Christ Our Intercessor

How would you like to spend a day at God's throne in the third heaven and see all the activity that goes on in any one 24-hour period? A day at the throne of God. It's difficult to imagine what that would be like. The scene would be awesome. The glory and splendor of it all would be mind-boggling. But more interesting to me would be the interaction that would be taking place between God the Father, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Master, our Intercessor, and the heavenly creatures that surround the throne of God, and also the holy angels, and also the prayers of the saints being poured out before the throne of God day and night.

There are a few places in the Bible that gives us a glimpse of that setting. Let's go to Revelation 4. Revelation 4, the Apostle John, is given a glimpse of that setting. There's something interesting about this that perhaps you've never noted before with regard to John being caught up to the throne of God. In Revelation 4, verse 1, after this, I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice, which I heard, was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter.

Notice, I will come up here, and I'll show you things that must be hereafter. And I don't know if you've ever noted before, basically, from this point on, what John writes, what John sees. And you will see, if you read the rest of the chapter from chapter 4 through 22, you'll see over and over again, it says, And I saw, and I heard.

And these things are revealed to him at the very throne of God. Verse 2, And immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon, like a jasper in a sardine stone, there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like into an emerald. What a spectacular view of the very throne of God, and the one that sits on that throne.

And round about the throne were twenty-four seats, and upon the seats I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white raiment. And they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceed lightnings and thunderings and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like unto crystal, in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes. And behind, and the first beast was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third face of a man, the fourth as a flying eagle.

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about them, and they were full of eyes within, and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, which is, and which is to come. So one of their great tasks is to continually praise God before His throne. And when those beasts give glory and honor, and thanks to Him, they sat on the throne, that sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever.

The twenty-four elders fall down before Him, that sat on the throne, and worship Him, that lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying. So they take off their crowns, they cast it before the throne, showing that they are in total obedience and subjection to the One who sits on the throne. You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, where You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created. So here we get a glimpse of the very throne of God.

It talks about lightnings and thunderings, the glory, the splendor, some of the activity that's taking place at the very throne of God, the headquarters, the center of the universe. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside seal with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. And no man in heaven and earth was worthy. And I wept much in verse 4 because there was no one to open it in verse 5. And one of the elders said, and we weep not, behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals. So Jesus Christ is the one who opens the seals. Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father in the heavens, as we shall see.

Verse 8, when He had taken the book, the four beasts and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them hearts and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. So here is this activity taking place of all the various living creatures around the throne of God, the lightings, the thunderings, the beauty, the splendor. And here are these books, and one is worthy to open the book. And then you have the prayers of the saints, this incense. Verse 9, and they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book to open the seals thereof, for you have slain and were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and have made us unto our God, kings and priests, and which will reign unto earth. So John sees in vision what is our destiny, what is to be. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard, saying, blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped him that lives forever and ever. The Apostle Paul was caught up to the third heaven, either by vision or in body, and let's note that. So here we get a glimpse in the verses that we've just read of this awesome, glory, and splendor that surrounds the throne of God. The Apostle John was caught up and in the spirit, and I'm sure it was so real, whether he was literally there, as we say, or not, or whether he was literally there with some of the glory and splendor of God turned down in illumination. It doesn't say for sure. Paul, go to 2 Corinthians 12, when he talks about this. He says he doesn't know whether for sure he was literally there or in spirit. 2 Corinthians 12.

Verse 1, It is not expedient for me to doubtless the glory I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ about fourteen years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell. God knows, and such a one, caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell. God knows how that he was caught up in a paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such and one will I glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. So the apostle John and the apostle Paul were caught up into the third heaven, and they got a glimpse of the great glory and the splendor and some of the activities that take place around the throne of God. Jesus Christ, our High Priest, our Mediator and our Intercessor, now sits at the right hand of the Father. Let's notice in Acts 7 and verse 54. Acts 7 is an account of Stephen, the deacon's inspired sermon, for which he was stoned. The word of God, as it says in Hebrews, and we'll read this scripture in just a moment, is sharper than any two-edged sword dividing this under the thoughts and intents of the heart of man. Some people, when they hear the truth of God, even in recent times, I've had people tell me, Well, when you make such and such statement, that's just your opinion. Well, if the Bible says it, it may cut you to the quick, but it is the word of God, and I must preach and teach the word of God. Herein, too, was I called and committed to preach and teach the word of God. Here, Stephen the deacon, in Acts 7, recounts the history of Israel and comes down to that present time in which they were living, and for that testimony, he gave his life. Acts 7, verse 54, when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, they gnashed on him with their teeth, but he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens open and the sight of man standing on the right hand of God. So, Stephen the deacon was also given a glimpse of what's there, the throne of God, and Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped with their ears, and ran upon him, and with one accord cast him out of the city, stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, named Saul, and they stoned Stephen, calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, similar to what Jesus Christ said on the stake. Perhaps two of the most spiritually mature statements ever uttered, lay not this sin to their charge, and when he had said this, he died.

