THE DIGNITY OF THE CHRISTIAN SYSTEM
[p. 500] THE DIGNITY OF THE CHRISTIAN SYSTEM
Hebrews 2:1 - 4; Hebrews 8:1,2; Hebrews 10:11,12; Hebrews 12:1,2
I wish to convey in what I may say the dignity and elevation of the holy system with which we are connected, and I have selected these four scriptures as presenting these features as they are set out in Christ as having gone into heaven as Man. We have first in His setting Himself down on the right hand of the greatness on high (Hebrews 1:3) the idea, not only of greatness, but of elevation; then, secondly, we have in chapter 8 the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens. In chapter 10 He has sat down on the right hand of God, and lastly in chapter 12 He is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. I wish to connect what I have to say with those four features of the Lord’s position in heaven in order that we may see that the system evolved from Him necessarily takes on the dignity and elevation spoken of.
The gospel of Luke corresponds in measure with this epistle, particularly from the standpoint of which I am speaking, for whilst it presents Christ as Man and as coming into the world in extreme lowliness, yet we have the idea of the “Highest” (Luke 1:32) from the outset. The angel says to Mary, “The power of the Highest overshadow thee” (Luke 1:35), and also, “He shall be called the Son of the Highest” Luke 1:32. Elevation is seen in view of the extreme humiliation. Then, too we have the heavenly host praising God at the birth of Christ and saying, “Glory to God in the highest” Luke 2:14. So the great thought is introduced at once in connection with the incarnation, and when we come to chapter 19 at the descent of the mount of Olives, the multitude of the disciples say, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (Luke 19:38); and, in order to [p. 501] complete the picture in this gospel, the Lord enjoins His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from on high.
Thus the gospel which presents the Lord as Man here, coming in as He did in the lowliest circumstances, emphasises the idea of elevation, in order that the announcement, as supported in this narrative, should be accompanied by a heavenly calling. I am persuaded that, apart from the apprehension and hope of the heavenly calling, our testimony must be on a very low level indeed. In chapter 10 we find the seventy returning much engaged with their ministry, a ministry accredited by divine power, so that even the demons were subject, but the Lord says, “Rejoice not, that the spirits are subjected to you, but rejoice that your names are written in the heavens” Luke 10:20. So that, as I said, the record which supports the gospel as presented to Gentiles emphasises the idea of elevation and of the heavenly calling of the saints; and it is in the apprehension of the calling that our testimony takes on a heavenly and elevated character.
Now in Hebrews 1, as we have observed, the Lord “set Himself down on the right hand of the greatness on high” Hebrews 1:3. The idea of elevation must proceed from Christ, indeed everything of God must proceed from Him, and hence chapter 1 brings out the truth of His Person. God had spoken earlier by prophets, but in the last days “in the person of the Son” Hebrews 1:2. It is of all moment that we should have a right apprehension of the Person of Christ. He is what He is, whether at the right hand of the greatness on high, or in the manger at Bethlehem. It is most important to have the thought of the Person in our souls; for the speaking has come in through One who is no less than God, through One who is indeed “the effulgence of his glory and the expression of his substance” (Hebrews 1:3) — a word which we should scarcely have used, but the Holy Spirit applies it.
[p. 502] God is necessarily unknowable save through a mediator, and the Mediator is God. Not only has He, as Moses did, seen the form of Jehovah, but He was in it. As become flesh He could lay His hand on God and on man, and thus He can disclose what God is — He can declare Him. What God is is effulgent in a man, what God is in His nature and attributes has shone out in a man — the One by whom He made the worlds. But how little we understand of it! “By faith we apprehend that the worlds were framed by the word of God” (Hebrews 11:3) — by faith. Think of it! The Man of the manger, and of Gethsemane, and of the cross, by Him God made the worlds, and without Him was not one thing made that was made. It is not only a general idea, but every detail came through His hands. Then He upholds all things by the word of His power. How can we take it in save by faith? We cannot take it in by searching. Then it goes on, “Having made by himself the purification of sins” (Hebrews 1:3); there it is no question of the sins of any one of us, but the great general fact that He has done it — He has made purification — and by Himself, and having done it He set Himself down on the right hand of the greatness on high.
Now I wish you to notice that it is on high. It is no question of place here, but of elevation, and of the inherent right of Him who made purgation of sins, to set Himself down there. Sitting down implies fixity, something that really is unknown in the world; indeed it is questionable whether it is known in the physical system. Sitting down is fixity. A point is reached which is final. It is not there, as elsewhere that He is invited to sit down, “Sit at my right hand” (Hebrews 1:13) but He sets Himself down, thus taking up a position of elevation and finality. It is this general fact that governs the whole system; it is no question of what is conferred, but the position taken up by the One who did the work, and taken up in His own right. So it adds, “Taking a place by so much better than the angels, as he inherits a name more excellent than they” Hebrews 1:4. Then the Spirit of God opens the book of Psalms — the storehouse of the experience of saints — and cites passage after passage from the sayings of saints, to show that they understood it. Marvellous honour conferred on the people of God that the Spirit of God should cite what they say, to establish the dignity and greatness of the Person of Christ! And thus, as the Holy Spirit brings to our attention the greatness of the Person, and His inherent right to take up the position He does, we have a chorus from the saints to confirm it; their “amen”, as it were.
