Well, have your Bibles open at
Hebrews chapter 7 this morning. Hebrews chapter 7. If you appear
in a court in Britain, in our justice system, you're hoping
to be acquitted if you genuinely believe that you are not guilty
of the crimes of which you're accused. But if you're there,
what you will need very, very much is a competent advocate,
an advocate, a lawyer to speak on your behalf, because in the
heat of the moment, you'll forget things, you'll lose things. You
need the skill of a capable advocate to stand there and to seek your
justification in that court, that it wasn't you, you were
not guilty of that. We see it in the news all of
the time as trials go on. one advocate for one side speaking
and an advocate for the other side but you know there's no
certainty in any of that you know there have been some terrible
miscarriages of justice or whilst on the whole the vast majority
of cases justice is carried correctly there have been as we all know
some terrible miscarriages of justice there's no certainty
at all but what about the bar of God's justice you see We would
hope that in your entire life you would never have to appear
before the bar of a court of British justice accused of something
and have to give an answer. We would hope that that would
be the case. But what about the bar of God's justice? You've
got an appointment there. We've all got an appointment
there. In chapter six of Hebrews, in verses 18 and 19, we're told
there in the middle of verse 18, we might have strong consolation,
who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us,
which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,
and which entereth into that within the veil where the forerunner
is entered before us, even Jesus, a high priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. There it talks about hope, strong
consolation, confidence, the promise, the assurance of acceptance,
the assurance of justification. An advocate's spoken for you
there, and there's this hope and confidence of justification
leading to eternal life. Now, what is the basis of the
hope and confidence that we have looking forward to eternity?
The title of this morning's message is there in verse 12 of chapter
7. for the priesthood being changed. The priesthood being changed. There's a priest that is not
the one of the Old Testament. The priesthood has been changed
and that is the basis of our confidence that we have an advocate
who's able to answer for us in eternity. that we have an advocate
who will most definitely secure the justification of his people.
You see, we need a priest, we need an advocate, we need an
intercessor. Call it what you like. These
are the concepts. We need a priest. Because what
do priests do? Priests do two things, basically. They offer sacrifice for sins. Why? Why sacrifice for sins? To pay the sin debt. That's what
it's about. To pay the sin debt. The priest
offers the sacrifice in payment of the sin debt. And secondly,
to intercede. Why do you need an intercessor?
We read in Hebrews 55, God speaking there, my thoughts are not your
thoughts, my ways are not your ways. As high as the heavens
are above the earth, so are my thoughts higher than your God
is not like us, we are not like him. He is altogether holy and
pure and just, and we are altogether sinful and polluted. We are sin,
we are sin. Christ was made sin that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. We who are, by nature,
sin. It's not just that we do sins,
we are sin. By nature, that's what we are.
And yet he was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. So the priest would offer sacrifice,
sin debt payment, and intercession between the sinner and God. Now
these Hebrews, to whom the writer, I think it was Paul, was writing,
were still looking back to the Levitical priesthood, and we
all do by nature. We're all religious by nature.
We all like to have somebody to tell us what to do by nature. That's what we like. Look at
the peoples in the world. How many of them unthinkingly
go along with some regime that tells them what they must do
and how they must live and where they must go and where they mustn't
go. And on the basis of that they give themselves subconscious
points of success and of failure. People like the idea of a human
priest telling them what they should do and these Hebrews were
looking back to this Levitical priesthood. They were looking
back to the picture rather than the reality because the reality
is Christ. Now Paul shows in this chapter
the infinite superiority of Christ as his people's high priest.
How confident can we be in our high priest? How confident can
we be if Christ is our high priest, if he's your high priest, if
he's my high priest this morning? How confident can we be when
we look to eternity? Look at verse 25. Wherefore,
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Do you see that? No shortage in the capability. Salvation to the uttermost. to
those that come to God by Him. There's no other way to God.
What did He say? I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me. If you would
come to God, you must come by Him. You will be condemned. You
will be consumed if you come any other way. But those that
come to God by Him are saved to the uttermost. Because why?
