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I'd gladly follow.
The.
First Thessalonians, chapter 5.
1St Thessalonians 5, verse 16.
Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing in everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the spirit, despise not prophesying, prove all things, hold fast that which is good, abstain from all appearance of evil, and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless.
Under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, let's pray.
Our God, our Father.
We're here together, uh, crowd of people, most of us believers in the Lord Jesus.
All of us in different states of soul and and.
Ages.
And no one of us.
Know the needs that are here.
Not all of us put together, yet we know that you know them.
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And that if we are here LED of the Spirit, that many if not all those needs would be addressed. So help us. We pray that there would be that true waiting on your leading and that, uh, each one of us would go away with a blessing. We pray it in Jesus name, Amen.
I'd like to suggest a passage that we might take up.
Hebrews, chapter 10.
Our brother read from it this morning in the prayer meeting, which was an encouragement.
And in view of the fact that we have only two reading meetings at the conference, I would suggest starting with verse 19.
What I had on my heart was the fact that up until this point there has been in Hebrews a good deal of teaching.
Aimed, of course, more specifically at the Jews and seeking to bring them into the full knowledge of all that they had in Christ and.
Into the blessings that were theirs, in contrast with what they had in the Old Testament. But then in verse 19 and going on to the end of the chapter, there are practical exhortations which I suggest have a real bearing on you and me today.
What do my brethren think of that?
Thank you.
10 and starting with verse 19.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, is flesh, and having an high Priest over the House of God.
Let us draw an ear with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promise. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching.
Or if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for, for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
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He that despised Moses law died without mercy, under two or three witnesses.
Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done thus by unto the Spirit of grace?
For we know him that hath said Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord.
And again the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But call to remembrance the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions.
Partly whilst you were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly while she became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of their goods.
Knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance, cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God.
You might receive the promise, forget a little while, and he that shall come will come, and he will not tarry. Now the Josh shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Mate.
So there are many others here that can very well bring out what is in these verses. But what I had on my heart was the thought that on the one hand.
The Spirit of God here seeks to bring all of us, not just the Hebrew believers to whom this epistle was primarily addressed, but to bring all of us into the good of what we have in Christ. What a contrast it is to what they had in the Old Testament and how limited it was in those days.
And yet, on the other hand, there had been, sad to say, among some of those Jewish believers, are drawing back. And earlier on, they had to be reminded that they weren't able to be fed with meat the way they should have been able to be fed. They still needed milk. They hadn't matured properly. And what had happened? They had drawn back.
As it says.
There had been a time when there was real joy in Christ, when there was a real desire to have more of him. But the opposition was very intense, the difficulties were real, and as a result they had perhaps some of them become discouraged, and it was a lot easier to fall back into the patterns of Judaism and to the things that they had known for hundreds of years.
And let's face it, so it is today among believers. Judaism has crept into Christianity in a very large way, and it has, sad to say, brought Christianity down to the level of a worldly religion, which admittedly makes it more popular and more comfortable and more respectable. But the Spirit of God using the author of Hebrews, very likely the apostle Paul.
To recall them to the wonderful privileges that were theirs and all that they had in Christ.
And there are some very practical exhortations along that line which we need to remember. So those were some of the thoughts I had in suggesting the chapter.
Part of the pencil has comes to a close formally with the 18th verse of this chapter. So from chapters one through 1018 we have the doctrinal portion of the epistle. Then from the 19th verse we get the practical expectations based on the truth that he's laid down in the earlier chapters. There is a pivotal word there in the 19th verse, therefore.
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Therefore, so he's.
Laying down things in the earlier part of the pistol that he's going to now exhort them to take advantage of practically. And the first and foremost expectation that he has is that we should draw near and, and take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to enter into God's presence as worshippers and as priests. So he's exhorting them to behave as priests, to function as priests.
Without even mentioning actually that they are pretty, he implies that all through the passage.
