4 Roles We Have in Christ: Understanding Our Spiritual Identity

What are our roles in Christ? The Bible names four foundational ones: we are kings, priests, brides of Christ and temples of God. A role requires a responsibility, so each of these identities also carries a call to action.

As believers, we have many roles, many functions in God’s Kingdom. Here are four of the most foundational ones and what it looks like to live each of them out.

Quick Answer

Believers in Christ hold four foundational spiritual roles: kings who decree God’s will on earth (Revelation 1:6), priests who worship and intercede, the Bride of Christ called to intimacy with Jesus and temples of God who carry His presence everywhere they go (1 Corinthians 6:19). Each role is a gift of grace, and each one comes with a responsibility to put faith into action.

What Does It Mean to Be Kings in Christ?

Revelation 1:6 tells us that Jesus has made us firstly kings and secondly priests through His sacrifice on the cross.

Our first spiritual identity is that of being royalty, a king in God’s Kingdom. We are each a king in Christ under the ultimate King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Kings have authority to rule and reign, represented by their crown. They make decrees which become the law by which the kingdom must follow.

Ecclesiastes 8:4 tells us that the words of a king have power. As spiritual kings under Christ, we have the responsibility to make decrees which align with His will.

For example, in our schools and workplaces there are people who don’t yet know Christ. We have the opportunity and responsibility to decree salvation over our community. It can be as simple as praying in your quiet time or in your car, “I decree my co-workers are sons and daughters of God in Jesus’ name!”

That is what Romans 4 talks about, the faith of God’s friend Abraham to call those things that are not as though they already are. When we make these decrees, we step into our God-given authority in Christ to see the advancement of His Kingdom on earth.

God tells us His Word is established in Heaven, but He has given the earth to us (see Psalm 119:89, Psalm 115:16). We have a responsibility to both pray and decree as Jesus did for God’s Kingdom and will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

We need to see ourselves as a king, a royal heir with Christ, a ruler wearing a crown, for that is what we are in Him. We have to take up our royal responsibility to partner with the Lord to see His rule come to our life and the lives of those around us.

What Does It Mean to Be Priests in Christ?

The second identity we are told we have in Revelation 1:6 is a priest. We are priests under Jesus, the Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14).

Throughout the Bible, we see that priests have many functions, including:

• Prayer
• Worship
• Intercession
• Distributing God’s Word
• Ministering to God Himself

Our priestly role in God’s Kingdom looks like intercession (praying for others) and worship. It also looks like ministering to God Himself through spending time with Him and seeking Him with all our heart.

The five offices listed in Ephesians 4:11 are priestly offices in the church. Priests attend to the house of God, so the role of a pastor or teacher is a priestly function.

Our kingly responsibility deals with matters outside the Church, such as the salvation of souls. Our priestly responsibility deals with our ministry to God and to His people.

Who Is the Bride of Christ?

Jesus personally gave many teachings and parables about how He is the Bridegroom and how we as His people have the responsibility to prepare for our spiritual marriage with Him (Matt. 9:15; 25:1-13).

In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul compares the relationship between a husband and wife to the relationship between Jesus and His Bride, the Church, calling this a “great mystery” (Eph. 5:32).

The union between a husband and wife is a representation, a type and shadow, of the substance of the greater union between Christ and His Bride. The physical is only a symbol of the greater spiritual reality.

We are spirit beings, with a soul, who live in a body. Our union with Christ is spiritual, spirit-to-spirit.

But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:17

So what does it look like to practically live out our role as the Bride of Christ?

We have a responsibility to seek intimacy with Jesus through both preparing for His coming and spending time with Him to grow our personal relationship with Him. This preparation is the assignment of the Bride of Christ, and it starts right where you are.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you experience Jesus’ presence and stir a hunger in you for more of Him. Search your heart to see if there are any areas you haven’t yet fully surrendered to Jesus’ lordship.

Another helpful tip is to search the Scriptures for the parallels to the bridal relationship with the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. For example, Esther’s story teaches us the importance of preparing for the King and matching our desires with His.

The Bible starts with the marriage of Adam and Eve in Genesis and ends with the marriage of the Lamb in Revelation.

What Does It Mean to Be Temples of God?

This is perhaps the best of all our roles: our responsibility to be a temple, a host for the Godhead. We literally carry God inside us.

We are temples of the Holy Spirit:

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Corinthians 6:19

Christ also dwells in our hearts through faith as we walk in love (Eph. 3:17) and He prayed to the Father that He would be in us (John 17:23).

Consider this verse:

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16

These are great mysteries and they carry great responsibilities for us. Wherever we go, God is with us.

Even when we can’t feel Him, there is no separation from Him. We should involve Him in every area of our lives.

He chose to dwell in us, as close to us as possible. What a great demonstration of God’s love and desire for relationship with us.

Friend, I pray these roles in Christ empower and challenge you to live out everything God has called you to. These roles carry responsibility, a summons from the Lord to put faith to action. If you want to grow more confident in your identity in Christ, keep these truths in front of you and let Scripture renew your mind.

We have only just begun to discover what God has available to us in Christ.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the four roles we have in Christ?

Scripture names four foundational roles for believers: kings who carry delegated authority under Jesus the King of kings, priests who worship and intercede, the Bride of Christ called to intimacy with Jesus and temples of God who carry His presence. Each identity comes with a responsibility, a call to put faith into action.

What does it mean that we are kings and priests to God?

Revelation 1:6 says Jesus has made us kings and priests through His sacrifice on the cross. As kings we have authority to pray and decree God’s will on earth, and as priests we minister to God and His people through worship, prayer and intercession.

How do I live as the Bride of Christ?

Living as the Bride of Christ means seeking intimacy with Jesus, preparing for His coming and surrendering every area of your heart to His lordship. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir a hunger in you for more of Jesus, and study bridal pictures in Scripture like Esther’s preparation for the king.

Why does the Bible call our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit?

In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul says your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you. God chose to dwell inside His people, which means His presence goes with you everywhere and no part of your life is separate from Him. That reality invites you to involve Him in every area and honor Him with your whole life.