Hebrews chapter nine now for this Monday night we have been studying from three verses in Hebrews nine verses twenty four twenty six and twenty eight and I suppose that those of you who have been coming every night could repeat these verses by memory now but we're going to read them again anyhow in case you can Hebrews chapter nine, verse twenty four. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true, but into him itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. Verse twenty six. For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once In the end of the world, half he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. In verse twenty-six, Christ's past appeared. That's a past appearing. And he appears to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. That's his finished work. In verse twenty-four, now to appear in the presence of God for us. He appeared on earth to put away sin. And now he is appearing in heaven as the great high priest. on behalf of those whose sins he has put away. That's his present ministry. And in verse twenty-eight, shall he appear the second time, and that's when he comes for his own. So Christ died for us, he's now living for us, and he will soon be coming for us. And we were pointing out that in each of these words appeared, there is a different meaning lying behind each one, different words. And the one that we were studying last night and are going to continue with tonight is in verse twenty-four, which means to reveal or to exhibit in person. And that is in keeping with His present ministry. as our great high freedom. Now we finished last night reading in chapter seven and we're going to go back there and start in where we left off. Romans, I mean Hebrews chapter seven and verse nineteen. For the law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by the which we draw nigh unto God. Now that is in contrast to verse twenty-five. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. In verse nineteen we are told the law made nothing perfect, or the law brought nothing to completion. But in verse twenty-five he is able also to save them to the uttermost or completely or to make a full end, to bring to a full end. The Lord Jesus Christ is able to do what the law could not do. to bring to completion the work of salvation. Now we might turn back to the book of Acts just for a few moments, Acts chapter fifteen, and see why the law could not bring anything to completion. Acts chapter fifteen and verse twenty-four. And this is what the apostle went up to Jerusalem to get settled, that which is referred to in this verse. For as much as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, ye must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such command. Now there were some who had gone out from Jerusalem, They had professed to be representing the assembly of Jerusalem, no doubt, and they told these Gentile believers that they must be circumcised, and then that they must keep the law of Moses in addition to believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation. And in this verse they are writing to the assemblies to straighten this matter out. And they refer to this sort of thing as a subverting of your souls. Now turn back to the chapter fifteen and verse ten. Verse nine. Peter is speaking now. and put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith. Peter here is referring to his visit to Cornelius, and those who were present to hear the word of God, and as referred to in chapter eleven, words whereby they might be saved. And Peter is repeating that. And he says that God purified their heart, those Gentiles, by faith. And then he asked this question, Now therefore, why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Now here he refers to the bringing of these people back under the Mosaic law as a yoke. And the yoke that they nor their fathers were able to bear. A yoke is a coupling. And these people were trying to link these Gentile believers up with Moses under the law. And it put upon them a burden that they were not able to bear. In Galatians five and verse one, referring to the very same thing, the clause says, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not again entangled in the yoke of bondage. And so a salvation upon the principle of words is a system or a principle that brings us into bondage, putting a yoke upon us that we're not able to bear, Peter says. Now the reason for that is that under the law, under a principle of salvation by words, it puts all the burden on the sinner. And it demands that the sinner what the sinner cannot produce, what he cannot do. And so when these men write, they refer to this yoke as a subverting of their soul. And this word subverting that's used here means and was so used as a term of bankruptcy, bringing into bankruptcy. also to plunder. But we know what it is to be bankrupt, don't we? At least some of us do. Maybe we didn't go into bankruptcy, but we've all been in that condition more or less. But anyhow, if a person in business, for instance, gets into debt and assumes responsibility that he is not able to meet, he is so far in debt that he is unable to pay his debt, and so he goes to court and files bankruptcy. And that means that he, they take what he has and they sell it, liquidate it, and they apply that on the debt. And he may owe a man a thousand dollars, but he can't pay it. And then when they sell what he has, maybe, The court will give this person or the receiver will give this person ten cents on the dollar. He'll get a hundred dollars for that thousand that he owes. And that's the end of it. A person is bankrupt because he has obligation that he is not able to meet. And so when a person applying that to salvation, a person assumes the responsibility of saving themselves through their works, or through their payment, they assume a debt that they cannot pay, they assume responsibility that they cannot fulfill, and they cannot settle for penitence on the dollar either. You can't make any payment on it. And the result is then of such a teaching as that, that it brings these people into a state of spiritual bankruptcy. They'll never be able to pay or to meet their obligations. Now, that's the reason that the law made nothing perfect. The law brought nothing to completion because the law demanded what man could not produce. But on the other hand, the Lord Jesus speaking to these very people who were under the law, he says, Come unto me. All ye that labor and are heavy laden, He's not speaking there about the burdens of life. He's speaking about the bondage of law. He came to Israel, who was under the law, and he was rejected by them. And now, well, all you that feel the way, the burden of the law, come to me. And I will give you rest. And he says, take my yoke upon you. So, under grace, we're linked with Christ. And he finished the work. Under law, we're linked with Moses and the law, and we must do the work, and we can't do it. Therefore, we can never accomplish the purpose. But notice what Peter says in verse eleven. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. Now that refers to the Jews. We shall be saved even as they, the Gentiles. You notice in verse nine, he says, God purified their hearts by faith. And in verse eleven he says, we're saved the same way. By grace. We shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, even as they. So the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did. And that hope is Christ. And it's through Christ, the better hope by the which we draw nigh unto God. And last night we read that in Hebrews ten. We might just read it again by way of refreshing our remote mind. Verse nineteen. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way in which He hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, and having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near. And there you have it. And in this verse we have those who have been redeemed and those who are regenerated, drawing into the holiest by the blood of Jesus and our great high priest is representing us. There, that's the difference between what the law can do and what grace has done. But now we want to go back to go into Hebrews seven and look again at these few verses preceding verse twenty five. Hebrews seven and verse twenty two. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And we can all say amen to that, can't it? From what we have just been reading. And truly, and they truly were many priests. because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Under the law, the priest would function and die, and others would take their places. They were not suffered to continue by reason of death. And therefore there were many priests. A whole procession of priests coming along. And these priests offered oftentimes the same sacrifices that we were reading about. So there were many priests and many sacrifices. The priests were many because they died. And the offerings were many because they could not put away sin. They only typified the one who could put it away. But the Lord Jesus Christ offered one sacrifice for sins forever. Not many, but one. The very one who offered himself is the one who now has an unchangeable priesthood. He can tell you again, because he continues ever have an unchangeable, or that is, a priesthood that passeth not from one to another, because he ever lives. And so in verse twenty-five, wherefore he is able, also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Now, in the presence of God for us, into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. This one now, He died once, but He ever lived. He died as our Savior, but He ever lived as our great Savior. high priest and he is able to save to the other most because he does ever live. Now turn back to chapter two, Hebrews chapter two and verse seventeen. Wherefore in all things that behooved him to be made likened to his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation, this word should be propitiation, for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to suffer those them that are tempted. Now in chapter four, and verse fifteen. For we have not a high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was at all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Now we have that Christ referred to, of course, in both of these verses, in regards to the fact that he is our priest. And in this verse, we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Now this is just the famous saying, we have a high priest who can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. He can look with sympathy and compassion upon us because he's been this same way. In chapter two we read of the Lord Jesus Christ's suffering. One of them refers to His suffering dead. That's in verse nine. Made a little more than the angels for the suffering of death. That he, by the grace of God, should take death. That has to do with qualifying him as the Savior, the captain of our salvation. He suffered for our sins. Christ also has once suffered for sin. He suffered dead. We were looking into that the other night. and because He took our sins upon Him and bore them in His own body on the tree, He put them away completely. The captain of our salvation made perfect through suffering, suffering for our sins. But it also said in chapter two that He suffered and that in connection with His high priestly work. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered not only for our sins on the cross, suffered death, but he suffered because of his own righteousness in his life. He knew what it was to suffer as a man. He knew what it was to be tempted and in regard to his temptations by Satan. It says he was tempted in all points such as we. Now there is a certain cult that teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ, the question is asked, to what extent did Jesus partake of the human nature? And the answer is, to the same extent that every fallen child of Adam, he had sinned, he had a fallen sinful nature. That's what they teach. That Christ had a fallen sinful nature. And then they teach that because he had a fallen, sinful nature, that there was in him that which responded to temptation, and he overcame the temptation to do wrong, and he proved to us that we could do the same thing, that he living a sinless life in a sinful body, condensed it in the flesh. That's their explanation of that verse. And by Him doing that, He has proved that we too can live a sinless life in a