Let us turn to Hebrews chapter
nine. Hebrews chapter nine and verse
15 through verse 24. And for this cause, he is the
mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal life or
eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there
must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a
testament is a force after men are dead. Otherwise it is of
no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither
the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses
had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law,
he took the blood of calves and of goats with water and scarlet
wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book and all the people,
saying, this is the blood of the testament which God hath
enjoined unto you. Moreover, he sprinkled with blood
both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry, and
almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without
shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that
the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with
these. but the heavenly things themselves
with better sacrifices than these. 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. Last week, we considered three
phrases in verses six through 14. I wonder if any of you remember
what those three phrases were. The first one was, not without
blood, in verse seven. Not without blood. And we thought
about the fact that the high priest would never dare enter
into that most holy place without blood. For if he were to do that,
he would be destroyed immediately in the presence of God. without
that blood for the atonement. And then the second phrase we
looked at is found in verse eight, not yet made manifest. Not yet
made manifest. As long as that tabernacle was
standing and that veil was there between the holy place and the
most holy place and the way into the most holy place was not yet
made manifest. Now it was revealed It was revealed,
but it was not made manifest. That is, it was not clearly shown
to us. But when the Lord Jesus Christ
died, remember, that veil in the temple was rent from top
to bottom, showing that the way into the most holy place, into
the presence of God, had been opened up to us through the death
of His Son. And then the third phrase we
looked at was in verse 12, and having obtained eternal redemption
for us. The redemption of the Lord Jesus
Christ is an eternal redemption. It's not something that's here
today and gone tomorrow. It is eternal. It was planned. The scheme of redemption was
laid out in eternity. And then the Lord Jesus Christ
in time came was made flesh, took upon himself a body that
was prepared and redeemed his people with his precious blood. Now I didn't mention the words
much more last time. If you notice those words in
verse 14, much more, how that they are connected with the blood
of Christ. How much more shall the blood
of Christ In Romans chapter 5 and verse
9, we have those same two words connected there with his blood
and with justification. Much more, much more than being
now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
him. Nothing, nothing but the blood
of Christ justifies. No man will ever be justified
apart from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ in his or her place. No man has ever justified apart
from the blood. No man has ever saved from wrath. And yes, the wrath of God is
going to be poured out upon all unbelievers, all sinners who
are not found in Jesus Christ, who have not fled for refuge
to Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ saves
from wrath, and it is the blood of Jesus Christ that purges our
consciences, that washes our consciences and brings peace
into our souls, knowing that Christ has died and satisfied
God on our behalf. And now we have peace with God. Well, I've entitled my message
tonight a very simple title, We See. We See. And I want us to see some things
here in these verses that I just read. First, what may we see
in verses 15 through 17? What may we see in verses 15
through 17? There's four things I want us
to see. First of all, Christ is the mediator
of the New Testament. Notice that in verse 15. And
for this cause he, that is the Lord Jesus Christ, he is the
mediator of the New Testament. Now you know, you've heard me
say this before, and you know this in your studies, that the
same Greek word is sometimes translated covenant and sometimes
translated testament. Now, the translators, no doubt,
looking at verses 16 and 17, realized that they could not
or should not translate that word covenant here in verse 15,
the mediator of a new covenant, though he is the mediator, the
one and only mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. But looking at verses 16 and
17, we see that it was necessary here that this word be translated
testament. For these things are true about
a testament. Your will, you have a will. I'm sure most everyone here tonight,
you have a last will. and testament that has been drawn
up, and you've signed it. And you, if it's your will, you
