APPROACH TO GOD (TWO ADDRESSES AT NEWTON ABBOT)
APPROACH TO GOD (TWO ADDRESSES [p. 214] AT NEWTON ABBOT)
Hebrews 7:15-28; Hebrews 8:1,2; Hebrews 10:19-22
Consequent on redemption being accomplished, and Christ being set at the right hand of God, the whole course of God’s dealings towards men is changed. “The commandment going before” is set aside because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. The law came in as a test for man in the flesh, but it made nothing perfect; it gave no satisfaction either to God’s heart or to man’s conscience. God found fault with the first covenant because it was incapable of bringing about what would yield pleasure and satisfaction to Him (See Hebrews 8:7-9). Then in Hebrews 10: 1, 2 we see that the law could never make perfect as to the conscience those who approached. Thus the law failed to meet the case on both sides; it did not secure satisfaction for the heart of God, and it did not bring perfection to the conscience of the one who approached. “There is a setting aside of the commandment going before for its weakness and unprofitableness, (for the law perfected nothing)”.
In contrast to this, Christ makes everything perfect. Christianity is really a system characterised by divine perfection. That makes all the difference between the old system and the new. One makes nothing perfect, but the other makes everything perfect. It is very important to see this. When the Holy Spirit says, “Let us go on to what belongs to full growth” (Hebrews 6:1), He does not mean some extraordinary spiritual state, but simply that we are to go on to the apprehension of the true nature of christianity. Many have not apprehended it, but the great system of blessing which God has established now in connection with Christ in glory is a system of perfection,
[p. 215] and God would have our hearts instructed in that system. The result would be that we should find the greatest pleasure in drawing nigh unto God.
Now that redemption is accomplished and Christ is sitting as Priest at the right hand of God, there is “the introduction of a better hope by which we draw nigh to God”. A whole system of blessing is brought into view where everything is perfect and of God. But what gives a peculiar character to the present moment is that, though blessing of the most wonderful nature is opened up to us, and known in our hearts as a divine reality, there is no present evidence of it to sight or sense. We cannot prove these great realities by any natural process of reasoning. If we speak of the two great facts which form the foundation and corner-stone of christianity — (1) the accomplishment of redemption by the Lord Jesus going into death for the glory of God, and (2) that Christ is sitting at the right hand of God according to Psalm 110, where it is written, “Sit at my right hand, until I put thine enemies as footstool... Thou art priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek” — we only know these great and blessed facts by the testimony of the Holy Spirit. We have no other evidence whatever. And faith does not want any other evidence. “Faith is the substantiating of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”, Hebrews 11: 1. We have divine proofs of the great realities which have been brought to pass by God, but we have no natural or visible evidence of these things.
So that what is brought in in christianity is a present reality to the hearts of believers though it is not yet manifest in any public way. It therefore, to a very large extent, takes the character of hope in our souls. Hence hope has a very prominent place in this epistle; we read of “the boldness and the boast of hope” (chapter 3: 6), “the full assurance of hope” (chapter 6: 11), “the hope set before us” (chapter 6: 18), “the confession of the hope” (chapter 10: 23). The blessings which are established in Christ at the right hand of God have not yet come into public display; they are all hidden, if one may so say, in Christ, and this gives christian blessings the character of “hope” in the souls of believers. We know them as realities, but we await the display and manifestation of them. There is “the introduction of a better hope by which we draw nigh to God”.
I may point out three things connected with this hope which are better than anything which was proposed in connection with the law.
1. “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make perfect the leader of their salvation through sufferings”, Hebrews 2: 10. This brings us at once to the full height of the heavenly calling, and unfolds in all its blessedness the purpose of God’s love. Mark the words, “for whom are all things”! Everything has been created and exists for the pleasure of God (Revelation 4: 11), but sin having come in and corrupted God’s creation, things can only become pleasurable to God on the ground of reconciliation. To bring this to pass the Fulness of the Godhead has been pleased to dwell in the Son of the Father’s love, by Him to reconcile all things to Itself. All things are by God as well as for Him. His mighty power and grace have wrought through redemption so that all things might eventually become the source of good pleasure to Himself.
But what is the supreme thought of God’s heart? What family will have the central place in God’s universe of bliss? Has He any company in a special way for the satisfaction of His own love? Yes! He is “bringing many sons to glory”. Both the relationship and the state to which God is bringing the “holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” are set forth in Christ in glory. He has taken His [p. 217] place there as the Firstborn among many brethren who will ere long be conformed to His image in glory. The calling — in the full height of its blessedness — is set forth and maintained in Him. God will have many sons brought to glory — to be with and like His beloved Son — for the satisfaction of His own love.
