On a rugged hill stood a rugged
cross And upon that cross there hung in chain God's beloved Son,
Christ the lovely One, Who from heaven to the sinner came, Rugged hill of sorrow Where the
Prince of Glory died for me Wounded, crushed and broken-hearted alone
He suffered untold agony Sinless, there He bore my burden
That from sinful shame I might be free Glorious day, He took
my sin away On the cross of Calvary On a rugged hill Stood a mocking throng To save the lost It was not in vain That the Savior came to redeem
His own At priceless cost. Calvary, rugged hill of sorrow
Where the Prince of Glory died for me Wounded, crushed and broken He suffered untold agony Sinless
There he bore my burden That from sinful shame I might be
free Glorious day He took my sin away On the cross of Calvary On a rugged hill Long God's sacrifice Dying all
alone That I should live Finished was His cry And I will never die Christ the
mighty victor Conquered death Calvary Rugged hill of sorrow
Where the Prince of Glory died for me Wounded Crushed and brokenhearted,
alone He suffered untold agony Sinless, there He bore my burden
That from sinful shame I might be free Glorious day, He took
my sin away On the cross of Calvary Would you turn with me to Hebrews
chapter 7? I've entitled this message, A Better
Hope. A Better Hope. And in my mind,
through preparing this message, this helped me to understand
as well as anything ever has, how and why a believer is not
under the law. I hope the Lord will make this
apparent to all of us. Now I want to read verse 11 of
Hebrews chapter seven. If therefore perfection. And that's what God requires.
How good do you have to be for God to accept you? You have to
be as good as God. Nothing short of that will do. Perfection. If therefore perfection
were by the Levitical priesthood, the descendants of Aaron, the
Levites, for under it, the Levitical priesthood, the people received
the law. What further need was there that
another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek and
not be called after the order of Aaron? Now you'll notice in
that verse of scripture he speaks of the people receiving the law. Now what is meant by the law? Now in one sense everything God
says is law. It's a law if he says it. But
here he's talking about the giving of the law to Moses on Mount
Sinai. Now on Mount Sinai, Moses received
what is known as the law. In chapter 20, we read of the
Ten Commandments or the moral law or sometimes called the Decalogue. And then in chapters 21 through
24, we have what is known as the civil law. And in chapters
25 through 31, we have what is known as the ceremonial law,
the tabernacle, the three annual feasts. the sacrifices, the priesthood,
and these are all expanded even more in the book of Leviticus
where we also have the dietary laws and the laws concerning
what contaminated and defiled a man and how he's to be delivered
from that contamination. Now, let me say this about what
I just said, the moral law, the civil law, and the ceremonial
law. The law is one whole. It cannot be divided. And this is seen even in the
Ten Commandments, because in the Ten Commandments, what people
call the moral law, and I love God's holy law, in the Ten Commandments,
we're given a ceremonial law. the Sabbath day. So even in the
Ten Commandments we have a ceremonial law and that tells us that the
law is one. It can't be separated. I've heard
people say, well we're no longer under the ceremonial law and
we're no longer under the civil law, but we are under the moral
law. We are under the Decalogue. You
can't support that from the Scriptures. And let me tell you this, if we are still under the Ten
Commandments even as a rule of life. You know what that means? According to the law every one
of us should be stoned because of the way we spent yesterday.
I guarantee you not one of us kept the Sabbath as God requires
the Sabbath to be kept and that's part of the moral law. So if
a believer is under the law then you and I need to be stoned for
the way we spent yesterday. Now, the law is one whole, it
cannot be separated. That's God's word. Now, the writer says if perfection,
in verse 11, if therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood,
For under it 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? Now perfection is what
God requires. He cannot require anything less. He's God. It would be beneath
the dignity and the glory and the holiness of his person to
accept anything short of absolute perfection and completion. Now, that's all he can accept.
Now, if perfection came through the law and the Levitical priesthood,
what was the need for this priesthood of Melchizedek that we considered
last week? Remember the priest after the
order of Melchizedek? That's what God the Father called
God the Son in Psalm 110, thou art a priest forever after the
order of Melchizedek. And this was written and stated
hundreds of years after the giving of the law, but a new order of
priests are needed, or a new order of one priest is needed.
