Go on to Perfection! Hebrews 6:1

Let us go on to perfection! Hebrews 6:1

(1Pe 5:10)  And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, stablish, strengthen you. The subject of perfection is about one of the most dangerous things to write on if one wants to preserve a good reputation in laodicean Christianity. On the one side Satan heaps contempt and ridicule among the established theologians regarding it. On the other hand he piles unstable fanatics to espouse false representations of what it entails, so that they add fuel to the fire of contempt in those conventionalist and ecumenical haters of the doctrine. All said Satan is evidently terrified of its proper attention...an attention which scripture apologetically gives to its importance. Since most in the modern church are fair weather Christians only, they are equally as negative regarding its value as a goal to pursue. They heap unto themselves false teachers to tickle their itching ears and lead themselves to conclude that one may be perfect enough to be a halfway Christian, trusting that Christ will make up for the other half by and by. Another class teaches that their imperfections will simply melt away, effortlessly, as they look to Jesus, but they ill define what looking to Jesus really means. Looking at Jesus is no casual sentimental pastime. It will truly lead to a certain agony of spirit when one sees the desperate condition of the soul. At that point the sinner will be willing to endure hardship in order to crucify the affections and lusts which have hitherto consumed the life of the mere lukewarm professor. A life and death struggle ensues. True beholding will lead to true penitence and true striving against all evil habits, even through painful effort and self sacrifice.1Peter 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. What is this perfection that Christ alone achieved and alone is able to minister? That we shall look into next!

Mysterious Melchizadek?

Christ, "an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek". Hebrews 6:20. What mysterious priesthood is this? There are cultic religions and spiritualistic societies that will use this text to suggest that they are the remnant of some ancient secret rite. The devil loves to lead the human mind into idle speculation and specious deceptions. Yet all Paul is doing here is using a priesthood that preceeded  the levitical order to show the hebrews the falsity in their notion that the levitical order was an eternal and perfectable system. It was only a temporary shadow as were all of its feasts and ceremonies. The levitical system had been perverted by the Jews to represent the idea that sinful man could earn the merit of God by works of sacrifice. Melchizadek was a pre-levitical priest under the covenant of promise that pre-existed the siniatic covenant. For this purpose Melchizadek is selected by Paul to represent a priest who is such by faith. He has no levitical lineage to recommend him to God. Whoever is priest by faith shall be priest with Christ for etenity.The Hebrews had no record of his parents who ofcourse would not have been hebrews either. Such a people did not exist yet. In this light Paul shows that God has ways of working and appointing that are not based on the merits of Jewish flesh or lineage or established by a carnal commandment. Jesus is the great high priest of mankind after the order of Melchizadek in the sense that they both ministered by a greater authority than fleshy genetic succession. The hebrew Christians were evidently still holding on to a focus on the Jerusalem temple and its now empty levitical types and shadows (see Collosians 2:14-18, Ephesians 2:14-16). The book of acts relays the fact that they were still observing temple ritual and even Paul aquiesed to some degree in order to show respect to his brethren. The book of Hebrews was penned after Paul's arrest in the temple. In Romans 14 Paul explains his position. The Jewish festivals were not to be made a test of faith or a subject of contention during that transition period. But the observance of the temple rites and its priesthood were about to be made impossible in a few short years revealing that the true heavenly sanctuary was already in session. God in His kindness was trying to prepare the dull of hearing to look to the heavenly temple and priesthood before their earthly idol was crushed by pagan Rome. Hebrews is that book that was to aid their transition to the real ministry above. There is evidence that the people understood. The jewish Christians are reported to have escaped the destruction of Jerusalem by heeding the words of Jesus in Matthew 24. We must also heed the word. Another greater destruction awaits the world today.

Hebrews dull of hearing....are we repeating the same error?

The unbelieving Jews failed to accept the healing insult to their natural humanity that the sacrifice and priesthood of Christ administered. They distorted the sanctuary imagery to convey the idea that fallen man could contibute to his own atonement. Laodicea also struggles to accept the full revelation of their own wretchedness. It is also done by refusing the fuller light of what Christ's high priesthood unfolds. The message of justification by faith is not truly accepted until all human glory is laid in the dust and Christ and His work in the believer alone shines forth in resplendeth and unique glory. A reading of Hebrews 2 and Romans 8:3 reveals that Christ had to take our sinful flesh upon Himself and unite it with divine nature so that its sinful lack might be counteracted.The reason that Christ had to take sinful flesh is to make a perfected way for us, who were otherwise entombed in that flesh. He took it so that we might be set free into righteouness. This is what Paul's description of our High Priest expounds. To fault it or to fail to believe any part of it is to diminish true justification by faith. It is indeed to be dull of hearing and to be blind, naked, and wretched. Yet I am told by my brethern today that the subject of Christ's assuming sinful flesh is of little importance and is too "hard" for people to hear??? Where have we run upon that expression before.....too hard to hear.....dull of hearing? Christ took our nature fallen but was not corrupted. The weakess of the humanity He took on was linked to His divine nature in the same way that we may now be linked to His divine nature. The justified shall live righteously by faith. Detract either from Christ divinity or from His real likeness to us in this flesh and you destroy your own relationship with that saving faith. Let us not be dull of hearing the declaration of the most precious message of Christ's perfect qualifications for us!