We have a priest who lives forever. Those Old Testament priests died,
but he lives forever. And what does he do? He intercedes. He intercedes. He's the go-between.
He bridges the gap between the holy
God and sinful people. Now, what I want to do this morning
and I looked and looked and looked at this chapter and it's so clear
there and I thought how do I make a message out of that well I've
come to the conclusion that the only thing I can reasonably do
is read it with some comment with you so will you just please
just follow with me in your Bibles as we read it because what we're
going to do do you remember those exam questions some of you won't
need to remember quite as long as others some of you having
just done exams but you get questions which say compare and contrast
we're going to compare and contrast two priesthoods because that's
what this chapter is about the priesthood of Levi the Aaronic
priesthood and the priesthood of Melchizedek this mysterious
character who we see only four or five times in scripture and
most of those in the book of Hebrews this character Melchizedek
we read about him in Genesis chapter 14 that's where we first
met him it was when Abraham was returning from the slaughter
of the kings in chapter 14, the kings of the plain, a plain where
Lot was, and Lot had been taken captive. And Abram heard that
his brother, his nephew actually, his brother's son, had been taken
captive. Such a picture of Christ and
his brethren being taken captive by Satan. Abram went out to deliver
Lot from his captors and Christ came to deliver his people from
the bondage of Satan and Abram went out with his army and obviously
God was with him because with far inferior military forces
he had such a victory and he delivered Lot from his captors
and at that time Melchizedek met him and blessed him with
bread and wine, and received tithes from Abram, the patriarch,
and blessed him. Let me just read the scriptures
to you, you don't need to turn to them, I've got them here.
And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine,
and he was the priest of the Most High God. Think about it. The priests of the Old Testament
didn't even start till four or five hundred years after this.
in the days of Moses, the Aaronic priesthood. Aaron was the brother
of Moses. Four or five hundred years later,
after they'd been down in Egypt all of that time, but this man
Melchizedek was priest of the Most High God. And look what
he brought forth to meet Abraham with. Bread and wine. Why bread
and wine? I don't know, I don't want to
read more into these things than is really there, but doesn't
that speak of communion? Doesn't that speak of the Lord's
Supper? Doesn't that speak of the symbols of the broken body
and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? He brought those
symbols before him, and he was priest! Before there were ever
any priests, he was priest of the Most High God, because he'd
always been a priest. And he blessed him, and said,
Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven
and earth. Oh what a thing to be blessed of the Most High God. You can't be blessed of any higher.
Blessed of the Most High God which hath delivered thine enemies
into thine hand and Abram gave Melchizedek tithes of all. We read in Psalm 110 the Lord
said to my Lord this is the persons of the Godhead Communicating,
the Lord God said to my Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, sit thou
at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule
thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. In the beauties of holiness from
the womb of the morning, thou hast the Jew of thy youth. The
Lord hath sworn and will not repent. thou art a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek this being a priest this thing
of Christ being a priest after the order of Melchizedek And
the priesthood being changed, that being our priest, and no
longer the Old Testament priesthood of Levi, is so fundamental. There it is in Psalm 110. The
Lord hath sworn. It's with an oath. The Lord hath
sworn and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Always a priest for his people.
He always has been. He always will be. There was
never a time when he wasn't a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
so then we come to him there it is in verse twenty of chapter
six a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek now verse
chapter seven four this Melchizedek king of Salem priest of the Most
High God who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings
and blessed him to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of
all first being by interpretation King of Righteousness and after
that also King of Salem which is King of Peace, his name means
King of Justice, Melech is King Tzedek is Justice, put them together
you get Melchizedek King of Justice, King of Righteousness and his
name also King of Salem king of peace. He's a priest upon
his throne. In the book of Zechariah, the
prophecy of Zechariah, next to the last prophecy of the Old
Testament, we read there in chapter 6 and verse 13, even he shall
build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory,
speaking of Christ. of his servant who will come,
and shall sit and rule upon his throne, and he shall be a priest
upon his throne." The Old Testament priests never ever did sit on
the throne of Israel. And the kings were not allowed
to be priests. But here is a priest who is both king and priest.