In Hebrews chapter 8, more about Jesus Christ, the throne of God, and the role of Jesus Christ at the present time, we might title the sermon today Christ Our Intercessor. Christ Our Intercessor. We've seen a glimpse of the throne of God. We've seen here three people that were given, of course, the Apostle John was given quite the tour. It seems far more complete than that of even Paul. And Stephen got that glimpse just before he died. In Hebrews chapter 8, verse 1, Now the things which we have spoken, this is the Son. We have such a high priest who has set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. Jesus Christ is now our high priest, sitting at the right hand of God. And one of the great roles of the high priest was to serve as an intercessor. In Revelation 3, verse 21, let's go there. Revelation 3, verse 21.

Revelation 3, verse 21, Notice what the reward will be for us if we overcome. Revelation 3, verse 21, To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, am and am sat down with my father in his throne. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.

There's doubtlessly great activity going on around the throne of God. And the wonderful thing about it is that we can go boldly before the throne of God day or night. We go back now to Hebrews 4, verse 12, which we've already briefly referenced in verse 12. Hebrews 4, verse 12. John was caught up, and he saw the glory and splendor of the throne of God and the living creatures around the throne of God. He was given great visions, revelations of things that must come. Paul was caught up into the third heaven and given great visions and revelations. Stephen saw Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God. Paul writes in Hebrews 8, verse 1, As we have seen, that Jesus Christ, as our high priest, now passed into the heavens. In Hebrews 4, verse 12, For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, Piercing even to the dividing center of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, And as 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. God knows our heart. He knows everything about us. But yet he says to come before his throne. In James it says, you have not because you ask not. It goes on to say, you have not or because you ask not, And you ask amiss that it might be consumed on your own lust.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest that has passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, Let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, But was at all points tested, tried, like as we are, without sin. He lived in the flesh. He knows what it's like. He's been there, done that.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. See, we can appear before that throne. We go there in spirit. We go boldly.

Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy And find grace, chirus, divine favor, to help in time of need. There's never been a time before in the history of humankind that the world needs this help like it needs it now. I don't know of another time in my life that I need this help. I need it more now than I have ever needed it. I believe we all need it more now than we've ever needed it.

And I believe God is teaching us lessons that He has perhaps held in reserve, or perhaps we were just too spiritually immature to understand and accept in the past.

But I come to see every day, more and more, what Paul writes in Romans 7 about himself, of sinners, I am chief, and how weak the flesh is, and that you are not, and I am not, going to make it on my own.

And there is a dimension about our faith, perhaps, that we need to explore more in depth.

There's great activity going on before the throne of God.

As we see here, we admonish to come boldly before the throne of God. How many messages and petitions are processed in the space of a minute would be mind-boggling. Sometimes I think about, well, six and a half billion people on the face of the earth, and how many of them are praying at this time?

And how does all this work?

Not even a sparrow falls to the ground unless he's aware of it. It's no wonder that God has thousands and thousands of angels, as we have already read about, ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands and thousands, that are ministers to the heirs of salvation, as Paul writes in Hebrews 1, verse 14. And I'm sure all of us have been beneficiaries of those angels and their intervention in our lives, because they watch over us and help us do things that we cannot do ourselves. So let's notice some of the activities that are taking place around the throne of God. Let's go now to Hebrews 7. This verse here is in my, I guess you would call it, top five of the most comforting verses in the whole Bible. I try most nights, most nights this just comes to me. The last thing I do before I close my eyes, I try to so other thoughts may come in as you wrestle and twist and turn, or whatever it might be, with regard to your closing prayer of the day, and to claim the promises here. So let's notice Hebrews 7.23, the key verse will be 25. Let's read Hebrews 7.22. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better covenant, and they truly were many priests, talking about the Levitical priesthood, and one of the main things Paul does is, of course, compare and contrast the Levitical priesthood with the priesthood of Melchizedek in the book of Hebrews. They truly were many priests, those Levites, the Levitical priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. But this one, if you, old King James has man in italics, not in the script, but this one, because he continues ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. This verse, claim this verse. We used to sing the song of the Protestant church called Standing on the Promises, and there's nothing wrong with standing on the promises. In one of these days, I hope to give a sermon about claiming the promises.

