Great Themes of the Bible (continued)
God, "taketh away the sin of the world" by taking it upon Himself (John i. 29). And when God forgives sin He is said to remember it no more (Heb. viii. 12) and to "cast it behind his back" (Isa. xxxviii. 17), "'into the depths of the sea" (Mic. vii. 19), and to separate it ''as far as the east is from the west" (ESSciiiei2):
6. CuHRIST's ENTRY INTO HEAVEN "The entrance into heaven'? which Christ made for us is typified in Leviticus xvi. by the high priest's entrance into the most holy place. From Hebrews ix. 7ff. we see that heaven is the "holiest of all", but not of that building, and that the way into it, by faith, hope, and prayer, through a mediator, was not then so clearly manifested as it is to us now by the Gospel. Again, that Christ, our High Priest, entered into heaven at. His ascension "'once for all'', and as a public person, in the name of all His spiritual Israel, and through the veil of His flesh that was rent for that purpose (Heb. x. 20). He entered "by His own blood"' (Heb. ix. 12), taking with Him to heaven the virtues of the sacrifice He offered on earth, and so sprinkling His blood, as it were, "'before the mercy-seat'', where it speaks better things than the blood of bullocks and goats could do. Hence he is said to appear in the midst of the throne as "'a lamb that had been slain" (Rev. v. 6); and though He had no sin of His own to expiate, yet it was by His own merit that He obtained for Himself a restoration to His own ancient glory (John xvii. 4, 5) as well as an "eternal redemption for us" (Febsixier2): (a) The Burning of incense. 'The high priest in the holy place burnt incense, which typified the intercession that Christ ever lives to make for us within the veil, in virtue of His satisfaction. We could not expect to live, no, not even before the mercy-seat, if it were not covered with the cloud of this incense. There mercy itself will not save us without the interposal of a mediator. The intercession of Christ is there set forth before God as incense, as this incense; and as the high priest interceded for himself first, then for his household, and then for all Israel, so our Lord Jesus. In John xvii., which was a specimen of the intercession He makes in heaven, He recommended Himself first to His Father, then to His disciples, who were His household, and then to "'all that should believe in Him through their Atonement 23 word", as all Israel. Having thus directed the uses and intentions of His offering, He was immediately seized and crucified, pursuant to these intentions.
(6) The entry into the Holy of Holies. Through all this we see that the entry Christ made far exceeded Aaron's. Aaron could not gain admission, no, not for his own sons, into the most holy place; but our Lord Jesus has "consecrated for us" also "'a new and living way into the holiest'', so that we also have "boldness to enter' (Heb. x. 19, 20). Then note that the high priest was to come out again; but our Lord Jesus ''ever lives", making intercession, and ''always appears in the presence of God for us'', whither as the forerunner He is for us entered and where as agent He doth for us reside. Here is typified the two great Gospel duties of faith and repentance, by which we are qualified for the atonement and come to be entitled to the benefit of it.
(i) By faith we must, first, put our hands upon the head of the offering, relying on Christ as "'the Lord our righteousness"', pleading His satisfaction, as that which was alone able to atone for our sins and procure us a pardon: '"' Thou shalt answer, Lord, for me."' This is all I have to say for myself, and in Him I "receive the atonement"' (Rom. v. 11).
(ii) By repentance we must, secondly, "'afflict our souls''; not only fasting for a time from the delights of the body, but inwardly sorrowing for our sins, and living a life of self-denial and mortification. We must also make a penitent confession of sin, and with an eye to Christ, whom we have pierced, and mourning because of Him; and a hand of faith upon the atonement, assuring ourselves that "if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"'.
Great Themes of the Bible
SERMON OUTLINE
THE ATONEMENT
THE OLD TESTAMENT COVENANT OF PRIESTHOOD
(a) The Sin-Offering (6) The Burnt-Offering (c) The Peace-Offering THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIEST
II;
(a) The Unique Priesthood of Jesus Christ (6) The Common Priesthood of all Believers (c) The Priestly Intercession of Christ Tue Day oF ATONEMENT (a) The Duty of the People
III.
(i) Resting from their labours (ii) Afflicting their souls (6) The Perpetuity of this Institution THE GOSPEL APPLICATION
IV.
(a) Christ is the Priest (6) Christ is the Offering (i) Our Guilt transferred to Christ (ii) Our sin carried away by Christ (c) Christ's Entry into Heaven as High Priest (i) The manner of His entry: 'By his own blood" (ii) The purpose of His entry: His intercession (iii) The result of His entry: A New and Living
Way is opened for us (d) Christ's Demand of His People (i) Faith in His sacrifice (ii) Repentance of their sins