piercing, even to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any
creature that is not manifest in his sight. But all things
are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do,
seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold fast our profession,
our confidence in Him, for we have not an High Priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in
all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin, let us
therefore come freely, willingly, lovingly, and boldly unto the
throne of grace that we may obtain mercy. that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need. The Word of God, verse
12, it says the Word of God. The Word of God is quick, alive,
powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word of God here is
Christ. Some believe that Paul is talking
about the written Word here. But I believe that he's speaking
of Christ, and I'll tell you why. Two or three reasons. Number one, you cannot separate
the written Word and the incarnate Word. Christ is the Word of God. He's called the Word of God over
and over again in the Scriptures. And you cannot separate Christ
from the Word. But secondly, Christ is referred
to here because, you see, verse 13 says, and I've got to read
verse 12 again, now, the Word of God is alive and powerful,
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart, Now what's the next
verse? Neither is there any creature
that does not manifest any sight. Christ is the discerner of men's
hearts. Christ knows every heart, every
imagination. And neither is there any creature
that does not manifest any sight. He's talking about Christ in
both verses. But all things are naked and
open. under the eyes of Him with whom
we have to do Him. And then look at the next verse,
seeing then that we have a great High Priest. That's who we're
talking about. We're talking about the Word
of God. We're talking about the Sovereign Lord. We're talking
about the High Priest. Now think of it in this way.
Verse 1, the Word of God. I was sitting there thinking
about looking over the message and the Word and the notes. At
one time, I'd be thinking of Christ as I went over this. Another
time, I'd be thinking about the Word. And then Christ and then
the Word. It's the same. Christ is His
Word. He has exalted His Word above
His name. You can't separate the two. You
just can't do it. And what's this? Now verse 12
talks about Christ our prophet, the Word of God. The Word of
God. Verse 13 talks about Christ our
King. There's no one, no creature that's
not manifest in His sight. And all things are naked and
open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. We're going
to have to do with the King. But we're glad. I'll get to that
in a moment. He's in charge. And everybody's
going to have to do with Him. And then verse 14 is our priest,
our prophet, our priest, and our King. Seeing then, we have
a great high priest. He's passed into the heavens.
Jesus, the Son of God. Let's hold fast our confidence
in Him. So, the Word of God here, as
we look at it, verse 12 through 16, is our Redeemer. Christ is all. I'm just saying
that. He's all and in all. And all
things are in Christ and of Christ and by Christ and for His glory.
But verse 12, He is the Word of God and we go back into the
Council of Eternity. He was the Word there. He spoke
for us. The Lord Jesus Christ Back yonder
before the foundations of the world were ever laid, back before,
he said, the morning stars sang together, the sons of God shouted
for joy. There was a council, councils
of God, that's what it's called, in which God determined to have
a people. I talked about that recently. And God's mercy and love called
for the redemption of a people. But God's justice and righteousness
stood in the way of the redemption of those people. And Christ,
our surety, the Word of God, spoke for the elect and said,
I'll be surety. It's like when Jacob, they wanted him to send Benjamin
down into Egypt, where Joseph was. And he said, no, Joseph
is not, Simeon is not, you're not going to take Benjamin. And
Judah stepped forward. Judah, the tribe of Judah, the
scepter shall not depart from Judah. Judah, the kingly tribe,
Judah, a type of Christ, stepped forward and spoke. And he said
these words, you let me go. and I'll bring
him back. You let me go and be surety for
him, and I'll bring him back." And the Word of God, Christ Jesus,
spoke for the elect in all of eternity in the counsels of God.
And He said, I'll bring them home. I'll be surety. He is our surety. He's the surety
of the everlasting covenant. He not only spoke for the elect
before the worlds were created, but He created the world by His
Word. He spoke the world into existence. Let me just read this, you don't
need to turn to it, but over here in 2 Peter it says, By the
Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water. The Word. In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and
all things were made by Him. He spoke and created all things. And then He spoke to our fathers
by the prophets. The fathers back in the Old Testament,
they spoke, but of whom did they speak? Christ. Moses wrote of
Me. His Word throughout the Old Testament
speaks of Him. And then He, the Word, was made
flesh and dwelt among us. So, verse 12 here, the Word of
God. For the Word of God. And if I
were the translators, I'd capitalize that word, Word. The Word of
God. It's Christ. And He's alive. That word, quick, is an old English
word for living. He's alive. He lives. I don't
even like to say he's alive. He lives. He has life in himself.
