13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19–21; 3:1–2, 16).

Believers, in their union with Christ, have spiritual resources to meet their every need. That is why Paul could pray on behalf of the Ephesians, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Eph. 3:20; cf. Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:29). And it is the reason he could tell the Romans, “I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed” (Rom. 15:18). Paul’s evangelistic effectiveness resulted from the power of Christ working through him (cf. Acts 13:46–48; 1 Cor. 2:1–5; 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 4:17). The power of Christ energizes all spiritual service by believers (cf. 1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:21) and is resident in them because of their union with Him (John 15:4–11). Those who trust Christ for salvation become themselves living stones like their Savior and Lord and are privileged to access the spiritual power that resides in Him.

THE PRIVILEGE OF ACCESS TO GOD AS PRIESTS

are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, (2:5b)

The vast world of unredeemed people has no access to God. He does not admit unbelievers into His fellowship (cf. Prov. 12:2; Matt. 7:21–23; Col. 1:21; Rev. 22:14–15); in fact, the Bible says they are far off (cf. Acts 2:39; Eph. 2:13). On the other hand, those who know God through Christ have the privilege of full admission into His presence (Ps. 65:4; John 10:9; Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:18; 3:12; Heb. 4:16; 10:19–22).

As a believing Jew, the apostle Peter realized the New Testament economy was different from the Old in terms of God’s presence with believers (John 1:17–18; Heb. 8:7–13). In the old economy, God’s temple, representing His presence (1 Kings 8:10–11; 2 Chron. 5:13; 7:2–3), was a temporal, material house (Luke 21:5; John 2:20); but in the new, believers are being built up as a spiritual house that supersedes any material building (Eph. 2:20–22; Heb. 3:6). They constitute God’s spiritual temple (cf. Acts 17:24; 1 Cor. 6:19–20; 2 Cor. 6:16), which Paul called “the household of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15). The writer of Hebrews further identifies the spiritual house in this fashion: “Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are” (Heb. 3:6). So believers have access to God “as living stones, ” and they commune with Him as His spiritual dwelling.

Believers also function as a holy priesthood. Unfortunately, many people associate “priesthood” with the unbiblical model found in the Roman Catholic Church. But when the Bible speaks about believers being “priests, ” it does not refer to the Catholic system, nor to the old covenant priesthood in which only a single tribe of priests could officially serve God in sacred ceremonies. In the Old Testament only the high priest could actually go into the Holy of Holies once a year (Lev 16:2, 29–34; Heb. 9:1–10, 25). Anyone who presumptuously crossed over into the priestly function without fully meeting the requirements and qualifications of the priesthood suffered severe judgment. For example, the rebellious Korah and his cohorts wrongly and sinfully had an ambition to be priests, and God destroyed them (Num. 16:1–40). When King Saul usurped Samuel’s priestly function at Gilgal, God removed the kingdom from him (1 Sam. 13:8–14). When Uzzah unwisely touched the ark of God, the action cost him his life (2 Sam. 6:6–7). King Uzziah usurped the role of the priests and incurred God’s deadly punishment (2 Chron. 26:16–21).

However, under the new covenant, such limitations do not exist, since all believers are a holy priesthood (cf. 2:9). Three Old Testament passages offer significant parallels to the characteristics of believers’ priesthood. Exodus 28–29 lays out God’s commands regarding the priesthood, such as the standards and principles for the office, as well as the functions of the office. Leviticus 8–9 describes the inauguration of men into the priestly office. Malachi 2 contrasts an apostate priesthood to the legitimate, God-ordained priesthood. From those passages flow six basic characteristics of the Old Testament priesthood that have great relevance to New Testament believers’ spiritual privileges as priests.

Exodus 28 first of all reveals that God sovereignly chose the priests. He commanded Moses, “Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons” (28:1). Likewise, the New Testament priesthood of believers is an elect privilege. Jesus told His disciples, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain” (John 15:16). Christians have this priesthood only because God chose them from before the foundation of the world (Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:29–33; Eph. 1:3–6; 1 Thess. 1:3–4; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; cf. John 6:44; 15:16).

