I want to get right into my text
this morning, so turn with me to Hebrews chapter 7, please. Hebrews chapter 7. I've titled this message, My Unchangeable
Surety. That's a good title. I want to
begin in verse 22, Hebrews 7, 22. I'll give you a moment to
get there. By so much, meaning so much better,
was Jesus, speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah. By
so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. Speaking
of the eternal priesthood of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit
here is telling us that His priesthood, is so much better than the priesthood
of old. Why? Because the Lord Jesus was
made a surety, a guarantor of a better covenant. Now in my
margin, a guarantor means a bondsman. You know what a bondsman is.
If you've ever been in trouble and thrown in jail, you know
what a bondsman is. A guarantor is a guarantee. It's someone that guarantees
something. A guarantee is a formal promise
or assurance. A promise that certain conditions
will be fulfilled. A guarantee on a product assures
us that that product that we buy will work for a designated
time, or they'll fix it or replace it. We all like guarantees. Today,
we have extended guarantees, extended warranties. But a surety, one who guarantees,
is someone who gives certainty to a particular outcome. Our
guarantor is none other than Christ Jesus, the God-man. And that is better. So much better. Our Lord's not just a mediator,
He's a guarantor. He not only stands to defend
us, friends, He stands and guarantees our deliverance. And He guarantees
our deliverance forever. That's better. That's good. Our
relationship with God does not in any way depend on our performance.
You've heard me preach that for many years now. You heard Brother
Montgomery preach that before me. Our salvation, our relationship
with God rests totally and completely on Christ's unchanging role as
our surety. Why, even the word has a beautiful
ring to it, surety. It's for sure. What's for sure? Our redemption. Our deliverance
from sin. It's for sure. In a world of
unsure things, this is for sure. Sometimes warranties are void
if the product is misused. Don't do this, don't do that.
It might void the warranty. But the believer's salvation
is guaranteed forever. There's nothing that we can do
that would void that warranty. Our surety is one who guarantees
our salvation, and again, forever. The old covenant had a human
priest. That's what he's talking about
here in Hebrews 7. Mediators, but they were weak
and they were temporary. Christ is divine, he's eternal,
he's sinless. It has to be a better testament,
a better covenant with him as our surety and our priest. A guarantor makes a formal, not
formal, but a formal pledge to pay another person's debt and
perform another person's obligation. Listen, you and I have defaulted. We've defaulted. We've failed to fulfill our debt.
We've failed to perform our obligation. We've all sinned and come short
of the glory of God. But we have a better Testament,
a better covenant because we have a better surety. Why? Because God made His perfect
Son to be that perfect surety. And He lives and abides forever.
So our surety is forever. Our guarantee is forever. Salvation's
of the Lord, and He's of the Lord forever. If you're saved,
you're saved forever. Look at verse 23. And they truly
were many priests because they were not suffered to continue
by reason of death. There had been many priests over
the course of time, and this is why, because they died. They served for a while, then
they died. By reason of death, they were
not allowed to continue. One of these days, I'm gonna
die and you'll need another pastor. Now, there were many a number
because death prevented them from continuing, as it will be. And this made the old covenant,
the old Levitical system only temporary. This is what I want
you to see. Generation after generation after
generation of priests died and had to be replaced. This priesthood
was incomplete. With temporary priests came temporary
assurance. Man needed a high priest that
would never die. That's what we need. We need
a high priest that will never die. And that's what God's people
get. Isn't that good? That's good news. Verse 24, but this man, because
he continueth forever. Speaking of Christ, he has an
unchangeable priesthood. I almost titled this message
that, an unchangeable priesthood, because he is unchangeable. That
word, Greek word means non-transferable. It means permanent. It means
it isn't passed down. It isn't handed off. It's not
shared. It's not replaced. Christ holds
that office forever. That's good news for us. Christ
is the final and eternal mediator between God and man. There's
no longer a need for a human priesthood to intercede and offer
sacrifices because that role has now been permanently and
completely fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. No more successors. And that's better because He's
the best. In Christ we have direct access to God through the one
who never dies. I don't have to worry about him
not interceding and pleading my cause before God. Maybe he's
sick, maybe he's ready to pass. No, he liveth and abideth forever. He'll never die. Look up at verse 17. For he,
God, testifieth, thou art a priest forever. after the order of Melchizedek. For there is verily a disannulling
of the commandment going before, for the weakness and unprofitableness
thereof. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope." did, by the which we draw
nigh unto God, and insomuch as not without an oath, he was made
priest. For those priests," speaking
of the Old Testament priests, were made without an oath. But this with an oath by him
that said unto him, the Lord swear and will not repent, thou
art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And here,
the Holy Spirit gives us a detailed comparison of the Levitical priesthood
of old with the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord's
priesthood is superior because it's permanent and it's divinely
guaranteed. Verse 17 tells us that our new
priesthood is by divine appointment, not human lineage. God tells
Christ, you are a priest forever. Christ was not of the tribe of
Levi. He was of the tribe of Judah,
according to verse 14. And unlike the Levitical priest
who inherited the office, That's what they did. They inherited
the office. Christ's priesthood was established by divine decree
from God alone. Now what does that mean? Well,
it means that our access to God is based on God's choosing, not
our works. Verse 18 declares the limitation
of the old priesthood. There was an annulling of the
former commandment. Verse 19 testifies that the law
could not bring perfection. It can't. It only reveals our
lack of perfection. The Levitical system was weak
through the flesh. Our flesh. Nothing weak about
the law. The weakness is in us. We can't
keep it. The priests of Levi were flawed
and they died. And they had to be replaced.