a priest upon his throne this is what was said of christ he
will be a priest upon his throne and the council of peace shall
be between them both and then verse three without father without
mother without descent this is this Melchizedek having neither
beginning of days nor end of life but made like unto the Son
of God abideth a priest continually without father, without mother. What a beautiful picture this
is of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Melchizedek, he was without
father as a man. Our Lord Jesus Christ was without
father as a man. He was without mother as God. The God-man, God, did not have
a mother. The man did have a mother, Mary,
the Virgin. But without mother as God, without
the beginning of days, from everlasting without end of life eternal a
continual abiding priest who is this Melchizedek we're told
in verse four to consider him Consider how great this man was,
unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the
spoils. Oh, he was the starter of it
all, wasn't he, Abraham? The father of the faith, Abraham,
the patriarch, the ultimate one. He was the one to whom God spoke,
but he gave tithes, the tenth of the spoils, to this Melchizedek. Consider how great this one was. Who was he? The fact is, we don't
know. We're not told. The scripture
leaves it sufficiently cloudy for us not to be told. There's
a very, very, very strong inclination in me to think that this is the
pre-incarnate Christ. You know, as he appeared to Abraham
by the tent door and in all sorts of other situations, But I wouldn't
be quite so dogmatic to say, absolutely, I'm certain of that.
He's so like Christ. I don't know who else you can
say was without mother and without father, without descent, neither
beginning of days nor end of life, nor made like unto the
son of God, a priest continue. I don't know who else you could
say it, but the scripture doesn't quite, for me, make it absolutely
100% clear. What we do know is that our Lord
Jesus Christ is a priest after this same fashion, not after
the priesthood of Levi. Now look at verse 5. They that are of the sons of
Levi, the Old Testament priests, who receive the office of the
priesthood have a commandment to take tithes of the people
according to the law, that is, of their brethren though they
come out of the loins of Abraham. You see, these Levites are the
children of Abraham because Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Jacob
and Jacob the twelve tribes of whom Levi was one of those twelve
tribes and then four hundred years later or so, maybe five
hundred, And in the days of Moses, Aaron, Moses and Aaron were Levites,
they were of the tribe of Levi. Aaron, his brother, of his sons
were to be the priests. and they come out of the loins
of Abraham, they're the descendants, the direct descendants of Abraham
yet they take tithes from the people the law was given, Numbers
18 verse 21, and behold I have given the children of Levi all
the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their service which they
serve even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation
Thus speak to the Levites, and say to them, When ye take of
the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them
for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering
of it to the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe." Now what's
this saying to us? If Abraham honored Melchizedek
with tithes, how much more we ought to honor our God and Savior
with our substance, with our total commitment, with our total
dedication to Him, consecrating all that we are and all that
we have to Him who loved us, and don't forget, He gave Himself
for us. He gave Himself for us. Anyway,
there was the priesthood of Levi and there were the people giving
tithes to the Levites, but yet the Levite's father gave tithes
to this Melchizedek. How much greater is his priesthood? Verse six, but he whose descent
is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham. Melchizedek,
his descent wasn't counted from them, he received tithes from
Abraham and blessed him that had the promises. If we read Romans chapter 4 verse
13, we get, For the promise that he should be the heir of the
world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but
through the righteousness of faith. These promises were through
the righteousness of faith, and blessed him that had the promises
through the righteousness of faith. Galatians 3.16 also says
this, Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.
He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to
thy seed, which is Christ, This was the promise of God. What
was the promise of God? The promise of eternal life to
all his people that were in the Lord Jesus Christ. We're getting
round to seeing how much better is the priesthood of Christ than
the priesthood of Levi. Because verse seven says it.
