ENTERING THE HOLIEST
A. H. Munster
It is interesting to see the different lines of teaching that come out in the epistles written by the apostles Paul and Peter and others. If we take, for instance, the Epistle to the Ephesians, I think we see some of the fruit of the apostle’s labours with them, how he for three whole years laboured night and day with tears.
But what he is able to say to them in his epistle seems to point to a high level of things in the service of God. Then we have Colossians, which is somewhat similar but perhaps not on quite such a high level. Then we have Corinthians, which is corrective, and we might say the same as to Galatians. Then in Romans we have more what is individual, what is fundamental.
We might wonder, perhaps, just what may be in mind in the Epistle to the Hebrews. It does not even mention the name of the writer, although I think we generally gather it was Paul who wrote it; but we might just wonder what the theme of that epistle is. I believe one of the things that comes out in a very striking way in that epistle, which perhaps we do not get anywhere else, is as to going into the holiest. We have had those amongst us who have known something in a real way of what it is to go into the holiest, and I believe the Lord would speak to us about that, because it is a very vital matter.
It would seem from these verses that going into the holiest involves three things—the first would be the perfect work of atonement; then, secondly, the present place of Christ on high, and, thirdly, our state, which I believe is vital to it. The first two are fixed, first, the efficacy of the Lord’s blood. It says, “The blood of Jesus, the new and living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh”. How precious it is to think of the perfect work of the Lord Jesus, what He has done; nothing can interfere with the effect of what has been completed by the perfect work of the Lord Jesus, the shedding of His blood and the giving of His body, so that we can go through the veil. How marvellous that is! Nothing can interfere with that. Then, too, as we think of the Lord’s present position on high, nothing can interfere with that.
It says, “Having a great priest over the house of God”, and I think this is the only place where the Scriptures speak about “a great priest”. There are several references to the Lord as High Priest, and “a great high priest” (Hebrews 4: 14), but I think this is the only reference where it says, “a great priest”. I think there is something precious about it, because it speaks about something that is unique to Christ. Aaron was high priest, but he was not “a great priest”. I think it is wonderful to think of Jesus in that way as the great Priest over the house of God, and our drawing near in the way of entering into the holy of holies is related to that, the place that Christ has. I think the end of chapter 6 of this epistle would bear on this. It speaks about an anchor “secure and firm, and entering into that within the veil, where Jesus is entered as forerunner for us” (Hebrews 6: 19, 20). It is very wonderful to think of it. I am reminded sometimes of a remark made in London in 1953 that when we go into the holiest we find that Jesus is there. That is a wonderful thing. I think we do well to test ourselves as to how much we know about it. I feel very humbled as to it, but how wonderful it is!
When we come to this third point, it says, “Let us approach with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water”. That brings in our side. In that way it is not so fixed. I believe that normally it would be a settled matter. As we are right in our souls, right with God, we would know what it is in a practical way to be sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience and washed as to our body with pure water. That would prepare us for communion, and I believe this matter of entering into the holiest is a matter of communion. The two things are very much bound up together, not that they are identical, because I believe that if our state is right, as we are right with God, we can be in communion all the time. I believe that is normal christianity.
But going into the holiest is something which we do not do all the time. I believe it is right to say that. It is something that we have the privilege to do, but there are other matters that we have to attend to and so we do not go into the holiest all the time. At the same time, the two things are connected, the question of our going into the holiest and the question of communion, because it is evident that if we are not in communion then we cannot go into the holiest. I believe that is one thing that would have to be faced. But how encouraging it is to think of what is available to us, to think of the preciousness of the blood of Jesus and the “living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh”. How precious it is to think of that, and then the Lord’s position now on high, to think of how the Father would delight to bring Him before us and how as, in any measure, we go into the holiest we see Jesus there and have some impression of who He is, the One who is living now. Think of His place on high, “a great priest over the house of God”.
How it would encourage us not to be caught up with things that are around us, the features of the world. There is the religious world and the secular world, the religious world bringing in all
kinds of things that would interfere with what is due to God. We might be liable to be caught up with that kind of thing. Then there is the secular side, which is all around us. You see, I might say to myself, Well, I would not commit a murder and I would not steal; but perhaps I may say as to certain things that there is no harm in them. Well now, if I am on that line it is a question of whether I am in communion; it rather suggests lack of communion. I believe these are real things and that we need to face them. We do not want to go in for what is permissive. How much there is around which suggests permissiveness. I believe that if our minds are on that line, all we can say as to it is that we are not in communion.
So we need to face up to these things. I believe that the Lord would have us to be real, and to get before God about these things, if anything comes into our minds that is not just quite in line. So it says, “Let us approach with a true heart, in full assurance of faith”. Now I believe we need to have faith as to what has been done, faith as to the perfection of the work of Christ, faith as to His position now. That enters into it, but then, “Sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water”, involving what our walk might be, what we might do with our bodies. These are practical matters as to things that, if allowed, interrupt our communion. I believe the Lord would help us; He has given us the Spirit, and it says, “walk in the Spirit, and ye shall no way fulfil flesh’s lust”, Galatians 5: 16. We have been given the gift of the Spirit; we have power that way, so we do not need to be influenced by what is around, and what is within. That being settled, as we make use of the Spirit, being “sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water”, we are perfectly free to be in communion.
As all this comes before us, as our hearts are in full assurance of faith as we think of the finished work of Christ and His present position in glory, then, having overcome through the power of the Spirit, we are not only in communion but we are also at liberty to know something of what it is to enter the holiest. This is a very practical thing. It is perhaps something that we do not give very much attention to, but I believe it is very practical indeed and that what is for God at the present time depends on the extent to which we know what it is to go into the holiest. I trust that we may be encouraged. I trust we may also be searched. I myself feel very humbled as to it; I believe the Lord would search us and bring about reality so that there may be something more formed, something genuine, something which really answers to the heart of Christ and is for the pleasure of God. So may the Lord encourage us and bless the word, for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, London
6 December 1977