Hebrews 7.25, He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him. He's able to save them to the uttermost. Why? How? Seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them. Jesus Christ is an active high priest. He's on the scene, as they say, 24-7. He's always there. He is able to save them to the uttermost because He ever lives to make intercession for them. See, that's one of the great activities that's taking place at the throne of God. The role of Jesus Christ is high priest. Now go to 1 John 2, 1 John 2 and verse 1. In 1 John 2 and verse 1, My little children, these things are right unto you, that you sin not. Of course, in the preceding verses there, in chapter 1, the writer, the Apostle John, says that if any man sin, he has an advocate, as we read right here. He is faithful and just, forgive us all unrighteousness, as we come before him and confess our sins. My little children, these things right are unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate. Now that word advocate in the Greek, and this is very important, as paraklitos or parakletis, it's the same word that is translated comforter in the Gospel of John. And we know that in John 14 verse 26, that it says that comforter is the Holy Spirit. You can't separate God and Christ and the Holy Spirit. If you remember the sermon I gave here a few weeks ago on the Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit is the divine essence of God and of Christ. And the same Spirit that is in God is in Christ as in us. We are partakers of the divine nature, the very essence of God. Otherwise, we wouldn't be the children of God.

So if any man sin, we have paraklitos, an advocate. An advocate is one who is alongside, who pleads the case. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation, the go-between. He went in our stead for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we know that we know him if we keep his commandments.

So many of the students who wrote me after the 1995 debacle in the Church of God, in the Great Harris, it became so extant that we knew we had to do something.

And they talk about the new liberty that they have found. And all you have to do is 1 John 2, 3, and 4. If you say you know him, you'll keep his commandments. Verse 4, He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not any. Of course, some people want to argue over which commandments, as if some commandments have been done away with. Whereas Psalm 19, verses 7 and 8 says, the law of God is perfect, converting the soul. And John says in Romans 7 and 14, the law is spiritual. It's good, it's just, it's holy, and all of that. But whoso keeps his word in him, verily is the love of God perfected, hereby we know that we are in him. So we see we have an intercessor, we have an advocate.

Satan comes before the throne of God, and he hurls accusations against you, and against Jesus Christ. Of course, you know the story of Job, how he came before the throne of God and accused Job. Forward to Revelation 12. Revelation 12, verse 9, that old serpent, Satan the devil, who is deceiving the whole world.

In Revelation 12, verse 10, And I heard a loud voice saying, In heaven now has come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accuses them before our God day and night. So some way, somehow, Satan also has access to the throne of God. He is the accuser, the word there is slanderer, more accurately in English. The slanderer of the brethren before the throne of God day and night.

But on the other hand, as we have seen, we have an intercessor, an advocate, one who pleads our case, who prays on our behalf, and he intercedes for us. In the physical family, oftentimes, when something goes wrong, the parents hold the elder brother, the oldest brother, accountable first and foremost.

And then oftentimes, the elder brother passes it on down to the younger siblings.

I was the oldest in our family. I only have one brother, no sisters. I always thought it would be good to have an older sister. Maybe she, being a woman, could plead my case better. And there was four and a half years difference between my brother and I, well, at four and a fourth, probably years. So, but we were very good at aggravating each other and so on. But the older brother oftentimes is the one that's hell responsible. If we want, you know, let's turn back there to Hebrews chapter 2, where it says he's not ashamed to call us brethren. I don't know at times I feel a bit uncomfortable when we talk about Jesus Christ being our elder brother, because in one way he is. We're heirs of God. We'll read this a little later. We're heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. And we are all of one in that we all share in that divine essence. As we'll see here, he is in that spiritual sense our brother who's gone on before us, the first fruits of the first fruits, as it talks about in 1 Corinthians 15. Hebrews 2.10, For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons unto glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifies, and they who are sanctified, are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. So Jesus Christ, sometimes we call him our elder brother, and he stands in the gap for us, as we have seen, pleads our case, and he prays for us according the will of the Father. Let's notice this back in Romans 8. Romans 8. Now, when we are sick, we do ask for prayer, and James admonishes us to pray for one another.

