Acts 15:18 *Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world*.
*MARTIN LUTHER ON THE THREE LAYER LADDER*
You may wonder what church historians mean by the three layer ladder? In the days of Martin Luther, Europe runs on a three layer stratification:
i.*Pope, bishops, priests, monks and nuns were on the first ladder.*
They were the most important and most revered in medieval Europe because it was believed they were the only people who could touch God and declare forgiveness of sins.
ii.*Rulers like Kings&Nobles were on the second ladder*.
They protected the church, fought wars and maintained civil order. It was believed they were 50% holy but needed priests. Those in this category sat on the second strata across medieval Europe.
ii. *Laity, most of whom were Farmers, blacksmiths, moms, merchants&ordinary citizens were on the third ladder*.
Their duty was to work, pay tithes and obey the first two because they are 0% holy. As far as God was concerned, they had no spiritual and eternal relevance. That was the believe then. They were at the mercy of the top 2. Their job was to pay priests to help curry God's favour.
*What did Martin Luther say about these*?
Martin Luther came up with scriptures as usual to refute this three layer ladder that relegated God's people.
1 Peter 2:9 *"I Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;*"( NKJV)
The bible says every child of God is a chosen generation, royal priesthood, and a holy nation. This is profound. If you allow this truth sink into your spirit, you will never look down on yourself one more day.
You will enter your closet to pray with the mentality that God is your father and he is willing to hear you. Relationship with God becomes cordial not forced or religious with routines.
We all have equal access to God. We do not need to pay a priest or prophet to contact God for us. A peasant farmer that is born again is as much a priest as a bishop or the pope. The idea of paying people to pray or see vision for us is alien to scripture.
That is what Martin Luther fought against. God is close to you than your breathe. He wants to relate with you and be your friend. Intermediaries are not needed any more because the veil has been torn into two.
Luther believes vocation is also a calling from God. Luther said, *"God calls the mom to change diapers, the farmer to grow wheat, the judge to be fair. All of it serves your neighbor, that’s worship*". Isn't that profound?
God isn’t more impressed by your prayers than by your honest work. The idea of classifying somethings as secular and others as spiritual is the reason we have many Christians who are corrupt at work but holy in church. We are meant to shine the light of Christ everywhere.
Let's approach our lives and work with this new understanding that we are priests working as teachers, doctors, engineers, drivers,
I.T.experts, business men and women. Don't throw away your sense of priesthood. Carry yourself like one.