Let me show you that. Turn to John 5. He has life in
himself. Let's not say he's alive. Let's
counsel that. Like the old court judge says
to the court reporter, forget that. He lives. In John 5, listen to verse 26. For as the Father hath life in
himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. He lives. He is life. He is the
giver of life. He is the giver of life physically
and spiritually. Look back at verse 21. For as
the Father raises up the dead and quickeneth them, even so
the Son quickeneth whom he wills. So Christ lives. The Word of God is quick. The
Word of God, Christ lives. And what's the next word? And
he's powerful. He's powerful. Abraham says he's able. He's
able in the salvation of his people, in the preservation of
his people, in the final redemption of his people. He's powerful. None can stay his hand to say
unto him, what doest thou? He's able to do all that he promised,
Abraham said. able to do all that he promised,
even against human weakness, who believed in God even when
there was no human hope. He's able, able. Able to save
to the uttermost them that come to God by him. Able to keep them
from falling. Able to present them faultless.
and able to raise their bow bodies and make them like His own. And
listen to this, the Word of God, Christ, is alive, is living. He lives. He's powerful, able,
and sharper. Sharper, sharp cutting. Sharper
than a two-edged sword. One writer said, the Word of
God. Now here we go again from one to the other. Christ and
His Word. The Word of God has no dull or
blunt age. Christ and His Word are all age
and all life, and one cannot come near to Him and His Word without effect. One cannot come near Him and
His Word in the power of His Spirit without effect. Turn to 2 Corinthians. Is that
true, 2 Corinthians 2? Now there's a lot of preaching
going on, a lot of loose preaching. And the preaching of nonsense and
the screaming and yelling and carrying on in the pulpit and
entertaining people. But what I'm talking about here,
what Paul is talking about, the Word of God, Christ, and His
Word, inseparably connected, one and the same. When Christ
is preached by God's direction, on purpose, in the power of His
Spirit, like at Pentecost, like at Mars Hill, Like to Cornelius'
band? Like to the eunuch? When that
word is preached, it's quick, it lives, it's powerful, and
it's sharper than any two-edged sword. And a man, woman, young
person cannot come in contact with it without effect. 2 Corinthians chapter 2, Paul
said verse 14, now, thanks be unto God, which always causes
us to triumph in Christ and make it manifest, the savor of His
knowledge by us in every place. How? By the Word, the preaching
of the Word, the knowledge of Christ, the glory of Christ,
the gospel of Christ. For we are unto God, in the hand
of God, a sweet fragrance of Christ to them that are saved,
and to them that perish. To those, to the one that perish,
we are the Savior of death unto death, death upon death. And
the other, the Savior of life unto life. Oh, who is sufficient
for these things. Down in the next chapter, stay
there, chapter 3, verse 5. Not that we are sufficient of
ourselves to think anything, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency
is of God. So, what I'm saying, the Word
of God, Christ and His Word, it's like a sharp, and I've seen
fellas sharpen their knives and they could put a pretty good
edge on them. But not like God can sharpen His Word. He puts
two edges, coming and going. And that Word, of God, and no
man is sufficient for such a task, but if he is in it, if he is
pleased to be there in His presence, and pleased to anoint His Word,
it will have effect on everybody it touches. It will kill them
or give them life. Now, it will cut both ways. The Word is all age. If somebody
says, well, I'm indifferent to it, that's a response. Well,
I reject it, that's a response. Well, I don't believe it, that's
a response. That's an effect. It had an effect.
Death unto death. It'll add death to death. But
whether it's life, it'll give life. It'll increase life. Whether it's faith, it'll increase
faith. Whether it's understanding, it'll give more. But that word,
It can't be. It just can't be that God will
send His Word with indifference. It cannot be. It absolutely cannot
be. Because this Word, listen to
the next line, it's piercing. It's piercing. Even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit. Now, the soul and spirit are
invisible. And nobody here can see a soul or a spirit. invisible. And listen, and of
the joints and marrow, the joints and marrow are covered and you
can't see them. The soul and the spirit within
a man and the joints and the marrow that flows through the
bones is hidden and secret. But God's Word will find it. God's Word in the hands of the
Holy Spirit will divide asunder soul and spirit. It's piercing. It searches the heart. The deepest
recesses of a man's heart, it tries his reins. It's a discerner
of his thoughts. It's a revealer of his motives. It's a revealer of his intent. That's what he says here, it's
a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God's Word
can do that. You can sit down and folks want
to counsel. You sit down and talk, ask questions
about religion, the Bible and all these things. You sit there
and go back and forth and you get through, you haven't got
anything accomplished. They go their way and you go
your way, but when this Word is preached, in the power of God's Spirit,
when this Word, when the Holy Ghost takes this sword and puts
it in the mouth of a man, and God's in it, and God's in it,
it will pierce between soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It
will expose him. It'll strip him. It'll break
him. It'll slay him. It'll try his reins. It'll reach
into his bowels. It won't be toyed with or tampered
with. And it'll reveal his real thoughts
about God, and about himself, and about Christ, and about the
kingdom of God, the people of God. It'll lay him back. And it's the only one that can.
