In Christ, you are a son or a daughter of the King— you are claimed in Christ as royalty
We don’t have royalty in this country, but we kind of like to keep tabs on the Royal Family in old Mother England. And lately, there is much going on in the House of Windsor. King Charles III has declared his brother Andrew stripped of the title of Prince and evicted him from his lodgings at Windsor Castle.
But when we talk about what is going on in Britain, and Andrew no longer being a prince—he’s just now regular Andrew and no longer being able to live at Windsor Castle or any of the associated properties— I want you to just think about it means to be a person who could never be stripped of your identity, whose inheritance is absolutely secure in heaven where a crown awaits.
So, do you know who you are? Have you ever thought about what the Bible says about you being royal?Do you know that in Christ you are a son or a daughter of the King? Do you know that you are claimed in Christ as royalty?
Just as membership of the British Royal Family ensures certain rights and privileges, so does our membership as God’s chosen royal priesthood. In Christ, we receive a new identity, live subject to His authority, gain membership into His family, and have the most incredible privilege— access to His throne room.
Chosen—For a New Identity
You are a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (1 Peter 2:9). That’s who you are. That’s a name that could never be stripped away, because it’s given to you by the One who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
1 Peter begins with this,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)
Our identity secures our inheritance. We are sons and daughters of the king—and so we have the privileges of being heirs of heaven. We have access to him. We have the benefit of his grace. We get to dwell in the household of God forevermore.
Subject— To a Sovereign Authority
We have a king, which also means we have a sovereign, which means we’re subject to his authority.
And so consider—how do my actions, how do my reactions, what I wear, what I say, where I go, how I carry myself, how I serve others, how does all of that reflect on the character and honor of the king? You are a son of God or a daughter of God. You are a son or a daughter of the King. And what you do, what you say, where you go, how you treat other people, it reflects on him. That’s what it means to represent or represent Christ in the world. Right now, today.
You are not just an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven, (although you certainly are that,) but you are also a son or a daughter of the king. You share His name.
Membership— In New Family
Our new identity in Christ, submitted to Him, re-writes and expands our idea of family. When Jesus was teaching and asked about his mother, Jesus replied, “‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Matthew 12:48).
As we receive membership into a new family, as the sons and daughters of God, and as brothers and sisters in Christ, when we have to make very difficult choices in regard to our own biological families. Jesus said he would divide families (Luke 49-53).
We recognize that it’s certainly His heart’s desire that all would come to faith. But you know that not everyone chooses to bow the knee to the one who is Christ alone, to the King of kings and Lord of lords, and to become subject to him, and then to be elevated from follower to friend, co-heir with Christ of the kingdom of heaven and all that awaits.
Access— To the Throne of Heaven
Now, here’s the question. Have you been in to see the king? Have you laid down your crown and worshiped him? Do you know that the door stands open? The door to the throne room of God stands open— to you.
In Revelation 4, John is invited to not just to look, but to see what is beyond this open door and what does he see? He sees into the very throne room of God. He sees the one who is seated upon the throne, but he also sees all of those who are gathered around the throne, those who are bowing down. All creation is bowing down, crying out, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And then we see the twenty-four elders.
They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.” (v11)
In Revelation, God is giving us a glimpse into what is happening all the time throughout all generations, as every living creature and all of heaven itself bows down to the glory of the one who is on the throne and who is seated on the throne, the lamb, who is worthy, who is worthy to be praised. And so I think there are times that we think about kneeling at the manger, kneeling at the manger throne, and we think there are times of kneeling at the foot of the cross, we even think about kneeling at the empty tomb, kneeling at the feet of Jesus.
But the time in the day is coming when every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And right now that chorus of praise is going on in the throne room and the door stands open the door that access to God is open and you’re invited to enter in.
King above All Kings
We look at the titled kings and princes and princesses, with all the wealth and status and power those titles entail. Even if we could care less about the Royal Family, we can see the many “kings” of the age— political powers and empires, culture-makers and influencers, and economic behemoths that are dynasties in their own right. They will rise and fall. But there is one King on the Throne. And we belong to Him.
So, read Revelation 4, the entire thing. And consider the weight of what is happening here. Who is bowing down and what they’re offering, the concentric circles of what’s described there of praise and worship of the living God. And then consider the Throne. Every time the throne is referred to. I want you to notice that it’s capitalized.
Then, think about what it means for there to be One seated upon that Throne and who that is and what that means and what it means to not only be a disciple of Jesus, but a co-heir of the kingdom of heaven. Because through Jesus, we are adopted into the family of faith as sons and daughters of the living God. It’s just really, truly extraordinary. All of that, my friend, my co-heir and sister or brother in the Royal Priesthood, chosen and called for God’s own possession, awaits us in the kingdom that is yet to come, but already breaking in.
