10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
10250 North Freeway @ West
Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
Peculiar
Misunderstandings
Written by Dr.
Lester Hutson
Copyright
- Lester Hutson - 1989
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced
without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.
Message #16
MISUNDERSTANDING
THE PRIESTLY WORK OF CHRIST
(Part #1)
Distinguishing Between the Past Work and the Present Work of Christ
Text * Hebrews 8:1
Once a person is saved, he expects certain help from God above which a lost person gets. The question is, "Do all saved persons receive unlimited blessings from God merely as a result of being saved; or ore there certain blessings limited to only saved people, who are members of one of the Lord's churches?"
I. ONE OF THE RICHEST AREAS OF GOD'S BLESSINGS UPON HIS PEOPLE IS HIS PRIESTLY WORK ON THEIR BEHALF:
A. The high priestly work of Christ is not the only work of Christ on behalf of those who believe:
1. By his work on the cross, he is the very means of their eternal salvation. Just by faith, which results in the new birth, all believers "are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God," Colossians 3:3. All of these are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), on the eternal foundation which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11), and are new creatures in Christ, II Corinthians 5:17. Each of these has passed from death unto life and shall not come into condemnation, John 5:24. These all have Jesus as "the captain of their salvation," (Hebrews 2:10), and they are all "Wept by the power of God," I Peter 1:5.
2. All who are saved enjoy these great blessings, plus many more, whether or not they're ever baptized; and thus irregardless of their church membership.
3. This they enjoy because of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Of Jesus Hebrews 10:12 says, "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God." The work by which God saves men from sin's penalty is done: finished: completed: past tense. In short, it is called the "Gospel" of Christ (Romans 1:16), and consists of the fact that desus died, was buried, and rose again, I Corinthians 15:1-4. Upon the strength of that finished work, all who believe have the forgiveness of sins and life eternal, whether or not they are baptized, church members, or do any good thing.
B. Yet, God wants to give those who believe spiritual blessings beyond their deliverance from sin's penalty. As the great High Priest of believers, he wants to bless his people in a unique spiritual way on a day to day basis:
1. He gave himself on the cross as "that prophet" for whom the people looked in John 1:21. Today he lives as our great high priest. Hebrews 3:1 calls him "The apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." One day when this age shall end and the millennium of glory shall arrive, Jesus will rule and reign as "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords," Revelation 19:16.
2. On the cross as our great Saviour from sin's penalty, he completed the work by which believers have life. Now, as our living High Priest, he does the work by which we have abundant life, John 10:10. The work and blessings of the cross, he accomplished by his death. The work and blessings of the High Priest, he accomplishes by his life.
3. In his current role of High Priest, Hebrews 4:14 refers to him as "a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God." Hebrews 8:1 says, "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." Jesus is not just an ordinary priest, he is an "High Priest," and there is only one "High Priest." All other priests fail and sin; but not Jesus. He is an High Priest "Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens," Hebrews 7:26. All other priests fail, and fade with the years; but not Jesus. He was "Made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec," Hebrews 6:20.
C. Every believer is a priest, but Jesus is the High Priest who intercedes for all the priests:
1. Back in the days of the Old Testament priesthood, there were many priests, but only one high priest. In this, the Old Testament foreshadows Jesus Christ and those who trust in him. Every believer is a priest unto God. Revelation 1:5-6 says, when he "loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood," he "made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." Thus, I Peter 2:5 refers to us as "an holy priesthood." Although every believer is a priest, no believer is a high priest. As the many scriptures already cited show, Jesus is our High Priest. There is only one high priest, and Jesus is he.
2. Under that Old Testament Levitical priesthood, only the high priest could go in before God to the Holy of Holies. Hebrews 9:6-7 explains, "Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of his people." The typical teaching of the Old Testament order is that every believer is a priest, whose job it is to offer up acceptable worship to God. But, that can only be done through the intercessory work of a high priest, who alone can go in to the direct presence of God. Jesus is our High Priest, and we who offer praise unto God can do so only through him. Our access to the Father is only through Jesus Christ, our High Priest. Thus, of Jesus being the fulfillment of the Old Testament priesthood typology, and our being as believers the fulfillment of the other Levitical priests, Hebrews 7:23-8:1 reads, "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." Especially note Verse 25. Note well, "He ever liveth to make intercession."
3. Yes, as believers, we are priests, but Jesus is our high priest. As our high priest, he intercedes before the Father for us. What a blessing and privilege to have him interceding for us! Were it not for his intercessory work as our high priest, we would have no way of presenting our offerings to the Father; nor of beseeching him for the daily help we need.
D. But, Jesus is our high priest, and instructs us to come to him in praise and worship that he might bless us with unique and rich spiritual blessings, which we can only receive through him as our high priest:
1. Peter wrote, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer us spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ," I Peter 2:5.
2. The apostle Paul instructed, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God," Romans 12:1-2.
3. It is Hebrews 13:15-16 which says, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Note well that the offering of these is only "by him." To be successful in our praise and offering of our lives to God, we must have the current intercessory work of the living Christ, who is high priest. We are no more capable of offering our lives in praise and usefulness to him apart from his living intercessary work as our High Priest than we were capable of receiving the forgiveness of sins apart from his dying sacrificial work on the cross. All of our offerings of worship and service to God, the walk by which he can bless us with fruitfulness and the fruit of the Spirit flamed in Galatians 5:22-23, can only succeed because of the intercessory work of Christ. It is certainly not acceptable to God upon the strength of who we are, for in our own right, we have no approach nor access to God. Our daily access to God is because we have an High Priest who intercedes for us.
4. And, it is not too difficult to see that the daily high priestly work of Christ primarily relates to our offering of praise, worship, and service to him; and his consequent blessings upon us as a result thereof.
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"