In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter calls believers in the church a ROYAL priesthood. The implications in that description are that we both serve the King of Kings and that we belong to that King's family. As such, like Christ, we are both priests and kings before God after the order of Melchizedek and will rule with Christ in His future Kingdom on earth. Currently, we fill the role of priests as we intervene between God and a fallen world, communicating God's plan for reconciliation to a fallen world.