And without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better. Abraham and his descendants,
Levi, is blessed of the better, Melchizedek. as Melchizedek was
greater than Abraham and greater than Levi and greater than all
the great ones who came from the loins of Abraham so the Lord
Jesus Christ is infinitely greater than all this is the message
that we're hearing from this Christ is greater Christ is better
the promises are better the less is blessed of the better in his
deity in his humanity, in all of his offices, in all of his
work, in all of his accomplishments, in all of his intercession, compare
the priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek with
that of Levi by which they approached in the Old Testament with the
animal sacrifices, how much better, how much better. They were only
ever pictures, this is the reality. Verse 8, and here men that die
receive tithes, but there he receiveth them of whom it is
witnessed that he liveth if you look over at chapter five and
verse six we're told again there as he saith also in another place
thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek those
priests died They received tithes, but they died. They were all
mortal because of sin. But this priest, Christ of the
order of Melchizedek, ever liveth. He lives, he's a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek. And verse 20 of chapter six,
you've got it again. Priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek. Verse nine of chapter seven.
And as I may say so, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes
in Abraham. You see, this priesthood of Levi
is subservient, is not as good, is inferior to that of Melchizedek,
of which Christ is a priest. Because Levi also, who received
tithes from the people, paid tithes to Melchizedek in Abraham. Verse 10. for he was yet in the
loins of his father when Melchizedek met him that's how he paid tithes
verse 11 if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood
oh give us a priest that we might be perfect before God oh this
is what we want a priest for that we might be perfect before
God if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood but
it isn't but it isn't for under it the Levitical priesthood,
the people received the law, what further need was there that
another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek and
not be called after the order of Aaron? You see, that Levitical
priesthood, that Aaronic priesthood was so effective, so effectual,
wouldn't the priesthood of Christ continued in that same way? But
it isn't. There was a need that another
priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek. And what's
the difference? Why is it that Christ's priesthood
is so much greater? Those priests, the Levitical
priests, the Aaronic priests, could not save. The blood of
their sacrifices could never take away sins. It could never
clean the defiled conscience. But Christ can. And Christ does. And Christ has. Galatians 2 verse
21, Paul says there, I do not frustrate the grace of God, for
if righteousness came by the law, by the Levitical priesthood,
then Christ is dead in vain. But it didn't. And it never could.
It was only ever a picture. It was only ever a picture that
could never accomplish the reality. The reality must come, and now
it has come. Another priesthood. Verse 12. For the priesthood being changed,
the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a
change also of the law. You know, there are so many today
who preach a mixture of Christ and law. They preach Christ for
salvation, but law for how we live in this life. We must live
under the law. The scriptures are clear. There's
been a change of law. As far as the people of God are
concerned, we're not under law, but under grace. The priesthood
has been changed. We're not under the law of that
Levitical priesthood. We're under a new law, a royal
law, the law of the Lord Jesus Christ, because the priesthood
has been changed. Verse 13, for he of whom these
things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe. Who of these
things are being spoken? Of Christ, after the order of
Melchizedek. He pertains to another tribe
of which no man gave attendance at the altar. What's he talking
about? Verse 14, for it is evident that
our Lord sprang out of Judah. another one of the sons of Jacob
not Levi not of the Levitical line where all the other priests
came from it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah
of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood the shadow
had to give way to the substance the law symbolized by the Levitical
priesthood had to give way to grace the Levitical priesthood
had to die had to come to an end Daniel prophesied that it
would come to an end when Christ went to the cross, when Messiah
came and put an end to all that sacrifice. The Levitical priesthood
had to die to make room for a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
An eternal priesthood. An effectual priesthood. A priesthood
that's not a picture, but a reality. A priest from the tribe of Judah. The tribe of Judah, this is significant,
these things, we just scratch the surface and we know that
there's something enigmatically significant here. Isaiah 11 verse
1, and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots. This was from the
tribe of Judah. Jesse, David, they were from
the tribe of Judah. If you read Matthew and Luke,
the early chapters, the genealogies of Christ, which was of the son
of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of
Ezra, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Judah. It
shows that Christ came from the tribe of Judah. Romans one verse
three, concerning his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made
of the seed of David, according to the flesh of the tribe of
Judah. Revelation five verse five, and one of the elders saith
unto me, weep not, behold, you know what comes next, the lion
of the tribe of Judah. The lion of the tribe of Judah,
the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose
the seven seals thereof. Not from the Levitical priesthood,
that was only ever a picture that was ineffectual, but from
the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. The lion of the
tribe of Judah is our Lord Jesus Christ, infinitely better, because
his salvation is effectual. His salvation has worked. His
salvation has accomplished its purposes. His work is finished,
verse 15, and it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude
of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest who is made, verse
16, not after the law of a carnal commandment, that was the law
which led to all of those Levitical priests, but after the power
of an endless life. Christ is a priest after the
order of Melchizedek, after the power of an endless life. is
this not one of the reasons that the resurrection of Christ is
so important? The Lord Jesus achieved his priestly
robes you know Aaron was set aside under the law of Moses
and given those priestly robes under that law but the Lord Jesus
achieved his priestly robes by virtue of his resurrection glory
the power of an endless life, verse seventeen for he testifies
And here we have it again, yet another quotation. Thou art a
priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. This is Christ,
an eternal priest after the order of Melchizedek. Verses 18 and
19. 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. Here we have the
pivot of it, this compare and contrast these two priesthoods.
