Turn, if you will, to Hebrews
chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. I'd like to begin by reading verses
19 through 22, and then we'll read to the end of the chapter,
but first just those first few verses. Hebrews 7 verse 19. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw
nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an
oath, he was made priest. 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. By so much was Jesus made a surety
of a better testament. Verse 19 speaks of a better hope,
better hope. And as the context of the verses
show, as the context of the chapter of the epistle itself and the
entire word of God, the only foundation, the only thing, the
only one I should say that can give a sinner a better hope,
a hope of acceptance before God, a hope of being reconciled to
him, a good hope of grace, a hope of eternal salvation, a hope
when this life is over, a sure hope of entering heaven to be
with him. The only one that can give any
sinner such a hope as that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He's our hope. And he himself
gives us such a good hope, unchanging. In the last chapter of this book,
we're told that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today
and forever. He never loses his merit, never
loses his value, never loses that place of everlasting satisfaction
before God the Father. Paul, in writing his first epistle
to Timothy, said this, speaking of his hope. He said, Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior,
and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope. The two words, which
is, are in italics, which means they weren't in the original.
So read it without those two words. The Lord Jesus Christ,
our hope. Nothing between. Nothing between. Not even a preposition. Jesus
Christ himself, that all-glorious Redeemer, that one that he said
all the prophets wrote about, Moses wrote about, the Psalms
speak of him. He himself is our hope. You've noticed and I've pointed
this out before, but you're well aware, I'm sure, that the key
word Throughout the book of Hebrews, all 13 chapters, is the word
better. It's a recurrent word. We run
across it again and again. And each time, always, it has
reference to Jesus Christ. He's better than the angels.
He's better than Moses. Better than Aaron. He has a superior
priesthood, a better covenant. He himself offered a better sacrifice. Christ is better because he's
the best. It doesn't get any better than
that. If I have Christ, I have all
that God Almighty requires. I have everything that can please
God Himself if I have Christ. That's why we're told we're complete
in Him. Without Christ, nothing. Oh,
but with Him, I have all things, all that I need in time. all
that I need as I make my journey through this world, and all that
I'll need when I stand before God, Jesus Christ, our hope. He's our surety and savior. Look at verse 22 again, if you
will. It says here in Hebrews 7 verse
22, by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. A surety. What does that mean? When we think of a surety in
our day, we usually think of someone that's a co-signer. Someone
that, by signing an agreement, becomes jointly responsible for
the debt or the obligation of another. He becomes jointly responsible. That's not the sort of surety
that Jesus Christ is. He didn't become jointly responsible. No, he became totally responsible
to God for us. Because you see, we had no ability
to pay. It wasn't a joint responsibility,
oh no, but it was his responsibility altogether because we had nothing
to pay. And in that everlasting covenant
of grace, our surety, Jesus Christ promised God the Father that
he himself would pay all of our debts. that he himself would
make himself obligated to God to do everything necessary, paying
our debts and bearing all of our sins in his own body on the
tree. Christ made himself honored,
bound to save us. Now you think of that. Think
of that. Christ made himself honored,
bound to save us. He promised God that he would
do everything necessary. You remember when Joseph was
in Egypt. And there was a famine and people
came to Joseph. He was Pharaoh's right-hand man. And even his brethren came down
to Egypt for grain. And they didn't know that Joseph
was there. They didn't know, they didn't
recognize him. And he sent them back with the promise that they
would send their brother Benjamin when they came back again. And
Judah One of Jacob's sons promised his father that if he would allow
him to take Benjamin that he would be surety for him, that
he would be responsible for him. Listen to these words in Genesis
chapter 43. And Judah said unto Israel, that
is unto Jacob his father, send the lad with me. Let Benjamin
go with them, and I will arise and go that we may live and not
die, both we and thou and also our little ones. I will be sure
of thee for him. I will pledge to you, my father,
that I will be responsible for Benjamin. I will be surety for
him, but my hand shall thou require him. If I bring him not unto
thee and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever."