Does not this transcend every hope that stood in connection with the law? The brightest hope that could be set before an earthly people, or that shines on the pages of the Old Testament, is infinitely surpassed. It is, indeed, the introduction of “a better hope”.
2. Then in connection with the better hope we must take in the thought of the rest of God. “There remains then a sabbatism to the people of God. For he that has entered into his rest, he also has rested from his works, as God did from his own. Let us therefore use diligence to enter into that rest, that no one may fall after the same example of not hearkening to the word”, Hebrews 4: 9 - 11. God has established rest for Himself in Christ, and there is a day coming when God will head up all things in the Christ that He may have His own perfect rest in a universe of bliss. He will “head up all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth; in him ...”, Ephesians 1: 10. The rest of God will be brought about in this way; He will have complacency in all the work of His hands.
All this is a present reality to the faith and hope of the saint. Is it not “a better hope”? Do you find anything like it in connection with the law? There was, indeed, a “shadow” of it in the tabernacle, but if we want the “image itself” of the universe of bliss we must come to Christ. There is the perfect setting forth in Christ in glory of everything that is pleasurable to God, and ere long God will head up everything in Him, and will bring His saints [p. 218] into the possession and enjoyment of His rest as their inheritance.
3. Then there are “good things to come”: “But Christ being come high priest of the good things to come”, Hebrews 9: 11. “The law, having a shadow of the coming good things”, Hebrews 10: 1. I understand this to refer to the time when Christ will come out and bring all the goodness of God into this world. The priest coming out of the tabernacle and blessing the people was a figure of this. At present Christ is hidden from the eyes of men; He is within the veil. But when He comes forth it will be a wonderful time. Many Old Testament scriptures give us an idea of it. I will read one passage: “They shall come and sing aloud upon the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of Jehovah, for corn, and for new wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd; and their soul shall be as a watered garden, and they shall not languish any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and old together; for I will turn their mourning into gladness, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice after their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith Jehovah”, Jeremiah 31: 12 - 14.
This scripture — and there are many others of similar import — suggests in a wonderful way the thought of “good things to come”. The great point, as you see, is the introduction of God’s goodness. Men will “flow together to the goodness of Jehovah” and “my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith Jehovah”. All the goodness of God will be brought into this world where evil has predominated so long, and will become the satisfaction of men’s hearts. And Christ is Priest of these “good things to come”. They are not yet brought out, but in the meantime our hope enters into that within the veil, and apprehends them in Christ. “Whatever promises of God there are, in him is the yea, and in him the amen”, 2 Corinthians 1: 20. All God’s promises speak of good things for man, and though they are as yet hidden from the eyes of men, they are all established and confirmed in Christ. And God has introduced to our hearts the knowledge of all this as “a better hope”, we have the knowledge of it as a present reality in Christ though it is not yet brought into public view. The christian in the energy of this hope is thus satiated with fatness, and satisfied with God’s goodness.
It is in the apprehension of all this that we draw nigh unto God. We are brought in view of the purpose of His love, according to which He is bringing many sons to glory. We are also in view of that blessed Person in whom God has found rest, and we anticipate the time when everything will be headed up in Him so as to afford complacency and rest to God. And we are in view, too, of all the goodness of God — that inexhaustible reservoir of beneficence out of which He will furnish an answer to every form of evil that has ever been in this world.
In the apprehension of these blessed things we draw nigh to God. If we apprehend the purpose of His love, and the wonderful place Christ has in relation to His rest, and all the infinite goodness that finds its yea and amen in Christ, the effect must be that the presence of God becomes the most attractive spot in the universe to our hearts. I do not think any one truly draws nigh to God except in the apprehension of the “better hope”. There must be attraction to bring us nigh to God. The principle of it is seen in Psalm 43: 3, 4: “Send out thy light and thy truth: they shall lead me, they shall bring me to thy holy mount, and unto thy habitations. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto the God of the gladness of my joy”.
I cannot conceive anything of greater importance than that we should apprehend the better hope in connection [p. 220] with Christ at the right hand of God — that is, in connection with Christ as Priest. It is in Him that we apprehend our heavenly calling and the purpose of God’s love, for He is the Firstborn among those who are being brought as many sons to glory. It is in Him that we apprehend the character of the rest of God. And it is He who is Priest of “good things to come”.
