Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

24 May 2024

Reading From Psalms 108-110

“The Lord says to my lord:

‘Sit at my right hand
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.’

The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:
‘You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.’”

–Psalm 110:1, 4

     We were introduced to Melchizedek, King of Salem, in Genesis 14 when Abraham paid a tithe to him, signifying that Melchizedek was greater than him.  This King of Salem was an enigmatic character with no earthly lineage and he, though he was a Gentile, was both a king and a priest of Yahweh.  He therefore became symbolic of Christ because unlike the Aaronic priesthood that would come much later during the time of the Exodus, his priestly authority was not based on lineage.  Hebrews 7 goes into expansive detail of Jesus Christ and His role as our High Priest. 

     No one is greater than Jesus, for Jesus is God.  He alone is qualified to be our King of Kings and our Great High Priest.  As such, He made atonement for us once and for all.  The finished work of the cross and the empty tomb is all-sufficient for our salvation and sanctification.  There are no good deeds or religious ritual that we can add to somehow improve upon the work of Jesus in the atonement.  He is both Priest and Lamb, offering Himself as the perfect, ultimate sacrifice to God the Father on behalf of the people. 

     Redemption comes only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.  As we reach out in faith, trusting only in His merit and not our own, we turn away from our former way of life and turn to God (repentance) and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  We are spiritually cleansed, baptized in His blood by the Holy Spirit and born again.  From that point we move forward in the newness of life abundant and eternal to fulfill our destiny as kings and queens, priests and priestesses after the example of our King of Kings and Great High Priest, Jesus. 

     In Him we discover our true identity, we find a deep sense of belonging, and we begin to live out our eternal destiny to reign with Him.  At the foundation of the world, He gave humanity authority but the secret of spiritual power is to surrender that authority back to Him where it rightfully belongs.  The marvelous irony is that in that surrender, in that yielding to His will, we allow His power and victory to flow through us and by faith we function in His divine authority as we partner with Him in the advancement of His Kingdom and will someday reign with Him in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

“God I pray that we will be careful with the authority that You have given Your sons and daughters.  May we function in our supernatural gifts and callings while bearing the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  That all the ministry that You do through us will be from hearts overflowing with Your love.  Amen.”

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

–I Peter 2:9-10

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

–Revelation 1:6