There's only one priest and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, the
great Melchizedek. Now, consider the law in its
three aspects. The moral law, the 10 commandments,
I love God's holy law. I love every one of those commandments.
You know what the Ten Commandments show me? It shows me what God
requires. It shows me the holiness that's
needed, the righteousness that's needed, but it leaves me a lawbreaker
and nothing more. It shows me what God requires,
but it gives me no power to keep that law. All the Ten Commandments
do is expose me as a sinner. I've not kept, and you haven't
either, whether you know it or not, I've not kept one of those
commandments even one time. You know, Paul said the law is
spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. And all God's holy
law, the Delica Law does is show me that I'm a lawbreaker and
nothing else. It gives me no power to perform
its requirements. The sacrifices show us our need
of an atonement, but they don't atone. They don't actually put
away sin. You think of all those animal
sacrifices that were offered over and over and over again
under the law. Did one of them put away one
sin? No. They show me my need of a sacrifice. They show me my need of atonement,
but they don't actually atone. And what about the priests? The
priests or the priesthood demonstrates to me my need of somebody to
represent me. I need a priest. I need a mediator. I need somebody to bring me into
God's presence. I can't get there on my own.
The priesthood shows me my need of a priest, but could those
priests under the Old Testament do anything as far as actually
bringing me into the presence of God? I mean, these men were
weak, sinful men. I can give so many examples of
the priests in the Old Testament. Aaron was a weak man. He was
a sinful man. Did he have sufficient holiness
to bring me into God's presence? What about Nadab and Abihu, the
sons of Aaron? God killed them. He put them
to death because of their sin. They failed to sanctify God in
their hearts. What about Hophni and Phinehas?
Remember the boys of Eli? The scripture says they were
sons of wickedness before God. Now, because of this carnal commandment,
as far as the law goes, they were made priests. They were
sons of Levi. They were priests. But what good could a priest
like that do me? For a priest to do me any good, he must have
perfection. And none of these priests under
the law had any of that. So the law demonstrates some
things to me, but it can't do anything for me. Now look at
the words that the writer in Hebrews chapter 11 uses to describe
the law. He calls the law a, I'm not,
I'm sorry, Hebrews chapter seven. He calls the law in verse 16,
a carnal commandment. Look in verse 16, who is made
not after the law of a carnal commandment. And what a thing
to call God's holy law, a carnal commandment. Look what he says
in verse 18, for there is verily a disannulling of the law. It's disannulled because of the
weakness and the unprofitableness thereof. Now, is he showing a
disrespect for God's holy law and using that kind of language
regarding God's law, the law given by Moses? No. He's not
showing a disrespect for God's law. He's showing a high respect
for the gospel. That's why he says these things
regarding God's law. Remember the law was given by
Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Turn with me
to second Corinthians chapter three. This is not a disregard
for God's holy law. This is a high view of the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse six, second Corinthians
chapter three, who also have made us able ministers of the
new Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit for the letter,
the old Testament kills. But the Spirit gives life. But
if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones,
that's talking about the Ten Commandments, remember? They
were written by the finger of God, engraven in stones. That's
talking about the whole law of God. For if the ministration
of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that
the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face
of Moses, for the glory of his countenance, which glory was
to be done away, how should not the ministration of the Spirit
be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation
be glory, and that's all it is, it's administration of condemnation,
that's all it can do. All it can do is condemn me.
Now if that be glorious, and it is glorious, isn't it? God's
holy law, everything God says is glorious. The Ten Commandments,
glorious. But all it does is condemn now
if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more Doth the ministration
of righteousness exceeding glory for even that which was made
glorious had how much glory? No glory None at all in this
respect by reason of the glory that excelleth And that is the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is infinitely more glorious
than God's glorious holy law. And the law actually has no glory
in comparison to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, back
to Hebrews chapter 7, verse 11. If therefore perfection, and
that's what I need, Perfection before God. God won't have anything
to do with me if I'm not perfect, if I'm not holy, if I'm not altogether
without sin. If therefore perfection were
by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people receive
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? For the priesthood, verse 12,
being changed There is made of necessity a change also of the
law. You see, under the law, only
a Levite could be a priest, only a son of Aaron. But our Lord
was not a Levite. He came out of the tribe of Judah.
You remember that. Let's go and read in verse 13.