And this assures the believer that the Lord Jesus Christ, our
great High Priest in surety, doesn't simply represent life. Friends, He is life! Our eternal
hope rests in a living Savior who never ceases to intercede
for us. Never ceases. Verse 20 tells us that the Levitical
priests were not appointed with an oath. Under the law of Moses,
they became priests simply because they were descendants of Aaron.
God set aside the tribe of Levi for the priesthood. And when
Aaron died, his sons took over. And when Aaron's sons died, their
sons took over. And it went right on down the
line. But Christ was made a priest
with an oath. Don't miss the beauty of this.
God said, you'll be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Christ's priesthood is not a
human one. It's an eternal priesthood. It's
superior, it's more secure, it's everlasting. And this makes our
Lord the perfect mediator and high priest for us. Something
the old priesthood could never offer. After the order of Melchizedek
means, if you remember, Melchizedek was appointed directly by God.
He was both priest and king. No successor, no beginning, no
end. Perpetual priesthood. Greater
than Abraham because Abraham paid tithes to him. How is Christ after that order? Well, he wasn't a Levite, so
he could not be a priest under the Mosaic law. But like Melchizedek,
the Lord Jesus Christ was appointed by God to be our high priest
in surety. Psalm 110, verse four. Christ is both King, Messiah,
and priest, uniquely united in one person. His priesthood is
eternal because He lives forever. His priesthood is superior. He
offers a once-for-all sacrifice. Sacrifices don't have to be made
year after year after year again because the blood of bulls and
goats can never put away sin. But His blood put away sin forever. Superior. His priesthood is independent
of the law. It's not based on a tribe, but
on a divine oath. Why does that matter? Because
the Levitical priesthood is obsolete. We don't need an earthly priest
anymore. And I hate to tell our papist friends that, but they
don't need a man to stand between them and God. There's one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Christ is our permanent
mediator. He has full access to God on
our behalf. Why, God is His Father. You don't
think He has God's ear? I tell you what, I have three
sons and two son-in-laws, and if they call me, they got my
ear. Because I love them and I care
about them. I want the best for them. This makes salvation secure.
because his priesthood is unchanging and it's effective forever. I
like that word forever. So in short, being a priest after
the order of Melchizedek means Christ is the eternal, the God-appointed
high priest who perfectly presents us without human limits, legal
restraints, or succession to God. He ever liveth to make intercession
for us. We'll talk about that more in
a moment. He's in a class by Himself. He's unmatched. He's unstoppable. He's sufficient. No other priesthood compares.