Maybe in a little bit different, well, I don't want to get sidetracked on that right now, that we should pray for one another. We'll read that in just a moment, hopefully. In Romans 8, verse 26, Likewise, the Spirit also helps our infirmities. Once again, you cannot separate the Spirit of God from God and from Christ. The Holy Spirit is not a freelancer out there somewhere.

The Holy Spirit is under the direction of God the Father and Jesus Christ, like it talks about in Genesis 1. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water, who is under God's direction. Likewise, the Spirit also helps our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the heart knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. So not only do you have, brethren, praying for you, according to this, you have one who makes intercession according to the will of God.

And we know all things work together for good to them that love God to those who are called according to his purpose. And for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn, the prototikos, literally means firstborn, among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called he also justified, and whom he justified he also glorified. What shall we say to these things? Another one of my great favorite Scriptures, if God be for us, who can be against us? We just want to make sure that God is for us. Jesus Christ can also be called our mediator, one who stands in an intermediate position or location to serve as a conciliator or a reconciler between persons. It's a means or a medium for bringing about a result. Now we go to 1 Timothy, and we see the Scripture about praying for everybody. In 1 Timothy 2, 1 Timothy 2, verse 1. 1 Timothy 2, verse 1. Jesus Christ is a mediator. He's an intercessor.

We also have been called to be kings and priests, and one of the roles of a priest, of course, is to intercede. We, too, should intercede on the behalf of the brethren.

Notice what it says here. I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

That's quite a statement. I mean, all of the implications that are contained in that one statement. For kings and for all that are in authority, that we might lead a quiet and peaceful life, and all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved, and to come into the knowledge of the truth. Of course, you can't be saved apart from the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator, between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified, witnessed about in due time. Wherefore I am ordained a preacher and an apostle, I speak the truth in Christ, why not a teacher of the nations, ethnos, Gentiles, in faith and verity and truth. I believe that we come to a clearer understanding about our mediator, our intercessor, the role of our great High Priest, who ever lives to make intercession for us, will be greatly encouraged. And to keep that in focus and to claim that promise on a daily basis, he is able to save them to the uttermost, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them. The Old Covenant was mediated by Moses. I turn forward there to Hebrews 3.

I probably have said this a dozen times in the past few weeks. In sermons, I will say it again, I will keep saying it. Hebrews, one of the great books of the Bible, comparing and contrasting the elements of the Old Covenant with that of the New.

In Hebrews 3.1, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, as opposed to the earthly calling of the nation of Israel, physical, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, and so much as he who has built the house has more honor than the house. And every house is built by some man, but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony for those things which were to be spoken after.

So Moses was a faithful mediator of the Old Covenant. Many times Moses went before the church in the wilderness and said, If you will obey God and keep his commandments, you will be blessed. See, the Old Covenant was basically a national covenant based upon physical blessings. Moses was God's spokesman, of course, to the people. There are many examples where Moses was instructed by God, Go before the people, tell them if they will obey me, and hearken unto my voice, that I will bless them, pour out blessings upon them of various sorts.

After having left Egypt with a high hand on the first day of Unleavened Bread, by the time of late summer when they sent out the 12 spies to spy out the Promised Land, they had murmured against God, tempted him on at least 10 occasions.

That great one, sort of the coup de grace, as it were, was when the 12 spies came back, 10 of them brought an evil report. Let's go to Numbers 14. Remember, we're talking about intercession and mediation, the role of Jesus Christ as our mediator, our high priest. Under the Old Covenant, Moses served in that position. We, too, are to make intercession on behalf of the people of God. Just as Moses did, and as Jesus Christ is doing for each one of us today.

In Numbers 14, chapter 13 talks about them going to the Promised Land, the 12 spies that were sent out among them. The two faithful ones, Joshua and Caleb. Ten of them brought back an evil report. The people there, they're so large. They have these chariots that will grind us to pieces. No way that we can stand before them will be like grasshoppers in their sight. And, of course, the different report brought by Joshua and Caleb. The people were so upset by the report of the ten that they were ready to stone Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb. Verse 1 of chapter 14, And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this wilderness? And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be of prey? See, this accusation against God is so great. Sometimes it escapes us. It's like God is really a murderer. He just wanted to bring us out here so we could be slaughtered. It was his whole motive. Were it not better for us to return unto Egypt, and they said one to another, Let us make a captain, let us return unto Egypt, than Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly and all of the congregation of the children of Israel.

And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Junaphana, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they spoke unto the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search is an exceeding good land. The Lord delighting us, and he will bring us into this land and give us to us a land that flows with milk and honey, only rebel not against the Lord. Verse 10, All the congregation bathed stone them with stones, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation of the children of Israel, and the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me, and how long will it be, ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed unto them?

