Being a Priest in Our House
Title: BEING A PRIEST IN OUR HOUSE
Text: 1 Cor. 7:12-14
As I look around this room, I see wounded healers. There isn’t a one of us that hasn’t been touched this year by some hardship, heartache, or wound. Yet I know the Lord has called us together, first of all to seek Him…and secondly, to be healed by Him so that He can use us to heal the broken within our reach…to make clean the unclean.
It’s just like God to use His broken and wounded Son to be a Savior to mankind. And it’s just like God to use broken and wounded people to be agents of His healing to others. God has called you here tonight to be a priest to those within your touch…from those of your household, and beyond your doors to whomever He puts in your path. The wounded one in your path is there because He needs you to be His eyes, His hands, His feet, to give them the healing touch they need to carry on. Let me share with you what inspired me to share this with you.
In 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 Paul deals with difficult situations in marriages – such as a believer married to a nonbeliever. Paul encourages the believer to stay in the marriage. “For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.”
Previously I understood the impact a believing spouse has upon a spouse that is not. But the phrase, “otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy” puzzled me. I wondered, how the children could be unclean by no act or fault of their own, but be made clean and holy by their believing parent? How could a mixed marriage of faith and no faith produce unclean children? Have you wondered that too?
Well after digging in, here's what I found. Normally the Old Testament principle is that when something “unclean” touches something “clean,” the “clean” item or person was made “unclean.” Many a child of such a mixed marriage has walked away from God because of the unclean affect of the unbelieving parent. The unbelieving parent made their child unclean.
Here’s where the light turned on for me. A believing parent makes a REVERSAL of condemnation upon the family! Because of the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit within the believer, the cleansing power of God flows through you as His agent and affects all those you come in contact with!
Like salt, the decaying effect of unclean words is replaced with words that bless. Like light, the darkness that living in sin brings is stayed back by the example of right living before God. And here, your faith and the power of the Holy Spirit have a sanctifying effect upon those you touch.
So here’s your call. Every day you must circulate through your household and TOUCH each soul and reverse the unclean affect, and now make each one holy! By that I mean mingle your life, love and faith with those around you. Bless with your tongue. Embrace with your arms. Soothe with your touch. See deep into their heart to understand their wound. Listen beyond their words to hear their deepest needs. Walk their rough storm with them and share the heavy load. Anoint their wounds with oil through your prayers.
Because, you see…with your touch...they become clean!