An high priest....of whom we have many things to say!

 "An high priest....... of whom we have many things to say." Hebrews 5:10, 11.

Paul is again emphasizing the need of this advanced light regarding the purpose and function of Christ high priesthood and the goal of justification by faith. The rest of verse 11 contains a rebuke to the Hebrew Christians. That which Paul is trying to teach is "hard to be uttered, seeing ye (the hebrews) are dull of hearing." The deeper truth is difficult to teach, and meets resistence because of spiritual dullness of the hearers affected by generations of corrupting and ignoring the Word of God. They did this while thinking they were the proud favorites of God with an advanced understanding. One gets the sense here that Paul has a harder task presenting the deeper gospel revelation to the hebrews than to gentiles. These statements bear a troubling likeness to Jesus' estimation of the last day church of Revelation called Laodicea. To better understand what Laodicea's blindness entails we can look at what Judah's and Israel's deafness was.
Literal Israel had advanced light revealed in the sanctuary imagery. From the passover to the day of atonement, near the end of the levitical temple year, they had a clear explanation of the gospel and its intended outcome. The passover prefigured the offering of the Messiah at Calvary for the human race so that helpless mankind could be united with divine aid through the act of His atonement. The day of atonement however prefigured the final judgment and rapping up of the infilling of the kingdom of Christ by those who availed of that aid. It involved a picture of their vindication by examination of fruits, or works wrought by faith. Romans 2:13 sets forth this scene. Those who have been justified by faith go on to bear the fruits of faith. But a mere profession of faith, without its natural outcome, proves that supposed faith to be no faith at all. Only the doers of God's law will be justified in the judgment. But only those justified by faith in the work of Christ, who acknowledge that their own natural works fail the standard of God, will be able to show works of righteousness wrought in them by Christ. The sins of their flesh lie crucified with the old man. The blood of Christ has pardoned and transformed them. There is a test for those who claim Christ. Only those who wear the wedding garment will enter the wedding. He who has the Son has life. "If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh ye shall live." Romans 8:13. This can only happen if one accepts the real priesthood of Christ. But with many there is a longing for a salvation that meets the carnal desire to continue in sin. So with the Jews, they favored a manmade standard and so tried to immortalize the shadow priesthood and earthly temple in order to try to claim a mere manmade atonement. More on this next time. We shall also see Laodicea's danger of repeating the mistake by failing to believe in the true priesthood of Christ in all it entails.

Christ's Humanity Perfected continued! Heb. 5

Christ says... "to him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne"...but note now the next words.... "even as I overcame". Rev. 3:21.

Christ did not have to enter the likness of our sinful mind and thoughts to say this. He never yeilded to sin as we have. But He did have to begin with the weakness we begin with and show us how to hold to the stength He made available through His own heavenly nature. As long as His humanity remained obedient He could be strengthened from the divine resource He himself had made possible. The Father above governed the rules of the great contest and so it was to Him the Son made continual appeal to provide the power His humanity required. But note that Christ Himself is our manna. It had to be all of Christ own resource that was used. He is the bread that came down. It was His divine sustinance, governed by the Father, that He himself was helped with. Thus the servant of the Lord writes...*"Thus Christ gave to humanity an existence out of Himself". 1 SM 250. The intricacy of it remains a mystery to us. But we can better understand that Christ is our manna in both the human and divine aspects.
Christ suffered deeply in the buffetting which Satan showered His humanity with in desparate efforts to cause the human will of Christ to loosen His hold on His Father's will. Had He yeilded but once then our hope would be in vain. Satan finally stood in shocked disbelief that the humanity he had weakened for millennia could display such perfect righteousness without one single failure. It was a mystery to him. Now he knew his battle was lost. Divinty and humanity had found a place in Christ to crush his power. God had shown, through the divine human union in Christ, that His love was sufficcient to counteract Satan's best efforts to degrade mankind. All may enter this union through Jesus free gift alone. We cannot deserve it but we may accept the great unmerited mercy in contrition of soul.
Oh sin scarred soul! What objection could you speak to a God such as this? Does it not melt away every supposed complaint? What woundrous love is this for my soul! God has shown Himself to you as a migthy friend ready to rescue! Repent of your calous heart. Will you not embrace your Father forever? Rejoice oh lowly sinner...you are greatly beloved by the Sovreign of creation!

* Quote referenced above "By his obedience to all the commandments of God, Christ wrought out a redemption for man. This was not done by going out of himself to another, but by taking humanity into himself. Thus Christ gave to humanity an existence out of himself. To bring humanity into Christ, to bring the fallen race into oneness with divinity, is the work of redemption. "Christ took human nature that men might be one with him as he is one with the Father, that God may love man as he loves his only begotten Son, that men may be partakers of the divine nature, and be complete in him.
The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only begotten Son of God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine-human nature of Christ." 1SM 250.3

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation. Heb. 5:9.

  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation. Heb. 5:9.