That's exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ promised on the
behalf of his people to his heavenly father. I will be responsible
for them. Give me all their debts, all
they owe, all of their sins, all of their obligations, I will
fulfill them all." And he did. Oh, what a surety is our Redeemer. You remember what Paul said to
Onesimus, or rather to Philemon on the part of Onesimus when
he wrote to him? He said, if he's wrong today,
If he's wrong, D, if he owes you anything, remember what he
said? Put it on my account. Put it
on my account. This is what our great surety
did. He put all of our debts, all
of our sins were put on his account. In Isaiah chapter 50, listen
to these words, speaking of our great covenant head, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Isaiah 50 and verse 5, the Lord
has opened my ear and I was not rebellious. This is God, this
is Christ speaking. Neither turned away back. Isaiah
50 verse 5. I gave my back to the smiters,
and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face
from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me,
therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face
like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. I was not rebellious, neither
did I turn back." Does that sound familiar? Turn if you will to
the Gospel of John chapter 18. This is exactly what our great
shepherd, that great shepherd of the sheep who loved us and
laid down his life for us, that's exactly what he did here in John
18. Look at verse 4. I love this
passage. What a picture. What a picture
this is of substitution. What a picture it is of our faithful
substitute himself. Here in John 18, you're familiar
with the scene. Our Lord goes to the Garden of
Gethsemane, a place Judas knew very well. He would have no difficulty
bringing the band of soldiers there to find and arrest our
Lord. Our Lord intended it to be so. He was in control of everything. But here in verse 4 we read,
Jesus therefore knowing all things that should come upon him, turned
away. No, no. As he said in Isaiah,
I turn not back. He went forth and said unto that
angry mob, that bloodthirsty mob, whom seek ye? Can you picture that? Can you
picture our great shepherd standing out in front of his sheep, his
frightened sheep? He stands in the forefront and
asks that mob, whom seek ye? And they answer, Jesus of Nazareth,
Jesus saith unto them, I am he. I am, literally, is what he said. And Judas also which betrayed
him stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto
them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground. Who's
in control? Who's in control? Who's always
in control? Our God is in the heavens. He's
always doing it whatsoever he hath pleased. Verse 7, and then
he asked them again. Whom seek ye? Again, they said,
Jesus of Nazareth. And listen to this, listen to
the great shepherd. I have told you that I am he,
if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way. And this is what he said to the
justice of God. If it's me you seek, let these
go their way. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law. And in time, he that knew no
sin, did no sin, and whom was no sin, offered himself without
spot to God. To the sword of divine justice,
God said, smite the shepherd. Oh, but in doing so, in smiting
Christ the shepherd, then the sheep must go free. God will
not demand payment twice for the same crime. If Jesus Christ
satisfied justice, then it's satisfied forever. Therefore,
he says, let these go their way. Now go back, if you will, to
Hebrews chapter 7. Let's pick up the reading at
verse 23. And they truly were many priests
because they were not allowed or rather suffered to continue
by reason of death. But this man, because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
that he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a high priest
became us, who is holy and harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. who needeth not daily as those
high priests to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins and then
for the people's. For this he did once when he
offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests
which have infirmities, but the word of the oath, which was since
the law, maketh the son who is consecrated forevermore." Salvation
to the uttermost, verse 25. Don't you like that? Not only
is he our surety, he's our mighty savior. He's that one who's mighty
to save. It's against this backdrop that
is the need of salvation. against the backdrop of the blackness
of my sin. Oh, how His grace shines forth. They who sat in darkness, we're
told, saw a great light. They who sat in darkness in the
region of the shadow of death, upon them a great light has sprung
up. Thank God. Thank God that He
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, to shine into
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We would have never known him
otherwise. Peter, flesh and blood didn't
teach you this. Peter said, I know who you are.
