God affords all New Testament believers the unique privileges and responsibilities of a "royal priesthood" because of Jesus Christ, our Royal High Priest, who completely fulfilled the Old Testament sacrificial system, and thus rendered it obsolete. Therefore, as His living "stones" (I Peter 2:5), we should offer up our spiritual sacrifices, and praise the Lord who has called us "out of darkness into His marvellous light" (I Peter 2:9).

Unlike the regimented animal sacrifices of the Old Testament, God desires a continual sacrifice of praise, that in everything we might give "thanks always for all things unto God" (Ephesians 5:20). He desires that we "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4) and "Rejoice evermore"(I Thessalonians 5:16)!

Paul reminds us that we are also to present our "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," and that this is merely our "reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). After all, when we consider the remarkable sacrifice of our Savior, how could we respond any other way? How could we possibly be unmoved when we fully understand that we have been "bought with a price" (I Corinthians 6:20) and that "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law."

God rightfully looks forward to hearing His redeemed saints rejoicing together and praising Him "in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19). "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16), praise His holy name, and look forward to "that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13)! MDR