This is a strange thought to many. Was Christ not born perfect? The made perfect in this text refers to His endurance in the trials. The evidence of scripture is that Christ was born into a humanity that needed to be perfected in order to be permitted to be our salvation. In the blending of heavenly nature with our sin damaged nature it remained to be seen if that humanity would remain subordinate to the divine graft. This does not mean that Christ started out sinful and graduated to sinlessness. What it does mean is that His humanity had to be continually and willfully surrendered to His own divine nature in order to restrain the mind from yeilding to natural passions in any sinful transgression of principle. This was a far greater trial than that which Adam faced in his unfallen humanity. In his edenic state Adam did not have to continually battle the impulses for self gratification that fallen impulse presents. Satan had not gained continual acess to trouble the mind. But after sin the deciever gained  greater acess to the lower nature. It was into this trial Christ descended to fit weakened humanity for the battle. Christ says... "to him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne"...but note now the next words.... "even as I overcame". Rev. 3:21 Christ did not have to enter the likness of our sinful mind and thoughts to say this. He never yeilded to sin as we have. But He did have to begin with the weakness we begin with and show us how to hold to the stength He made available through His own heavenly nature. How can we neglect so great salvation?...let the heart weep for joy! We will continue the amazing story of Christ condescension in our next blog.

Jesus, desire of ages: Our Kinsman Redeemer

Jesus, desire of ages: Our Kinsman Redeemer: Our Kinsman Redeemer All of Hebrew's message sets forth One who was touched by our infirmities as our High Priest. Why? The perpe...

Our Kinsman Redeemer

Our Kinsman Redeemer

All of Hebrew's message sets forth One who was touched by our infirmities as our High Priest. Why?

The perpetuity of God's kingdom and it's eternal protection against evil's infiltration is dependent on two absolutes bound together. They are the unchangeable nature of God's law and the incorruptible nature of His love. Incorruptible pure love has a name...it is called righteousness! Incorruptible love is that love that will not dishonor the divine law. It follows therefore that the love displayed in redemption will not subvert the law of God but will exalt it. The love Adam expressed to Eve in his fall was not this love and that love brought untold woe. That love is the love of the world. It is illegal love. Of course it was not wrong for Adam to love Eve. It was wrong to love her in a way that exalted her companionship above trust in God. It would have been fitting for Adam to love her so much as to offer his life in exchange for hers. It was not fitting to love her more than God. Any affection that places its recipient or object in precedence over God's will and law is the love of the world. The love of the Father is not in that love. It is a counterfeit and it is evil.

Many place the stamp of this evil love over God's act of redemption. They misrepresent God's love as though it were setting aside His law in order to love the sinner. They say unwittingly that Jesus did the same thing as Adam in seeking to join us in death. But what Jesus did is opposite to what Adam did. Adam sinned and corrupted love, Christ perfected righteousness and perfected love. To see them as the same is the wish of Satan. This misrepresentation is inspired by the arch deceiver. It is the fallen church's model of grace and love.

God's model of grace is explained in the kinsman redeemer principle found in the Old Testament. It was a lesson book of Christ's redemption. It teaches that the law must be fulfilled upon the offending party. Therefore Christ had to become one with the offending nature of man itself in order for the law's sentence to be fulfilled. But in order for us to be redeemed He had to do so without becoming an offender of the law in Himself. He did not make the woeful error that Adam did. Christ love for us exceeded Adam’s love for Eve because only obedience to God can be fruited with true love. Christ became sin for us. To us this seems impossible but to God all things are possible. He became sin for us who knew no sin. It is not merely that Christ was sinless before He became sin for us.....but that He knew no sin while He became sin for us. This is the greatest paradox that shall ever be spoken but it is also the mighty power of God. It is our redemption.

If Christ has not united with our offending nature He could not have taken our place. God could not use an illegal substitution to redeem us. A seed of fallen Adam, as fallen Adam's flesh, had to die for fallen Adam in that flesh. That is the only legal way the law could be satisfied...so it behoved Him to be made in all points like unto His brethren. His brethren?......Were they the fallen or unfallen seed of Adam? Only the fallen seed!.....that was the only seed fallen Adam passed on, and it was all that remained to be redeemed. The Redeemer could only be a kinsman redeemer if He was a kin in that seed. So Jesus took upon His divine nature the fallen seed of Adam. Only in this way could the law take His death as our death, for it was our death in knowing that our old man (singular) was crucified with Him. Any other death of any other nature could not suffice as substitute, nor could it be our death if it were not our nature that died in Christ. Note now that it was not even divine nature that died here. Do not take this to mean that Christ did not really die. He certainly did. But divinity did not die nor can it. It was our nature that died in Christ and it died continually from the cradle to the cross, that we might live continually in His divine nature. Thus when then believer dies he but sleeps in the arms of divine nature waiting to be awoken by the call of Christ. "Lazarus is not dead but sleepeth"! It is in the truth of the Word made flesh that God will finish His work and triumph over Satan's accusation against His rule. The Word made flesh is in a special sense to be proclaimed......

Tempted in All Points!

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is cast into the heavens... Hebrews 4:14. 