are the testator. You are the testator if it is
your will. And before your will can be put
in force, what happens? What must happen? You must die. You must die. It's your will. You are the testator. And before
your will may be put in force, you must die. The testator must
die. And the Lord Jesus Christ here
is the testator and it is his will. As long as the testator
lives, those who are named in the will receive nothing. You may tonight, you may be named
in someone's will. Maybe they've willed you a large
sum of money or maybe just some keepsake or something. But it's
not yours. It's not yours until the testator
dies. And then it is yours because
that's stated, stipulated in his will. It's only after the
testator dies that the will is read and the inheritance is given
out. There was a very wealthy man
who died within the last month. I can't remember exactly when
he died. A very wealthy man. I could name
him, but I won't do that. He made a lot of money in the
oil fields. And I know this, he gave a lot
of money to Oklahoma State University. And there's a lot of things named
for him there at that university. I'm sure that since his death,
there probably was a will that was read. We didn't bother to
go, did we? We didn't bother to find out
when that will was going to be read. Why? Because we had no
reason to believe that we were named in that will. But if we
had reason to believe that we had been named in that will,
I guarantee you wherever it was read, we would have taken the
time and traveled to the office where that will was read. Once
he died, that will is put into force. Before he dies, the man
that tested him, he can change the will. He can write his will
out and have everything go into this particular person, and then
that person aggravates him, disturbs him, and he says, well, I'm just
going to change my will, and I'm going to take everything
I was going to give to that man, and I'm going to give to this
man, and he has every right to do that before death. But once the man dies, once the
testator dies, the will cannot be changed. And so the first
thing we see is that the Lord Jesus Christ, read it again there
in verse 15, and for this cause He, that is Christ, is the mediator
of the new covenant. His will cannot be changed. When we come together Someone
said one time, it's like going to hear the reading of a will.
When we meet together and the preacher opens up the word of
God and begins to preach and begins to show us things that
are ours because the testator died. And the thing about this,
this will, you know this is so. He's also the executor of his
will. I saw just recently a man who
whose parents died when he was very young. And they were fairly
wealthy people, evidently, and money was put into a trust for
him, but there was an executor of the will. And you can imagine
by the time he got old enough to inherit, everything was gone. Why? Because his parents, once
they died, they were not around anymore to see that their wishes
Their will was carried out. I was an executor of a will.
I've told you this before. It's a very serious thing, I
thought it was for me, to make sure everything that is written
in that will is done exactly as that person wanted it to be
done. Very, very serious thing. Well,
the Lord Jesus Christ, he died, put His will into force, and
He lives, my friends, to make sure that everyone who's named
in His will receives the inheritance, the blessings. Now the second
thing we see, first of all, we see Christ is the mediator of
the New Testament. Now second, in verse 15 again,
we see Christ, by His death, is the redemption for the transgressions
of those under the First Testament. Notice that in the second part
of verse 15, that by means of death, for the redemption of
the transgressions that were under the First Testament. You say, well preacher, what
does that mean? What does that refer to? It refers, of course,
to the Old Testament saints. Those who were under the First
Testament. All of those who were saved from
Adam. All of those who were saved from
Adam until the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were all slain,
they were all saved rather. They were all justified. And
yes, they all did go to heaven when they died. And they all
did so through the blood of Jesus Christ. The lamb, the scripture
says slain from the foundation of the world. The redemption
of Christ. Think about this. He died just
over 2000 years ago. He literally shed his blood But
His redemption, that blood flows back to the very first sinner
who was saved, and it flows forward to the last sinner who's going
to be saved. His redemption. The redemption
of Christ with His precious blood is a redemption from transgressions
that are past, that are present, and that are future. Sometimes
people like to argue and say, you mean that our sins have already
been forgiven, even sins that we haven't Well, when he died,
you hadn't committed any sins. All of your sins were future.
When Christ died, you just came around in the last so many years. All of your sins were future.