You're the Christ, and our Lord said, flesh and blood didn't
teach you this. Well, how did Peter know that? How did Peter
know that? My Father which is in heaven,
He's opened your blinded eyes. He commanded just as in the beginning
when He said, let there be light. He commanded the light to shine
into your darkened soul and He gave you knowledge. He opened
your eyes as to who I am. He enabled you to behold the
Lamb of God. These words in verse 25, that
he's able, that is our surety, our savior, that he's able to
save to the uttermost, give this sinner hope. Lord, it gives me
hope that he's able to save even me because you see, I need a
great savior. I need a great savior because
I'm a great sinner. Nothing less, nothing less than
a great savior will do my soul any good. Nothing less than a
great Savior can forgive my sins. Nothing less than he who is himself
the mighty God and the Prince of Peace is able to keep that
which I've committed unto him against that day. Only a great
God and Savior can do that. Turn, if you will, to Titus,
back a page or two, to Titus chapter two. This is exactly
how Jesus Christ, our surety and Savior is described. Oh,
what glorious titles he has. Redeemer, Savior, Mediator, Advocate,
High Priest, Intercessor, and he deserves every one of them,
does he not? Here in Titus chapter 2 verse
11, for the grace of God that offers salvation, no, no, thank
God he doesn't read that way, does he? The grace of God that
bringeth salvation. had appeared to all men, teaching
us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live
soberly and righteously and godly in this present world. Looking
for that blessed hope, there's the word again, that blessed
hope. that good hope through grace,
that sure and steadfast hope that enters in as an anchor to
our souls within the veil. And they all speak of the same
one, that same glorious one, the Lord Jesus Christ, looking
for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing. What a day
that will be. He told his disciples, yes, I'm
going away. And because I've told you that
I'm going away, sorrow has filled your heart." But he didn't stop
there, did he? He said, but I will see you again. I will see you
again. I'm going back to prepare a place
for you. And if I do that, it's not going
to abide empty. Oh no, there won't be any empty
mansions in glory. They'll all be occupied. And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, looking
for that glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior,
Jesus Christ. These words in verse 25 again
I say, concerning our great Redeemer, our surety and Savior, that he's
able to say to the uttermost, give this sinner hope. I need
a total Savior. Because I'm a total sinner. I need one who's mighty to save,
and he is. Look at verse 26 here again.
For such a high priest became us. What does that mean? Became
us. That was exactly what we needed. Which suited our case perfectly. Perfectly. He's such a savior
as that. The less you make of sin, And
oh, how sad it is that that's done by so many in our day. The
less you make of sin, the less you make of the sinner's state,
the less you make of his condition, the less you make of that grace
that's required to save him. If he's a little sinner, then
a little Savior will do him. Don't need much help if I can
help myself, but if I'm dead, And that's how the Bible describes
me. When I entered this world, from the first breath I drew
when I entered this world, I came here dead in trespasses and sins. And I'll remain dead in trespasses
and sins unless, unless the only hope, the only hope any sinner
has, if he who is, who said I'm the resurrection and the life,
the hour is coming, he said, And now is that the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God. Or when he speaks, Lazarus,
hmm, Lazarus listens. There went forth power with that
word, that life-giving word, and Lazarus arises from the dead
in the same way. Christ said, the dead shall hear
the voice of the son of man and they that hear shall live. And that's what he who is mighty
to save does. That is the one who saves the
uttermost. He comes to the graveyard of
dead sinners and he speaks as never a man spoke. He speaks
life giving. Words of authority and says live. Ezekiel, can these bones live? God asked him. Took him to that
vision of dry bones and Ezekiel said there were many bones, very
many, and they were very dry. Can they live? How? How? Ezekiel said, thou knowest. Oh yes, the God of all grace
breathes on them, the captain of our salvation. He who himself
is the resurrection and the life says live and they live. I need such a savior as that.
A great savior that saves to the uttermost in what sense? In every sense. To what degree? It says to the uttermost. For
how long? From now to eternity. Old John
Newton wrote these words, you know them very well, from his
famous hymn, Amazing Grace. He confessed, and I confess with
him, this grace that's brought me safe thus far. And grace,
brother Lloyd, that same grace, if I'm ever brought to glory,
if I ever see heaven, that same grace that saved me initially,
That same grace that gave me life, that same grace who said,
Thy sins are forgiven, that same grace that floated this unworthy
sinner from the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, that same
mighty, powerful grace must lead me all the way home. The psalmist
said, What wait I for? Now, Lord, what wait I for? Do I have any more than these
heathens around me? Those that don't know you, they
work for this life. They have their contentment in
this world. But, Lord, what do I wait for,
the psalmist said. And he answered his question,
he said, my hope is in thee. My hope is in thee. Oh yes, brothers
and sisters, we won't get to heaven any other way except that
grace that has brought us safe thus far. And it has, hasn't
it? It has. It's brought us safe
thus far. How often, how often We've sat
alone in darkness and thought with a breaking heart and a trial
that just seemed too heavy to bear, a burden that was just
too much for us and we thought, we won't endure this, we won't
get through this, and yet here we stand on the other side and
we look back and say, well, How did that happen? The only explanation,
the only answer is, His grace has brought me safe thus far. And that grace, that same grace
will lead me home. Again, verse 24, look what it
says here in Hebrews 7, but this man, this man, oh, this man who
is himself God, Who is he? He's the only mediator between
God and man. The one mediator between sinners
and a holy God is not Mary, or preacher, or Pope, or Baptist.
