Message of Grace
PUBLISHED BY GRACE CHAPEL MINISTRIES OF O'BRIEN, FLORIDA

“FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST” EPHESIANS 2:8

VOLUME 1
ISSUE 4
October 1977

Jesus Christ the Righteous

(Suited to the Sinner's Need)

For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. Hebrews 7:26

This scripture tells us that Jesus Christ became us, or as we may say, He was suited to our need. His high-priestly work in the behalf of lost sinners was becoming to them, meaning that His work and character was befitting their case. If we were to speak of the conduct of an army officer as, 'unbecoming that of his rank,' we could mean that it was not suitable conduct for a man in his position. So, when the scripture speaks here saying, "such a high-priest became us", we understand that this high-priest, Jesus Christ, is suitable for men in our position, He is what we need.

And what is our position, if we need such a high-priest? The Bible says we are separated from God by our sin. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear." (Isa. 59:2) Since He "is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity." (Hab. 1:13), we cannot go into His presence being polluted in our sin. We must have an intercessor and mediator (i.e., one who goes between, to plead our case) to appear for us and offer an acceptable sacrifice to appease the justice of a Holy God, whom we have offended. It is foolish to trust the pleading of our case into the hands of 'earthly priests'. For they, being sinful flesh themselves, need one to enter into the Holy of Holies in their behalf. If our mediator is to be accepted into the very presence of God, He must be absolutely holy, without even the least sin. In the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have such a great high-priest 'who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners'. He is a Lamb without spot or blemish that may enter into the very throne of a Holy God for us.

Not only do we need an intercessor who is holy enough to stand in the presence of this Holy God, we need one who can perfectly satisfy the demands of His righteous law. That law demands perfect obedience to its commandments, and in the case of transgression against it; demands eternal death for the guilty person.

Since we have all sinned (Rom. 3:23), we are already under the condemnation of that holy law which says, "the soul that sinneth, it shall die". (Ezek. 18:4) Even if we could reform our lives and set about to live strictly according to the precepts of God's law, we still could not atone for the sins that are past. We must die an eternal death in the pit of hell, banished forever from the presence of the Living God. If we are to live and enjoy eternity in the blessed presence of the Lord, we have but one hope, and that is that someone will undertake to satisfy the law in our behalf. Someone must come and rescue us from our sad plight.

We need someone to bear the awful curse of that law in our place, for if we bear it we are eternally ruined. Such is the need of guilty sinners, which is met in our Lord Jesus Christ, our Great High-Priest. He lived a perfect life that sinners such as we, might be saved. (Rom. 5:10) He bore our sin and was made a curse for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21, Gal. 3:13) He offered up Himself an atonement for us, while we were yet sinners. (Rom. 5:8)

If an atonement for sin is to be effectual for those whom it is made, it must be acceptable in the sight of the Father. The law says, “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin”. (Heb. 9:22) But such an acceptable sacrifice was made by our blessed Substitute as He poured out His blood and made that offering for sin which was accepted by the Father as an offering suited to the sinner's need. We see the proof of our Surety's acceptance with the Father in the fact, that He has "highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name", (Phil. 2:9) and that He is now entered "into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us". (Heb. 9:24) And as our text says, “For such an high priest became us... who is made higher than the heavens”.

And since He has entered into the presence of God and sits at His right hand making intercession for sinners, we might ask, "How does He thus intercede?". It is not words and prayers as mere men can only intercede with, but He holds forth His nail-scarred hands and thorn-pierced brow, and the Father says, "It is enough, let the condemned sinner live". O my reader! does His intercession include you? "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Heb. 7:25) All who come to the Father through the Son have the promise of His intercession. Have you thus come? There is no other way of salvation but through the Lord Jesus Christ. O sinner will you not run to Him today who is able to save to the uttermost? Let not the vileness of your sin keep you away:

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel's veins

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains.

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Don't stay your coming because your sins are many, that fountain is so deep that the greatest sins which men can commit are easily buried in that crimson flow to be remembered no more. O come sinner, come to this blessed Savior now:

Let not conscience make you linger

Nor of fitness, fondly dream

All the fitness He requireth

Is to feel your need of Him

Come ye sinners poor and wretched

Weak and wounded, sick and sore

Jesus ready stands to save you

Full of pity joined with power.

There is a cleft in the broken heart of our Saviour, in which even the vilest of sinners may find refuge. O friend, the wrath of a Holy God is sure to fall on all them who shun the law of God. There is no way of escape. The only place of safety is in the bosom of the Saviour as He intercedes for us. Do you need a Saviour? I point you to Jesus Christ, He is a high priest suited to your need.

mam