Not letting our history define our destiny

It can be a real stumbling block in our Christian walk if we believe that our history, where we’ve come from, our family, our education, our work, even our successes and especially our failures are the defining factors in fulfilling God’s plans for our lives. 

The reality is that when we became believers and offered our lives into God’s service, the Bible assures us we became a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5: 17). In fact Peter tells believers that they are now a chosen people, a royal priesthood … 1 Peter 2: 9

A royal priesthood is quite a promotion for us ordinary folks. Here in Britain we have a pretty good grasp of what royalty means. We have a Royal Family who, since the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936, have modelled to the nation what royalty means. It is a life of privilege and wealth which some people get a bit hung up on, but it is also a life of service, duty and responsibility to the nation. Her Majesty the Queen has modelled this for 67 years now and she has passed on this life to the next generations. 

So what does that mean for us – this royal priesthood?  It means we have been born into royalty with all the privileges and responsibilities that brings.  Jesus is our King of Kings and our role is to promote his Kingdom and bring His will, plans and purposes into those areas that we are responsible for. Our background is not the defining issue in our lives.

Our areas of responsibility start with our own lives, then our families, our church, workplace or neighbourhood. We do this through a life of worship offering sacrifices of praise, worship and prayer – the role of the priest - then performing acts of service into those areas of responsibility. 

King David is a great example of this.  He was not born into a life of royalty, indeed he was the youngest brother of a large family of brothers. When Samuel the prophet came to anoint one of the brothers king, David was not called to the line up. He was out with the sheep and more than one commentator has said this may be because he was actually a half brother, born to Jesse but not Jesse’s wife. He was the despised youngest brother. 

This can be seen in Eliab’s response when David went down to the Philistine battlefield where Goliath was holding sway.  Eliab was plain nasty to him.

David was not deterred by his brother’s hostility, all those years of looking after the sheep, worshipping and fellowshipping with God, had prepared him to overthrown this uncircumcised Philistine who is defying the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17: 26). David wasn’t frightened – he knew who God is – and holy zeal for his honour rose up and the enemy of the Lord was defeated.

The Bible is full of stories of the least becoming God’s man or woman of the hour, throwing off their background and circumstances and stepping into their God given destiny.

Judah, the fourth son born to Leah, the despised wife of Jacob, and yet he rose to be leader of the whole family. His history is very chequered and yet from his lineage came both King David and the Messiah – Jesus Christ – the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Joseph, the second youngest son, sold into slavery, imprisoned on a false charge and yet rising into his destiny at God’s appointed moment to save not just the nation of Egypt but also his own family. 

Gideon, the least of the least, yet when God called, he too was able to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites.

Even the great prophet Moses, the younger son, so fearful after years looking after the sheep that he was terrified of facing Pharaoh, became in God’s hands one of the mightiest men of all time.

The Godly annals of history will not be filled with kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, emirs or any other national leaders. They will be filled with the names of the royal priesthood, faithful men and women of God who have served loyally, no matter what their background, their education, or situations and entered into their destiny. 

They have trusted God despite their weaknesses, real or imagined and believed that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3: 20 – 21.

From slave ship to the palace

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Romans 8: 16 – 17

A few years ago God gave me a picture of a wooden slave ship – the sort where the slaves were chained in the bowels of the ship rowing. There they sat in row upon row, unable to go anywhere and unable to do anything except row the huge oars. Indeed they had no say in where they were rowing, where they were going or why. All they could do is sit there and row and if they stopped they would be beaten.

This is an awful picture of sin. We are chained to it, unable to free ourselves from its bonds. As Paul says:  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7: 18 – 20

Sin is a cruel slave master, chaining us into a life that we do not want.

However in my picture, I saw Jesus come in a shining light into the bowels of this hell-hole of a ship, walk up to one of the slaves and hold out his hand. As the slave took Jesus hand, the chains fell off and startled beyond imagination he walked out with Jesus from his prison. What a wonderful picture of salvation. … through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8: 2.

However as I looked I saw Jesus take the slave, blinking out into the sun and onto a busy London pavement outside Buckingham Palace. He took his old filthy rags and gave him new ‘robes of righteousness’. With a word he was cleansed so his body was clean and groomed. The slave was transformed - clean in every way – inside and out.

Then something wonderful happened. Jesus led the ‘new creation’ across the road to Buckingham Palace and took him inside. The ex-slave was almost struck speechless. The palace was beautiful beyond anything he had ever seen or could imagine. It was amazing in every way – beautiful rooms, furnishings, grounds and wonderful staff to meet his every need.  This however was not a life of privilege to indulge himself but a life of privilege from which a new life of service and devotion to the King would flow.

The great thing about being British is that we understand royalty. We grow up with it and have it modelled to us all our lives. Our Royal family is indeed privileged. There is little they cannot have in terms of material items or being served but they model to our nation and the world that this life of privilege is also one of duty and service. They work extraordinarily hard to serve and bless others through patronage of military organisations, professional bodies and a multitude of charities. Having a member of the Royal Family as a patron or president to your organisation or charity adds publicity, visibility and credibility to the work and is greatly sought after.

As Christians we are members of THE Royal Family. We have not only been released from the slavery to sin, cleansed and clothed in robes of righteousness but we have been taken into the palace to serve the King and the Kingdom.  We have every resource available to do this and many have faithfully used their lives and talents to bless the world. 

The Church does an enormous amount of good work, not just through charities like Tearfund, Hope for Justice, Christians against Poverty but by assisting local communities through toddler and parent groups, holiday clubs, food banks, old peoples’ clubs and other services let alone ministering to the wider world through missions work.  And that’s how it should be.

We have not been saved to indulge ourselves in the blessings and privileges of life in the Kingdom but to reach out to the needy world so that people know when the Church gets involved they are going to get the best and it will come with grace, love and kindness.