THE COMPLETENESS OF THE WORK OF CHRIST

THE COMPLETENESS OF THE WORK OF CHRIST

As to —— he is quite mistaken; he confines the work of Christ too exclusively to the sin-offering. Christ embraced every offering. In one offering He surpassed each and all.

The simple thing to lay hold of is Christ’s work. This work determines my standing. Where His work puts me, a believer, there I am. This is a great point. The thief on the cross got the benefit of Christ’s work without any break. From the deepest departure to the highest elevation, “To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise”. That was the effect of the work, and that accordingly was his standing. The work of Christ embraces the beginning and the end; of course it does, or it would not be finished. There must be an end as well as a beginning. Out of Egypt, and in the land, out

^[p. 355] of the far country, and in the Father’s house; as you get in figure in Exodus 24, the blood shed, and heaven in sight. Hence our blessed Lord begins with the finish of His work to the woman of Samaria, and He calls His work there, God’s work. “I have meat to eat that ye know not of ... My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4: 32 - 34).

There are four aspects of the death of Christ from Egypt to Canaan.

The blood on the lintel, and The Red Sea (these are Godward).

The brazen serpent, and The Jordan (which are our side personally).

Christ did all in one death, in one stroke as I might say. Thus all the offerings were at one and the same time. I do not learn them without a break, but they were done without a break; and the good of this work is assured to me without a break.

The blood of the bullock on the day of atonement gave God liberty to have the high priest and his house inside the veil; and the blood of the goat, sprinkled on the mercy seat, gave God liberty to send forth from within Melchisedec, to bless Israel outside. The same blood gives the blessed God liberty to do two very different things - to put two companies of believers in totally different standings. The blood is the same, but the blessed God blesses each company as His grace leads Him; one inside, within the veil; and the other outside, or in earthly places. It was the one blood in Christ, but there were two bloods in the type, to mark the difference of effect.