It may be said, ‘These are wonderful heights of blessing; they are out of our reach’, I am sure that if we do not know the nature of the covenant of which Christ is Mediator, the things we have been looking at will be out of our reach. He has become Surety and Mediator of a better covenant which is established on the footing of better promises (Hebrews 7: 22; Hebrews 8: 6). Christ is Mediator of the new covenant on the ground that He has offered Himself spotless to God. Death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant. God’s disposition towards man is made known in the death of Christ. The Testator has died that we might know the mind of God towards us. “God commends his love to us, in that, we being still sinners, Christ has died for us”, Romans 5: 8. In the death of Christ two things are plainly set forth — that God has brought in remission of sins for man, and that He has made Himself known as acting in perfect love and grace towards man. When we see this it sets us free, in conscience and heart, to apprehend all the blessedness connected with the introduction of the better hope.
Then another thing is that Christ is an absolutely unfailing Priest, and is able to save completely those who approach by Him to God. I need hardly say this is not the sinner coming to God, but the saint — it is priestly approach. There is power and present grace in Christ to save completely those who approach God by Him.
It is necessary to be saved completely in order to [p. 221] approach God. All the influences of the world, and all the motives and principles which work in our flesh, tend to hinder our approach to God. If we had not a Priest able to save us from these hindering elements we should not be free to approach God. I connect the thought of this salvation very much with John 13 where the Lord washed His disciples’ feet in view of their having part with Him. This set forth in figure that all the contamination of the world has to be removed from us in order that we may have part with Him. The priests had to wash at the laver before they entered the sanctuary. The contamination of the world must be removed from our spirits before we can approach God.
I have no doubt we all know what it is to be unfitted for approach to God, though there might be no sin on our conscience. We have often, it may be, had to mourn that in private, as well as when together in meetings, we were not really free in spirit to approach God. It is quite clear that at such times some contaminating influence connected with the world or the flesh was acting on our spirits. Or, it may be, the pressure of some care or trial was a burden on our hearts. It is these things that make the service of the Priest so necessary to us. We need a Priest able to save us completely.
It seems to me there are two things which have an important place in connection with this priestly salvation. The first is the ministry of the word. You may remember that when Aaron went into the sanctuary there were golden bells upon the hem of his garment, so that his sound might be heard, Exodus 28: 33 - 35. It is through the gifts which have been given from Christ in glory that His sound is heard today. “He has given some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints; with a view to the [p. 222] work of the ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ”, Ephesians 4: 11, 12.
Though Christ Himself is hidden His sound is heard. He ministers grace and truth to our hearts through chosen vessels; His living grace and interest thus finds expression towards us; and this is no small part of His priestly service. The ministry of the word is intended to perfect and edify us, and thus to deliver us from the false and defective ideas to which we are naturally so prone, and which all tend to link us with the course of things which obtains in “this present evil world”. It is with a view to our salvation from all that is evil here. No ministry is worth a straw that does not tend to cleanse the saints from the contamination of the world. Timothy was exhorted to “Give heed to thyself and to the teaching; continue in them; for, doing this, thou shalt save both thyself and those that hear thee”, 1 Timothy 4 . 16.
Another thing which must not be lost sight of in connection with this subject is the fellowship and unity of saints. This is clearly associated in Scripture with the anointing of the Priest. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, upon Aaron’s beard, that ran down to the hem of his garments”, Psalm 133: 1, 2. The grace of the Priest comes down to us that we may be knit together in love, and that we may find in the company of our brethren a circle where there is salvation from the evil influences of the world. There is a circle here where holy love can be found; there are “holy brethren” here, and as we love them and cleave to them we find security and preservation from the contaminating influences which rule in the world. Let me urge upon you all — and especially upon those who are young in the faith — the importance of cleaving to your brethren. I have often seen the evil of friendships being [p. 223] formed with people with whom there could be no fellowship in the truth, or in the things of the Lord. The formation of such a friendship is a solemn indication of decline and departure; and has often led souls quite back into the world. The respectability or amiability of persons — or even their profession of christianity — should not be allowed to ensnare us. Our first thought should be, Do they know and love the Lord, and are they evidently seeking to walk in the truth? Our great object should be to cultivate spiritual relations with people, not social relations. If we love the “holy brethren” because they are “holy brethren”, we shall find, in cleaving to them, present salvation from “the corruption that is in the world through lust”.
We cannot but notice how prominently these two things, the word of God and the company of the saints, are presented in this epistle. The saints are exhorted to remember those who had spoken to them the word of God, and to “consider one another for provoking to love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the custom is with some; but encouraging one another, and by so much the more as ye see the day drawing near”, Hebrews 10: 24, 25.
