Christ's exaltation in heaven involves His ongoing work as the believer's great high priest and advocate. As high priest, Jesus, the Son of God, is touched with our infirmities and sympathizes with our struggles, enabling us to draw near to the throne of grace with boldness to receive mercy and help in times of need. As advocate, He pleads our cause with the Father, especially when we sin, ensuring our relationship with God is maintained through His atoning blood. The sermon concludes by urging listeners to recognize Christ's vital heavenly ministry and to trust in His ability to keep them to the very end, whether saved or unsaved.
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Beloved radio, friends, we greet you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. We value that name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Tis our deep and earnest desire that our listeners may come into the appreciation of our Savior more and more as we study the precious word concerning his person. Again, we raise the question in our closing message of the week, what think he of Christ? Is He more precious to you, my fellow believer, and to you who may be unsaved? We challenge your soul. We challenge your heart. We challenge your mind.
Do you think of Christ? We're considering the blessed exaltation of our Lord Jesus in heaven and the special work that He carries on, an unfinished work to this time. there in heaven on the behalf of every believer in the Lord Jesus. We're glad to know that he is the one who is the great intercessor of his people. We now continue to consider he is also the believer's great high priest. And as the priest, he represents his people in the presence of God. Many of you may remember and know that in the Old Testament, the priests of Israel, were the representative of the people in God's house, the tabernacle as well as the temple of long ago.
Ah, but not on the earth. In heaven above. The Lord Jesus Christ is the great high priest. He's not only a high priest, but, oh, the word of God calls him a great high priest. Let me read the words that we have before us. Considering Hebrews chapter four, verses fourteen through sixteen in part, And first, the fact that he is a high priest in heaven above. Here are the words of the Apostle, seeing then that we have a great high priest. And that great high priest is passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.
Oh, beloved, lay hold of the fact, when the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, passing through the visible permanent into God's dwelling place above. He went into heaven itself, and there in God's presence he officiates as the great high priest of his beloved people. Oh, may I emphasize the fact, who he is? The apostle says, it's Jesus, but he gives him that great title of deity, the Son of God. And then, As we note the fact of his priesthood there, consider the nature, the character of his priesthood, what his work is to do.
Right the apostle? As such he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, for he has been tempted in all points like as we are, sin accepted. Now may I state again, as we have in our preceding message concerning his intercession, This priestly work has not anything to do with our sins. For thank God the sins of the believer have been dealt with at the cross. He paid the penalty and the price and we trusted him for it. But here in our scripture it concerns our infirmities, the weaknesses, the trials. For the tender compassion of Christ is concerned towards the believer in our circumstances.
of testing and temptation and it is consistent with his own sinless character now to be touched means that he suffers with us he not only understands what we're suffering but he suffers with us and is affected similarly He's not only with us in our trials, but he feels what we're going through. Can I repeat that, please? I need it for my comfort. He not only is with me in my trials, he feels what I'm going through. May I say, am I talking to some suffering Christian?
May I tell you very frankly, what you feel, he feels, is touched with the feelings of what we are suffering. But note the exhortation. The exhortation and the admonition Paul gives us. Let us draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace. For thank God his throne to the believer is not one of judgment, but one of grace, meaning favor. We find divine favor and with liberty we should draw near. And then the objective is this, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. My beloved is our great high priest in heaven above.
And may I give this suggestion? It demands it. That you and I be much in prayer. That you and I go to that throne of grace in prayer more often than we are doing. For there's no difficulty in getting the help. His love is ever holding it out to orders. The needed grace and the needed mercy. We have a great high priest. And my fellow believer... You and I are upon His heart and upon the shoulders of His eternal strength. He cares for what we're going through. And more than that, He feels it. His touch with it. Now let's go to Him and say, Lord, help.
Like the dear old fellow I heard of. when he was challenged, what can you do, uncle, when the devil comes round and tempts you? You're no match for the devil. Ah, said the dear old man, to his friend who questioned him. I tell you what I do, when the devil comes round and tempts me, I get down on my knees, and I praise, Lord, help the devil and tampering with your property. That's good theology. Oh, beloved, whatever the need, whatever the trial, whatever the temptation, Let us go to the throne of grace and find the needed help. Last of all, he is the believer's advocate.
We read the words of John, first epistle of John, chapter two. Verse one and two, my little children, these things write I unto you that you sin not. And if any believer sin, which is the meaning of it, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ, the righteous, and he is the propitiation. for our sins, not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Now what is this? Not only is he the intercessor for his people, ever pleading, not only the great high priest to whom we can come, who feels what we go through and gives the needed grace and help as we come to that throne of grace.
But he's the advocate. Now please note, The epistle of John, which we have just read from, is a family letter. It pertains to the family of God, and it is written to the family of God. And John is writing in verse one of the second chapter to the children, all the children in the family. And he says, I'm writing to tell you, don't sin. God doesn't appreciate. He certainly abhors sin particularly when it's one of his children. But he said, if we do sin, we have an advocate, one who pleads with the Father.
For may I suggest to you, do I need to suggest it? It's a Christian sin. Don't you think the devil rejoices? Don't you really think also that according to Revelation twelve and verse eleven, As the accuser of the brethren, as the accuser of Christians, he delights to point the finger and tell God, look at that Christian, what he did, what she did, and accuse us. Now who's going to stand up for us when the devil is the accuser? There's only one. Thank God he's in the presence of the Father to do it.
And we have an advocate who pleads our cause with the Father. And without question of doubt, the blessed advocate can say, Father, that child is under my blood. For the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin, past, present, and future. And my beloved fellow believer, please let me state, value The advocacy of Christ, when you and I may inadvertently or even intentionally fall into sin. He is the advocate.
That's why he's in heaven. And thank God he maintains your relationship. You don't lose your relationship. You can't. You'll lose your fellowship with the Father when you and I sin. But that fellowship can be restored. If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But oh, the joy of knowing. He has made provision not only for my weaknesses, not only for my testing, for my trials, for my temptations. He's made provision for the sins that may be committed as a believer.
But God says, please don't do it. I write unto you that you sin not. But if, thank God, we have an advocate. Now may I bring to a conclusion our message of the day and the message of the week. We have been considering the exaltation of Christ at the right hand of God in heaven above, His great authority that God has given to Him. over all things, even pertaining to the church. The coming day when he will be over all things in the universe. And we've also noticed some of the conditions, how we should recognize as the head of the church, he should be in control of his people on the earth.
And then for the benefit of all believers, he is the great intercessor, the great high priest, The great advocate, keeping his own. I raise the question, what do you think of Christ? Might be another trend that may be unsaved. You may perhaps be like many, afraid to make a confession. One man said to me when I asked him why he wasn't a Christian. He said, well, I want to live a Christian life first and be sure I can before I become a... I said, friend, you're putting the cart before the horse. How can you live a Christian life before you become a Christian?
My friend, may I state, if you will take Christ as your Savior, you will find that he is able to keep you from falling. And his present ministry at the right hand of God will keep you to the very end. Let me quote the words of Hebrews seven twenty-five. He is, wherefore he is able also to keep you to the animos, save you to the utmost, them that come to God by him, seeing ye have a liver to make intercession for them. Oh, beloved, the joy of knowing, we have a living Savior. What is he doing?
Thank God he's doing a great work. And my beloved friend, you that are saved, you and I will never get to glory, only because he's keeping us. And you that are not saved, I counsel you, get saved, and I assure you from the word of God he's able to keep. Father, bless thy word and sanctify it, and the blessing of all in Jesus' name. Amen.