God chose ‘Aaron and his sons for the Old Testament priesthood even though they were from the tribe of Levi, one of the least respected of Israel’s twelve tribes because it was cursed (Gen. 49:5–7). God chose the priests from among a tribe known for its sinful violence. His choice operates by the same principle under the new covenant:

God chose the first priests from among particularly imperfect, cursed sinners—the tribe of Levi; and He still chooses His spiritual priesthood from among the ignoble, weak, and despised—ordinary sinners.

The second characteristic of the Old Testament priesthood is that God cleansed them from sin before they embarked on their duties. Leviticus 8:6–36 says,

Every part of the cleansing ceremony—the washings (v. 6), the sin offering (vv. 14–17), the burnt offering (vv. 18–21), the consecration and wave offerings (vv. 22–29)—indicated the same thing: no one, not even a man from the tribe of Levi or the family of Aaron, could enter the priesthood unless God had completely cleansed him from sin.

In like fashion, when He washed His disciples’ feet in the Upper Room, Jesus told Peter and the others, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8). Paul later provided additional insight into Christ’s cleansing work: “[He] gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds…. He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 2:14; 3:5). Jesus cleansed His people by His blood (Mark 14:24; Acts 20:28; Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Eph. 1:7; 2:13; Heb. 9:11–15; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5) and by His Spirit (John 3:5; Eph. 1:13–14; cf. Matt. 3:11; Acts 11:16) so they could become His priests.

Third, God clothed the priests for service. Exodus 28 gives a detailed account of the priests’ garments, the purpose of which verses 40–43 summarize:

The “linen breeches, ” or undergarments, symbolized sexual purity, and the other special garments symbolized the priests’ unique call to righteousness, virtue, and godliness. God set them apart and wanted them to appear distinct from the people so everyone would know they uniquely belonged to Him (cf. Ps. 132:9, 16).

Believers today are also priests whom God has clothed in righteousness (cf. Ps. 24:5; Isa. 61:10; Rom. 4:5, 11, 22). Paul told the Corinthians, “By His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30; cf. Rom. 14:17; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).

Fourth, God through Moses anointed the Levitical priests for service. “So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him” (Lev. 8:30; cf. v. 12). That anointing identified God’s power and presence as resting on the priesthood; it symbolized empowerment from the Holy Spirit (cf. Ex. 30:23–25, 29; 40:13–15; 1 Sam. 16:13). In similar fashion, new covenant believers are priests who have received a divine anointing (cf. John 7:38–39; 14:26; 16:13; Acts 1:5, 8; Rom. 15:13; 1 Cor. 12:13; Titus 3:5–6). The apostle John reminded the recipients of his first letter, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know” (1 John 2:20; cf. v. 27). God has anointed His own with the power and authority of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence.

Because God had granted them His special authority, Israel’s priests had privileges none of the other people had: they could go where no one else was allowed to go and do things no one else was permitted to do. Christians today have the similar but far greater spiritual advantage of entering God’s holy presence at any time, a privilege that unbelievers never have.

A fifth characteristic of the priesthood is that God prepared its members for service. Following the ceremonies described earlier in Leviticus 8, Moses commanded Aaron and his sons, “You shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled; for he will ordain you through seven days” (v. 33). Although outwardly everything was in order by the conclusion of Leviticus 8, before Aaron and his sons could function as priests (cf. Lev. 9:2–4, 22–23), God required them to spend a time of heart preparation (cf. Ezra 7:10; Ps. 10:17), represented by the seven days.

Paul’s life illustrates for New Testament believers the principle of priestly preparation:

After his conversion, Paul possessed all the requirements to be an exemplary spiritual priest, yet he went away for a long time of heart preparation. Ministry must not be entered into prematurely or naively (cf. the principle in 1 Tim. 3:6; 5:22). This suggests the need for preparation before service. This heart preparedness is expressed in the call to self-sacrifice in Luke 9:23–24 and Romans 12:1–2.