And it's also, of course, confirmed, that is the true priesthood of believers is confirmed by the Apostle Peter and his epistle and also John in the writing of the Book of Revelation. So it's, we take it that, uh, every believer is a priest. And this is the opportunity that we have to enter into the presence of our Lord and draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith.
What an incredible privilege we have that Old Testament Saints did not have.
We do it by the blood of Jesus, that is, having an understanding of what the blood of Christ has accomplished before God.
If you look back in the 9th chapter, you'll find that He entered into the holiest by his own blood. That's your verse 12. But by his own blood he entered once into the holy place of the holy, having obtained eternal redemption for us, and now we can, by virtue of that same blood, enter the holiest of all. Notice it doesn't say in Chapter 9 that he entered the holiest with his blood.
But by his blood, there are ones who have got off track with that thought that the work wasn't finished on the cross. He had to take his blood to have him literally and present it to on the throne. But that's not the thought at all otherwise, and we carry a type too far, the type of the uh.
So when we launch into a scripture, it's good to understand.
What is characteristic about it? And I think this first verse that we started with the 19th verse, gives us a real indication of what's characteristic of Hebrews and it's characteristic of Christianity. Notice that he says here that we enter into the holiest, we come in to the holiest. You know, in the Old Testament, they, the people, they couldn't enter into the holiest, but we, every one of us, we enter into the holiest.
But Christianity is such that we enter with boldness into the holiest.
Because our consciences have been purged from sin by that precious blood. And Bill, you use the word contrast. And I was thinking, uh, when, when the brother was reading the passage, there's a verse in Luke chapter one where we see that scene with, uh, uh, before the, uh, birth of John the Baptist. We see the scene in Luke chapter one.
Their temple. And there's one particular verse that has struck me for many years as I thought about the contrast between the old system and what we have in Christianity is Luke 1 and it's verse 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without.
At the time of incense, they were outside because according to that system, they did not have an entrance into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Yet that work had not been accomplished and.
Something that is characteristic of Christianity, which we don't want to lose sight of at all. You mentioned Judaistic thinking and practices coming in. All of those things tend to keep the believer at a distance. In John's Gospel, the Lord Jesus revealed the Father to us, and we have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And in the terms of Hebrews, we by what he has done.
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By that completed work on the cross, we are invited to come in with boldness and to address Him as Father. It's a precious difference that we have between that old system and what we have in Christianity. We don't wanna lose sight of that.
To enter into the old test.
Boldness, that's all.
Another.
And if we might make mention of this, and I think it's an important thing for each of us to bear in mind.
Every believer is a priest.
Every believer, every brother, every sister, we have the privilege of drawing near.
Now God recognizes a gift in the assembly, we know that, and in a meeting like this, perhaps those who have more gifts should take more part. But in something like the remembrance of the Lord, it is the privilege of every believer to approach as a priest, and it is the privilege of every brother to be involved, not necessarily all at one meeting, but it is the privilege of.
Every brother for his voice, at times led by the Spirit, to be raised in Thanksgiving and praise and worship.
Can the sisters be in the current of God's thoughts and enjoy all that? Indeed they can, even though they don't take part audibly. But that means exercise. That means a walk with the Lord. That means a concern about what my life is during the week.
It's a lot easier to come together for the natural man and just say let someone else look after it all. But that is not true Christianity, is it? That is what happened in the history of the church. That is what Satan wants to see, and it brings Christianity down. But for each one of us, what a privilege on the one hand to have this nearness by which to draw near.
But on the other hand, to share in our hearts the exercise.
What did those priests have to do?
First of all, and we know it's mentioned here in verse 22, they had to have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. That's the blood. They had to be washed with pure water. That was the bathing all over. But then what is not mentioned here, there had to be the washing at the labor of the hands and feet before they approach. Well, for you and me, it's not the hands that have to be washed because we don't bring an imperfect sacrifice.
But our feet morally need to be washed to come into the Lord's presence, don't they? And so there is privilege and responsibility that go hand in hand, don't they?
You say that when we just had the prayer meeting and, uh, if someone is standing up and praying that I can be in the presence of the Lord saying Amen is that I don't have to be the one speaking to enter the sanctuary, do I?
