Perfection of Christ's Sacrifice

Introduction from Flavel and Review of the Sacrifice

0:02 John Flavel, an honored servant of Christ from another generation, said, and I quote, O then, let thy soul grow big while meditating of the usefulness and excellency of Christ, which is displayed and unfolded in every branch of the gospel. Let thy soul grow big while meditating of the usefulness and excellency of Christ displayed in every branch of the gospel. And, Flavel went on to say, with a deep sense upon thy heart, let thy lips say, Blessed be God for Jesus Christ. It is just such holy ends which I pray. It will be accomplished as we come to the word of God this morning to consider another facet of the excellency of Christ displayed in another facet of the glorious gospel of Christ.

1:16 We're back in the general series entitled, Here We Stand, in which we are presently contemplating the nature of the salvation we receive and proclaim, as it is given to us in the holy scriptures. Having spent many months of Lord's Day mornings considering the mystery of Christ, person, that he is truly God, truly man, one person in two natures forever, we are now contemplating something of the majesty of his offices. For Christ, this great personage, accomplishes salvation in the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king. We've been considering his priestly office, the fact of it, some of the basic functions of that office, and for a number of weeks we have focused our attention upon the first part of that priestly function, namely the making of a sacrifice as the great high priest of his people. We've looked at the sacrifice as to the nature of it. He offered up himself. Something of the significance of that sacrifice.

2:33 And then we spent several weeks contemplating the sacrifice in its biblical category as a propitiation, that is, a satisfaction of divine wrath, which is turned away from all who believe in Christ, the wrath and anger of God. Now, before we move on to the second part of our Lord's priestly function, namely his intercession, I want to conclude our studies in the area of his sacrifice by directing your attention to the perfection of that sacrifice. Christ, as the high priest of his people, offered a sacrifice which, in terms of the teaching of the word of God, was a perfect sacrifice. And as we think through that subject, we shall first of all look at the fact of its perfection, the perfection demonstrated, and then some of the implications of that perfection, and then make some practical application to those of us gathered in this place. When I assert that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was a perfect sacrifice, what do I mean by the word perfect? And then secondly, what scriptures teach in a way that cannot be misunderstood, that Christ's sacrifice was in fact a perfect sacrifice?

3:58 Indeed, a perfect sacrifice. Well, when we say that something is perfect, we mean that it is complete in all of its parts. It is without defects. It is brought to its appointed end.

4:13 If the teacher tells you children to put on your paper a perfect square, what must you put on your paper? Well, you must draw four lines of exactly the same length, and there must be nothing between them. Those lines put a perfect 90-degree angle. Now, if they have three lines that are exactly an inch, and one line that's seven-eighths of an inch, you can't have a perfect square.

Definition of Perfection

4:39 If you have four lines, all of them an inch, but you have something other than a 90-degree angle between them where they meet, you do not have a perfect square. So when the teacher says, make a perfect square, she means make a square that is what? That is complete in all. Four lines of equal length, and at every point where they touch, a 90-degree angle.

5:06 So when it is complete in all the parts that make up a square, you have a perfect square.

5:14 Now, you might go to have a diamond assessed, and the appraiser looks at the diamond, and after examining it, says, it is a perfect diamond. What does he mean? He means it's without defects. It has no flaws.

5:29 And that's what you wanted to see. With the naked eye, you did not see any flaws, but as he magnifies it and looks, as it were, right into the heart of that diamond, if he says, it is a perfect gem, he means it is without defects. Now, some of us who do a good bit of flying, we may arrive at the airport and our loved ones meet us and say, how was the flight? We say, it was a perfect flight.

5:52 What do we mean? Well, it's reached its intended end. It brought us home safely. Without mishap and without too much that would have...

5:59 It would have gotten us upset along the way. Unusual turbulence, loss of an engine, near miss with another aircraft. Well, when we say it was a perfect flight, we mean it has brought us to its appointed end. Now, when we speak of the perfection of the sacrifice of Christ, all of those lines of thought are bound up in the notion of its perfection.

6:23 I should say, in the reality of its perfection. It was a sacrifice. It was a sacrifice that was complete in all of its parts, without any defects, which will bring all those for whom it was offered to its appointed end. Now, where in the Word of God are we told that the sacrifice of Christ is a perfect sacrifice?

Hebrews 10 — Imperfect Old vs Perfect New Sacrifice

6:48 Well, the classic passage is Hebrews chapter 10. And I want to direct your attention to that portion of the Word of God this morning. There is no...

6:58 There is no other portion in all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation which more clearly, which more powerfully, which more eloquently sets forth the perfections of the sacrifice of Christ than does Hebrews chapter 10, verses 1 through 18.

