Hebrews 7:25, Part 1

Driving home: Wherefore also, he is a, able to say to the uttermost, them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever lives, to make intercession for them.

Martin quotes Charles Spurgeon's introduction to a sermon on this text, which summarizes the superiority of Christ's endless priesthood over the temporary Old Testament priesthood, helping to capture the essence of the preceding context.

He is seeking to persuade Hebrew Christians who are under tremendous pressure to go back to those things of the old covenant, to abandon the realities of attachment to Christ and the blessings of the new covenant. He is seeking to show them that to do so is to go from the better things to those things that are due to come. In my point of view, the two verses have to be direct, and that is the one that is designated by a number of terms all of which show that they are inferior to the realities that are now set before us in Christ and in the gospel. And perhaps the best way to summarize the imme...

6:59 - 8:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The essence of the affirmation is Christ's ability to save 'to the uttermost,' meaning completely, fully, and enduringly, imparting everything essential for rescue from sin and…

Martin uses the example of the woman in Luke 13:11, who could not 'completely' lift herself up, to illustrate the meaning of 'uttermost' (panteles) as 'completely' or 'fully' in Christ's saving work.

Luke chapter 13 and verse 11. What does it mean to save to the uttermost? Describing our Lord's ministry, he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up.

19:38 - 20:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Find comfort in Christ's ability to save to the uttermost, taking your attention away from your own potential for apostasy and placing it entirely on Him.

Martin shares the sad experience of growing old and witnessing many who once seemed to be true converts ultimately apostatize, highlighting the believer's concern for perseverance and the need for assurance in Christ's saving power.

The great problem here in Hebrews there were those who tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come and openly profess a faith participation in the virtue of the blood and righteousness of Christ and yet they fell away. One of the sad things about growing old is to see how many of whom at one time we would have if it were an ethically proper thing to do we would have bet every last nickel in our possession that so and so surely has come through the narrow gate of true conversion. Having observed them over a period of months or years we would have said surely so and so is on th...

23:41 - 25:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Honestly ask yourself if you are a person who, as a pattern of life, draws near to God through Christ, seeking true communion with Him.

Martin uses the example of the Pharisee who stood in his own 'Adamic ugliness' thinking himself beautiful before God, to illustrate how true Christians do not approach God 'nakedly' but always through Christ as mediator.

those who draw near unto God through him through him that is they do not deal with God nakedly without the interposition of a mediator and a redeemer for they know that God outside of Christ is nothing but a consumer higher to the sinner they have no silly notions that they can trip into the presence of God like that stupid spiritually blind Pharisee and stand in the nakedness of his own native Adamic ugliness thinking that he was beautiful in the sight of God saying oh God I thank you I'm not as ugly I don't do this and I don't do that and I am not this and I am not that and I'm not even like...

35:31 - 37:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Honestly ask yourself if you are a person who, as a pattern of life, draws near to God through Christ, seeking true communion with Him.

Martin recalls John Bunyan's sermon on this passage, which powerfully marks the line between true and false religion: true religion involves dealing with God through Christ, leading to devotion to God.

I didn't write these words I want to 내려iver you I was I don't believe that you have been willing to serve me to the uttermost God through Him and if that's not you then Christ is not saving you But knowing himself to be a sinner, he knows he can only have them in and through Christ. But his relationship to Christ makes him God-hungry, God-thirsty, God-seeking. Bunyan has a marvelous sermon on this passage. It's been a long time since I read it, but when I was preparing, I remembered one point that he made that has stuck with me through the years. He said, this passage marks out very, very powe...

47:19 - 48:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second major heading, the 'satisfying explanation,' reveals why Christ can save to the uttermost: the reality of His endless life. Unlike Old Testament priests, Christ's work…

Martin contrasts Christ's endless life with the death of an Old Testament high priest, imagining the horror and disruption it would cause in Israel, to emphasize the stability and assurance provided by Christ's never-dying priesthood.

Now, think of the contrast with the Old Testament high priest, there would be a day in Israel when a trusted, faithful, godly high priest would die. And those who had come particularly in those most solemn, sacred days, the day of atonement, to look upon that particular high priest with unusual reverence and almost awe that he would go into the immediate presence of God behind the veil, going in with the blood on the day of atonement and come forth and be able to say that sins are passed over for another year, and raise his hands in priestly blessing. What a horrible thing it must have been wh...

50:24 - 51:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second major heading, the 'satisfying explanation,' reveals why Christ can save to the uttermost: the reality of His endless life. Unlike Old Testament priests, Christ's work…

Martin offers a personal reflection on why God sends His Spirit at precise times for conversion, linking it to Christ's intercession in John 17, where Christ asks the Father for His inheritance among the nations.

on his ongoing work of redemption, asking of the Father and receiving the nations for his inheritance in the uttermost part of the earth for his possession. And let me by a little aside this out. Christian, you ever wondered why did God send forth his spirit at the precise time and in the precise circumstances in my life that resulted in my conversion? I believe the answer lies here and in the parallel passages in John 17. And the Lord Jesus said, Father, that one is part of my inheritance among the nations. Send your spirit to get it.

54:16 - 55:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin elaborates on Christ's perpetual intercession, explaining its meaning and efficacy. He highlights Christ's divine omniscience combined with His human empathy, ensuring that…

Martin uses Acts 25:24, where the Jews 'made suit' (intercession) against Paul to Festus, to illustrate the meaning of 'intercession' as presenting a specific petition or request.

And in many of us, much less dramatically. But if we are indeed those who are coming unto God through him, we are the fruit of one day. And I mentioned that the ever livingness of the work of Christ. But you see, the emphasis here falls upon an amazing reality. He ever lives in order to. If this is the only verse we had, we would think this is the only reason Christ now lives at the right hand of the Father, is to make intercession for us. Now this word intercession is not a common word used, as one of the many synonyms for prayer. But a good illustration of its significance is found in Acts c...

55:25 - 56:34 Read in full sermon

Driving home: We have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. One who has been, not is, has been in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.

Martin refers to Luke 22:31, where Christ specifically prays for Peter that his faith would not fail, as a concrete example of Christ's personal and powerful intercessory ministry.

But then you have that specific instance in the case of Peter, familiar to most of you. In the interest of time, we cannot turn and look at it in detail, but you remember in Luke 22, 31, Peter, Satan has desired all of you to sift you as wheat. But I pray for you, specifically Peter, that your faith fail not, and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren. And see, if our Lord Jesus were not God, possessed in His divine mind, with all of the knowledge of all of His people and all of the earth, in every place, at any given moment, He could never perform this task.

59:47 - 60:32 Read in full sermon