From Pit to Palace: Your New Identity as a Kingly Priest

You've probably spent a lot of your Christian life thinking of yourself as a sinner trying to be better. Maybe you wake up every day hoping today will be the day you finally get it right. You pray harder. You read more. You serve more. And yet, there's this nagging feeling that God is still waiting for you to shape up.

But here's the truth that will shake you loose from that trap: You're not a sinner trying to be better. You're already a king and a priest.

Revelation 1:6

> "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

Notice that word? Hath made. Not "will make." Not "might make if you try hard enough." He hath made us. It's already done. The verdict is in. Your identity is settled.

The Completed Act: It's Already Done

When John wrote Revelation 1:6, he used what scholars call the aorist tense in Greek. That's a fancy way of saying it's a completed action. Jesus didn't start the process and leave you to finish it. He didn't get you halfway there and say, "Now you take it from here."

He finished it.

You are not becoming a king and priest. You are one. Right now. Today. In this moment, with all your mess and all your questions, you are royalty in God's Kingdom and a priest before His throne.

This isn't something you earn. It's something you inherit. And the inheritance papers have already been signed in blood, His blood.

1 Peter 2:9

> "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."

You are chosen. You are royal. You are holy. Not because of what you've done, but because of what He did.

From Performance to Position

Most of us live like we're trying to get God to love us. We serve Him hoping He'll notice. We obey Him hoping He'll approve. We clean ourselves up hoping He'll finally accept us.

But that entire system is backwards.

You don't serve God to get loved. You serve God because you are loved and elevated. You don't obey to earn a position. You obey because He's already given you one.

The difference is massive. One is slavery. The other is sonship.

One is exhausting. The other is rest.

When you understand that your identity as a king and priest is already settled, it changes everything. You stop scrambling for approval. You stop living afraid that one bad day will disqualify you. You stop comparing yourself to others, wondering if you measure up.

You're a king. You're a priest. Not because you're good enough, but because He made you one.

The Kingly Side: Authority and Purpose

As a king, you carry authority. Not the kind that demands everyone bow to you, but the kind that exercises spiritual dominion in the name of Jesus.

This goes all the way back to the garden. God created Adam and told him to take dominion, to rule, to exercise authority over creation. Sin hijacked that calling. But in Christ, it's been restored.

You're not meant to live as a victim of circumstances. You're meant to rule in your sphere of influence. To conquer through Christ. To exercise the authority He's given you in prayer, in your family, in your workplace, in your ministry.

Exodus 19:6

> "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

God's original plan for Israel was to be a kingdom of priests. That plan was delayed by disobedience, but it was never canceled. In Christ, it's fulfilled. You are part of that kingdom. You carry that authority.

But here's the kicker: you exercise it through humility, not arrogance. Through service, not selfishness. Through love, not manipulation.

A true king in God's Kingdom doesn't lord it over others. He lifts them up.

The Priestly Side: Access and Intercession

As a priest, you have access to God. Not someday. Not after you clean up. Right now.

Under the Old Covenant, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and he could only do it once a year. One man. One day. That was it.

But when Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom. God ripped it open. He said, "Come in. All of you. Anytime."

You don't need a mediator between you and God. Jesus is your mediator, and He's already brought you in. You have direct access to the throne of grace.

And not only that, you get to intercede for others. You stand before God on behalf of your family, your church, your community. You carry their burdens. You lift their names. You plead their case.

That's priestly work. And it's your calling.

Stop Living in the Pit When You've Been Moved to the Palace

Too many believers are living like they're still in the pit. They're still wallowing in shame. Still rehearsing their failures. Still convinced that God is keeping score.

But you've been moved. You're not in the pit anymore. You're in the palace. You're seated with Christ in heavenly places. You're clothed in royal robes. You're standing before the throne as a priest.

The question is: Are you going to start living like it?

You see, the problem isn't that God hasn't done His part. The problem is we keep forgetting what He's done. We keep sliding back into old ways of thinking. We keep trying to earn what's already been given.

But the truth is louder than the lie.

You are not disqualified. You are not second-class. You are not on probation.

You are a king and a priest unto God. And that's not going to change tomorrow, next week, or next year. It's already done.

If you've been carrying the weight of trying to prove yourself to God, I want to invite you to read this. It's a simple truth that changed my life: God already loves you exactly as you are. You don't have to earn it. You just have to receive it.

Living from Your Identity, Not for It

Here's the shift: You don't live to become a king and priest. You live from the reality that you already are one.

That means:

• You don't pray to get God's attention. You pray because you already have it.
• You don't serve to earn His favor. You serve because you're already favored.
• You don't obey to avoid punishment. You obey because you're a son, not a slave.
• You don't strive to measure up. You rest in the finished work of Jesus.

This is what it means to live from your identity instead of for it.

And when you do, everything changes. The pressure lifts. The fear fades. The striving stops. And you start walking in the freedom and authority that's been yours all along.

The Glory Belongs to Him

Revelation 1:6 ends with this: "to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

Notice where the glory goes? Not to us. To Him.

We're kings and priests, yes. But we're not the King of Kings. We're not the Great High Priest. Jesus is.

We rule under His authority. We serve in His strength. We intercede in His name. All the glory, all the honor, all the dominion, it belongs to Him.

And that's exactly how it should be.

Because the only reason we've been lifted from the pit to the palace is because He came down into the pit to get us. He took our place. He bore our shame. He paid our debt. And then He lifted us up and gave us a seat at His table.

So yes, we're royalty. But we're not self-made royalty. We're adopted sons and daughters, crowned by the King who loved us enough to die for us.

That's the real story. That's the gospel. That's the truth that will set you free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to be a "kingly priest"?

It means you carry both authority and access. As a king, you exercise spiritual dominion in Christ's name. As a priest, you have direct access to God and the privilege of interceding for others. Both are already yours because of what Jesus did, not because of what you've earned.

How can I be a king and priest if I still struggle with sin?

Your identity isn't based on your performance. It's based on Christ's finished work. Yes, you'll stumble. Yes, you'll fail. But your position before God doesn't change. You're not trying to become something: you already are something. Walk in that truth, and let it shape your obedience from a place of rest, not striving.

Does being a king and priest mean I'm better than other people?



Absolutely not. It means you've been given a calling to serve and intercede. True kings in God's Kingdom don't lord it over others: they lift them up. Your authority is meant to bless, not dominate. And your access to God is meant to bring others into His presence through prayer and witness.