Answer: Adam by robbery sought to be equal with God, but He who was equal with God, made Himself of no reputation (or emptied Himself), and took upon Him the form of a servant, saying, in the volume of the book of God’s counsels, “Lo, I come, to do Thy will, O God.” Then He was made in the likeness of men (a sinless, holy man). “And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death,” for death had no claim on Him, “even the death of the cross.” As God, He emptied Himself; as man, He humbled Himself. It was to glorify God, to defeat the enemy, and to deliver us. And it surely is an example to us to keep in the lowly place. The lower down we get, the more like Him we are. In Romans 12:1616Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (Romans 12:16) the word condescend should read, “Mind not high things, but go along with the lowly.” Condescend flatters our carnal pride. True humbleness is to feel we are nothing. Christ is everything.
Question: I do not understand why, in Hebrews 10:18-2718Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. 26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:18‑27), the pronouns “us” and “we” are used, as if they applied to all alike; as if the believers could be lost after having been sanctified, and sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, and then nothing but judgment remains for them. What does it mean? I am glad I understand John 10:27-3027My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one. (John 10:27‑30) as mine. M. J. A.
Answer: Yes, there are no “ifs” in John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) and John 10:27-2927My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:27‑29). Each epistle is a link in the great chain of inspiration of Scripture. All are alike true. We need prayer in reading them, that God by His Spirit may unfold to us God’s mind in each one, and be ready to forget ourselves, and look at them as God speaks them without question.
In Hebrews we find an epistle addressed to those who were in the past a nation, a people, separated to Jehovah. God spoke to them by prophets. Now He speaks to them in His Son. In chapter 1, He unfolds the glories of the Son of God, greater and higher and better than angels. In chapter 2, He is lower than angels for the suffering of death, and so accomplishes atonement, and brings in His companions as trophies of His victory. Greater than ‘Moses, David,’ Joshua and Melchisedec. He is the great Apostle, and our Great High Priest. The covenant is better; the priesthood is better; the place of worship is better; the one sacrifice eclipses all, and brings in perfection. And brings all who are His into perfect blessing, and a place on high with Him, and a place of worship now in the holiest of all.
No true believer can have a less place than perfected forever by that one sacrifice, and everything for the believer is eternally secured now.
When Israel crossed the Red Sea we find many there who never reached the Jordan. (See 1 Cor. 10:1-111Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:1‑11)).
That is what we see in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The profession is looked at, and so we get (chapter 3:6, 14), “If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
Are you a believer? Is there any danger of your going back to the Jewish sacrifices, or saying, “Christ is not the true Sacrifice, He is not the Son of God”? Well, if you say that, then you are no believer at all, and nothing remains for you but judgment. Christ will not die again.
You, as a poor, weak believer, might say, “I am afraid I am not a Christian.” Peter denied that he knew the Lord, with oaths and curses, yet all the time he really loved Him, but that is the believer’s weakness, whereas in Hebrews it is denying the person of Christ. The willful sin is the unbelief that denies Christ to be the Son of God. Could that ever get into your heart? Dreadful thought! If so, and you despise Him, there is no other Saviour, and nothing for you but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation.
But the writer of the Hebrews was persuaded better things of them than these, and things that accompany salvation (6:9, 10). What accompanies salvation? God sees in the heart of those who are true believers a work and labor of love, which ye have shown to that blessed name in your ministry and love for all who are His. The believer’s faith is divine (Eph. 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8); and see Phil. 1:66Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)).