Nothing or no one else is needed for our mediation with God. Now to the verse that is our
text for consideration this morning. This verse is a beautiful verse. It's every believer's hope. Verse
25, wherefore, and there again, that wherefore is kind of like
therefore. We need to look and see what
it's there for. Consequently it means, because
all of the things that the writer discussed up to this point, it
says he, speaking of Christ, is able He's able also to save
them. Who? Sinners that trust in Him. He's able to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth
to make intercession for them. Now this verse clearly states
to those who believe that Christ only helps sinners, that He doesn't
just help sinners to save themselves. That's what most people preach
today. Well, we need Jesus because, you know, we put our will with
His will and, you know, we get the job done. No, no, that's
a lie. He alone saves, and He alone
saves fully and finally. Christ is able to save to the
uttermost. Why is the ability of Christ
so important? Because no one else is able to
save. If He's the only one that's saved, then I'm interested in
His ability and His willingness to save. Aren't you? Christ saves
fully. He saves finally. He saves forever. Now unto Him, Christ, that is
able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could think
or ask, according to the power that worketh in us. It's not
our power. It's His power that works in
us. Unto Him be the glory and the
church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen. Ephesians 3, 20 and 21. His power is limitless. It's active in believers. It's
at work within us. It's the power of God in them
that saves us. Christ then used the hope of
glory It's for God's glory. It's forever and ever. He's not
only able to save, but He's able to keep us. Jude 1, 24 and 25. Now unto Him
that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Listen, He
not only presents us faultless, He does it with joy. He's happy
to do it. To the only wise God, our Savior,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. For the witch calls, I also suffer
these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed,
for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is
what? Able. to keep that which I've
committed unto Him against that day." Listen, we don't trust
the doctrine. Somebody says, oh, you're one
of those that believe in the sovereignty of God. You're one
of those that believe in predestination. I don't trust in predestination.
And you better not. I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. I see that He predetermined before
the foundation of the world to save me, that before I've done
any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to His predestinating
election, save me. It's not of me that willeth or
me that worketh. It's of God that showeth mercy.
I'm persuaded He's able. We don't trust a doctrine. We
trust a person. We're persuaded. We're convinced
that Christ is able. Aren't you? He has the power,
the ability to say. He has the willingness to say.
We trust to and commit to Him our soul. That's what Paul said.
He's able to keep that which I've committed to Him. What do
we commit to Him? Our very soul. Against the day of His return
and judgment. And I don't dread the day He
comes back. I look forward to it because
I know that He's going to present me faultless. I'm happy about that. Aren't
you happy about that? We don't hold on to Him. He holds
on to us. Our full security is in Him.
And this is a personal relationship. Isn't it, Lou? In whom I have
believed. In Christ there is eternal security. When Paul wrote this letter,
he was suffering in prison. He was facing death for the sake
of the gospel. But he's not embarrassed or regretful. His confidence and security is
in Christ. It's in a person. Paul knew a
lot of things. He wrote about God's election
and predestination and all these things, but that's not what he
was trusting in. He was trusting in Christ. That's
where we better put our trust. And even though we suffer in
this life, we're not ashamed because we know the Lord Jesus
Christ and by God's grace alone, we'll trust him completely to
guard our souls until the day that he returns for us. being
fully persuaded that what He promised, He's able to perform. Romans 4, 21. Christ is able
to save to the uttermost. That's a good word. Evermore
is what it means. Who are these that God is able
to save for evermore? It tells us right here in this
one verse. First, they are those who come unto God by Jesus Christ. There are many who go to church.
Churches are full all over this town, this county, this state. Today, there are many who bow
their knees and their heads. There are many who utter songs
of praise like we endeavored to do. But there are few that
come unto God by Jesus Christ. Now, there are many that'll come
to the preacher by walking an aisle. But there are few that
come to Christ in their hearts without moving a muscle. Many
in church today, now listen, I'm not trying to be hard, but
I'm just being honest with you. Many in church today will be
in hell tomorrow. There are many today that try
to love both Christ and the world. It can't be done. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. That's
what John said. And John knew something about
the love of God in Christ. The prophet of old said if God
be God, then serve Him. If Baal be God, then serve Him. But you can't serve both. I hope I'm stepping on some toes. We find it difficult to give
the Lord two hours a week, three hours a week. Why is that? After what He's done for us? And coming to God implies leaving
something else. If a man comes to God, he's got
to leave his sins. And listen, he's got to leave
his righteousness too. He's got to leave his works,
whether good or bad. A man in age God will not come
to Him. It's just a fact. Coming to God
signifies love for Him. If you come to God, you have
a desire for Him. You come to God yearning to be
near Him. You come to God because you have
faith in Him. You want what He has for you.
You have a need of what He provides for you. But pay close attention
to how these come. They come unto God by Jesus Christ. It's the only way. You always say that. Because
it's true. It's the only way. We need to
repeat it over and over. Faith comes by hearing, hearing
by the word of God. We need to hear it. Christ's
the only way. There's no approaching God apart
from the merits of His Son. The scripture is very plain.