Yes, they were all forgiven. When Christ said, it is finished,
the sins of his people were taken away. They were removed, each
and every one of them. Look with me in Romans, keep
your place here, but Romans chapter 3. This is what the Apostle Paul
declares here in Romans chapter 3 about these Old Testament saints. Romans chapter 3 and verse 25. whom God has set forth to be
a propitiation through faith in His blood. Now notice, to
declare His righteousness. Whose righteousness? God's righteousness. To declare His righteousness
for the remission of sins that are past. God remitted those
sins of all of those believers who lived and died before the
Lord Jesus Christ actually literally shed his blood. And he was righteous
in doing so through the forbearance of God. So that's the second
thing we see. We see Christ is a mediator of
the New Testament. Number two, we see Christ by
his death is a redemption for the transgressions of those under
the First Testament. You know, we have an Old Testament
and we have a New Testament part of our Bible. And we like to
think of this as an old dispensation and a new dispensation. But everyone
who's saved, no matter if he lived and died and was saved
in that old dispensation like Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Ezekiel,
or those who are saved in this new dispensation, all of us are
saved through the one covenant of grace, the one everlasting
covenant that has Jesus Christ as its mediator. Here's the third thing. Christ
is the redeemer of all who are called. Notice that too in verse
15. First we see, and for this cause
he's the mediator of the New Testament. Second, we see that
by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were
under the First Testament. Now notice third, they which
are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Christ is the redeemer of all
who are called. Calling in the scripture is so
very important. The Lord through Peter said,
make your calling and election sure. You cannot make your election
sure apart from making your calling sure. When a person knows that
he has been effectually called, that once he was blind but now
he can see, Once he was dead, but now he is alive. He's been
called. And if a person knows that he
or she has been called, then he knows that he was chosen. Only those who are chosen are
effectually called. The general call to everyone
who hears, ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.
A general call, yes. And some hear that call, and
they come to Christ. They look to Christ. It's all
the work of God the Holy Spirit, isn't it? It's His work. But
those who are called, the Redeemer has called them. If you notice, turn with me to
Romans 8. I said the calling is all important. Because you see, some of these
things were done in eternity. They were done in eternity. But
calling takes place in time, in our lifetime. We're called. I'm so thankful tonight that
God crossed my path with the gospel. He really did. I'd been religious for a long
time, but then the Lord crossed my path with the gospel, the
gospel of the sovereign grace of God, and He called me. He saved me, not for any works
in me, any good in me. In fact, if it depended in the
least I owed upon me and my merit, I would have no hope whatsoever. My hope is built upon Jesus Christ
and Him alone. Well, notice here in Romans chapter
8, in verse 28, the apostle said, and we know. How do we know this? Because God tells us. That's
how we know it. We've got God's word. Word of
Him who cannot lie. cannot change, and we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God. Sometimes things happen in my
life that are disagreeable to the flesh. I know the same thing
happens to you, but I've learned by the grace of God to just remind
myself this is just part of the all things, just part of the
all things that are working together for my good. I don't understand
it. I don't have to understand it.
God says it. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. His purpose. His purpose of grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Paul says in 2 Timothy 1 and verse 9. Called according to
His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He
set His love upon these. Those whom He foreknew, He set
His love upon. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son. You know, people get mad
sometimes when they hear the scriptural truth of the doctrine
of election, and God shows His people. But oh, it's a blessed
doctrine, isn't it? It's a precious doctrine. To
think that He chose us to be holy. That He predestinated us
to be conformed to the image of His Son. One day to be like
Christ. Oh, that's a glorious thing,
isn't it? To be like Christ. More of whom He did predestinate,
then He also called. There it is. He called. And whom
he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. All right, back at our text.