Only one that can. Preachers try to do it. They
give people things to do and hands to raise, aisles to walk, uniforms to wear, crosses to
put around the neck, all these trinkets. And none of these things
reach the heart. or the reins or the spear of
the soul. None of these things can touch
it. And a man can play all these games, but when he comes in contact
with the sword of the Lord, he'll play no more games. God shows him who he is and what
he is and where he's going, and he'll rebel against this. He
may take your trinkets and toys and all these things, but this,
He rebels against us. The sword of the Lord. And I'll hide from it, oh no,
listen to verse 13. Neither is any creature, there's
no creature, there's no created thing or being. There's no power
of person, visible or invisible. There's not any creature that's
not manifest in His sight. There's no one who's not known
to Him and seen by Him and naked. All things, people, motives,
intents, desires, objectives are naked and open unto Him,
fully manifested to Him. Oh boy, that's something. He
knows the profane and the worldly. He knows their actions and their
attitudes. They are known to Him. He knows
them. And their foot will slide in
due time. He says over here in the book of Ecclesiastes. Listen
to this. Ecclesiastes chapter 8, verse
11. Ecclesiastes 8, 11. Listen. Because
sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. Because
God doesn't act now, or tomorrow, or the next day. Therefore the
heart of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil. But though a sinner do evil a
hundred times, and his days be prolonged for many years, yet I know that it shall be well
with them that fear God, and it shall not be well with the
wicked." They are put aside in due time. He knows the profane. He knows the wicked. He knows
the worldly. He knows the religious and their
false professions. We sometimes watch these people
carrying on these religious charades and programs and various projects
and we think, can it get any worse? But let me tell you something,
the Lord knows these things. He knows every person, every
profession. He knows their hearts. He said
to that group of people that followed Him, He said, I know
why you're following Me. You ate of the loaves and were
filled. He said to another group, He said, you're following me
because you saw the miracles. He knows, Eberhard, of the profane
and of the professors of religion, but here's what I rejoice in,
he knows his sheep. He said in John 10, listen, he
knows his sheep. You know, Peter rejoiced in his
omniscience. When the Lord asked him if he
loved him, he said, you know everything. Now the worldly can't rejoice
in that, and the professor of religion can't rejoice in that,
but the sheep can. You know everything. You know
I love you. Look at John 10, 14. I'm the
good shepherd. I know my sheep. And they know me. As the Father
knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life
for the sheep, and other sheep I have. I know them too, which
are not of this fold, and them also I must bring, and they shall
hear my voice, and they shall be one fold and one shepherd."
He knows. Now look at this next line in
our text, Hebrews 4, verse 13. It's not a creature, it's not
manifest in his sight. but naked, open, under the eyes
of Him with whom we have to do. With
whom we have to do. Jesus Christ is one with whom
every creature has to do. Now the believer, this is pure
joy. We have to do with Him as our
Savior and Redeemer. We have to do with His blood
that justifies us, with His life that sanctifies us. Oh, thank
God we have to do with Him. We have to do with Him as our
High Priest and Mediator and our Advocate who intercedes.
We have to do with Him as our Master and our Lord who rules
over us, who protects us, who defends us, who provides for
us. Thank God for our Lord and Master. We have to do with Him
as our Prophet who teaches us and comforts us. Oh, thank God
with whom we have to do. That's not good news to the lost.
I want you to listen to how they react when they have to do with
Him. Turn to Revelation 6. Revelation
6. This is the day of terror. When they have to do with Him
as their judge. We have to do with Him as our
Savior, our Redeemer. But they have to do with Him
as judge. It says in Revelation 6 verse 15, And the kings of
the earth Great men, rich men, chief captains, mighty men, every
bondman, every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in
the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and the
rocks, follow us and hide us from the face of him that sits
on the throne, from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day
of his wrath is come. who shall be able to stand. God's
appointed a day in which He'll judge the world by that man,
Christ Jesus. He's given notice to all men.
With Him, you have to do. We have to do. But like I said,
the believer praises God that it's Him with whom we do. Look
at the next verse. that we have a great high priest. A great high priest. Let's read
about him over in Hebrews 2. Turn back there to Hebrews 2,
verse 16. Let's read about this great high
priest. It says in verse 16, Verily,
he didn't take on him the nature of angels. Angels fell before
men. Angels were created before men.
that our Lord in His sovereign purpose did not take on Himself
the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Not just all men, but the seed
of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved
Him, it was necessary, to be made like unto His brethren,
flesh and blood, that He might be a merciful and faithful high
priest in things pertaining to God. In these things pertain to God. Religion is so taken up with
things that pertain to the flesh. Entertainment, social work. But Jesus Christ our Lord is
a faithful, merciful, high priest in things pertaining to God.