I will smite them with pestilence and disinherit them. If you a greater nation, I mightier than they. Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth. That's another thing that says about Moses in the book of Numbers. Moses would have none of that. And Moses said unto the eternal, If you talk about intercession, you talk about boldness, here it is, a man in the flesh. Then Moses said unto the Lord, The Egyptians shall hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them. And they will tell it to the inhabitants of the land, for they will have heard that you, Lord, are among the people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face, that you, Lord, stand over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night. And so Moses made intercession, and God said, Okay, I will spare the nation, but all of those under 21, or over 21, I should say, will perish in the wilderness. Verse 33, Your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your hordums until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.

Not only was Moses a mediator between two parties, God and the church, he was also, as you see here, an intercessor. In addition to the intercessory work of Moses, the high priest Aaron, and to a large degree the role of the high priest is to make intercession.

Today, Jesus Christ is our mediator, our intercessor, our high priest, the mediator of a new covenant.

Today, we're under the terms of the new covenant. We have become begotten priests of God. Let's notice 1 Peter chapter 2, 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9, then we'll back up and read the first part of the chapter. Remember as priests, what were the priests to do? One of the things that the priests were to do was to offer sacrifices. Are we duty-bound today to offer sacrifices to make intercession? Because we have become members of the royal priesthood. Now, because we are going to be kings and priests, some have taken this, especially after 1995 and what happened? Some said, okay, everybody is a minister, everybody is a priest.

You are a priest in the sense of begotten to become a priest and a king in the kingdom of God. It does not mean that we are all called to be ministers right now. 1 Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 through 1, verses 10 or so, they talk about the priests of the calling to the ministry.

In 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people, that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in times past were not a people. Loami, as it talks about in Hosea chapter 1, God gave them a bill of divorcement. But now, instead of being loami, you are a people. But now you are the people of God, ami, which had not obtained mercy, lo ruhama, but now have obtained mercy.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstained from fleshly lust which wore against the soul, having your conduct honest among the nations, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

At the present time, every religious group on the face of the earth, a major religious group, is expecting a great savior, a messiah, to come and to save them and to bring peace on earth. The Buddhists are looking for the fifth Buddha. The Hindus are looking for Krishna.

The Muslims, the Islamic world, is looking for the Grand Mahdi, or the twelfth Iman, as they talk about Ahmadinejad in Iran.

The Jews are looking for the messiah to come the first time. The Christians are looking for the return of the messiah, Jesus Christ. The New Agers are looking for their Messiah, Maitreya, to come on the scene.

The things that were established by Mr. Armstrong with regard to some of the programs we engaged in around the world, served as an example to nations. I had the opportunity to go to Sri Lanka one time.

We established a mini-ambassador college in Sri Lanka, a beautiful, mountaintop, 6,000 feet old tea plantation. You're looking out over the green, lush valleys and streams of Sri Lanka. The hills lying with the tea plants. We built a mini-ambassador college there.

Young people from Sri Lanka, who were Buddhists, basically speaking, would come there and be taught the true values.

The minister of the interior, Gemini Disanaka, who was later assassinated when he ran for president, as the Sri Lankans want to do, told me that we don't really need your money so much as we need your example, your know-how.

Years after that, it must have been 97-98, I got a letter from Sri Lanka, from a native Sri Lankan, though he was not Indian by birth. He was, of course, the English came into Sri Lanka and settled it and colonized it. Many of the people spoke English. He said, I want you to know that we are still carrying on here and that people are selling their inheritances to send their child here for nine months to receive the pearl of great price. Just this wisdom. They weren't receiving necessarily the truth of God.

Many of us became great critics of the very things that God was trying to do and doing as a witness to this world, whereas in the day of visitation, they shall know and they shall understand. See, we've been called to be a royal priesthood, a kingdom of priests. And notice what we're to do. We go back to the first part of the chapter now. Verse 3, If so be ye have tasted, the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, ye also as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

See, we as begotten priests have priestly duties to perform, just as did Aaron and his successors.

As we can see in verses 9 through 12 that we just read, we must put forth the praises of him who has called us into his marvelous light. One of the principal ways this is done is through the example we set to the unconverted world.

Jesus Christ has made it possible. Now we go back to Hebrews 10, one of the sermons that I give on the Day of Atonement is titled, Living in the Holy of Holies. We read earlier from Hebrews 4, verses 15 and 16, about coming boldly before the throne of God.

