Turn, if you would, in your Bibles
to Hebrews, chapter 12. We've been looking at this chapter in a pretty detailed
manner. And this morning we're going
to pick up in verse 18, but I want to go back to verse 14 real quick. We left off in verses 12 and
13 last week. But I want to cover 14, and then
we'll focus on 18 through 24. So we're looking at Hebrews chapter
12, beginning at verse 14, follow peace with all men and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord, looking diligently,
lest any man fail of the grace of God. of bitterness springing up, trouble
you, and thereby many be defiled, lest there be any fornicator
or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his
birthright. For ye know how that afterward,
when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected,
for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully
with tears." Verse 18. For ye are not come unto the
mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor
out of blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of
the trumpet, and the voice of the words, which voice they had
heard and treated, that the words should not be spoken to them
any more. For they could not endure that
which was commanded, and if so much as a beast touched the mountain,
It shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart. And so terrible
was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. For ye are come unto the Mount
Zion. And this is our subject for today.
Not Mount Sinai, but Mount Zion. Back to where we were in our
text there. But ye are come unto Mount Zion. and unto the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, to the general assembly of the church at the
firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge
of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to
Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood sprinkling
that speaketh better things than that So we've come not to Mount
Zion or Mount Sinai, but Mount Zion. Having come to the Lord
Jesus Christ by faith, we now enjoy a blessed privilege of
complete freedom from the curse and terror of God's holy law. That's what Mount Sinai was a
picture of. It was a picture of God's wrath
and judgment for those who couldn't follow the law, for those who
could not follow the law. We have not come to that terrible
mountain, but yet we've come to the mountain of Zion. Now, Mount Sinai, Brother Don
Fortner writes this. He says, Paul states it emphatically.
He says, you are not come to Mount Sinai. We now have nothing
to do with the law. The horrible, black, fiery mountain
might be touched, but to touch it meant certain death. That's that mountain that was
off in the wilderness that Moses went up to alone. Moses was the
only one who could go up to it. A picture of Christ, the only
one who can go up to the law and fulfill it perfectly. If
anybody, this is the instructions you'll recall, if anybody touched
it, man or beast, They die. Sinai demands that we could not
fill, writes Don. They threatened wrath that we
could not endure. It exposed sin that we could
not remove. But Christ fulfilled the law
for us, and now In Christ, we are free from that law. Listen
to Romans 10 verse 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ. We've become
dead to the law. Christ has fulfilled it completely.
The law no longer holds dominion over us. That doesn't mean we're
lawless. That doesn't mean that the law
of God is not good. It absolutely is. But what it
means is we are free from the death to come for not fulfilling
it. That's what that's talking about. We have become dead to the law
by the body of Christ. He's the one who has fulfilled
the law for us perfectly. We were in Him when He walked
this earth. We were in Him when He went to that cross and hung
on that cross and His blood was shed. We were in Him. Read Ephesians
chapter 1. It's all about being in Christ.
It's all about being for His purpose. Listen to these words
from Romans 10 verse 4. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to every one that what? Believeth. That's what. He is the end of
the law for everyone that believeth. Him. Believeth in Him. Believe
the record that God has given of Him. The Lord Jesus Christ
fulfilled the righteousness of the law for us by His obedience
as our representative. That's what we read in Romans
3 verse 19. Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law. Alright, so in Romans 3 verse
19, now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law. may become guilty before God. Our Lord satisfied the penalty
of that law by His death. He is our substitute. Where we
could not do it, He has done it for us. He was our substitute.
He is our redeemer from its curse, as we read. Mark your spot there
in Hebrews. Actually, you can or not. It's not necessary if you want.
But turn over to Galatians. Turn over to the left. Go to
the left over to Galatians, just the other side of Ephesians with
me if you would, chapter 3. Let's look at a verse over there
that shows us about this penalty of the law and our Lord, our
substitute. He's our Redeemer. Look at verses
13 and 14 of Galatians chapter 3. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. This is the very
One who knew no sin that it talks about. The One who has made sin
that we would be made the righteousness of God in Him. Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree, that the blessings of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit true faith. The righteousness of the
law is now fulfilled in us by faith in Christ. That's what
that just said. Look at Romans chapter 8 for a moment here.
Verse 4, Romans 8 verse 4, that the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, you see how we're fulfilling the
law? We believe Christ. We believe He is our righteousness.
We believe He fulfilled the law for us. And therefore, we fulfill
the law in believing Him. That's what it's saying here.
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. I know my flesh is weak. I know
that I'm the chief of sinners, as Paul says, and as every one
of you can say about yourselves as well. But my spirit has been
taught by God. We all must be taught of God.
My spirit has been taught of God that my righteousness is
Christ Jesus my Lord. And if He's my righteousness,
then I am perfectly righteous in Him. Is He not perfect? Look over at Romans chapter 3.