And I think that's, yeah, I think that's something just a practical thing. Sometimes we're just listening to what the matter the person who's speaking says. But.
It's a real exercise to keep my mind in the presence of the Lord saying Amen.
I I think too, it's nice to umm.
What we see there that we're holy and without blame before him and love, that's beautiful, isn't it? It's not, it's not looking at it from our point of view, It's looking at it from God's point of view. That's, that's what he delights in. He delights to have us there wholly and without blame before him and love. That's, that's beautiful because it's the opposite side to know that he delights to have you in his presence.
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So when we say we come in boldly, we come in boldly into the presence of a God that loves us, a God that delights to have us to be there, to be able to exercise our, our priesthood. And it's acceptable in his presence. So I just think that's, you know, sometimes I think about, well, we talk about what we love the Lord, but what's the beautiful balance is that he loves us and he longs to have us to be with himself. So that that's just the other side of it. It's just to me, it brings joy.
To know that when I'm in the presence of the Father, are we collectively or in the presence of the Father? There there is a communion, there is a joy, one with another.
You enter a special place, it affects us. You go into I've never been in Queen Elizabeth's palace, but I would assume if I went into her palace, I'd I'd be impressed, you know, I I'd be quiet and but just that I'm allowed to go in is is such a privilege, you know, so we have access into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and we enter.
And what happens when we enter? Do we realize who's there?
We come boldly, but then we should be affected, shouldn't we, by realizing the presence of the Lord? And we are greeting with it, greeting with a smile and with God's favor. And oh, so we had a good disposition of soul to go in. And when we came in, it should affect us even more. So we can come in every one of us, uh, at home, uh, at any time, at any moment, with boldness, assurance.
And we can come together as we did this morning, I trust we did too at the beginning of this meeting and be affected by that wonderful privilege of being in the presence of the Lord Jesus himself, you know, and then twinkling of an eye, we're going to be there physically.
We can be there by the Spirit. Now, as we enter into the holiest, there he is.
Hebrews. We get the contrast between Judaism and Christianity, don't we? And then many respects, it's the contrast between the Old Testament and the New Testament. And I've said this before, but I've appreciated a statement that I got from another, he said. In the Old Testament, we had three things. It was a book of unfulfilled promises. It was a book of unexplained ceremonies and types.
And it was a book of unsatisfied longings. But in the New Testament we get the compliment of all three, don't we? And so Hebrews is the great book of typology. It teaches us in many respects the contrast between Christianity and Judaism, using many types. The Old Testament was like a museum. Perhaps the New Testament is the reality, not just the figure, but the reality. I think Mr.
If I remember right, who said that in the Old Testament and under Judaism they were outside the holiest but inside the camp and Christianity were inside the holiest of all?
But outside the camp. And that pretty much summarizes what we have, don't we?
It's a new and living way. It says here in verse 20, I says, ah, way in our King James Version, but I understand it should be the the new and living way that has been consecrated or dedicated for us to the veil, which is to say his flesh. It has come as a result of the finished work of Christ through his death on the cross. This great opportunity to have access into the presence of God is, uh, now ours. It's called new because it's not an adjunct to old Judaism.
There's not some sort of a repair job or anything like that. It's absolutely an altogether a new way of approach based on the finished work of Christ. It's also a living way because one requires a a new life to be able to participate in in this incredible privilege. 1 needs to be born of God. I might add seal with the Holy Spirit as well. But the point here is that it's a it's a living way. One needs to have a life, a new life, a divine life to be able to appreciate and enjoy.
This incredible privilege in the Old Testament, in contrast to that, one could enjoy all of the sights and sounds and the grandeur of the temple. We don't even be born of God. You can go in and listen to the music, the choir, and see all the trappings that were there in the temple and enjoy to a certain degree what was there without even being born of God. But this new and living way requires that a person may be.
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Have been born again and resting in the finished work of Christ.
There, that is to say, his flesh.
This, umm, if you read it in Matthew chapter 27.
Verse 50.
And 51.