How is that possible? Well, once again, it is possible through Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 10, verse 19, having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest, see, the high priest could only go into the holiest of all, the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. Today, we can live in the Holy of Holies. We can live before the throne of God. We saw a glimpse of that throne of God early on, the first few minutes of the sermon when we read from Revelation 4 and 5. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He had consecrated for us through the veil, that is, to say His flesh. See, there was a veil between. This is what the French might call a dublion tandre of double speak, double talk, a dual metaphor. Maybe Dr. Erwiller might run me out of the house. But anyhow, that Jesus Christ, of course, living in the veil of His flesh that He gave, and also the veil, that literal veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place, that through Jesus Christ, through the veil of His flesh that He gave, and the fact that that veil was split when He died for the sins of the world, so that all peoples might have access to the throne of God, that all peoples might live in the Holy of Holies.

Verse 20 again, By a new and living way which He had concentrated for us through the veil, that is to say His flesh, in having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkle from an evil conscience. See, now He is writing His laws on our inward parts. We cannot write the laws on our inward parts, but God through Christ can. You know, a simple illustration of this, you might have a child, and it's wintertime, and you say, put on your coat so you'll be protected from the cold. When you get cold, if your immune system is weak, you're more apt to catch influenza or whatever it might be. And so, He routinely, rotely, puts on the coat, goes about His business. The next time He's about to go out, He does the same thing. He has to be told over and over and over again, put on your coat.

Sort of like the little boy who could not get the conjugation of verbs correctly, as no one in the land can. Everybody says, ran, when they should say run. But anyhow, this little boy, his problem was, he would always say, I have went. And so, one day the teacher said, well, Johnny, you're going to stay at after school and write on the board, five hundred times, I have gone. I have gone. So, the little boy dutifully stayed there. He wrote on the board, five hundred times, I have gone. By this time, the teacher had also left, and he left a note for the teacher, dear teacher, I have finished and I have went home.

I don't know if...

You see there, it's amazing what human beings of the carnal mind can do. They can do so many things. It's amazing the self-discipline that people can impose on themselves. There was one Greek philosopher named Diogenes, who lived in a barrel for several years. He was what might be called an ascetic, denying the flesh to purify the spiritual sense. You can fast twice in the week as the...

as the Pharisees did. Pray three times a day, attend all religious services, dress in the proper attire, pay tithes of all you possess, give half of your goods to the poor, live life of asceticism, deny the flesh, but you cannot, in and of yourself, write the law of God on your inward parts. The Holy Spirit does that, and it requires our active participation. You cannot become a new creation by yourself.

It requires God in His Spirit. But we all have a part to play. More and more, I come to see that, indeed, salvation is a gift, but at the same time, there are conditions to that gift.

Now, we have had people in the Church say, I don't obey God to be saved, but I obey God because I am saved. But the conundrum here is this, that you cannot be saved unless you are willing to obey God. God does not intervene. He does not give His life for us to save us in our sins. He gave His life to save us out of our sins.

So to become a new creation requires the work of the Holy Spirit. Let's note what Paul writes here in Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, about the Jews.

In Romans chapter 10, rather than my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel, Israel is that they might be saved, for I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the, and that word that is translated end, is Talos in Greek, it means outcome. Christ is the outcome or the result of the law of righteousness to everyone that believes. So we have what might be called dual action, a part of God and Christ. Through their grace, they set up a plan of salvation to bring us into relationship with God. And in addition to that, we had to surrender and submit so that we become the servants of God instead of the servants of sin. And at the same time, God does not just leave us, abandon us, after He gives us His Spirit. Because Jesus Christ is on the scene, He's there, He's our intercessor, He's our high priest, He is the author and finisher of our faith. He's going to see us through, all the way through. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it. He will stay with us, and to the very end, He will never leave us, He will never forsake us. So, brethren, as we have noted earlier, we have a high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus Christ the righteous. He ever lives to make intercession for us. Seeing that He ever lives to make intercession for us, He is able to save us to the uttermost. So there is a work that is going on between us, God, Jesus Christ, in which we are surrendering and submitting ourselves to God and Christ, and on the other hand, God and Christ earnestly are looking over us, even having all of the angels that we've read about in Revelation 5 and so much more.

So, one of the great keys is for us to tap into that greater source of power, that greatest source of power and energy in the universe, the very essence and spirit of God. And to know that Jesus Christ is there on the scene, our high priest, and He is going to see us through and make sure that we are saved to the uttermost and in the family of God.