For he of whom these things are spoken, talking about Melchizedek
and his priesthood. For he of whom these things are
spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance
at the altar. For it's evident that our Lord
sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning
the priesthood. And it's yet far more evident
that after the similitude of Melchizedek, there arises another
priest." Now, Melchizedek is described earlier in this chapter,
verse one. For this Melchizedek, you remember
the story of him in Genesis chapter 13. This Melchizedek, Abraham
comes and pays tithes to Melchizedek. And Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Blessed be Abraham of the Most
High God. That was Melchizedek as the Most
High God blessing him. For this Melchizedek, look at
this description of him. King of Salem. Priest of the
Most High God. And he was priest before the
Levites ever came around, actually, weren't they? There wasn't any
such thing as a Levite at this time when he was the priest of
the Most High God. This is the eternal priest. 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 the King of Salem, which is King of Peace, that's
the Lord Jesus. Look at this description, without
father, without mother, without descent. Having neither beginning
of days, there was never a time when He began to be. Isn't that
glorious to think of the Lord Jesus Christ? He never began
to be. In the beginning, was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. He had no beginning, He has no
end of days, but made like unto the Son of God, abides a high
priest continually. Now consider how great this man
was, is, and always will be, unto whom even the patriarch
Abraham gave the tenth of his spoils. The Lord Jesus, Melchizedek,
didn't get his priesthood because of a carnal commandment. He didn't
get his priesthood like, say, Hophni and Phinehas did, or like
Nadab and Abihu did. These are guys the Lord killed
because of their sin. Yet they were true Levites. They
were true priests. And they were priests because
of this commandment. But our Lord Jesus Christ is
not a priest because of a carnal commandment. But he's a priest
because of who he is. the Son of God. He's a priest
because of his indestructible, indissolvable, altogether glorious
life. What a priest the Lord Jesus
Christ is. Here's God's testimony concerning
him. Let's go back to Psalm 110 for a moment. Now this is the kind of priest
I need. This is the only priest that will do me any good. You
know, the very idea of a man, a mere man calling himself a
priest, that he could represent other men to God is blasphemous.
It's evil. Me be able to represent you to
God? What about my own sin? There's only one that can represent
somebody to God, and that is the priest, the only priest,
Melchizedek, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, look how he's described
here in Psalm 110. The Lord, verse one, said unto
my Lord, this is David speaking, and he says, God the Father 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, all thy people shall be willing in the
day of thy power. Now this is how powerful he is.
He makes his people willing. Now only God can do something
like that. I can't make you willing. I don't have any control over
you and you don't have any control over me. I can't make you do
anything. But he can make his people willing
in the day of his power. From the womb, he says, in the
beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, thou hast
the dew of thy youth. You see, this Melchizedek, unlike
the Lelite priests, he never died. He's always eternally youthful. He always has the dew of his
youth. He's always eternally young. This is who he is. It's
the Lord Jesus Christ. He never ages. He's the eternal
son of God. The Lord has sworn and will not
repent. Thou art a priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Now go back to Hebrews chapter
7, verse 15, and it's yet far more evident. For that after
the similitude of Melchizedek there arises another priest who
is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, simply
because he's a Levite, but after the power of an endless, indestructible
life, one who will never die. For, verse 17, he testifieth,
thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For
there is verily a disannulling of the commandment. You know,
that means it has no value. That's what the Holy Spirit says.
Regarding the Old Testament, regarding God's holy law, there
is a disannulling. It has no value of the commandment
going before for the weakness and the unprofitableness thereof. Now notice the language he uses.
He talks about God's law and he says it's weak and it is unprofitable. There's no benefit in it. Now
how can it be described like that? God's holy law, that's
strong language. How can we describe God's holy
law as weak and unprofitable? Well, it's only as weak as its
weakest link. What's the weakest link of the
law? Me. It's only as strong as its weakest
link. I'm its weakest link. In other
words, if something is dependent upon me in order for it to work,
it's doomed for failure. Now you can just count on that.