Jesus Christ is the way. Particular, just one way, the
way. He is the truth. There's no other truth apart
from the truth about Him and putting our sin away. He is the
life. There's no life apart from Him. And no man, no woman, no sinner
cometh to the Father but by Him." No prayer is accepted. No prayer
is answered apart from the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ. You
cannot carry your petitions yourself to the throne of grace. Only
in Christ, and you can then. In Christ, we can come boldly
into the throne of grace to find help in time. Why? Because he's
sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us. Father,
this is one I died for. Would you listen to me? I died
for him, Lord. I died for him, Father. When
these people come, what do they come for? There's only one thing
that they come for. There's only one thing that they
need. And that's Jesus Christ. He's the one thing needful. God
shall supply all your needs, singular, not needs. If you've
got Christ, you've got it all. He's going to take care of you.
You're not going to go hungry. You're not going to not have
shelter. I've never seen the righteous forsaken David's seed.
I've never seen his seed begging for bread. He'll supply all your
need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Always comes back to that. Mercy
is our sole request. Mercy is found in Christ alone. How do those come come? Do they
come proudly? Do they come arrogantly? Do they
come with entitled purpose? I've come, Lord, to get what
I deserve. Oh, you don't want that. I've
come to get what I don't deserve, mercy. They come sighing and groaning.
They come crying and weeping. They come with a rope around
their neck. Here Lord, this is what I deserve. String me up
and hang me. They come knowing they deserve
condemnation. They approach mercy's gate and
they're afraid to knock. Then they see written on the
gate, knock, knock and it shall be open unto you. The gate was
built for beggars, not princes. This gate was constructed for
paupers, not the rich. Christ died for sinners, not
for those who are good and excellent in their own eyes. Christ came
to save the worst, the vilest of sinners. I qualify I qualify. Do you? God's got to show you you do. God is
able to save to the uttermost those wretched sinners that come
unto God by Christ. Salvation is available to anyone
and everyone. You know, a lot of folks that
don't believe the way we believe, believe in the sovereignty of
God, the salvations of the Lord, they're shocked when we say things
like that. Salvation is available to anyone
and everyone. It says whosoever, doesn't it?
But it's only through Jesus Christ. Neither is there salvation in
any other. There is no other name whereby
we must be saved. Election doesn't shut anybody
out. It assures that some are going to get in. If you love Christ, if you come
to Christ, you shall be saved. If you love and come to Christ,
it will be revealed to you that you're one of God's elect. If you love and come to Christ,
beloved of the Lord, you will see that God hath from the beginning
chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth. Does God love everyone in the
world? No. He loves whosoever believes in
Christ. And He'll die for every one of
them that's in this world. They will not perish, but have
everlasting life, John 3.16. And those that write that on
their cars and write it on signs and post it on billboards have
no idea what it means. Most don't anyway. Secondly,
to what extent can the Savior save? To the uttermost. He's able to save to the uttermost.
To the uttermost extent of our guilt. To what extent can we sin? Oh
my. Do you feel like you're getting
better since you've come to know the Lord? No, you see that you're
worse than you thought. But He can save beyond that.
Christ has saved the uttermost of our rejection of Him. All
my life I've rejected Him. Now suppose in the time of our
Lord there was a young man that at an early age seemed destined
for trouble. You know, a lot of young men
are. You just say, yeah, that boy, his brother Jack said to
one lady one time, they called and said, would you keep an eye
on little Johnny that he don't run with the wrong crowd? And
he said, sister, your son is the wrong crowd. And this young
man hung with the wrong crowd, and he was the wrong crowd. And
all his life, he lived a life of crime and dishonesty. And
it started out just with stealing little things, but escalated
into more serious crime. And soon this boy grew into a
man and started doing bodily harm to others. Then one day
this man went too far and he murdered someone, yet he was
unrepentant and hardened. And the day of his trial came
and he was found guilty and he was judged and he was sentenced
to be executed, but he hardened himself even more. continued to be a rebel right
up until the final hours of his life. The day of his execution
came and the authorities hung him on a cross alongside two
other men. And when all hope seemed to be
lost, the one who hung in the middle, who by the way, was innocent. Innocent. He had taken the place
of another criminal named Barabbas. And He said, Father, forgive
them. They reviled Him the whole time.
Well, if He would be the Son of God, come down from the cross. He saved others. He can't save
Himself. And what did He say? Forgive
them. They know not what they do. Forgive them. And then an amazing thing happened.