I'm reading from the French and Jesus, having cried with a loud voice, gave up the ghost and behold.
The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top.
To the bottom.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 23.
Luke 23, verse 44.
Or it was a $6 and there was darkness over all the land until the 9th hour.
And the sun was darkened.
And the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
And Jesus crying with a loud voice, said Father.
Into thy hands I commend my spirit. And having said that, he gave up the ghost.
Noticed that uh in Matthew and the veil is rent from the top to the bottom after he dies.
And in Luke, the Spirit of God has reported that the veil was rent in the midst. It doesn't say from the top to the bottom.
Before he gives up the ghost.
And I've enjoyed the Todd brethren.
Of the Lord on the cross, a tasting second death, and his soul and his flesh.
Before he gave up the ghost and died physically and the veil was rent at that time from top to the bottom. I've enjoyed this thought here once in connection with the veil, which is his flesh.
I know commentators that I've read have said well loop doesn't follow.
The chronology. But the Spirit of God does not use the same words and does not record it in the same manner. And I think it is to have our souls taken up with that blessed One on the cross.
Spirit of vented in Scripture.
The fact that that veil did speak of Christ, didn't it? Everything about that veil, the blue, the purple, the scarlet, the fine twine linen, it was all Speaking of Christ, everything that He was, and if you could put it this way, everything that God was to. And in that sense He was that veil that was rent, wasn't He? He was the veil and so.
We enter in.
Through the veil, that is to say his flesh. As you say, Michelle, there was a cost involved in it, the death of God's beloved Son. If you and I have the privilege of entering into the holiest, there was a tremendous cost involved, wasn't there? Should we look lightly on that privilege? Should we despise it? Should we say it doesn't matter? I have an idea that after the cross, the Jewish authorities repaired that veil and put it right back up again.
But God has rented in the person of Christ, and made the way open into the holiest. How sad, then, to go back to that which would put man at a distance from God, and would, as it were, despise that which God has opened up for us at such a cost.
Doesn't it bring out two sides as well as our privilege to enter directly into the presence of God? Likewise, now God has come out to man. In Solomon's day he dwelt behind thick curtains, but now we have God fully revealed through the death of Christ.
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What Scripture does, and I've always appreciated, he said Scripture tells us what God is and what we are. And that's really the truth, isn't it? Just wanted to make another comment about Hebrews because again, it's so important to understand the context when we read Scripture. I think it was Lord Cecil who made the comment that in the book of Romans, Romans is the great epistle of justification. We have justification in its two forms.
Justification by faith regarding our the sin question and justification of life, which which, uh, has to do with the question of our sin nature and how God deals with our sin nature and makes us part of a new creation. But in the book of Hebrews, we don't even have justification mentioned. So what's the difference? Justification, Mr. Cecil said, was at least Hebrews is the great epistle of sanctification.
And I believe in the verses we read, we have a nice example of the three types of sanctification. The verses we've been reading. Verse 22, we have what's called positional sanctification or sometimes called absolute sanctification. Verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Why? Here's positional sanctification, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. That's the blood.
And our bodies washed with pure water. That's our new standing before God.
So that's absolute sanctification. When I was saved, I was sanctified for time and for eternity. But if we look down a few verses where we read in verse 29, we get a different type of sanctification. Speaking about those who.
Really sin willfully, and verse 29. And how much of how much sore punishment suppose ye? Shall he be thought worthy, who have trodden under foot the Son of God?
And have counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite under the spirit of grace. Well, that's speaking about an apostate here, somebody who never was real.
Who never was positionally sanctified. So this is what we call provisional sanctification. They were in the place of blessing, but they despised it and uh, as a result, uh.
They showed contempt towards the grace of God. They were in a sanctified position outwardly, but it was never vital or real. So each one of us here is in a position, uh, in a, uh, provisional sanctification. Those of us that have been raised in Christian families, we're in an outward place, a blessing, but we need to lay hold of the blessing ourselves. So there we have provisional sanctification. It's merely an outward position.
Important as it is.