This statement echos another made in an earlier chapter. Hebrews 3:1 asks us to consider the apostle and high priest of our profession. In fact Paul will again ask us this same request in chapter 7. It is obvious then that the whole force of Paul's argument in Hebrews is to this end. It is of utmost importance that we understand the nature of Christ's high priesthood. But what specifically is it about that priesthood that we must believe and know? The following verse explains.....we do not have an high priest who is untouched with the feeling or experience of our infirmities (authors paraphrase). Put more simply we have a high priest and Savior who knows what it is to inherit the weaknesses of our humanity. But if that were all Jesus knew we would be none the better. The text continues...."tempted in all point like as we are, yet without sin". This is the power of the gospel. Christ alone has slain our Goliath. This is the old man, the old husband that Christ has crucified with Himself. None of us had succeeded in this conflict on our own resources. We were as the woman of Romans 7...bound unto death to the husband called the power of sin which was stronger than us. All of this failure was concluded in Adam when he sold out his inheritance of the Spirit of God. Satan's spirit of sin became the new husband. But the Son pledged to contend with that power in our behalf.

We see here the great paradox. Christ took our identical fallen humanity and yet accomplished that which was impossible to our fallen humanity without His intervention. How so? The answer is in that He took our humanity upon Himself! The Word did not merely cease and become flesh....the Word who was God, took on flesh. We have here the union of two things. In the incarnation weak humanity was leagued with that divine Spirit in Christ that Adam had lost. Christ took on our weakness but linked it with His own store of heavens power. This was His own inheritance which our weak humanity could access by faith. Thus by His own legal right He accessed the divine power of the Godhead by faith. This is how Christ remained free of sin, by enlisting the power of God to empower the weakened humanity which He embraced for our redemption. Thus He may be our sinless redeemer who purchased our souls. He is the One who knows our infirmities and knows how to help us out of temptation. Consider this great news about our high priest and how it lays human glory in the dust and exalts the Lamb of God!

There Remains a Rest!

“There remains a rest”

In every case except one in chapter 4 of Hebrews Paul uses the Greek word katapausis for the word rest. We discussed in the last blog that fact that the rest is ultimately the entering into covenant with God by faith unto the end of our probation. In verse 9 however he changes from the word katapausis to the word sabbatismos regarding the term rest. That is most likely because Paul is concluding his allegory. He has already introduced the Sabbath and its institution as evidence that God’s rest, (faith in His all sufficiency) has been there from the beginning. The Jews, including most likely the Jewish Christians, were meticulous about the keeping of the Sabbath and indeed tended to major on the keeping of the Jewish holy days. But the weekly Sabbath is of the utmost distinction having been ordained before sin and preceding all types and shadows of the Levitical system. It would follow them that Paul’s reference to their failure as a nation to enter into the covenant of faith, pictured by Paul as the ultimate Sabbath rest, would bear more force with them. How foolish to overlook the greater when claiming strict adherence to the lessor. That is... the Sabbath day loses its point if the keeper of it fails to rest in the covenant of faith to which it is bound and to which it is a constant remembrance.

Many have used Paul’s allegory of the Sabbath here to assume that the day itself was but a shadow that has passed away. The scripture however does not present the creation weekly Sabbath as a shadow. It only presents the post sin levitical sabbaths which were shadows as such. See Lev 23:37,38. Colossians 2:16,17. The book of Acts shows that the weekly Sabbath, unlike the shadow sabbaths. remained sacred to the whole church, both Jew and Gentile. History attests also that the Christian world continued to observe the Seventh day Sabbath up until the 4th century, that is until the Roman apostasy chose to replace its observance with the pagan day of the sun. Isaiah 66:23 points to its continued sacredness and observance in the new earth.

The fact that Paul uses the Sabbath as an allegory of the rest of faith in no way lessons its place as a commanded observance for all. It is part of the sacred 10 commandments found in the most holy place of the temple. It follows then that in the true temple, and in the true ministry of Christ, this law of the ten is sacred. It is Christ’s ministry objective to empower His servants to keep that law through His strength. Paul says...that by faith we establish the law. Romans 3:31.Revelation tells us...Here are they that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. Rev 14:12.

In conclusion Paul use of the Sabbath here is allegorical but that in no way negates the command to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy...rather it shows us that the only way it can be kept truly is to accept its Lord and High priest and to accept the eternal rest which it invites us to enter.