sinless body. And that's our salvation. But you see, the Lord Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, but not in a sinful body. He was in all form tempted such as we, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. But this verse says, Yet without sin... It doesn't say without sinning. Now we can be tempted yet without sinning. We do not as believers have to enter into the temptation that's set before us. But we couldn't say of any person that we are tempted yet without sin. There's a difference between without sin and without sinning. John says of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. In him is no sin. There is no sin in Christ. And therefore Peter could say he did no sin. But what about us? Paul says in me. That is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. In that old fallen sinful nature of ours there is nothing but sin, no good at all. And so when Satan tempts us, there is a sinful nature to respond to the temptation. But thank God we have victory and we don't need to enter into it. But with the Lord Jesus Christ he was in all point tempted. without sin, sin apart. There was nothing in him that responded to the temptation, but he is thoroughly acquainted with Satan's tactics. He knows just how he works, and he can look with us upon us in sympathy and compassion. But there are more things in connection with temptation than sin. Now in chapter two, he is able to suffer those being tempted. That is, he is able to come to our assistance and deliver us from the temptation. And that goes with what we have in First Corinthians ten. God is faithful. No temptation taking you by such as is common demand. And God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape. And so he can deliver us from entering into it. He can suffer those being tempted. But God, it says, tempted Abraham. It came to fact that God did tempt Abram. Did he tempt him to sin? Of course not. But the word tempt is there. Now in Hebrews eleven it says, Try. And there is that thought in connection with temptation. And he asked Abraham to take thy son, thy holy son, whom thou lovest. and offering up for a burnt offering. And I tell you, that's a trial, isn't it? God did kept everything. And we all know something of that. In some nature, every believer is tried, put to the test, not in order to see if we'll fit or not, but in order to enlarge us spiritually. And so he is able to come to the assistance of those being tempted to sin, and he is able to sustain and to deliver those who are in trial. And that's what the next verse brings before us. Let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Now because we have a great high priest, We can come boldly before the throne of grace, obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. But we're going to look at the Lord Jesus Christ as our advocate, and that's what we have specially in mind for tonight. Turn to First John chapter two. First John chapter two and verse one. My little children... These things write, I unto you, that ye sin not. Now we might just stop long enough to say that God never intended for a people who have been redeemed and delivered from the penalty of sin to continue to live in the practice of sin. These things write unto you that ye did not. And this epistle is written to the family. This is written to God's children. Now John's gospel, of course, is written for the salvation of sinners. It's the world there that he loves. And these things are written that he might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing you might have life through his name. That's the summing up of John's Gospel. But now he's not writing to the world that God loves, that they might believe, but he's writing to the family who have believed. And he's telling us that these things, bright eye unto you, that ye stand not. Over in Romans chapter four, we have along toward the close of that chapter, or chapter five, rather, abundance of grace. And then we have superabounding grace, where sin can abound, grace is much more about. And then it ends with grace rating. And that's the summing up of the whole salvation that God has brought in the chapters before. And then chapter six opens up with these words. What shall we say then? Shall we continue to sin in sin that grace may abound? In view of the fact of God's superabounding grace, great striving, salvation by grace through faith, shall we now that we are saved, continue to practice sin in order to magnify God's grace? He says, God forbid, banish the thought. How shall we that our debts of sin live any longer therein? My little children, these things write unto you that ye sin not. God never intended for us to continue to practice sin after we have once been delivered from its penalty. But then he knows that we can and might. So the next verse says, if any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous and advocate with the Father. Now I had a man tell me one time that God is your Father until you sin. And when you sin he is no longer your Father. That's a common belief among certain people. And of course if you do believe that, the Lord would have had to send to Nicodemus Not just that you must be born again, but again and again and again and again. Because we'd have to be born again every time we would sin, in order to become the children of God again. But we know better than that. And this verse proves that, if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, the relationship is unchanged, although the fellowship is marked. we have an advocate with the Father. And this advocate is Jesus Christ the righteous. In Romans seven, he's holy, harmless, sinners and that's our great high priest and our great high priest is our advocate we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world that last part of the course is speaking of provision the first part is the application He is the propitiation for our sins. Now, the one who is our advocate, the advocate for sitting saints there, is the one who did the work of propitiation here on this earth. And this word, as we find it in John, means that which propitiates. He is the propitiation. He is that which propitiated. That's our high priest. Now look at chapter four. These same people I