7:21 Now, follow with me as I read rather quickly through large sections of the passage. And then I want to give you the heart of the passage in a form...

7:30 In a form that I trust will stick in your memories and will also help you as you go back to reflect upon the passage. Verse 1 of chapter 10. For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never, with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh. Else would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

8:04 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance of sins made year by year, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Now, the first three verses of this chapter are an explicit statement concerning the imperfection of the sacrifice. The sacrifice is under the old economy. And then verse 11 is an additional statement of the same thing.

8:37 Every priest indeed standeth day by day, ministering and offering oft times the same sacrifices, the which can never take away sins. The writer to the Hebrews tells us then, in verses 1 to 3 and verse 11, that the sacrifices of the old, old Levitical ritual, were imperfect sacrifices carried on by an imperfect priesthood. Now, the result of this is you had imperfect worshipers. Look at verse 1.

9:16 They can never make perfect them that draw nigh. Every worshiper that came in the old economy was an imperfect worshiper. Why? Because, because he came on the basis of imperfect sacrifices.

9:33 Imperfect worshippers are the result of imperfect sacrifices. Now, what was the essence of the imperfection? The writer to Hebrews tells us. There was remembrance of sins again and again.

9:46 Look at verse 3. But in those sacrifices there is remembrance of sins. Sin cannot be put away. Verse 4.

9:56 It's impossible that the blood, the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. The same emphasis in verse 11. The witch can never take away sins. Now, follow the line of thought.

10:10 An imperfect worshipper, why? Imperfect sacrifices. What's the essence of the imperfection? All of those sacrifices never put away sin.

10:20 Sin is not blotted out. Sin is continually remembered. And what's the reminder of that imperfection? The reminder, the reminder is the repetition of the sacrifices.

10:32 Sacrifices year by year which they offer continually. The reminder of the imperfection was the repetition of the sacrifice. And according to verse 11, it was the posture of the priest. There was no place for a priest to sit in the tabernacle or the temple.

10:53 Look at verse 11. Every priest indeed standeth, ministering oft times the same sacrifices. There was no place for a priest to sit in the temple or the tabernacle. And the fact that a priest was standing and was continually active and many times offering over and over again the same sacrifices.

11:16 What was God saying? Imperfect worshippers because of imperfect sacrifice. The essence of the imperfection? Sin was not put away.

11:26 How do we know? Because the sacrifice had to be, repeated again and again and again. And the priest, the poor priest, could never sit down and say, my work is done. Morning sacrifice, evening sacrifice.

11:38 Morning sacrifice, evening sacrifice. Day in, day out, year in, year out. Imperfection is written over the whole economy. But wonder of wonders what a contrast is given from verse 5 through verse 18 of this chapter.

11:56 And verses 5 through 9 show us, the preparation for the perfect sacrifice in that Christ takes a body where there is true virtue of true humanity joined to true deity so that there is now something that is worth something to put away sin. And then he goes on to tell us in verse 10, by the which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Verse 12, but he when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now look at the contrast. Here you have in the old economy imperfect worshipers. Why?

12:53 Imperfect sacrifice. In the new economy you have perfected worshipers. Verse 14, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Worshipers.

13:06 Worshipers who are made completely acceptable to God. Why? Because of a perfect sacrifice. Imperfect worshipers because of imperfect sacrifice.

13:18 Perfect worshipers because of a perfected sacrifice. What was the essence of the imperfection? Remembrance of sins. Sin was never put away.

13:30 What is the essence of the perfection of this new sacrifice? Verse 17, their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. There is no more remembrance of sin in the language of verse 18. Sin is utterly and finally and irrevocably put away.

13:50 Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin. Sin was not put away in the old economy. Therefore the sacrifices were repeated. Sin has been put away.

14:04 Therefore there is no repetition. And what is the reminder of that perfection? Look at verse 12. But he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, there is a piece of furniture in the heavenly tabernacle that was never found in the earthly.

14:23 There is a place for the high priest to sit. Look at the language. When he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down the priest and sat, sat. And the reminder then of that perfection is that Jesus Christ is seated in the language of chapter 1 and verse 3.

15:01 When he had by himself purged our sins, we aren't supposed to sit down. There is no furniture upon which to sit in the tabernacle and the temple. But this priest did, as the reminder and the eloquent testimony of the perfection of his work. Oh dear people of God, listen.