A tremendous blessing. I've never been to India or some of these other countries that others have been. They don't have that same position. But, uh, we in this country by and large are provisionally sanctified. We're in the place of blessing, but we need to lay hold of it to make it vital. And then in verse, uh, 38, we have the third type of sanctification, what's often called practical sanctification. It has to do with our state of soul. Now the just shall live.
By faith. That's the secret of practical sanctification, isn't it? It's a day by day, moment by moment thing living up to our position as being wholly sanctified. So we have.
Three types of sanctification in these verses is what characterizes the book of Hebrews. Provisional sanctification is merely the outward privilege. We may turn our back on it as these did in this chapter.
There's positional sanctification, which is, which is absolute. When I'm saved, I'm positionally sanctified, and by God's grace that never changes its absolute sanctification. But then there's practical sanctification.
The day by day, walking in communion with the Lord so that we grow more like Christ.
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So much confusion in Christianity about Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, and sanctification. I was wondering, uh, is could we say that he sanctified the people? This was collective sanctification because of their association. It didn't require personal faith. Whereas we had in the 14th verse by one offering, he had perfected forever them that are sanctified. That would be personal sanctification because faith is exercised.
On the provision of God. And what about verse 10? We have been sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Would that be collective, personal, or I'm just asking?
Because there is so much out there about basic security that is attacked by using verses in Hebrews.
That's, uh, absolute sanctification, isn't it there in that chapter. And I might mention that many people that speak about sanctification, uh, speak of it only in the practical sense. Uh, that's common in, in Christianity, Uh, they speak about the fact that we are growing and grace, that's our state, but they don't understand the positional side or even the provisional side. So I think that's a good point to keep in mind.
When you read much of the literature of our brethren in the camp, they seem to limit sanctification to merely the practical sanctification. But it's much more than that, isn't it? It has to be positional first. I have a statement again, Again, I got it from somebody else, but it says in the as to the contrast between the Old and the New Testament, I think it's helpful in this regard. It says God's people were being trained and LED upwards and onward from a religion of outward restraint.
That's the Old Testament. They had rules and regulations. It was all outward restraint to a religion of inward constraint. That's the New Testament. It begins with reality and it results in an outward, uh, outward form that, uh, is consistent with that inward reality. It was a system going from a system of outward precepts to a system of inward principles. There's the contrast between Judaism and Christianity again, isn't it?
Exhortations from God about the danger of being in a place of privilege where the things of God are known without having faith. You see that even in the Old Testament, and Paul uses that as an example, we might say, of that positional sanctification, where you would want to know that that soul had faith in God, that it wasn't just a positional identification.
And I was thinking of Paul's words in First Corinthians chapter 10, where the apostle Paul, he lays this at the feet of the Corinthians because we know that there was reason, the apostle had reason to think that there might be unreality among them.
2nd Corinthians, chapter 5.
In hopes that there would not be some that in the end would be found naked. In other words, there was no faith with them. First Corinthians chapter 10 after he spoke in Chapter 9 of keeping his body under living a life of discipline, making sure that what he had was real. Bruce chapter in the end of Chapter 9 he is speaking to about himself about all running the race.
All our fathers were under the cloud.
And all pass through the sea. We know these stories from the Old Testament. They were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ, but with many of them.
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God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness, their bodies were strewed in the wilderness and we learn it isn't, isn't this the wilderness journey of Israel is one of the things that God takes perhaps more than anything else to teach us these lessons that there is this positional thing, but everyone wants to have faith and isn't the writer of Hebrews addressing them in this way? He again, he wants to make sure.
That there's no one there that would seem to come short of it and wouldn't lay hold of that which has brought them inside into the holiest.
Numbers, Chapter 21.
How do I get into that beautiful position? How do I get into that beautiful position of let's read it again there, that we've had before us, having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh. And having a high priest over the House of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance. How do I get to that full assurance? Well, let's read numbers here.
Well, we'll start with verse #21 verse 5.
