Called A "Christian" To His Praise

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Revelation 5:10; Lord's Day 12
Psalters: 251, 333, 315, 319
  1. The significance.
    1. Only God can give anyone the right to have this title (cf. I Peter 2:9 and Isaiah 43:21).
    2. Man was created with a right to this office, but he lost it in the fall into sin.
    3. What we lost, God restored in Jesus Christ, The office-bearer, Who served in our place.
      1. By His Spirit Jesus makes us partakers of His own anointing.
      2. Regenerating us, Jesus gave us the right, ability, and the will to be God?s friend-servant in this world.
  2. Those given the right to the office have a three-fold calling to fulfill the office.
    1. As prophets we are to confess His name by means of our words and deeds.
      1. A prophet is one who bubbles over, so filled that he has to speak out.
      2. As Christians we confess Him objectively, declaring and defending the truth of the Scriptures.
      3. And we confess Him subjectively, as our personal Savior.
    2. As priests we are to present ourselves as living sacrifices of thankfulness.
      1. It is a dedication of our whole life in self-sacrificing love to God and to our neighbor.
      2. The right motive is only thankfulness for receiving freely the unspeakable gift of salvation.
    3. As kings we are to fight against sin and Satan in this life, and later reign with Him eternally.
      1. While on earth our kingship is exercised mostly in our having the ability to fight against sin (Eph. 6:12-19).
      2. Later we will reign with Christ in heaven.
    4. Do you have the name ?Christian? - it is a mere formality or a reality ?