(Heb 4:2)  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
(Heb 4:3)  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
(Heb 4:4)  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

Verse 3 is a difficult verse to translate and in the King James its sense is unclear. However the context of the proceeding and following verses makes it rather obvious.The Exodus generation had a rest available...that is to say justification by faith was available to them. The gospel promise had been announced to Abraham who accepted it by faith. The types and symbols which the Old Testament believers were commanded to keep are not to be seen as another method of justification. They were as teachers and illustrations that all pointed to the promise of the atonement of the Messiah and the work of Him as high priest of our salvation.
Verse 2 tells us that they refused to be justified by faith. The chose not to believe in such a method of God and rather leaned on their own methods....that is they trusted in whatever illusions of self justification that are available to the mind of man. They looked to their own abilities and their own interpretation of God's words. Their persistence was of such a duration that God had to give up that generation, except for Moses, Joshua and Caleb and certain others. God swore in His exasperation that they would not enter His rest of salvation even though it was fully available from the beginning by the all sufficiency of God’s nature and provisions.
But we may ask what was it that was available? What is God’s rest? For us it is salvation but it is not only salvation, for God always has, is, and ever will be the creatures rest. Adam and Eve enjoyed God’s rest before they sinned, before salvation was required. They walked by faith in perfect union with God. The thought of doubting Him did not naturally occur to them. They has no reason to doubt. All about them were the assurances of His care and lavish provision for their every need. God is the creatures all sufficiency. His safe resting place. The way of salvation for us in Christ is the way back to that abode of bliss.
But there are those who profess belief in God and yet continually frustrate that prize of faith by seeking to find some merit in themselves by which to deserve such bliss. Paul's warning to us is to put forth continual effort to remain in faith, and to persevere in trust in God until our probation on this earth closes. Then we may enter into that rest one last time and for ever. But we must begin by entering into it now daily, for the opportunity is moment by moment. What has the Seventh Day Sabbath to do with this? We shall approach that question next time.

Abide in Me...Partakers if...

(Heb 3:13,14)  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Paul is here speaking to Hebrew Christians...believers in Christ. He clearly states that conditions remain in the salvation of Christians just as they did with the Exodus people in the wilderness. Salvation is here represented as a progressive work and not alone a moment of conversion after which the person cannot retract the new standing in Christ. "We are made partakers of Christ if....the text could as well be translated "We are made partakers with Christ if".....Paul is speaking to those who are already partakers of Christ’s forgiveness and justification but they must prove themselves faithful in order to become partakers of the final rest of Christ’s reign in the new earth. Popular Christianity rarely makes this distinction. There is something yet to be attained by the justified soul. All the resources are given freely by grace. We are counted as Sons of God but we shall be tested even as Adam and Eve were tested to see if we shall apply the gifts of God to  their intended goal. “He that endures unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

There are two groups of people that do violence to the plain testimony and life saving counsel of these words. On the one hand there are those who assume that since man cannot set himself in right relation to God with his own works... then salvation (once one has come to Christ) must thereafter be unconditional and have nothing to do with any works at all. But it is God that works in us. If His works are not present it is a telling evidence that His salvation has been spurned, no matter what the testimony of the lips. On the other hand are those who assert that salvation is only gained by works of merit on the part of the recipient first, and this sets him in a right relation with God.

Jesus own teaching clearly and succinctly exposes the apostasy in both these distortions.

(John 15:1-12)  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciplesAs the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Fallen man must acknowledge his need of the righteousness of Christ. He cannot attain to it by himself. He can only receive it as a gift. But once he has received it he is called to cooperate with that power of righteousness imparted to Him. To fail to cooperate with the work of God in purifying the character and practice is to reject Christ in a more serious way that those who never accepted Him. Brethren, consider and cherish our High Priest, who has supplied such provision for the Sons of men.

Whose house we are...blessed hope! Hebrews 3:6

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
What does it take to be counted as Christ's house? The answer is in the text! If we hold fast our confidence. Confidence is merely an alternate word for faith here. If we hold fast our faith we shall succeed. Faith in Christ is a living transmission of power. His life is imparted to the soul. We may have victory over sin which is otherwise the chord and ownership of Satan. Righteousness is the seal of God's possession. If we hold fast to faith in Christ's work for us in the sanctuary then His blood covers us and His life empowers us. Our part is to hold fast...to believe.  John 6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. Faith in Jesus is a belief that produces action. "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12. Fallen man cannot set himself right with God. The works of Judaism, Catholicism, or the host of other man made hybrids of faith are useless in this respect. To believe in Christ as our atoning priest is to disbelieve all these religious counterfeits. To believe in Christ is to cast off any confidence in creature merit. Once we accept what the priesthood of Christ means, and renounce faith in our own righteousness, then God will work His works in us.
Paul is referencing Psalm 95:8 in verses 7 and 8. God was making this point to the Exodus people. But they hardened their hearts. They would not trust in this specific truth. They covenanted with God on the basis of self confidence. It was destined to fail. Paul is admonishing the Hebrew Christians of his day to avoid repeating the mistake in their day of opportunity. The judaistic mindset would threaten their faith. The remedy was in considering what manner of high priest God had provided. To do so would repeatedly expose both the judaistic and Roman apostasies yet to come.  We live in a day when these apostasies are mature. How much more should we consider our High Priest and what He is to us!

Son Over All God's House!