It's Jesus Christ himself, the God-man. He's the only Savior. The only one who affectionately
put away all of our sin. Who needeth not daily, verse
27, as those high priests to offer up sacrifice first for
his own sins, he had none. Ours became his. And then for
the peoples, for this he did once. That's another word that
recurs throughout these 13 chapters, the word once. This he did once
when he offered up himself, because in offering up himself once,
he satisfied God's justice. In offering up himself once,
he obtained eternal redemption for us. Look in chapter 9, if
you will, here in Hebrews. This is what we read here in
verse 24, Hebrews 9 and 24. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us, as our representative. Nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest enters into the holy place every
year with the blood of others, for then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world. But now, but now, once, in the
end of the world had he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. And he got the job done once
he put away the sins of all of his people, once it was accomplished. Look in verse 12 of chapter 10.
Well, look at verse 4 of chapter 10. For it is not possible that
the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins, Verse
12, but this man, that is the God man, after he offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, did what the earthly high priest
could never do. He couldn't sit down. Oh, but
our Lord did. After he by himself purged our
sins, he sat down. As Paul says here, but this man,
after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at
the right hand of God. And there he sits. There he is
at this very moment. There sits the God-man in glory
making eternal intercession for all of his people. Look again,
if you will, at verse 25 of chapter 7. Wherefore, he is able to save
to the uttermost. Why? Why? The writer tells us
why. Seeing he ever liveth, to make
intercession for us. His very presence at the right
hand of God is enough. His being there speaks continual
satisfaction to God on behalf of all those he represents. We serve a living Savior. Yes, he said, I was dead. But
behold, John, I'm alive forevermore. Turn back, if you will, to 1
Corinthians chapter 15. Some foolish people there were
telling believers that there was no resurrection from the
dead because Christ didn't rise. And Paul said, well, if he didn't,
our faith's empty vein is futile. And if he didn't raise, we're
yet in our sins. But Paul says that's not so.
Look at verse 16 in 1 Corinthians 15. For if the dead rise not,
then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain. You're yet in your sins. A dead
Savior doesn't save. A living Savior saves. Christ
on the throne saves. Then they also which are fallen
asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. Oh, but look
what Paul goes on to say. There's that blessed word again.
But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first
fruits of them that slept. For since by one man, by man
rather, came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead. He told his disciples in John
14, because I live, ye shall live also the same life. Think of that. The same life
that's in Christ is in all his members. The same life in our
glorious head flows down to every member of his body, his bride,
the church. That's why he said to Martha,
whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. One preacher told his congregation,
someday you'll hear that I've died. He said, not so. I'll have never have been so
much alive than I'll be in that day when I go home to be with
the Lord. Paul said, the life and the now
live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who
loved me and gave himself for me. Turn, if you will, to 1 John
chapter 5, John's epistle, chapter 5. 1 John 5 and verse 11. And this
is the record, that God had given us eternal life and this life
is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God, that ye may know, that ye may know that ye have eternal
life, that you may know that you're in His hands and none
can pluck you out. and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God. Yes, he's able to save unto the
uttermost. We have a living Savior who gives
life to all of his redeemed and he can save to the uttermost.