This wicked and rebellious man that had reviled against the
man in the middle began to defend Him to the rebel on the other
side. This once hardened and unrepentant
man acknowledged that he and the other deserved what they
were giving, but not this man named Jesus Christ. God did a
work of sovereign grace in that man's heart, and he asked most
humbly, Lord, When you come into your kingdom, will you please
remember me? And the Lord of heaven and earth
said, today you'll be with me in paradise. Today, dear sinner, Christ can
save to the uttermost of our rejection of him. But we also have a warning from
scripture Those who continue to reject Christ, I remind you
of the words of the Lord Himself, found in Genesis 5, verse 3. And the Lord said, my spirit
shall not always strive with man, for that he also was flesh. And here God issues a warning
of judgment. The word strive means contend. There's a limit to God's patience. Not with the believer, but with
those who continually refuse and reject Him. His long-suffering
is to them which believe, but to those who continually reject
Him. He shall not strive always in
contend with them. Yes, He's merciful. He's long-suffering,
but not endlessly tolerant of sin. There comes a point that
He stops striving and judgment falls. God's Spirit still convicts,
it still calls, it still strives with people today. But there's
no guarantee outside of Christ, our guarantor, our surety, that
that'll last forever. Continued resistance can lead
to a hard heart and eventually divine silence. Romans 1 echoes
that reality when it says, God gave them over. What does that
mean? God gave them over. Often God
permits people to follow their sinful desires as a form of judgment. He does not cause men and women
to sin, but He removes His restraining grace from them, allowing them
to experience the full consequence of their rebellion. God gave
them over represents a judicial act of God. If men and women
insist on rejecting Christ, God may give them what they want.
And that's why believers pray, God, don't give me what I want. Don't give me what I deserve. Give me what I don't deserve.
In Romans 1 verse 24, God gave some up to sexual impurity. In
Romans chapter 1 verse 26, God gave some up to shameful lust.
In verse 28 of Romans 1, God gave some up who did not think
it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God. God says, I've had enough. It's His prerogative. And this
causes one who knows God to pray. Lord, don't give me up and don't
allow me to give up. Oh, I've prayed that many times.
Lord, don't give up on me. Don't allow me to give up on
you. Only you can save to the uttermost. God can save to the
uttermost of our despair. There are many who become harmed.
Despair has brought many to a premature death. the sparing soul, there
is yet hope. Christ is able to save to the
uttermost. God can save to the uttermost of our distress, of
our temptation, our infirmities, and even death. He can save to
the uttermost death. And why is it that Christ is
able to save to the uttermost? The answer's right here in the
verse. He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Now I'm
gonna finish, but I want you to pay close attention what I
say in these last couple minutes. Him ever living implies that
He died. This is the source of His saving
power. How sweet it is to reflect upon
the great and wondrous works that Christ has done, whereby
He became the high priest of our profession, able to save
us. Christ can save us, Because He
did not save Himself. That's what they said. He saved
others. He can't save Himself. He couldn't then save us. Christ can save us because He
took our guilt. Christ can save us because He
endured our punishment. There's no salvation apart from
the satisfaction of God's divine justice. Either the sinner dies
or someone must die in their room instead. God has a debt
against us. And He never remits that debt.
It's got to be paid. There's a thing today called
statute of limitations or whatever. God doesn't have statute of limitations. God's divine justice demands
that the debt be paid. But if Christ pays it, then the
poor sinner goes free. That man, the God-man, Christ
Jesus, is able to save. Not only because He died, but
because He ever lives to make intercession for us, to pray
for us, to plead our cause. The one who died on the cross
was buried in a tomb, rose again, and He's alive. What's He doing? He's interceding for His people. We have an advocate with the
Father. We have one mediator between God and man, the man
Christ Jesus. That's who I want you to tell
me about. That's who every believer wants to hear about. He continually
presents his perfect sacrifice to the Father on his people's
behalf. Shelley Harmon, I died for her,
Father. Linda Wilburn, I died for her.
He's pleading your cause. And that's how he does so. I
died for them. He's not begging the father to
be merciful. He's pleading our case and calls
that mercy was secured by his finished work. God's already
been merciful. And that he put us in Christ
when he died, was buried and rose again. That's what baptism
signifies. And that's how He's able to save
to the uttermost those that come to God by Him. He did everything
perfectly that God required of me. There's no sin too deep. There's
no past too dark. There's no doubt too heavy. Trust Christ. He lives to intercede
for His people.