Everything that concerns me, that pertains to God, in His
hands. Brother Walter tells me that
down in Mexico, just renewing your driver's license, just buying
a tag, just paying your taxes, anything like that becomes so
complicated. Renewing your driver's license
or renewing your tag, you go through this one and he wants
a cut, and that one he wants a cut, and this one wants one.
It takes days and days and days and days. I'm serious. to renew a tag or a driver's
license because everybody's got a handout. But there are men
that you can hire, pay one person, one man, and he'll take your
papers and take your place and he'll go through all this for
you and you don't do anything. And you pay him and he brings
you the tag, brings you the license. And this is Lord Jesus Christ,
in everything pertaining to God, I'd be lost, I'd perish, because
I can't even get in the presence of God. God dwells in a light
which no man can approach. But my Lord, my great high priest,
in everything involving me, pertaining to me, of necessity and pertaining
to God, I've committed it to Him. He's able to keep that which
I've surrendered, committed to Him, against that day. And that's what He is. Verse
17, In all things it behooved Him to be made like His brethren,
that He might be a merciful, faithful, high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of His people. And
He brings me my deliverance Everything. He brings it to them.
Here it is. It's yours. Your righteousness,
wisdom, sanctification and redemption. I've taken care of all of it.
Now, I'll come back and get you. Take you to glory. That's seeing. You see that? Go back to my text. Verse 14. We have a high priest. It's passed into the heavens.
He is a man in glory. He came down here and took care
of all our needs pertaining to God. Went back to glory. Seated
at God's right hand. And He's Jesus, the Son of God.
He's already within the veil. He's the forerunner. He's already
entered and taken that city. Now hold fast your profession.
Cling to Him. Believe in Him. Have confidence
in Him. See, that's what it's saying.
That's what that's saying. And this next verse is so important. Let me point out a couple of
things. We don't have a high priest who doesn't know us. We don't have a high priest who
doesn't understand us. We don't have a high priest that's
unfamiliar with us. We don't have a high priest which
cannot be touched and affected with the feeling
of our infirmities. We don't have a high priest who's
a stranger to our bodily pains. We don't have a high priest up
yonder who's a stranger to our diseases, who's not familiar
with the temptations and trials of the flesh, We don't have a high priest who's
unfamiliar with Satan and his attacks. We don't have a high
priest who knows nothing of sorrow. He's a man of sorrows. Who knows
nothing of grief, he's acquainted with grief. Who knows nothing
of your persecution and harassments, they spat in his face. We don't
have a high priest who knows nothing of your tears. But we
have a high priest who was in all points tempted as we are. He sympathizes with you because
he has first-hand knowledge and experience of anything and everything
you know anything about, or will ever experience, and here are
three big words, yet without sin. That's the reason you have no
sin, because He has no sin. That's the reason you live, because
He lives. That's the reason you have all this, He bought it,
paid for it, purchased it and gave it to you. But oh, what a comfort that is.
When we talk about His majesty and His greatness and His immutability
and His... Come on down here and understand
His sympathy. and his compassion, and his tears,
and his acquaintance with every road you walk, every pain you
feel, every temptation you encounter. He loves you. And that's the
one that's interceding. That's so important to him. Heaven seems so far off, but
Christ is so near. So in closing, let us therefore
come boldly under the throne of majesty, or I'd be like Isaiah,
woe is me. Cherubims and seraphims circling
that throne in majesty. The throne of holiness, I'm cut
off. The throne of justice and judgment
want nothing to do with Him. Let us come to the throne of
grace. The Lord Jesus Christ has changed
that throne of judgment and justice into a throne of mercy and grace.
So let us come, us, and find, obtain, receive mercy and grace
to help us. in our time of need. I found
a hymn that was taken from these verses here, written by Charles
Wesley. Jesus Christ, my great high priest,
shed his blood and died. My guilty conscience seeks no
sacrifice besides. His precious blood did once atone,
now he pleads before God's throne. My high priest appears for my
defense on high. The father inclines his ear and
lays his wrath aside. And not all that earth or hell
can say, not all that earth or hell can
say, will turn his heart and love away. Before the throne,
my Savior, my friend, my priest appears. My name is written on
his heart, and him the Father always hears. And soon my spirit
in his hands shall be where my high priest stands." Isn't that
good? Isn't that good? Seeing then
we have such a high priest, let us come boldly to the throne
of grace and obtain mercy and grace to help us in our time
of need.