When we come to chapter 8 the summary of the things spoken of is, “We have such an high priest”. Put yourselves in this “we”. It will deliver you from all earthly religious dignity, from the greatest as from the least; all will fade into oblivion in the light of the glorious Head of our system. Here it is we Christians — “we have such a one high priest”; what we have, and this is true however poverty-stricken we may appear in this world, and outwardly, indeed, it is a day of extremely small things. But as our eyes are open, we take account of what we are connected with, “We have such a one high priest who has sat down on the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens”. Now, we have a place. It is not now merely elevation, as in chapter 1, but a place, for this is “the book of the opened heavens”: “Such a one high priest”, not on earth, but in heaven, for there our Forerunner has entered. This should speak loudly to the feeblest believer, for this High Priest whom we have, has gone in as our representative. As there, He is the Head of the system, the High Priest of it. How rich we are, beloved! Where are the dignitaries of Christendom in the light of this? What the Christian can say is, ‘We have such [p. 504] a One as our Head; compare our High Priest with yours and see the difference’. You see thus the greatness of what we are connected with.
Then it goes on, “A minister of the holy places”. From the passage in chapter 10 we have afforded to us the way in, and we have shown to us how the new covenant sets our hearts free, so that we should go in and that in “boldness” (Hebrews 10:19) “by the blood of Jesus” Hebrews 10:19. But when you get in, as you cross the threshold you find He is there, placing Himself by you and saying, as it were, ‘I am yours’. We have Him, as we get in this chapter, and so we are entitled to claim Him. He is Minister of the sanctuary — of the holy places — and He enables us to be there and to worship according to God; and more, He is Minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. As such, He stands in relation to the whole moral system, present and future. The Lord has pitched a tabernacle, a spiritual one, not of this creation, not made with hands. When the Father made a revelation to Peter it was being pitched; the thing was taking form; what will become universal takes form by the work of God, not by man’s work. No cathedral, however embellished or great, can represent “the true tabernacle”; the material of it is in the saints, they being the workmanship of God. It stands in relation to Christ in heaven, who sent down the Holy Spirit, and thus the work of God goes on. He had wrought in Peter on the principle of revelation. This tabernacle is on the principle of revelation. It is a new unfolding altogether, so the Lord says, “Flesh and blood has not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens” Matthew 16:17. Simultaneously with the confession there was the material. And so with Paul, the other great minister, God revealed His Son in him.
Thus the true tabernacle is pitched, a great spiritual structure in relation to which Christ is Minister at [p. 505] the present time. By-and-by it will be publicly seen that He has had to do with it in all its features, but it is our privilege to have to do with the sanctuary at the present time. Externally we are weak, but this epistle is to embolden us, to teach us that we have a right to go in by the blood of Jesus. As we enter, we find there that great and glorious Person who has gone in in His own inherent right. He comes and stands by us as Ezekiel says, “A man was standing by me” (Ezekiel 43:6); this glorious Person stands by us in the sanctuary of God! I learn my true nobility as I enter there, for I see myself related to Him. We have Him; He is on our side. A Man stands by us, and makes us know our place, and liberty, and dignity, so that we worship God in spirit and in truth. God is a Spirit; we approach and worship Him as supported by the great Priest there.
In chapter 10 He is said to have sat down at the right hand of God. It is now a question of my relations with God. Having by one offering perfected the sanctified He has sat down at the right hand of God. He is by the Person with whom I have to do morally — even God. Have I any question as to myself — as to my fitness? None whatever, “for by one offering he has perfected in perpetuity the sanctified” Hebrews 10:14. The One who perfected me is at the right hand of God. Need I have any fear? None whatever as to my state, as to my sins. He has rendered me perfect as to my conscience. It is well to keep in mind that we have to do with God. God is not mocked; the question of sin has to be dealt with and has been dealt with perfectly, and the One who has done it is at the right hand of God. It is not a question here of intercession, but of the position He has taken after having offered one sacrifice for sins.
I turn now to chapter 12, which refers to our walk, to running the race. How stable everything is! not only is there dignity and elevation, but there is the [p. 506] power of the throne on our behalf; and our representative is there at the right hand of the throne of God. Everything is so secure; as we dwell on it, our hearts are set at rest, and we are encouraged to run the race. “Let ... us, run with endurance the race that lies before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”. He is the author of faith and the finisher of it. There was faith in the Old Testament, though very little is said of it. When the thing is exemplified, when set out by Another, we can go back and see it.
Hebrews 11 gives it from Abel onwards, from the standpoint of the Author of it. If Christ is the Author of it, the faith of Abel must have originated with Him, not with Abel. Abel is not the author of it; Jesus is. He sets it out, so that we can imitate it, and follow it. He finished it. Abel did not finish it; every phase of faith was seen in Jesus. So we look on Him, not here to Him; it is not the thought of dependence but of a model. Then He “endured the cross”, the word goes on to say, “and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”. So that in the race we have the benefit of the throne. Would you do without it? I would not. It is the thought of government, not “the throne of the greatness in the heavens”, as in chapter 8, but simply the throne of God, that from whence God exercises His government over us, so that we should not give up. The race is accelerated as we are in the gain of the government of God, for things are dealt with by that means which we ourselves could not have dealt with. Thus in the passage discipline immediately comes in: “For who is the son that the father chastens not?” Hebrews 12:7. It is with God we have to do, and the throne of God is favourable because Jesus is there. It is not against us, and hence the Father chastens; He deals with us as with sons that we might be partakers of His holiness through the chastening.
[p. 507] Wonderful things hang on these four different features of the present session of Christ in heaven. The tendency is to settle down to the level of religion in this world, instead of being occupied with the elevation and dignity of the system into which we are brought. The apostle prays that the saints may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man. This is needed to take in these great things, and that they should give character to us.