TO the careful reader of God's word the truth is familiar, that unless a man bring to God an offering acceptable to Him, the offerer is not accepted. This truth is one of the very earliest which God made known to man. Cain brought to God an unacceptable offering and was rejected; “Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain” (Heb. 11:44By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)), and was accepted (Gen. 4:44And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Genesis 4:4)). Abel acted by faith—faith in God—he believed God's word, and was obedient thereto, while Cain acted by the rule of his own thoughts. Speaking of the men of the last days, St. Jude says: "They have gone in the way of Cain " (ver. 11); they have gone in the way of their own thoughts, rebelling against God's word, and in nothing does this rebellion evidence itself more painfully than in venturing to approach God other than by the sacrifice of Christ.
Cain's priestly act at the altar was distasteful to God, “to Cain and his offering He had not respect” (Gen. 4:55But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:5)), and no priestly service is owned by God which is not based upon the acceptable sacrifice of Christ. They have gone in the way of Cain, who approach God through consecrated bread, and they are in danger of perishing "in the gainsaying of Korah," who rebelled against the high priest, whom God had called for the service of His sanctuary.
All true religion begins with God, and unless ours so begins it will end afar from God. Let us then first consider the excellence of the Sacrifice in relation to God.
CHRIST, BY HIS SACRIFICE, ACCOMPLISHED GOD'S WILL.
The perpetual offerings and repeated sacrifices under the law failed to give God pleasure. Their frequent repetition declared their inefficacy, for had they accomplished the end for which they were ordained, they would have ceased to be offered. A man whose debt is paid, does not repeat its payment. He who is satisfied does not continually require satisfaction. "The offering of the body of Jesus Christ" was "once for all" (Heb. 10:1010By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)); it everlastingly put away the sins of the sinners for whom it was made; it everlastingly magnified God as to sin.
The sacrifices under the law were, moreover, only shadows; they were not the very image of perfection, “the law made nothing perfect" (ch. 7:19). The blood of beasts that perish possessed no atoning efficacy; "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins " (ch. 10:4) ;and in naught save Christ's blood is there intrinsic value which can render God glory and honor in reference to putting away sin.
The Spirit of God attaches in the Hebrews to Christ's sacrifice a word which should be dear to all believing hearts in our day, and that word is ONCE.
Once and only " once in the end of the world "(or ages) "hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"(ch. 9:26). And, having so put sin away, “He needeth not daily . . . to offer up sacrifice . . . for this He did once, when He offered up Himself" (ch. 7:27). Daily tampering with doctrines of transubstantiation in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is daily denying the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice.
Once, and once for all, the Lord went into God's presence for us in the power of His sacrifice once offered on earth. “By His own blood He entered in once into the holy place" (ch. 9:12). There He abides, and priestly appeals to obtain an entrance into God's presence by virtue of their sacrifice are insults to the heavenly position of Christ, our High Priest in heaven.
Once, and once for all, God's people are set apart to God by the virtue of the sacrifice. "We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once." (ch. 10:10.) The work is perfect, and by it we are "perfected for ever." Therefore, to appeal daily for mercy through a sacrifice offered to God on earth is to turn the back upon the gracious realities and accomplished grace of Christ's one sacrifice.
Christ, by His ONE offering of Himself,
Once for all:
put away sin,
entered heaven,
perfected His people,
and thus exalted and magnified God's will.
CHRIST'S OWN SESSION IN HEAVEN AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND TESTIFIES TO THE COMPLETENESS OF HIS SACRIFICIAL WORK.
The priests under the law stood at their service, Christ has sat down ; indeed the law gave the sacrificing priest no seat, he was constantly ministering ; God has given His Son upon the conclusion of His work to sit upon the throne of His majesty in heaven. The priests of old offered oftentimes the same sacrifices, repetition was an essential of their service, Christ offered Himself once; completeness is an essential of His work. Their sacrifices could never take away sins, His has taken sins away forever. Hence, Christ's position in heaven witnesses His work of sacrifice to be complete. “After He had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down ...for by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
FOR EVER are characteristic words respecting our Lord's sacrifice and priesthood
For ever
a priest (said four times)
consecrated (ch. 7:28),
sat down (ch. 10:12).
THE HOLY GHOST WITNESSES TO THE PERFECTION OF CHRIST'S SACRIFICE.
By virtue of that sacrifice, God has forgotten as well as forgiven the sins and iniquities of His people, which none but God could do. And such being the case there is no more offering for sin (ver. 18). Sin offerings were needed to obtain remission of sins, but where sins are remitted a sin offering is no longer required.
NO MORE, are words intimately associated with Christ's sacrifice.
No more
are sins remembered,
sacrifice for sins is required.
ONCE FOR ALL; FOR EVER; NO MORE, is the witness of God, the Son, and the Spirit, and we may indeed rejoice before God in the excellency of the sacrifice of Christ.
The system of religion which is growing so rapidly in our country denies these three great realities—once for all, forever, no more-respecting the sacrifice of Christ. It supplies in their place a continual offering in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; a perpetual coming to God for forgiveness only to be perpetually needed; an offering of the same sacrifice, which, by its repetition, proves that it can never take away sins. Such, alas! is the set of the tide, which bears away the souls of hundreds from the salvation of God.