5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

The words "But Christ" refers back to "was faithful" in verse 2, in other words Christ was faithful in His house just as Moses was in his. The "but" however puts forth the major contrast between the two. The Hebrews were inclined to deify Moses and the Old Covenant as the ultimate expression of God. To them a human Messiah was merely to endorse and forward their national aims and establish the rule of the law of Moses and the law of separation between Jew and Gentile. They were the chosen and the Law was their badge of exaltation. But Paul is here exposing their fatal misconception. Moses himself said that a greater messenger was to come..verse 5..."And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after".
The law was the transcript of God's character but Christ, the Son, was God made flesh. The testimony of Moses bowed to Him as a servant bows to the Son of his master. God had long foretold that the glory of the Old was to be but a servant to the greater glory of the new covenant. Some take this to mean the law itself has been demoted. But this would be mistaken. Christ was to show the fuller glory of the law in a living expression written into the flesh He came to rescue. What Christ would do in the humanity He took would gloriously establish the love of God as the center of His law and the hearts of rebels would be turned to allegiance to God.

2 Corinthians 3:
7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:


8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

(Heb 3:1) Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

We are admonished to consider the High Priest Hebrews has just defined in Chapter 1 and 2. This will not be the first time that we are reminded to do so in Hebrews. The points of chapter 1 and 2 are obviously extremely important in two senses. Firstly we must accept that God, in Christ, took sinful flesh upon His own divine nature in order to be perfect a way of atonement for man, and bring him into harmony with the law of God. Any other flesh or method would not suffice for we trust and have scriptural testimony that God did what was necessary. (Hebrews 2, Romans 8:3). Secondly we must believe that Jesus is now ministering until He returns. The book of Revelation also reveals Christ as ministering in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary during John's day around 90 AD. (Revelation, chapters 1 and 2). Later we will see that He finishes the work for man in the second compartment or phase of the High Priest Ministry which is the beginning of the judgment and sealing up of God's church at the end of time.
The great irony is that much of the professed Christian church considers that Christ has long since finished His high priestly ministry because, some say, "the day of atonement was at His crucifixion". Christ has made atonement at the cross but this is distinct from the day of atonement prefigured in the sanctuary The day of atonement is a final examination of the professors of Christ foretold by Jesus in the parable where the guests are examined to see if they have on the wedding garment. (see Matthew 22:11).
Many now depict Jesus as king. In order to lay aside the Holy law of God as many have done, or simply to diminish its importance, this idea that His priestly ministry is already over has been adopted. It would imply that there is no judgment for Christians for it has all past at the cross. Our salvation is sealed and we cannot be lost by anything we may do. This is a terrible distortion coming out of Calvinism and it has many related variants.
But such folly need have no place with those who read the Bible as its own expositor. According to Hebrews and Revelation Christ is still ministering for us as High Priest and seeking help those who are tempted to overcome and walk in His ways. Salvation remains under condition of obedience. This is not salvation by works but rather salvation that bears works. It is the fruit of Christ's labor. He is there to minister repentance, if we fail, in order to help up recover and walk uprightly. He will remain in that role until just before He returns to earth to take His people with Him, thus He admonishes us to "be faithful unto death". Revelation 2:10. "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved". Matthew 24;13. We are in a saving relationship now by faith but we are admonished to hold unto that salvation by faithfulness in Christ. Romans 2 clearly reveals this truth.  He will come then as King when the judgment of those professing Christ is complete. "We shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ" says Paul. The guests at the wedding must be examined to see if they are wearing the wedding garment. Profession of Christ will mean nothing if the guest has not actually worn the way of Christ, which is to keep the law of God. "Here are the that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12.
What is it then we are to consider about our High Priest? He is able to help us because He has championed our escape as a brother. The blood He pleads before the Father is His human blood, testifying that a way of restoration was successfully made, for it is innocent blood, the only innocent blood for the whole human race. This is what the blood of Christ means to us. It is the testimony not only of the sacrificial love of God, not only of the payment for sin, but it testifies that humanity yoked with divinity in Christ is in harmony with the divine law. All who truly accept this High Priest accept, not only that they are pardoned, but believe also that they may now walk with the supernatural aid of that perfect life power of Jesus and keep the Law of God by faith. Praise the God of love for providing our way in Christ!

Hebrews 2:18. He is able to succour them that are tempted.

(Heb 2:18)  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

The love of God for us is deeply tender. Many wrestle with the idea that God. whom we say knows all things, might have to learn what it was to be tempted. Perhaps if we understand that there is something we are overlooking here,.... perhaps then the text might explain a bigger concept. Lost mankind needed a representative human head to plead their cause and to meet the just requirement of the law. Just as Christ has to learn obedience as a human, He also has to learn faith as a human. That means that as a human the Son of God had to learn what it meant to be tempted in a weak humanity that had to choose to depend on divine aid. This is all part of our legal redemption. This is all part of the perfection and restoration of humanity in Christ. The man Jesus, had to learn these things and perfect these qualities in order to qualify as our perfected high priest. In His pre-incarnate divinity Jesus lacked nothing. He could not even be tempted. But divinity was not in the grip of Satan..... humanity was..... and as such Christ took humanity to counter-work the Satanic spirit's power with His divine power. It was not so much that God had to learn...but that God was to teach humanity, in Christ, and prepare "such an High Priest" as we now have. Divinity knew how to prepare it. Humanity was needing that tender companionship of the divine nature. In Christ both things meet. This is indeed a great divine mystery which we shall study in eternity. Christ is all things to us. He is the ladder...reaching down from His power in heaven and touching the earth where man is. This is the love of God made manifest. Therefore the apostle pleads with us....(Heb 2:3)  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; My friend.....embrace the love of God and let it woe your heart into the kingdom.