If any aspect of salvation is dependent upon you for it to
work, you won't be saved. Now let me show you what Paul
says about this in Romans chapter 8. Would you turn to Romans chapter
8? Verse 3, for what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh. There's the problem, the
flesh, my fallen nature, my sinful nature. You know, Adam, you think
of this, Adam was put in the garden innocent. And he failed. He couldn't keep
the law. How much worse off are you and
I? The law is weak through the flesh. It can't do anything for
us. That's why he uses this kind
of language. It's weak through the flesh. Paul said the law
is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Now let's turn
back to Hebrews chapter 7, verse 19. For the law made nothing
perfect. And that's what I need, to be
made perfect. But the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing
in of a better hope did. And by this better hope, we draw
nigh. We actually come close. We come
into the very presence of God. Now, what is this better hope
that is being spoken of? The bringing in of a better hope.
Well first let's look what the hope of the law is. Turn with
me to Romans chapter 2. Hold your finger there in Hebrews
7. Romans chapter 2. Now if I believe
in any way in salvation by works, here is where I'm left. Hebrews
chapter 2 beginning in verse 6. who will render to every man
according to his deeds." If you believe in salvation by works,
this is what God's going to do. He's going to render to you according
to your deeds, according to what you do. Now, to them who by patient
continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality,
eternal life. Now, would that describe you?
Someone who by patient continuance, you've continued in nothing but
well-doing. Now, if that's you, hey, eternal
life, you're in good shape. But unto them which are contentious
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, Here's
what they have coming, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish
upon every soul of man that doeth evil of the Jew first and also
of the Gentile. Now that's a hope that the law
brings, nothing more than that. Now what is meant by hope? It
talks about the bringing in of a better hope. Now a hope is
something you don't see. I read that passage of scripture.
If you could see it, you don't hope for it anymore. It's something
you can't see. It is a expectation. It is an
expectation regarding the future. I can't see it, but I'm expecting
it. I have a hope that the sun's
going to rise tomorrow. I know it will. It's not, well, I hope
it ends up rising. No, if the Lord doesn't come
back, the sun's going to rise. I know it will. It's not a hope
so like, I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. No, it's a, I hope
so because I know so. And this is what the scripture
means by hope. He talks about the bringing in
of a better hope. Now, a hope that is dependent
upon human works in any way, to any degree is not a good hope. It's a hope that you'll find
was no good, was rotten, and wouldn't do anything for you.
My hope is that Christ died for me. Now that's why I have a hope
regarding Judgment Day. That's why I have a hope regarding
the future. My hope is that Christ died for
me. That he put away my sins. And I know that because of what
he did, I'm going to stand before God accepted, complete, and perfect. That's the kind of hope that
the believer has. Now, my only hope is that he died for me.
And that's why in my heart I hate and despise that teaching that
says that Jesus Christ died for everybody and paid for everybody's
sins. Because if he died for everybody
and paid for everybody's sins and somebody that he died for
and if he paid for their sins, if they end up in hell anyway,
you've taken away the only hope that I have. because my only
hope is that He lived and that He died for me." Now, this is
the hope of the believer. We have a hope regarding the
future, a confident expectation regarding the future, by what
our Lord did for us. And the fact of the matter is
this hope makes us perfect. Any hope that's dependent upon
human obedience in some form is a no good hope. But this hope
I'm talking about is what makes us perfect. He talks about the
bringing in of a better hope. Now, you remember how I said
the law of God, it shows me my sinfulness. but it doesn't give
me power to be good. It doesn't give me any power
to be righteous. It leaves me as nothing but a
lawbreaker. You know what the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ does, this better hope I'm talking about?
This better hope makes me righteous. You know, I've used this illustration
many times. What if tonight your thoughts
were put us on a screen for everybody in here to see. I'd stand back,
there'd be a big screen here and everything that you'd ever
thought was put there for everybody to see. You'd think, oh, I'd
be so ashamed, I'd run out of here. Now, wait a minute. If
you're a believer, and this is true of every believer, if I
put your thoughts up on a screen as they really are, you know
what would be there? Nothing but absolute perfection. You see, in Jesus Christ, I am
the very righteousness of God. And this is what this hope of
our Lord. He makes me stand before that holy law without sin. And that is really what I am. Beloved, get a hold of this.
As the Lord enables you, you're the very righteousness of God
in Jesus Christ. You have no sin. Now, the law,
all it does is expose my sin, but the gospel gives me a perfect
righteousness before that holy law. The sacrifices under the
law never put away one sin, not even one. But turn with me to
Hebrews chapter 1. You're there in Hebrews. Hebrews
chapter 1, verse 3. Who, speaking of the Lord Jesus,
our great Melchizedek, who being the brightness of His glory and
the express image of His person and upholding all things by the
Word of His power when He had by Himself, what? Purged. Put away. Cleansed. our sins and he did it by himself.