Only he that ever liveth can do such a thing as that. As much
as I need saving, I like that word uttermost, don't you? Uttermost. I don't recall running across
that expression anywhere else. The uttermost. As much as I need
saving, he's able to save me. Someone said, from the guttermost
to the uttermost. From the womb to the tomb, they
all come to him. Salvation is Christ having him,
I have God's salvation. God has made him to be unto us,
all of his saved ones, wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. And this great salvation involves
God's purpose to save. And it involves the Son's purchase. He by himself, Hebrews 9, obtained
eternal redemption for us. And it involves this, the Holy
Spirit's forming Christ in us, the hope of glory. But that's
not all. Salvation is all that, but it's
more. Those who have believed must
be kept. They must be kept in faith. They
must continually come. They must continually believe. Who do we look for for that?
The same one that we look to in the first place. Turn, if
you will, to 1 Peter chapter 1. And here we have the good
news, the blessed promise of how we're kept, why we're kept
in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
have begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept. Who are kept. Our great Savior
said, if it's me you seek, these must go their way. None can pluck
them out of my hand who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. All God's sheep
must be brought home. Remember, at the beginning we
spoke of Him as being our surety? and pledging himself his honor,
promising his father that he would bring us all home to glory. All the way home, all the way. We read in scripture that he
that had begun a good work in you will perform it, will carry
it on, will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. Jude now unto him that is able
there's that word again that's able to him that is able to keep
us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence
of his glory unto him that is the Lord Jesus Christ what a
savior as I said little sinners need a little savior but helpless
dead dog sinners like the one speaking to you right now. I
need a great savior and Jesus Christ is all of that. He's all
of that. He's all I need. Bobby sang it
this morning. Christ is all. Christ is all. He's all in all. Jesus Christ
is all I need. And he brings to every sinner
that trusts him salvation to the uttermost. From the penalty
of sin. Turn, if you will, to Romans
8. Now, I could quote this verse, and so could you. We know it
by heart. But let's look at it together.
Romans 8 and verse 1. He saves his children from the
penalty of their sin. We're told that here. There is
therefore now. Where does now find you? Where
does right now find you? We don't know, as James said,
what a day might bring forth. Oh, but no matter what it brings
forth, this is the blessed, eternal, never-changing truth. rest upon
the person of that one who said, I change not. There is therefore
now no condemnation and there never will be. There never will
be. Now all that will live godly
in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. And we're promised that through
much tribulation we shall inherit the kingdom of God, but we also
have this promise, that there is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus. Isn't that comforting? That's
what we sang earlier. Rock of ages cleft for me, let
me hide myself in thee. What a place of security. What a place of hope. What a place of eternal salvation. What a place of acceptance by
God. In Christ Jesus, no condemnation. Yes, salvation to the uttermost
means salvation from sin's penalty, but it also means salvation from
sin's power. Turn back, if you will, in Romans
to chapter 6. This is what Paul writes here
in Romans 6, verse 14. for sin shall not have dominion
over you." Why? Why? Because I'm going to grit
my teeth and just bear up against it? Oh, no, no, no. Weak as water. Oh, wretched man that I am. No,
that's not the reason. The reason that sin shall not
have dominion over you is because you're not under the law but
under grace. Under grace, God's conquering,
abounding, reigning grace. And soon, very soon, we shall
be saved from the very presence of sin. Turn to Ephesians chapter
5. In heaven, we're told that nothing
enters in there that defiles. In heaven, no sin. But also,
there'll be no sin in every inhabitant of heaven, no trace that they
were ever sinners. Isn't that something? Isn't that
something? This is what Paul says in the
Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25. He says, husbands love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church and he gave himself for
it. Why? That he might sanctify it
and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he
might present it to himself. A glorious church, not having
spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and
without blemish. And so we shall be. So we shall
be without fault before the throne of God. Robert Murray McShane
wrote a hymn with that thought in mind. He said, When this passing
world is done, when has sunk yon glaring sun, when we stand
with Christ in glory, looking over life's finished story, then,
Lord, shall I fully know, not till then, how much I owe. When I stand before the throne
dressed in beauty not my own, when I see thee as thou art and
love thee with unsinning heart, that's my favorite one. When
I see thee as thou art and love thee with unsinning heart, then
Lord shall I fully know not till then how much I owe. Unto him who is able to save
us to the uttermost be glory and power, dominion forever and
ever. Amen. Amen.