There's one more thing I want us to see in verse 15. Christ's purpose in being the
mediator of the New Testament is that the called might receive
the promise of eternal inheritance. That those who are called might
receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. What do we know? What does the Word of God tell
us about this eternal inheritance of those who are called? Look
over in 1 Peter, just a few pages over. Here's something that we're told
about this eternal inheritance. First Peter chapter one and verses
three and four. The first thing that we know
about this eternal inheritance is it is incorruptible and undefiled. Blessed be the God and father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy,
have begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance. Here's the first thing about
this inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled. It's not possible. It's not possible
that this inheritance be corrupted. What could corrupt it? I'll tell
you what could corrupt it. Sin and sinners. Sin and sinners
could corrupt this eternal inheritance. But here's the thing. Sin and
sinners cannot enter into His presence. Now, save sinners can,
you understand what I mean. But lost sinners, sin and lost
sinners cannot enter into this eternal inheritance. It's incorruptible. Revelation 21 and verse 27 says,
and there shall in no wise enter into it anything that is heaven
itself. There shall in no wise enter
into it anything that defileth. Neither whatsoever worketh abomination,
or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book
of life. The second thing we see about
this eternal inheritance, it fadeth not away. Notice that. To an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Everything in this
world fades, doesn't it? Everything loses its glimmer,
its shininess. After a while it grows dim and
dull, but not so this eternal inheritance. It's evermore the
same. And notice the third thing, it
is reserved. It's reserved. To an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you. It is for those named in the
will His will, His testament, those that are named in that
will, there's a dwelling place, there's a mansion reserved for
everyone that Christ redeemed and everyone that believes in
Him. Whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish but have eternal life. Well, let me just finish up here. Notice second, in verses 18 through
23, back in Hebrews 9, what we may see in these verses. Well,
first of all, we may see the importance of blood associated
with this New Testament. The word blood appears five times
in these few verses. It was with blood the First Testament
was dedicated. It was with blood the people
of Israel were enjoined to keep the Testament. It was with blood
the service associated with the First Testament were sanctioned. It was with blood that almost
all things by the law are purged. And it is with blood, without
its shedding, no sin is forgiven. It was necessary that the patterns,
he tells us the patterns, all of those things were patterns
in that tabernacle. We've gone through them before,
you're familiar with them. The brazen altar, the laver,
the tabernacle itself, the covers, the veil. the table of showbread,
the golden lampstand, the golden altar, all the mercies, all were
patterns. You know what a pattern is? A
pattern, just patterns of things in the heavens. And he tells
us it was necessary that these things that were mere patterns
of the heavenly things that they had to be purified with blood. The second thing we may see that
it was necessary because God so ordained it and that the types
might show forth a way of cleansing through the blood of the promised
Messiah. Actually, this is the way the
gospel was presented, wasn't it, in those Old Testament days,
through that blood shedding in that tabernacle. picture of Christ,
picture of the way into the most holy. And one other thing I want you
to notice here in verse 23, I believe, yes, 23. It was therefore necessary
that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified
with these, that is with those blood sacrifices. but the heavenly
things themselves with better sacrifices than these." You say,
wait a minute, preacher. Sacrifices? Sacrifices? That's plural. Didn't Christ,
by His one sacrifice, put away the sins of His people? Absolutely. Then what does this mean? Well,
it means that all of those sacrifices, and there were many of them,
many of them, All of those sacrifices were fulfilled in His one sacrifice. They were just types, patterns,
shadows, pictures, but they were all accomplished by His one sacrifice. And the third thing, what may
we see in verse 24? Well, we may see that Christ
has entered into heaven itself. In contrast with those high priests
under the law, who entered into the holy place once each year,
holy place made with hands. Christ, our high priest, where
is he tonight? He's entered into heaven itself. He is sat down on the right hand
of the majesty on high. And second, we may see that Christ
appears in the presence of God for us. Look at that. For us. Verse 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. He appears there for
us as our representative. As our representative. He appears
there for us as the forerunner, and He appears there for us as
our advocate. If any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father. And He appears there for us as
our high priest who continually makes intercession for all who
come unto God by Him. Well, I'm going to stop. But there's a lot to see in those
verses, isn't there? We see, God give us eyes to see,
to see Christ and to rejoice in him and in his salvation that
he has accomplished for his people. We'll sing a hymn and then we'll
be dismissed. Amen. Let's all stand and let's
turn to number 222, the hymn that I never get tired of singing.
I don't care how many times we sing it.