Sixth, God called the priests to obedience. Leviticus 10:1–3 graphically illustrates the consequences of disobedience:

Perhaps Nadab and Abihu used fire that was somehow unacceptable because it did not come from the sacred place ordained by God (Lev. 16:12–13). Or maybe they used incense that was not made according to the divine recipe (Ex. 30:34–38). Or they might simply have become drunk in celebrating their ordination to the priesthood (cf. Lev. 10:9–11). Whatever the case, God was greatly displeased with their conduct and destroyed them, thereby sending to all subsequent priests the sobering message that He expects full obedience from them (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Matt. 7:21; John 8:31; Acts 5:29). In 1:14 Peter admonished his readers concerning their call to obedience: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.”

Obedient priests will have a high regard for the Word of God (Pss. 1:2; 119:42, 97, 161–162; Jer. 15:16; Titus 1:9), a genuine walk with God (Eph. 5:8–10; Col. 4:5–6; James 1:25), and an impact on sinners as messengers of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:18–21). The prophet Malachi emphasized these traits as he looked back to the early days of the priesthood:

Malachi’s model for the faithful priest (cf. Mal. 2:5) was likely Aaron himself, who presented a stark contrast to the sinful priesthood of Malachi’s day (Mal. 2:1–3) and provided a sound rationale for the prophet’s rebuke of those apostates (v. 4; cf. Num. 25:7–13 and the example of Aaron’s grandson, Phineas, the zealous priest who turned away the wrath of God from the people and received His covenant of peace). Malachi’s portrait of the godly priest also serves as an excellent parallel for Christians (cf. Acts 1:8; Col. 2:6; 1 John 2:6; Jude 3), who are privileged to be messengers of divine truth as new covenant priests.

THE PRIVILEGE OF ACCESS TO GOD THROUGH SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES

to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (2:5c)

The primary function of the Old Testament priests, as they ministered in the tabernacle and then the temple, was to offer animal sacrifices to God (Ex. 29:10–19; 2 Chron. 35:11). But when Christ inaugurated the new covenant, animal sacrifices were no longer necessary (Heb. 8:13; 9:11–15; 10:1–18). Now the only sacrifices remaining for the priesthood of believers to offer up, according to Peter, are spiritual sacrifices. R. C. H. Lenski, in his commentary, effectively summarizes the difference between the old and new sacrifices:

Obviously the Old Testament priests were to offer sacrifices that met God’s requirements. The animals they offered were to be the best-blameless, spotless, and without defect (Ex. 12:5; Lev. 9:2–3; 22:19; Num. 6:14; Deut. 15:21; 17:1). They also were to offer the animal sacrifices and use incense consistent with God’s requirements. (Failure to strictly follow the divine requirements cost Nadab and Abihu their lives.) New Testament priests have a corresponding responsibility. Even though they enjoy the privilege of unrestricted access to God’s presence (Heb. 10:19–22), Christians still have the serious responsibility of offering spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Christ alone is the mediator (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5–6), the One who gives believers true access to the Father (Heb. 4:14–16; 9:11–15).

During His Upper Room Discourse, Jesus told His disciples, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14). Whatever His followers ask, consistent with His person, will, and kingdom plan, He will accomplish it. Likewise, whatever spiritual offerings new covenant priests present to God must be consistent with the person and work of Christ (1:15–16; 2:21–22; 1 John 2:6). They must conform to the design and method His Word reveals. All such offerings must be pure acts of sacrifice, deriving from pure motives, and focusing on the pure goal of honoring God. The New Testament sets forth seven basic, acceptable spiritual sacrifices for Christians: their bodies, their praise, their good works, their possessions, their converts, their love, and their prayers.

