02.049. Who Intercedes? - 6
Who Intercedes? (Part 6) Sometime Minister of Whitebbey Presbyterian Church, N. Ireland William Rogers M.A., L.L.D.
PART SIX
‘But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.’ For Whom does Christ Intercede? Here is great encouragement to the poor sinner, to the discouraged believer. The Greek word for advocate signifies comforter. Will He take up my cause, will He plead for me? Blessed words: ‘He ever liveth to make intercession for them’ that come unto God by Him. Every word is full of blessing.
1. How am I to secure His Service? Just come. Believers are simply comers, such as go out of themselves rest not in their own works or righteousness; rest in nothing in themselves, but go out to God through Christ. To such he says, ‘Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.’
2. How do we come? Come unto God by Him that is Christ. How plain the language is if we remember how under the Old Testament, one who had sinned was to go to God. He was to go by a priest who would make an atonement for his sin by a sacrifice. Now Christ is the Eternal High Priest, by whom we have access to the Father, that is, a leading by the hand. Dost thou not know how to come to God? Come to Christ who died for sinners. He will take thee by the hand and lead thee to God.
3. That Come for Salvation. Perhaps you fear it is not right for you to come to God, when you aim just at your own salvation. But it is. It is the errand on which you are to come. ‘He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him.’ The Lord does not say He will do His uttermost to save you. No! he will save you to the uttermost. Notwithstanding all thy sins, thy temptations, all obstacles placed in thy way by the world, the flesh and the Devil, He will not give over - fail, nor be discouraged - till he has seen thee safe in the Father’s Heaven, saved to the uttermost. He will give grace and glory. Our last question - Will Christ on my coming to Him take up at once my cause and begin to pray for me?
There are not more comfortable words in God’s book than these: ‘He ever liveth to make intercession.’
He lives on purpose to do this for sinners. It is the business of His life. When a woman appealed to Philip, King of Macedonia for justice, and he put her off she said, ‘Then cease to be King.’ If Christ would once say ‘No,’ to a poor sinner who wanted Him to take his cause in hand, he must cease to be priest. But God appointed Him by an oath to this office, He ‘sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever.’ His constant calling in heaven is the salvation of poor sinners that will but come to Him. Come then, O sinner, entrust thy salvation to Jesus Christ. He never yet lost a soul committed to Him. Amen.