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!