Look at verse 28. We conclude that a man is what? Justified. That means just as
if I've never sinned. The wrath of God had been met,
the justice of God had been met in His Son, the Lord Jesus. Therefore,
we conclude that a man is justified by faith. Justified by faith. without the deeds of the law.
Folks, we are right now as completely free from the law of God as Adam
is, as Abraham is, as Isaac is, as Jacob is. We have not come
unto the Mount Zion. In Christ, we now have the enjoyment
of the free access of God in Mount Zion. Mount of Death, the Mount of
the Law, but we've come unto Mount Zion. Now, Mount Zion is
the mountain where the Temple was built. There in Jerusalem. Listen to this. In Christ we
now have the enjoyment of free access to God where it says in
Hebrews 12, verse 22, But ye have come unto the Mount Zion,
and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
to an innumerable company of angels. Mount Zion was the hill
which the temple was built on. There alone, there alone where
that temple, God was seen, heard, and revealed and known through
the preaching of the gospel. There alone could men approach
God on the mercy seat through a priest by the blood of an animal
sacrificed, picturing the sacrifice, the blood sacrifice of Christ.
But now, We are the temple of God. Look over 1 Corinthians.
Go from Romans to the right, to 1 Corinthians 3. Look here
at 1 Corinthians 3. We're talking about the temple
of Zion, the temple of God, the place where we come to now. We
don't go to the mountain of the law, the mountain that kills,
but we come to the mountain of life. The mountain that gives
life to those who were once dead and trespasses in sin. This is
the mountain we're talking about. Look here at Galatians chapter
16. No ye not, that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit
of God dwelleth in you. So we can see we're the temple.
This new heart. God took out that old heart.
That old heart that shook its fist at Him and said, I will
not have this one rule over me. And He put a new heart. A new
heart that is willing, willing in the day of His power to love
Him because He first loved us. We've come to this Mount Zion.
Christ is our Priest. He's our Mercy Seeker. He's our
Sacrifice. We are as free to approach God
and Christ Jesus as the saints who are in Heaven. Look over
at Hebrews chapter 10. Go back to our text in Hebrews
and look at verse 10 this time. Or chapter 10, I'm sorry. Let's
go back to chapter 10 verses 19 through 22. Having therefore, brethren, boldness. Boldness to enter into the holiest
by what way? How can we enter into the holiest?
How can we approach a thrice holy God but by the blood of
Jesus? Verse 20, By a new and living
way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that
is to say, his flesh, and having an high priest over the house
of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance
and faith, in full assurance and faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies
washed with pure water. Right now, we have free access
to God. Go back a little further if you
would to Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4. And look at
verse 16. Let us therefore come boldly.
This is Hebrews 4.16. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in a time of need. You got some sorrows going on
in your life? You got some doubts going on
in your life? I was talking with a brother
this morning. He said, Neil, my biggest problem, John, is
that I doubt myself. The greatest relief to the doubt
I have of myself is the Lord tells me I can come boldly to
His throne. Not for any reason of myself,
but because of my Savior, the Lord Jesus. Not because of anything
I have done or not done, but because of my Savior, the Lord
Jesus. We enjoy the presence of God
in our hearts, and we are perfectly accepted in Him, as it states
in Ephesians 1, verse 6. Folks, we have a heavenly citizenship.
We have a heavenly citizenship. We are citizens of God. We are
inheritors of the kingdom of God. You and I, believing on
the Lord Jesus Christ, possess a privilege of heavenly citizenship. It says, ye are come unto the
city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Our citizenship is
in heaven, from which we look for a Savior. We sing that song,
this world is not my home. I'm just passing through it.
I'm just like Abraham. I know we live with a hard roof
over our head, but it's a tent. It's not my home. My home is
in heaven. My treasures are lit up beyond
the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's
open door, and I don't feel at home in this world anymore. Our citizenship is in heaven
from whence we look for a savior. It's like Americans who are traveling
through Europe. I recall when Kathy and I were
going through the Mediterranean on our cruise a year or so back.
And I recall, oh, I hope this isn't breaking the law. Is it
like where we are in the United States if we cross the street
and it's not a crosswalk? Can we get in trouble and go
to jail over here? We didn't want to break the law.
We don't want to break the laws of this land. We just want to get through it.
We may stop along the way and we may enjoy the sights of this
world, the food of this world, the smell and the flowers, but
our purpose is to return home as soon as we can. And I want to behave in a way
that will bring no reproach upon my homeland. I'm from heaven. That's where I'm from. I'm from
the Holy Land. That's where I'm from. That's
where I'm going home to. And oh, how I pray that I can
act in a way that brings glory to that land, to the One who
is Lord of that land. I don't want I must not let the
affairs of this strange land disturb me in a way that would
be against my Lord. We have angelic companions surrounding
us that we cannot see. Are you a child of God? Do you
trust Christ? If so, you have come into the
companionship of the angels of God. You are to come into an
innumerable company of angels, it says. Now, I don't pretend
to know anything about angels, but what the Lord tells us, and
this is one of the things the Lord tells us, is that we're
in an innumerable company of angels. And they're ministering spirits.