It is by the ministry of the word, and by knitting our hearts together in love, that Christ would deliver us from the contaminating influences of the world. There is a constant living activity on His part towards us. He intercedes for us with a view to our being saved completely from the influences of the world, so that we may be free in spirit to approach God.
Now let us pass on to where we read in Hebrews 8. Christ is the “minister of the holy places”. Everything connected with the knowledge of God and that is for His pleasure is under the charge of Christ. He is the Minister or Administrator of the holy places; they are all committed [p. 224] to His charge. This great dignity attaches to Christ as Priest.
I think we may find an illustration of this in John 4. We read in John 3: 35 that “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things to be in his hand”. The Father has put everything into the hand of the Son so that the Son may give effect to the Father’s pleasure in everything. And I think we must connect the incident in John 4 with this. It was the One into whose hand all things had been given by the Father who sat on the well, who spoke to the woman of the giving God and of the living water and of the Father’s desire to have worshippers to worship Him in spirit and in truth. We see Him there as the “Minister of the holy places” bringing to pass the Father’s pleasure, and declaring that He had meat to eat that His disciples knew not of. “My food is that I should do the will of him that has sent me, and that I should finish his work”, John 4: 34. The Father’s will was that a knowledge of Himself should be poured into the empty heart of that poor thirsty woman, so that instead of coming in emptiness and thirst to draw water from Jacob’s well, there should be in her a well of living water springing up into everlasting life. It was His will that there should spring up in her soul in the power of the Spirit true worship for the Father.
How blessed it is to think that the administration of all holy things is in the hand of Christ the Son. It is He who can present the blessedness of God to our hearts, and can order our souls in the knowledge of those holy things in which the love of God will find its eternal satisfaction, so that in result we may be constituted worshippers in the Father’s presence.
Now just a few words on Hebrews 10: we have “boldness for entering into the holy of holies by the blood of Jesus”. Everything that can be known of God, and of that creation of which Christ is the beginning and in which [p. 225] everything is for the pleasure of God, is summed up in the expression “holies” or “holy places”. We can only enter into these holy places by the blood of Jesus. We could not bring the flesh into the light of God or into the circle of His pleasure. All that we are morally as children of Adam must be ended in death, and we should have no boldness for entering into holy things if we were not assured that the death of Jesus had made an end sacrificially of all that we were as in the flesh. We could not possibly enter into holy things except on this ground. We must appropriate the death of Christ as that which frees us in spirit from that which we are, so that we may enter into what God is, and into the purposes of His love.
The death of Jesus is the new and living way which He has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. There is a way made of approach to God, and that way is by the revelation of Himself as made known to us in the death of Jesus. He has come out in the blessedness of His nature, and in the glory of His attributes, to make known His holy love, and this by the death of Jesus. And in the apprehension of this we find a way of approach to Him. It is a “new” way because it is formed by the revelation of God. Clouds and thick darkness are no longer round about Him; He is in the light. In the very place where we were removed in holy judgment God was revealed in holy love. The death of Christ is the blessed witness that God is love, and thus it becomes a new and living way by which we can enter into holy things.
Then as “having a great priest over the house of God” we are encouraged to “approach with a true heart”. The house of God is where God dwells in all the blessedness of His holy love. And Christ is the great Priest over that house. All the blessedness of the place where God dwells is under the administration of the One whose love we know so well in that He went into death to make God known to [p. 226] our hearts. Why is this brought in here? That we may be encouraged and attracted to draw near. There is nothing in the house of God to forbid our approach, but everything to attract. And as a matter of fact we only draw near as we are attracted. Many a saint is convinced that the way is open for him to draw near, whose heart is not sufficiently under the mighty attraction of divine love to approach. We need “a true heart”, that is a heart that has come under the attraction of divine love, and is responsive to that love.
May the things we have had before us be such great spiritual realities in our hearts as to be a divine power of attraction drawing us with fervent desire to embrace our privilege of approach to God. For this it is essential that we should have our hearts sprinkled from a wicked conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. If our consciences were not purged and perfected by the one offering of Christ, a thousand fears and misgivings would hold us at a distance. Then, on the other hand, we must be “washed as to our body with pure water”. We must be wholly apart from the defilement of the world. I am sure that if we get a sense of the blessedness of the holy things which fill that house where God dwells, and if our hearts come under the attraction of Christ, we shall be deeply thankful to be cleansed from the contamination of the world. We shall not care to cherish, or cling to, anything that the word of God exposes as evil, or anything from which the priestly grace of Christ would save us. Thus should we be free to “approach with a true heart”.