Jesus! He is not ashamed to call us brethren.

Jesus! He is not ashamed to call us brethren. (Hebrews 2:11 KJV)  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren...

Here is one of the most tender thoughts about God. Our heavenly Father accepts us through the provision He has made in Christ. Morally weak, mortal, doers of shameful deeds, yet God in tender sympathy has provided Christ. He is not ashamed to call us brethren. He is not ashamed to stoop to the rescue of a wayward race. Jesus' beautiful parable of the prodigal son sets forth this same love. When the wayward son endeavored to return to the Father's house, while he was yet afar off, the Father ran to meet him and fell on him, embracing and kissing his son. This is a picture of us as sinners and our heavenly Father's longing for us while we are yet sinners. The Bible says that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.
How is it that we know this love? The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. He made His dwelling place with us. God took the rebellious race into His bosom by giving His only begotten Son to the race. Christ will bear the marks of crucifixion in the flesh of a humanity, which He has married Himself to, for eternity. We are adopted by the Divine. As the son of Jonathan was sought out and brought to David's table, so the son's of Adam, once subjects of Satan's rebellion, are brought to the table of God. Christ is our bread, our daily provision, out of the portion of the Father's own store.
No greater truth could be fashioned against the accusation of Satan that God was self serving, and that His law was self serving, than that the Word was made flesh, sinful flesh, the flesh of rebellion, so that the sons of the rebellion might be won to the fold of God once more. It is no wonder that the Spirit of antichrist seeks to deny this truth. No wonder that it will be one of the last great proclamations of the the truth of the 3 angles of Revelation 14:6-12. This is the heart and soul of the everlasting gospel. What could the cross mean if this truth were not at its root? It would be but an gesture, but it could not be our redemption. He became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He is brother to us so that His redemption price can be accepted by the tribunal of God. No other way could be found. This is the gospel. This is righteousness by faith. This is the three angels message in verity. The Word made flesh is in a special sense to be understood and proclaimed, so that people may know their redeemer and find His perfect all sufficient redemption. All praise to our God and the Lamb of God.

One Man...to make reconciliation for the sins of the people!

"To make reconciliation for the sins of the people".

The space of one chapter in Hebrews covers the direct truth of Christ's exalted position in the Godhead. The point is easily made. But many chapters are dedicated to convincing the readers of the great mystery of Christ's adoption of human nature. In chapter 4 Paul is still emphasizing that Jesus was touched with the feeling of our infirmities in order that we may have confidence in Him as a fitting High Priest.Why so much emphasis and why so much resistance on the part of apostate and Laodicean Christianity? The Book of Revelation will add to the answer in a very direct way.
In chapter 5 of Revelation a great crisis is brought to view.
(Rev 5:1)  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (Rev 5:2)  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? (Rev 5:3)  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. (Rev 5:4)  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
The redemption of mankind and his vindication in the judgement is here symbolized in the 7 seals along with the judgment of Satan's kingdom. The law of God holds a case against man. The penalty of death must be paid by the offender and a vindication must be made in order for the kingdom of humanity to reign once more.
Man is the offender. How can he pay the penalty of death and yet also vindicate himself? It seems impossible. For a time no man is found worthy to open the seals and to let the redemption proceed. John weeps for he foresees the extinction of His race and the loss of God's bride, the church.
Let it be made clear here that no other being can substitute for the offender. Man must pay the debt and man, if he must somehow continue, must redeem the disgraceful failure. This is a specification of the law of God. A man must pay. A kinsman alone can redeem, else all is lost for mankind. This is part of the sacred law and is intricately bound to its ability to keep the kingdom of God safe from the infiltration of evil. It must be a son of fallen Adam that takes the challenge for Adam had no son's before the fall. It must be a seed of the fallen Eve that bruises the serpents head in order to the accusation of  Satan regarding man and the just and holy law to be answered. John then sees the Hope...Behold the Lamb of God!
Then in the midst of this great tension One is found. People do not pay enough attention to scripture. This One must be of the same flesh as all other men unless the law of God is to be set aside and Satan win the argument. Thus we see that Christ, in order to be a sufficient High priest must become one of the fallen sons, must pay the penalty and must, as a man, redeem the failure if the race is to be vindicated. No other man could do it. All had failed. Even though there were humans in heaven...none were found worthy of this great a challenge. But Christ was the unity of divinity with humanity and with God all things are possible for fallen man. Christ gave back to the race what Adam had lost, a heart of righteousness and a connection with divine aid. All this is bound up with the the truth that Christ took "the offending nature of man upon His own sinless nature". This is the wonderful condescension of God to man.
Rom_5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Rom_5:15  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

"We have such an high priest" but the devil seeks to change how we see that!

Made in all points like unto His brethren says the book of Hebrews."We have such an high priest" but it is the devil's aim to eclipse faith in this High Priest, as scripture reveals Him, by creating a counterfeit view of Him.