The apostle Paul’s familiar and practical exhortation to the Romans says,

God-honoring spiritual sacrifice begins when believers offer God all their human faculties, including their minds and every part of their bodies. The unregenerate yield the members of their bodies to sin, but the redeemed yield their members as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13). In Romans 12:1, Paul emphasizes that God wants the believer’s body to be “a living … sacrifice, ” not a dead one. Like Abraham was willing to do with Isaac in Genesis 22:1–19, it is only when saints offer God everything they are in life, everything they possess, and everything they hope for that they truly present Him with a living sacrifice. That is the total commitment He requires of spiritual priests.

A second spiritual sacrifice that is acceptable to God is praise, or worship. “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). Offering praise to God involves much more than merely mouthing the words “Praise the Lord.” It more completely entails gratefully declaring God’s attributes (e.g., Pss. 83:18; 86:5, 10; 90:2; 92:15; 99:9; 102:26–27; 117:1–2; 119:68; 139:1–7; 145:1–9; Isa. 44:6; Rom. 11:33; 1 Tim. 1:17) and His works (e.g., Ex. 15:1–18, 20–21; Judg. 5:1–31; 1 Sam. 2:1–10; 2 Sam. 22:1–51; 1 Chron. 16:7–36; 29:10–15; Pss. 8:1–9; 19:1, 4; 30:1–7; 33:1–22; 66:1–20; 96:1–13; 103–107; 111:1–10; 121:1–8; 135–136; 145:10; 148–150).

Hebrews 13 commends a third and fourth acceptable sacrifice: “Do not neglect doing good and sharing” (v. 16, emphases added). “Doing good” involves doing what is righteous and what honors God (cf. 2 Cor. 9:8; Titus 3:8; James 3:17). Any good work—whether it is reproof that restores a brother, loving and helpful action toward someone, studying God’s Word, listening to the Word preached, or speaking a righteous word—is a spiritual sacrifice in Christ’s name that glorifies God (2:12; Matt. 5:16; Col. 1:10; 3:17; Heb. 13:21; cf. 2 Thess. 3:13).

“Sharing, ” or generosity, is a specific good work the writer of Hebrews names. It involves sacrificially giving up one’s resources to meet someone else’s need (Mark 12:42–44; Acts 2:45; 4:36–37; 2 Cor. 8:1–4; 9:6–7; cf. Luke 12:33; Phil. 2:30). The apostle Paul illustrated for the Philippians many of the aspects of genuine sharing and commended them for their example of true sacrificial generosity to him:

Fifth, converts—reconciled sinners—constitute another sacrifice offered to God. Paul described this spiritual sacrifice to the Romans:

He saw the souls of those God had enabled him to influence savingly for Christ as spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.

Christ’s sacrificial death, stemming from His love for sinners, suggests a sixth spiritual sacrifice for believers—their own sacrificial love for one another (4:8; Matt. 22:37–39; Mark 12:33; John 13:34–35; Rom. 12:10; 1 Cor. 10:24; 13:4–7; Gal. 5:13; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 6:10; 2 Peter 1:7; 1 John 4:7, 21; 5:1). Paul encouraged the Ephesians: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph. 5:1–2). Love demonstrated in selfless humility toward one another is well pleasing to God.

Finally, the New Testament portrays prayers as suitable spiritual sacrifices (4:7; Matt. 6:6; Mark 1:35; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:1–2, 8; James 5:16). The apostle John, at the beginning of his vision of the seventh seal, identified the saints’ prayers as offerings:

Those offerings, supported by divinely supplied incense, demonstrate that God honors the properly offered prayers of believers. Prayer is often overlooked or undervalued as a spiritual sacrifice, but the ancient church had a high view of it. The church father Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople in the early fifth century, declared this about prayer’s necessity:

Believers’ spiritual privileges begin the moment the Holy Spirit draws them into a saving union with Jesus Christ. They then have access to the very presence of God as priests who are privileged to offer up a variety of spiritual sacrifices, which are really just the essential characteristics of the Christian life. One of the primary functions in the church’s mission to advance God’s kingdom is to stimulate its members to fulfill their priestly duties. That fulfillment, above any external representations, is the divine measure of the church’s success.