A Privilege To Serve

“…ministering the Gospel of God…” – Romans 15:16

When Paul describes his ministry in Romans 15:16, he uses a surprising image—he calls himself a minister, a word that carries the weight of a priest standing before God. He writes that he serves “as a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles… that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Paul wasn’t putting on priestly garments or standing in the temple courts, yet he saw his mission in deeply priestly terms. His calling wasn’t about rituals—it was about reverence. He viewed every soul reached, every believer discipled, as an offering lifted up to God. His ministry wasn’t performance; it was worship. And that sacred perspective shaped everything he did.

The Greek word Paul uses—leitourgos—is the same word used of Zacharias when he served in the temple (Luke 1:21–23). It describes someone performing holy service. Paul chose this word intentionally. He could have called himself a servant (diakonos) or a slave (doulos), but instead he used a word tied to sacred worship. R. Kent Hughes notes that Paul saw his missionary work “like that of a priest offering sacred worship to God.” That means when Paul preached, he wasn’t counting converts—he was presenting offerings. When he discipled believers, he wasn’t filling notebooks—he was shaping worshipers. His whole life became a liturgy, a sacred act of devotion. Even his suffering, he said, was like a drink offering poured out before God (Philippians 2:17). Paul didn’t wear a priest’s robe, but he carried a priest’s heart.

And here is the stunning truth: this calling isn’t just Paul’s—it’s ours. Scripture says we are a “holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5) and a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). Revelation 1:6 declares that Christ has made us priests to God. We don’t offer animal sacrifices anymore; we offer our lives—our obedience, our service, our love. Romans 12:1 calls us to “present your bodies a living sacrifice… which is your reasonable service.” That means your daily acts of faithfulness—teaching a child, caring for a neighbor, sharing the gospel, serving your church—are not small tasks. They are sacred offerings. Like Paul, we stand before God not with incense or lambs, but with people, moments, and acts of love transformed by grace.

See your life today through Paul’s eyes. Whatever you do in Christ—whether serving, teaching, encouraging, or sharing the gospel—is priestly work. Offer your time, your words, and your relationships to God as worship. Ask Him to help you see every act of love as a sacred offering. And look for someone you can bring closer to Jesus, saying in your heart, “Lord, this is for You.” There is no higher privilege than presenting lives—your own and others’—as offerings of worship to God.

“The highest service is to bring men to God; this is the priestly calling of every believer redeemed by Christ.”
—Andrew Murray