Look over at Hebrews chapter 1. Turn over to Hebrews chapter
1. This is talking about the ministering
spirits of God. Look at verse 14. Are they not all ministering
spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation? Isn't that what the Word of God
says right there? That's not my interpretation. That's the
Lord's Word. They're ministering spirits for
you and I, for the people of God. And the Lord has given those
angels charge over protecting us. It says, the angel of the
Lord encampeth, that means circleth around, about them that fear
Him. The angels of God attained the
saints in death. They attend the saints in their
death. They carry the home in glory, just as they did with
Elijah and Lazarus. And the angels of God will gather
His elect from the four corners of the earth, as it says in Revelation
that last day. This section of scripture we're
talking about, it also mentions the firstborn. In Christ, every
believer possesses all the spiritual wealth of adoption into the family
of God. Look at verse 23 again in our
text of Hebrews chapter 12. Look at verse 23 of Hebrews chapter
12. To the general assembly of the
church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to
God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made
perfect." So we see we're the firstborn of God. We're the firstborn
children of God, the believers, spiritual believers in God's
family, all the sons of firstborn sons. Our names are written in
heaven before the world began as we read in 1 John 3. That makes us all heirs of God
and joint heirs with Christ. We're heirs. That makes us perfectly safe. That gives us assurity. Assurance
that we're safe in His hands. Every believer is safe and secure
because we come under the defense and the protection of God's holy
throne. Well, who sits on that throne?
Our Master. Our Captain. The very one who
inspired the writer in Isaiah to write these words. Comfort
ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord. And that rider says,
how shall I comfort them? Tell Israel. Listen, people. Your warfare is accomplished,
and you're a captain. Oh. God help us to remember that
when we fall short, when we come up short, when we fall into the
trap of this world that surrounds us and gives us doubt. Where
is my Lord today? I heard today the pain is here. Where is my God? He's sitting
on His throne right now, our captain, our victor. The Lord says He's God, the Judge
of all. Nothing can get past Him. Nothing
can take away from Him that belongs to Him. That's why Paul could
write in the 8th chapter of Romans, I am confident. I'm confident. Why? Because Christ Jesus sits
on His throne right now. That's why. And nothing will
knock Him off of it. We sit with the General Assembly
being united to Christ by faith. We are brought into the company
of the glorified saints. We have come to the General Assembly,
it says, and the Church of the Firstborn, which are written
in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of
just men made perfect. God's church on this earth and
God's church in heaven are one. We are one. We are one under
the umbrella of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, our mediator. You and I who believe on the
objects are the objects of his personal care. Can you wrap your
mind around that? Can you grasp that with your
heart? I am the object of my Creator's
personal care. I have not been left to myself.
Not one for whom He laid down His life, not one can ever be
lost because they are under His care. I was asked by a visitor, I pray
that He'll come today I had a visitor yesterday who goes to the church
down the road here. He goes down there and he asked
me, he said, can anyone leave God behind and not be saved? I said, not if you belong to
God. God's word is very clear about
that. I said, will he let you run? Oh, absolutely. He's going
to let you run off sometimes just so you can stub your toe
and hurt and pain and come back to Him. Just so you can learn
the lesson of how weak we are in the flesh. And how much we
need Him every moment. I pray that He'll teach me that
every day. Keep teaching me that, Lord. Keep teaching me to look to You.
That's what this whole story, that's what this whole thing
about in Hebrews here that we're talking about, Part of Hebrews
chapter 12 there, it says what? It says, looking unto Jesus. That means continually. It's
still talking about that. We're halfway through the chapter,
but we're still talking about that subject. Looking unto Jesus. He's our mediator. He's the mediator of the new
covenant. And to the blood is sprinkling
that speaketh better things than able, as we read in our text
in verse 24. Our all-glorious Savior, Jesus, is the mediator
of the everlasting and ever-new covenant of grace, ordered in
all things and sure from eternity that the covenant that might
be ratified and put into force by His sin-atoning blood and
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ we have right now as surely as
the saints in heaven as well, full, irrevocable salvation through
Christ's precious blood." What does the blood of Christ
speak? What is it that it speaks? It
speaks of forgiveness. Well, if it speaks of forgiveness,
then we're forgiven, aren't we? What else does the blood of Christ
speak of? It speaks of justification. Well, if we're justified in the
blood of Christ, then we're justified, are we not? Perfectly? It speaks of sanctification,
then we are sanctified. It speaks of glorification, then
we have the promise of that as well. It speaks of life, then
we have life. Let these things comfort, strengthen,
and sustain you. in the midst of your heart, in
the midst of your headaches, and the toils that you must go
through in this world. Amen.