Thus a false christ and a false view of salvation is created. The law of God is diminished and the human standard is exalted. This is the work of antichrist and it will deceive many who think themselves perfectly loyal Christians. Jesus first warning to this disciples regarding the end of time, was take heed that ye be not deceived and that many false anointed ones would come claiming His name. Matthew 24.
There is a great misconception in the deceived christian apostasy as to what Antichrist denotes. We see here that the antichrist spirit is a deceiver spirit. Deception poses as one thing and is actually another thing. Satan first came to Christ posing as an angel of God. Matthew 4. Paul warns that Satan's angels (messengers) will appear as angels (messengers) of light. Many assume that Antichrist will only appear as one man in direct opposition to Judaism and an empty Jewish Temple. This reveals that their teachers are not dependent on scripture but on humanly devised fables. Hollywood, Satan's soap box, will even preach this false sermon in color on the big screen. Satan has nothing to fear in this type of preaching. It is his.
The scripture reveals that antichrist is a usurper spirit that permeates a christian apostasy from the truth from the days of John the apostle. But these individuals and this movement appears in all outward likeness as followers of Christ and believe themselves to be Christians just like Judas did, until his time of exposure.
The reformers exposed this fact of an antichrist apostasy to the revived Christian church but the counter-reformation of the Catholic church set in motion many notions to counteract the truth, and today that denial has been well planted in the compromising seminaries of a dying Protestantism. The false Sabbath and the false doctrine of Christ's becoming "holy flesh" at His birth now have become "orthodoxy" in the great ecumenical adulteration of churches. Now they look outside the "christian fold" for the appearance of some future secular Antichrist politician. Thus Rome is able to cast her spell upon the confused masses of apostate churches and invite them to recognize her as the mother of the Christian church. The tentacles of Roman doctrine have reached so far in the the struggling reformation that one might think all is lost. But it is just then that God reveals His power. Revelation reveals that at that time of the end now upon us there will be those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12. Their faithfulness proclaims Babylons fall for Christ's truth walks on the earth in their flesh. His banner cannot be denied and the nations of the earth and its apostasies have one last chance to repent. Will you keep all of God's commandments by faith or will you buckle under the ecumenical pressure to fit in with the "orthodoxy" in the guise of false love on the two distinctive doctrines of antichrist? Let us stand with God.

...This is a deceiver and an antichrist??? 2John1:7

Made in all points like unto his brethren. Hebrews 2 gives us this great truth by which to defeat antichrist.

How important is it to believe the assertion of scripture that Christ took upon Himself the seed of Abraham and David...the fallen sons of Adam? John answers this. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 2John1:7. It is apostasy itself to deny this point.

There was no way that Abraham or Mary, who was Abraham's distant offspring, could pass on to Jesus any other flesh than their own. It had to be the seed of fallen Eve that bruised the head of the serpent. Gen.3:15,16. John will not teach anything contrary to the scripture which has gone before him. This leaves us with scriptural proof as to what flesh the antichrist spirit will deny that Christ came in. There is another ear mark of the Spirit of Antichrist which we may know. It will think to change times and laws. Daniel 7:25. As surely as it has fulfilled this prediction in boasting to change the law of God and its the day of worship it has also attacked the scriptural doctrine that Christ is come in the flesh of the fallen race.
"The official and "infallible" doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, as solemnly defined as an article of faith, by Pope Pius IX, speaking ex cathedra on the 8th of December 1854 is as follows:--
By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a special grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and therefore is to be firmly and steadfastly believed by all the faithful.
Wherefore, if any shall presume, which may God avert, to think in their heart otherwise then has been defined by us, let them know, and moreover understand, that they are condemned by their own judgment, that they have made shipwreck as regards the faith, and have fallen away from the unity of the Church.--Catholic Belief, page 214.
This conception is defined by Catholic writers thus:--
The ancient writing, "De Nativitate Christi," found in St. Cyprian's works says: Because (Mary) being "very different from the rest of mankind, human nature, but not sin, communicated itself to her."
Theodore, patriarch of Jerusalem, said in the second council of Nice, that Mary "is truly the mother of God, and virgin before and after childbirth; and she was created in a condition more sublime and glorious than that of all natures, whether intellectual or corporeal."--Id., pages 216, 217. {1905 ATJ, CWCP 37.3}
Satan cannot claim a race that has not transgressed the law of God since the law contains the terms of citizenship to God's kingdom. It is in fallen flesh where Satan's claim of the race resides, thus Christ came to fallen flesh to rescue it from that possession. If you must regain a territory from enemy invasion you must ultimately meet the enemy on  that territory and overcome them and possess it yourself.
Satan must keep this point subdued  (that Christ restored the power of obedience to mankind in fallen flesh, in Himself) if he wants to keep unlearned Christians in opposition to the law of God, and in acceptance of the change of the law of God and it's creation Sabbath.  If we understand that Christ succeeded in making a way for fallen man to return to allegiance to the law of God in this life then Satan's scheme is undone. We will recognize Antichrist's deception. More on this great truth next time. God be with you readers and with your faithfulness to the truth of Christ.

Catholic bishop admits that they changed the Sabbath!