You know what that means? That means you didn't have anything
to do with it. It means your hand was not involved in this
thing. This is something that he did
by himself. When he had by himself, no help
from you, no contributions from you, he by himself purged, put
away, cleansed away, washed away our sin. The reason I stand Righteous
before God is my sins been washed away. It's been blotted out.
I don't have any sin. This is what This sacrifice does
now the sacrifice is under the law. They didn't put away one
sin But this sacrifice the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ puts
away all the sin of everybody. He died for and What about the
priesthood? Now, I think of these priests.
I look at Aaron. Aaron was the first priest, but
what a weak, sinful man he was. I mean, the first thing he does
as soon as he gets out of Moses' sight is he It's that golden
calf. I mean, he was a weak, sinful
man. There's nothing he could do as
far as being a true priest and represent me before God. But
think of this priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has an indestructible,
endless life. And if he represents me before
the Father, Jesus Christ, if he mentions my name before the
Father, what else needs to be said? Peter, I've prayed for
you. Oh, the intercession of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. Who
is he that can condemn? It's Christ that died, yea rather,
that's risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. He is my great high priest. And by this hope, And here's
what this hope is, the cause of my Melchizedek, Him making
me perfectly righteous, Him putting away my sin, Him representing
me before the Lord, before the Father. That's what my Melchizedek
does, the Lord Jesus Christ, my great high priest, His superior
priesthood. The law left everything incomplete. It left everything unfinished.
But here's what he has done with regard to every single one of
his people. Colossians chapter 2 verses 9 and 10 says in him
dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in a body and you, you,
this is speaking of every believer, you are complete. Nothing lacking. God looks at
you and He's, oh, so beautiful, so perfect, so holy, so lovely. This is how God sees every one
of His people. And if He sees me that way, there's
only one reason He sees me that way. It's because that's the
way I really am in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's me. You are complete
in Him. Now look what He says back in
our text in Hebrews chapter 7. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did. By the witch, by this
better hope, we draw nigh unto God. We hug up against Him, and we
get in His lap with confidence. knowing that we're his children. By this better hope, we draw
nigh to God. Now, I heard a preacher make
a statement not too long ago. He said, justification is a legal
standing before God. And then the preacher said, however,
I want to get in God's lap. The implication being, you need
something else to get you in God's lap. Justification is not
a legal standing before God. Justification is being embraced
by the thrice holy God as having no sin. Justification puts us
in the very lap of God. Not our experience. but His work
for us. Now, there are only two kinds
of hopes. He talks about this bringing in of a better hope.
There's only two hopes. Either a hope dependent upon
something you do or a hope dependent upon what Christ has done. That's
the only kind of hopes there are. One of those two. Which
hope do you have? I know what my hope is. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid rock
I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. And because of
this hope I have in Christ, this better hope, I have a hope that
on Judgment Day, I've said this several times in the last couple
of months and I like saying it again. I have a hope that on
Judgment Day when I stand before the God of Holiness, He's going
to look me over and He's going to say to old Todd Nybert, well
done, thou good and faithful servant. And the only reason
he's going to say that is because I have done well. I am good and
I am faithful because if Jesus Christ has done well, I've done
well. If Jesus Christ is good, I'm
good. If Jesus Christ is faithful,
I'm faithful. I'm going to hear him say it
to me. I have a hope. Oh, what a hope this is, a hope.
And furthermore, I have a hope that everything between now and
then is going to be for my good and His glory because He has
promised us in His Word and we know. That all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. And by this hope, I draw near. Now, let me give you one last
scripture regarding this hope. Turn to first John chapter three. Verse 1, Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now, now, Now are we the sons of God and
it does not yet appear what we shall be. I have some vague idea,
but I don't much know. Do you know what it would be
like to be without sin? I really, I don't have a vague
idea of that, but I believe I will be. I'm going to stand before
God without sin. Now he says, it does not yet
appear what we shall be, but we know. that when he shall appear,
we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is. Now what a hope that is. And
look at verse three. And every man that hath this
hope in him purifieth himself. even as He is pure. This hope, if I have it, will
cause me to purify myself even as He is pure. Let's pray together.