was speaking about a while ago and many others, of course, that tell us that Christ had his fallen sinful nature and overcame sin. They also say that because God is love, that he wouldn't think of punishing one of his creatures after death. God is love, but he couldn't punish one of his own creatures. Well, in verse eight it says God is love. In verse nine it says, and this was manifested the love of God toward us. Because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live from him, here in his love, Now God has manifested His love not in blinding His eyes to sin and delivering from punishment a person who dies in their sins. That's not the way God proved His love. That's not the way God manifests His love. But God has manifested His love here in His love. Not that we love God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. God's proved His love all right. He proved His love in sending His only love of Son into this world to be a propitiation for our sins, that we might not have to be punished in the caverns of the dams forever and forever. He has provided that we might escape that punishment. but he also maintains his righteousness in doing it. He deals with sin and he deals with sin righteousness. But you notice propitiation in this verse is the manifestation of his love, here in his love. Not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be a propitiation for our sins. Now the reason we mention that is because of Romans chapter three, Romans three, We have Christ as the propitiation, but here is in connection with His righteousness. Romans three and verse twenty-five. Who God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. Now, these sins that are passed were not our past sins, but they were the sins of the people before Christ died. God was saving sinners back there, and yet Christ has not yet died for them. But God has sent him forth to be a propitiation. He was foreordained to be a propitiation, and God could pass over the past sins. because Christ was coming to be the propitiation. And then in that, in keeping with His righteousness, His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed. But in verse twenty-six, to declare, I say at this time, His righteousness, that He might be just, and the justifier of Him which believeth in Jesus. And that's us. That's on this side of the cross. God is righteous. in the remission of sins that were passed because Christ was coming to be a propitiation. And He's just and the justifier of the believer now because Christ did come to be the propitiation. It's all based upon His word. But now this particular word means not that which propitiates, but the place of propitiation. And it is rendered mercy seat in Hebrews chapter nine. So here Christ is the mercy seat. It is the place where propitiation is effective. And in verse twenty-five it says, Through faith in His blood, that is the propitiation is affected by the blood. So that refers to that which propitiation. Christ is the propitiation. He shed His blood. But Christ is also the mercy seat where the blood is applied and where God meets sinners. Now I think we can see that. If we will go back to Leviticus again tonight. Leviticus chapter sixteen. Now we were reading this last night. but also we'll read in Exodus chapter twenty-five and compare these. Exodus twenty-five and Leviticus sixteen. In Leviticus, of course, we have the Bay of Atonement referred to so much in Hebrews, but we're going to read in Exodus first. Exodus chapter twenty-five and verse twenty-one. and thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark, and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. Now, I'm sure that we all know that the ark was a container, a box like it there, and the mercy seat was laid upon the ark of the testimony. And the tables of the law were put in the ark. And so if it were not for the application of the blood on the mercy seat, it would be a judgment seat. Because of a broken law, and that was inside the ark. The table of stone were in the ark. The ten commandments. that which men had broken from before they were given, inside the ark and the mercy seat on top. Put the mercy seat on the ark. Now notice verse twenty-two. And there will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two chariots which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. Now Leviticus. Leviticus chapter sixteen and verse fifteen. Then shall he kill the goat of the thin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with the blood as he did with the blood of the bullet, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, The mercy seat is the place of propitiation. That's where God could lead and commune. And before the mercy seat, and it's the blood that makes the propitiation. The blood has been shed, judgment has been needed out, Now the blood is sprinkled upon and before the mercy seat, and that's all that could withhold the judgment. That is what did withhold the judgment. Now when you think of that in connection with Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, we have one God and one mediator between men and God, the man of Christ Jesus. He is the propitiation for our sins, and is through His blood, and He is the mercy seat where God meets with sinners in grace, instead of judgment but the blood speaking of the judgment that has already been needed out now then what about us well turn to luke chapter eighteen luke eighteen we often hear this story about the rich about the Pharisee and the publican and here we have it luke eighteen and verse thirteen but we're not going to refer to any part of it except this verse and the last part of this verse we want to emphasize and the public in standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven but smote upon his breast say God be merciful to me a sinner now this word merciful is mercy seat and here It should read, God be proficient to me a sinner. So you see, there is a mercy fee, where the blood has been sprinkled, and God can deal with the sinner in mercy. He can deal with the sinner. He can put away his sins when that sinner is willing to be dealt with upon God's ground. the propitiatory work of the Lord Jesus Christ and that on and before the mercies be. God be propitious to be a sinner and that's what he has done to every one of us. Well now we're going to go to Romans chapter eight and we're going to be closed. We should have gotten here a long time ago. Romans chapter eight we have two questions that we're going to read and comment on before we close. Verses thirty-three and thirty-four. The first question in verse thirty-three is, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? That's the question. The next question is, who is he that condemns it? And that's the other question. Two questions. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Now, you know that in any law court of our land, that before a prosecuting attorney will accept, will prosecute a criminal, someone must make the accusation. Someone must file a charge. And the prosecuting attorney must be satisfied that the charge is backed up with enough evidence to convict the person, or he will take the charge. Now, if we were to think of this in connection with a believer, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? In the twelfth chapter of Revelation, it says that the devil accuses us days before the throne of God. We have one who will lay all kinds of charges against us. But God won't accept the charge. But there is one who will file a charge. And so we read in this verse, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? That is, who shall bring to account? It is God that justified. Now, some people read this with a question, and that might be so. That is, God that justified, will God that justified lay anything to the charge of his elect? So whichever way you read it, The devil would but can't and God will. Why? Because he's already justified. We have been justified. God will not accept a charge because we've already been charged and found guilty in chapter three and in the same chapter, cleared the guilt through the work of Christ on the cross, being justified, freeing by His grace. being rendered innocent by the grace of God. Now, is he going to accept any further charges? No. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. God has already justifies. But not apart from the next verse. Who is he that condemns? This word means who is he that casts a sentence? Now, if you bring a man to court, you file the charge, produce the evidence, the prosecuting attorney prosecutes, the jury finds him guilty, the next thing in order is to pass the sentence. Is that right? That's the next thing in order, pass the sentence, and then the man goes and serves the sentence. So this question is, who is he that passed the sentence upon, the person who the charge has been brought against? Who will pass the sentence? Christ has already paid the penalty. Who will meet out the penalty? Who will pass the sentence? What is the penalty this man must pay? Why, Christ has already died for the sins. God will not accept the charge because Christ has already paid the penalty. He's already served the sentence. He's already taken our guilt upon himself. But the next part of the verse says this, Ye rather that is risen again. who is even at the right hand of God, who also make an intercession for us. Remember what we read last night in Luke? Behold my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Behold and feet. It is I myself. What was the evidence that he presented to them? His hands and his feet. the march of Calvary, the evidence that he had paid the penalty that he showed to his disciples. And the same one is up there tonight. And he's there and he bears the march of Calvary too. And he's there as our advocate. He is there to represent us when we sit. Who shall lay anything to the charge? Here's the man in God's presence who already heard the sentence, upon whom the sentence was passed, and he bears the marks of it in his own body, the proof, as if there were any that was needed. Well, what about this thing? Chapter four, one verse. Chapter four, Romans four. Verse eight, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not infuse sin, to whom the Lord will not charge with sin. That's just every belief. Christ died for them and paid the penalty, and now he lives to represent us up there. And God will never accept or lay a charge, and he will never infuse them. Well, he doesn't restore our salvation, though, doesn't he? That's already been said. But there's something that he does restore, because the Psalmist says, Thou restores my soul. But he tells us what it is in Psalm chapter one. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. He will not accept the charge, but He does effect restoration for a sinning saint. And the restoration brings again the joy of our salvation. And He does that because He ever lived to make intercession for us. Brother Morgan, would you close in prayer please? Father, we do thank you tonight again for the lovely stranger, the Lord Jesus. We do thank you for thy word that was had before us tonight. We thank you for this truth of propitiation, the mercy of peace and the precious blood. We thank you, Father, as we see the picture in the Old Testament of the God of heaven looking down on the blood, there in the ark as we, our brother, have pictured to us tonight from thy word, the law, the blood above it. We thank you, we have had a sight again of Calvary's cross. For the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all things. We thank you for the scriptures that we've been looking at in these last few moments. Now who can lay anything in the charge of God's elect? We thank you, Father, that the faith of God are clean and modified. They have been justified. They had been cleared of those that had never sinned at all, and we thank thee for these wonderful truths. But we do ask thee, as we think of our own families, and as we think of our neighborhoods, and as we think of Atlantic, and we think of the country places, We thank Father of those who are close to us, who are near and dear to us, who may steal out. They're under the judgment of God. Father, it is only by thy mercy that they have as yet time to turn to Christ. We pray for them. We ask our God that in our minds, as we've been thinking of the advocate, the Lord Jesus, who is in glory even tonight in the case or the event of the sin of the Christians. We think