The old priesthood was weak and unprofitable. It didn't achieve
its purpose. It made nothing perfect. But
the bringing in of a better hope, of a changed priesthood, of a
new priesthood, by which we draw nigh to God, achieved its purpose.
Let me quote you some scriptures. The law made nothing perfect
but the bringing in of a better hope did. Acts 13 verses 38 and
39. Be it known unto you therefore
men and brethren that through this man, he's speaking of the
Lord Jesus Christ, this is preaching to a crowd in the Acts of the
Apostles, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness
of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things
from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses could it
be clearer the law made nothing perfect Romans 3 verses 20 and
21, Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight. Not by anything we do, nor by
anything a Levitical priest might try to do for us. By the deeds
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For
by the law is the knowledge of sin. It's our schoolmaster to
bring us to Christ. But now The righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Romans 3, 28. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Look what
this verse is saying. The law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did. Romans 8, 1-4. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus. Is that not the bringing in of
a better hope? Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made
me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could
not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own
son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh. You see, it worked! He did it! He accomplished it! That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. That's saying
the same as 2nd Corinthians 5.21, that we quote so often. He was
made sin in the flesh, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. we who walk not after the flesh
but after the spirit Galatians 2.16 knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus
Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of
the law for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified
the bringing in of a better hope did Hebrews 6.18 that by two,
we saw this last week, two immutable things in which it was impossible
for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have
fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us. Look
down at chapters 8 and verse 6 of Hebrews. But now hath he
obtained a more excellent ministry. Do you notice we said right at
the start of these studies of Hebrews The contrast was always
Christ compared with angels, with Moses, with the law, with
the Old Testament priests, with all those sacrifice and the word
that keeps cropping up is better, better, better. More excellent,
he's obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he
is the mediator of a better covenant. Christ's covenant is a better
covenant. You don't want that Old Testament
covenant which was only a picture. We have the reality. It's a better
covenant. Why? Because it secures the salvation
of his people. It was established upon better
promises. Aren't they better promises? I have saved you. Isn't that
a better promise than a promise to this weak flesh, do this and
live? Which could never accomplish
its purpose because of the weakness of the flesh. verse 20 and inasmuch
as not without an oath he was made priest and those words in
italics are put there because of the context if you look at
the next verse for those 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 after the order of Melchizedek What's this about, this thing
of the oath? What is it about? I believe it's
this, that what it's saying, the difference is this, that
God swore that the salvation that was in Christ, that the
priesthood of Christ would accomplish its purpose eternally. that it's
an eternal assurance of the salvation of his people, of all that are
in Christ. That's the oath. You are a priest
forever. It will never end. His priesthood,
the effectiveness of it, the working of it will never ever
come to an end. So inasmuch then as he was not
without an oath, inasmuch as not without an oath, he was made
priest. But all those priests, they were
made priests without an oath because they had no abiding eternal
effectual accomplishment. Verse 22, by so much was Jesus
made a surety of a better testament. Did you notice that word again?