Implication One: Historic Objectivity

15:30 If it were not necessary for the stability of our faith to have a clear, urgent grasp upon the perfection of the sacrifice of Christ, why did the Holy Ghost, move the writer to Hebrews, to give us this detailed teaching of the contrast between the imperfection of the old and the perfection of the new? If it is possible for the people of God to be stable, to be settled and grounded in their faith without a grasp upon these details, then you know that he has revealed essential for our well-being. But he has not done that. He has given us this detailed contrast between the old and the new, that coming with a heart and mind dependent upon the Spirit of God, actively seeking to grasp the train of thought, we may come to an intelligent and well-settled faith in the wonderful truth that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was a perfect sacrifice. There can be no addition to it, no repetition of it, no extension or supplementation it is absolutely perfect.

16:55 There is no liability to punishment for any sin, for anyone who comes within the orbit of that wonderful sacrifice. This then, in short compass, is the teaching of Hebrews 10, 1 through 18, and when we assert that the sacrifice of Christ is perfect, complete in all its glory, in all its parts, without defects, that it has accomplished its intended end, we assert that because this is the explicit teaching of this portion of the Word of God. Now we move, secondly, to consider something of the implications of that perfection. And here I am greatly indebted to Professor Murray's treatment of this subject in his book Redemption Accomplished and Applied. What are the implications of that perfection? Is there some understanding of that perfection which can strengthen our faith, which can give us, as it were, even a more well-settled brass upon what it means that Christ has offered a perfect sacrifice? Well, I believe there is.

18:07 Let me suggest, first of all, the perfection of the sacrifice of Christ means that there is historic objectivity to that sacrifice. Now what do I mean by those big words? Big words for you kids. Historic?

18:22 Something that actually happened in time and space. Objectivity? Something that happened external to us. It is objective.

18:33 It is there. Something that occurred in space and time, regardless of whether anyone believes it, regardless of whether anyone feels the power of it, regardless of whether anyone is influenced by it. That sacrifice in its perfection has historic objectivity. And where is this taught?

18:56 Well, it is taught in many places of the Word of God, but notice particularly in Hebrews chapter 9. Notice the words which bring us into the realm of history. Speaking of the sacrifice of Christ, we read in verse 29 of Hebrews 9, "...nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place, year by year," words of time, "...year by year with blood not his own, else must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world," words of time, "...but now once at the end of the ages," words of time, "...hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Christ."

19:48 And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment, so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time apart from sin to them that wait for him unto salvation. Here again is the concept of time. At a point in time Christ will return. There will be a judgment.

20:12 So the whole atmosphere of this section in Hebrews 9 is a time-bound passage, year by year, foundation of the world at the end of the ages, and the sacrifice of Christ is locked in to historic reality and objectivity. Now granted, it is true that in the mind and reckoning of God, according to Revelation 13, 8, Christ is the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, granted. But the perfection is bound up with its historic objectivity. Have you ever wondered why the Gospel records pass over whole segments of the life of Christ that involve years, and yet most of the Gospel records have about a fourth of their content given over to the last week of the life of our Lord and the events that followed until His resurrection and ascension? Have you ever wondered why there is such a disproportionate emphasis historically upon all the details of that week that is often called the Passion Week? Have you ever wondered why? When you read through the book of the Acts, have you ever been disappointed at the sermons of Peter and Paul?

21:36 They seem to just be recounting history. A man of God approved among you by signs and wonders. Have you ever wondered why you expected something more of Peter? You expected something more of Paul?

21:46 But their sermons are shot through with historic objectivity. Why? I'll tell you why. Because redemption is rooted in historic, objective reality.

22:00 Well, why must it be? I'll tell you why. I'll tell you why. Because creation was a historic event, there was a time when God breathed into man the breath of life.

22:13 And when man sinned, it was a historic reality. When he was driven out of the garden, that was a historic reality. And every time you and I have sinned, there is historic reality and objectivity. Just as surely as your pushing those swinging doors was an act of history of forty-five minutes ago, an objective reality, and your sitting in that seat and hearing it squeak as you sat was an objective historic reality, so likewise your sins are objective historic realities, and the day of judgment will be an objective historical reality.

22:57 It is called in the Bible, that day. And when the words are uttered, depart from me, and the punishment for sin is meted upon the head of sinners, there is objective historic reality, and time shall be no more, and eternity will be ushered in, in all of its bliss for the redeemed, in all of its horror for the damned. Listen. God deals with His creatures in the realm of objective historic reality, and when I begin to take that seriously, my sins have been committed in space and time against the God who knows me and the God who is moving everything to the final day.

23:39 I will find no rest for my conscience until I know that something more than a notion is held before me as the gospel. I want something more than a notion upon which to rest my guilty soul. I want something more than a wispy phantom of religious idea and philosophy that somehow there may or may not have been someone who is the embodiment of all good and kindness, and if you will somehow or other just find in him your religious identity, all will be well. No, no.