And the people spake against God and against Moses. Wherefore have he brought us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our sole loaf of this light bread. And the Lord set fire, a serpent among the people, and they fit the people. And much people of Israel died. I think when you get bit by one of those type of serpents that someone said it was like the desert adder, which you have like a minute to six minutes to live.
And set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten when he looketh.
Upon it shall live.
The Son of Man.
And you take one look, one look does it, one look at that one on the cross. And what he did with his precious blood shed there puts you clearly in that wonderful position when you acknowledge he died for me. It's that simple to be in that wonderful place. Let's not complicate it. It's that's what puts you there. And what happens when you receive that free gift?
In, in desperation, he lifted a wooden feather that had the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son cleanses me from all sin on it. And that was his expression that I believe he no longer could even express with words that, uh, he wanted to be saved, but it was that he was on his deathbed. He died three days later. But I'll never forget the look that came over that man's face when he realized it was that simple. He'd been complicating it, he said, all his life before.
And but he couldn't express it at the time. And so he listed that little feather up, and the peace of God came over because that feather head on it, those precious words, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses me from all sin.
And are not real and this portion of Scripture is really designed to do 2 Things for us, isn't it? It's to give those that are believers to be encouraged and thankful for the position that they've been brought into and the privilege of being able to worship and to pray to go into the presence of the Father and enjoy his love. And that's the that's what we're taking up with here really. But there is the other side of it as well that there's the danger that.
That's what we just had. But but the gospel is necessary and it does reach out. But this is designed to address it in a little different way. Are you even real? And so I, I think that's being addressed here. Correct me if I'm wrong.
00:55:10
Going back to that question on sanctification, I use an example. I've heard it from somebody else and it's used all the time. If I have a pile of dirty dishes and I clean the dishes, I'm not going to put the clean dishes back on the pile of dirty dishes. I'm going to put them aside. I'm going to set them apart.
And this is what God has done with those that have trusted Christ as their Savior. He set us apart, but he hasn't left us on the sink. He's had us seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That's the position that we have. It's, it's wonderful. That's positional sanctification, isn't it, That I sanctify myself for them. His sanctification belongs to us. God has put you and I in heaven, in him, and he's gonna come perhaps today, and he's gonna introduce us in the twinkling of an eye.
In his very presence in heaven, that's a sanctification that belongs to us, to the work of Christ.
Yeah, I understand the word New Testament, uh, as is often translated holiness. So the thought of sanctification, Randy, isn't it that it's holiness, isn't it? And when we're saved, we're brought into a holy position. God declares us to be holy, not only cleared from every charge against us, that's justification. That's a negative thing, perhaps as some positive elements to it, but we're also brought into a holy position and God says.
Be holy. At least that's the practical side. But we are holy, aren't we? God recognizes us as holy. That's positional sanctification. And then practical sanctification is what I just mentioned. Now be ye holy. The outward form should be consistent with the inward reality.
Good to remember here that while our King James translates the word faith, I think you mentioned the word expectation. The word really should be hope, shouldn't it? Let us hold fast the confession, we might say, of our hope without wavering. What had happened to those dear Jewish believers? They were losing the sense of a heavenly hope and drifting down to the level of this world.
01:00:10
That's what they've been used to. And of course, their hopes had been dashed to the ground. They looked for a coming Kingdom and it wasn't happening, and there they were without it. Well, the whole effort of Satan today, or I shouldn't say the whole effort because he has many different efforts, but one of the main efforts of Satan today is to, as we said earlier, bring down Christianity.
To the level of a worldly religion and set our sights down here. He wants us to hold fast the confession of that hope without wavering. If I have the Lord's coming before me and that hope of a heavenly home, what a difference it makes to my life down here. My whole outlook is predicated on something that is future, not something that is around me down here.
And so that's an exhortation. It's one that they needed in that day very specially, but it's one we need today too, don't we?
There is life in the look at the crew, they find one. There is life at this moment for thee that looks Sinner. Look unto him, and be saved unto him who was nailed to the tree.
Look, look, look and live.
There is life in the world and the cruise he fight once there is life fastest moment for the.
