On a rugged hill stood a rugged
cross And upon that cross there hung in shame God's beloved Son, Christ the lovely One, Who from
heaven to the sinner came. Calvary, 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-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 Hung 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 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 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 7. 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. 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. He would be beneath
the dignity and the glory and the holiness of his person to
accept anything short of absolute perfection. and completion as
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 ten
commandments I Love God's holy law. I love every one of those
commandments. You know what the ten commandments
show me is 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 death of the 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 His 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 2 Corinthians 3. This is not a disregard for God's
holy law. This is a high view of the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 6, 2 Corinthians 3, Who
also hath 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 engraved in stone, that's talking about the Ten
Commandments. Remember, they were written by the finger of
God, engraved in stones. That's talking about the whole
law of God. For if the ministration of death written and engraved
in stone 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 the ministration 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
exceed in 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 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? 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 air. 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
pertains to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance
at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah,
of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood. And
it is yet far more evident that after the similitude of Melchizedek
there arises another priest." Now, Melchizedek is described
earlier in this chapter, verse 1. 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, wasn't he? 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,
did not get his priesthood because of a carnal commandment. He didn't
get his priesthood like, say, Hockney and Phineas did, or like
Nadab and Bayou 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. And 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. May 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, O 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 Levite 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 testifies,
thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, for
there is barely 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. 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. And you can just count on that.
If any aspect of salvation is dependent upon you for it to
work, you won't be saved. And let me show you what Paul
says about this in Romans chapter eight. Turn to Romans chapter
eight. Verse three. 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 fell. 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'm carnal soul under sin. Now let's turn
back to Hebrews chapter 7, verse 19. For the law made nothing
perfect. And that's what I mean, 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 at what the hope of the law is. Turn
with me to Romans chapter 2. Hold your finger there in Hebrews
7. Romans chapter 2. 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 continue 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, 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 any 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
would put us on a screen for everybody in here to see. I'd
stand back and 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 seed, not even one. But turn with me
to Hebrews chapter one. You're there in Hebrews. Hebrews
chapter one, verse three. 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. 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 sin's been washed away. It's been blotted out.
I don't have any sin. This is what This sacrifice does. Now, the sacrifices 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' side is
he makes 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 his Christ to die? Yea, rather, that 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 hope. 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 my hope is. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame But holy 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 Livert, 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 thee
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 1 John chapter 3. 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 must 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.