A better testament. the surety that is in the Lord
Jesus Christ, a better testament, a better promise. We've already
seen it, Hebrews 8.6, now he has obtained a more excellent
ministry. He's the mediator of a better
covenant, established upon better promises. Hebrews 9, 11 to 15,
look a little bit further. But Christ, being come an high
priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
not of the old way, neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place.
having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls
and of goats and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean,
sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, there was an external
purifying of all of those Old Testament rites, how much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God. How much better is that testament? How much better is that covenant?
We could go on and look in Hebrews 12, but for the sake of time
we won't. Verse 23, and they truly were many priests. The
Old Testament Levitical priests were many. Why? Because they
kept dying and having to be replaced by another one. They only lasted
as long as their lives did. And then they passed on. Verse
24. But this man, the Lord Jesus
Christ, a priest after the order of Melchizedek, because he continueth
ever, without beginning of days, without end of days, hath an
unchangeable priesthood. He's not replaced. He's never
replaced. An unchangeable priesthood. This
is the virtue of his sacrifice it's everlasting it's unalterable
and that verse wherefore because of all these things he is able
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them we need a priest to
intercede to pay the sin debt to justify us before the throne
and justice of God we need a priest to stand between the consuming
fire which is a holy God, that in Him, in our Lord Jesus Christ,
in our intercessor, in our mediator, in that one mediator between
God and man, the man Christ Jesus, that in Him we might have intercession
and God the consuming fire, God the judge, God into whose hands
it is a terrible thing to fall, a dreadful fearful thing to fall,
might become the heavenly father, might become Abba father of his
children because of all that Christ has accomplished. Let
me read you some scriptures. Romans 8, 33 and 34, you know
these well. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. See? He ever lives to
make intercession for them. That verse I keep quoting, 1
Timothy 2 verse 5. For there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. Hebrews
9, you might look over at it, verses 24 to 26. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, pictures, but into heaven itself. now to appear in the
presence of God for us nor yet that he should offer himself
often as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year
with the blood of others for then he must often have suffered
since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the
world once in the end of the world he hath appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself isn't that exactly what
Daniel said would happen he'd put an end to sins He put an
end to it. Christ is not entered in there.
1st John, chapter 2, verses 1 and 2, My little children, these
things I write unto you, that ye sin not, and if any man sin,
what did I say right at the start? We have an advocate with the
Father. Jesus Christ, the righteous,
and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world. That doesn't mean
everybody in the world, but it means people from all over the
world. It's the same as the world that
God so loved that he gave his only begotten son. Verse 26,
for such an high priest became us. He's so fitting for us. Why? Because he's holy. Unlike
those priests who were sinners, he is holy. He's harmless. He's undefiled. He's separate
from sinners. and made higher than the heavens.
What an intercessor! What a glorious intercessor!
Who needeth not daily, verse 27, as those high priests of
the Levitical priesthood, to offer up sacrifice First for
his own sins. The priest had to slay a bullock
for the sins of himself and his family before he could minister
for the people with the two goats, the goat of sacrifice and the
scapegoat to be sent away into the wilderness. He had to first
offer up sacrifice for his own sins and then for the people's.
For this he did once. Christ did it once. when he offered
up himself for the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity
the law of Moses the law of Moses the Levitical law makes men high
priests which have infirmity and what infirmity we saw in
those high priests at the time of the crucifixion of Christ
Ananias and Caiaphas those high priests and the terrible things
that they did certainly these men have infirmity but the word
of oath the promise of God, the eternal promise, which was since
the law maketh the son who is consecrated forevermore, a priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now, let's just finish with verse
one of chapter eight. Now of the things which we have
spoken, this is the sum. We have such an high priest who
is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the
heavens. We have such a high priest. In
him, all who are redeemed, all his redeemed people, we're told
in Peter's epistle, are a royal priesthood. Do we need any other
priest? Is he not able to save to the
uttermost all who come to God by him?