Is a waste of soul on the cross? Hast thou see his cry of distress? Had thou heard?
There is life in the look at the Cruise C51. There is light at this movement for the.
We are healed by His rights. Would thou as to the worse, as He is our righteousness vague.
The best role of heaven he busy foot on all. Could thou Bender brave?
Right, what is the end of the world hath appeared and completed the world is because.
01:05:08
Look, look, look. Gambling.
There is light in the wood at the cruise C5 Plus there is light at this moment for the.
08/8 with rejoice, think from Jesus that one the life everlasting again.
There is life in Oslo as a cruise she might want. There is life that is flow, movement for thee.
And lust, and her look unto him, and be safe, and all by the Father and she.
Was Lord God, Lord, Lord Lloyd, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord and Lord, Lord, Lord and the Lord Lord, Lord and then.
And it's mine, and the and the crew define one. There is life that is full and for thee.
Does verse 29 show an outward sanctification? You get really. An apostate is outwardly sanctified by the blood in this verse, right? Is that that's what you get? It says this plainly. It says of how much sore punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith?
He was sanctified.
An unholy thing and have done despite under the spirit of grace. So there you get outward sanctification. An apostate was outwardly sanctified by the blood. It was just there was nothing real, but he was set apart by his profession.
That's the way we.
What we get in verse 22 where reality is brought in.
Sprinkled from an evil conscience, that's the blood. But our bodies washed with pure water is the word of God applied by the Spirit of God to give new life. And how important that is. I've enjoyed it this way, and I would be happy to hear the comments of others. But the word of God is really the water, isn't it? The water speaks of the Word of God.
But the word water perhaps is used in Scripture because it implies not merely the Word of God, but the whole effect of it. And so the Spirit uses the Word of God to impart new life. When we have that new life, there's no such thing as being lost again or unsanctified, if we could put it that way.
Is that the way you'd see it, Bruce?
It's uh, these are.
Or borrowed from the consecration of the priests in the Old Testament, as I say, priesthood. The believer is implied all through without actually saying it. And as I say these two figures that you pointed us to really come from the consecration of the priest. The bodies washed, as you say is really a little type of new birth and the heart sprinkled is what happened at the consecration of the priest. They were blood was put upon them. And so the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has when washed in the blood of Christ. And so that's what makes us positionally.
And absolutely sanctified before God set apart for blessing. But he brings in another point here that we don't want to lose, even though it's time to close. And that is that the priest and to operate and function as a priest is a tremendous privilege. But the priest must be priestly. What do I mean by that? He must be in a state of soul to exercise his priesthood. And that's why we have the first two things in that verse that is draw near with a true heart. And then secondly, with a full assurance of faith. What is a true heart?
01:10:27
How does one get a true heart? By judging ourselves.
A heart that is full of, uh, sin and it will not judge itself is not a true heart. And so he wants us to draw near as priests, but we need to do it in a state of soul that is is commiserate with it. And also the full assurance of faith is not the full assurance of our salvation of our souls, but the full assurance that we know. And we have that confidence to stand in the presence of God, a holy God, and not feel guilty or condemned because of the purged conscience. So these are two practical things.
That every priest needs to have a true heart and a full assurance of faith.
Difference between being a priest and being priestly.
Was there someone over here giving out a hymn? I thought I heard some brother.
136.
3/6.
01:15:20
All thou with love more strong.
Than death.
On crunch by good passwords.
Raining throughout the.
Walk of the.
Last time fragrance.
Our God and our Father, how we thank you this morning for this portion.
In my presence, joy to thy heart, Lord Jesus, but thy people to come in boldly.
Provide access for us at such a cost, Lord Jesus, and such a cost. Father, we come and we thank thee today, Father, for thy love to us and for the Lord Jesus and for what belongs to us now in Thee and for these privileges that are ours. And we've come boldly, and we've come with Thanksgiving. Often we come with requests and needs, but we would come to thank you this afternoon and we pray for the rest of our day together. We thank you for this portion this morning. Father, in the blessed name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.