24:12 I ask you, what of my sins? What about those words I spoke as a lad that were in violation of the law of God? What about the thoughts that I thought? What about the years of living to myself and violating the Ten Commandments?

24:29 What about the guilt of those sins? How can I know that I shall face the God of the universe, my Maker, and know that my sins, which were objective historic reality, have in reality been blotted out? Thank God this is how I can know that there was a time in a piece of real estate in Palestine, when if you stood there, you could have heard the clank of metal upon metal as the hammer came down and drove the spikes into his hands. You could have seen the bloods as the point of the nail was driven in.

25:11 You could have heard the dull thunk as the cross was set and the hole prepared for it. You could have heard the moan as the weight of his body brought all of his shoulder joints out of joint. You could have heard and listened to the cry, my God, my God. You could have seen actual heaven shrouded in actual blackness.

25:38 You would have heard actual words. My God, you would have heard the words that we sang of this morning. Tetelestai is and this is the resting place of a guilty soul who knows that his existence is no phantom, who knows that his sin is no mirage or no mere notion, who knows himself to be someone who has been brought into time, who knows himself to be a sinner against the God of the universe, who knows that he is slated for a day when he'll stand before him. Thank God that there is a resting place for a guilty sinner, and that resting place is in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that has objective historical reality. Now, you may pooh-pah all of that, but you know why you will? Because you don't have a felt sense of your sin, but once God is pleased to give it to you, you'll find no resting place but in that kind of a sacrifice.

26:51 You see, the man taking glibly what the Bible says about his danger can afford to be very cavalier in his attitude about those people that take the Bible seriously, poor people. No, no, my friend, you're to be pitied, for we have been brought into the orbit of reality. You see, if we had a man come in here today who thought that this room was just a mirage, just a floating something that had no substance, he'd say, the walls are not real, watch. And he started to run as though he were going to run through them.

27:27 And the poor fellow batters his head against them and he collects his whips and says, well, maybe that one's real, but that one's not. And he says, well, maybe that one's real, but that one's not. And the poor fellow batters his head against them and he collects his whips and says, well, maybe that one's real, but that one's not. And you saw the man destroying himself when he was acting as though reality was non-reality.

27:47 What would you do for such a person? You'd pity him. You'd say, poor, demented man, he's lost his wits. Any man who treats objective reality as though it were not is a fool.

28:01 And my friend, your sin is an objective reality. And Almighty God is an objective reality. And His law is an objective reality. And the Day of Judgment is an objective reality.

28:13 And thank God there is a perfect sacrifice. That is an objective reality. And in that, every guilty sinner can rest. When our consciences smite us from freshly committed sin and we cannot rationalize around it, we cannot excuse it, the law of God with its light burns upon conscience and the Spirit made sense of our sin and the law of God with its light burns upon conscience and the Spirit made sense of our sin and the law of God with its light burns upon conscience and the Spirit made sensitive by the grace of God as it were sighs beneath the weight of that freshly committed sin.

28:50 O child of God, have you not learned that there is no peace until you go out of everything in yourself and rest only in that blessed historic objective reality by one sacrifice He hath perfected forever. Well, involved in that perfection is not only objective historical reality or historic objectivity but also involved is what I am calling absolute finality. By this I simply mean that sacrifice is so complete as to be unrepeatable and I want to use a word I don't know another one to use it is non-extendable it is not something that is continued nor can it ever be repeated. And there are two words that the writer to Hebrews uses again and again. One word is the simpler form hapax and then he uses the intensified word et hapax and these are the words used in the passages that I will read in your hearing Hebrews chapter seven and verse twenty-seven. Notice the strength and finality having

30:19 described the Old Testament priest as offering up continual sacrifices we read in verse twenty-seven of Hebrews seven who needeth not daily like those high priests to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people for this he did once for all and the for all on the behalf but once finality that can bear no thought of repetition chapter nine and verse twelve the same emphasis is given nor yet through his speaking of our Lord once for all chapter nine verses twenty-six to twenty-eight since the foundation of the world but now

31:46 one of the world hath he been tested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die and after this cometh judgment there is this inseparable relationship men die once and judgment always once is what the manifestation of a complete salvation at his coming no sacrifice it has been offered with absolute finality and with absolute faith by his will the will of Christ giving himself into the death of the cross by sanctified through once for all we do not demean the intercessory work of Christ God willing next Lord's day we shall focus our attention upon his intercession the work by which at the right hand of the Father he actively himself the very embodiment

33:15 of the virtues of his sacrifice and though we not want in any way to separate the intercession from the sacrifice it is intercession based upon absolute finality that sacrifice because you see there are certain conditions connected with the sacrifice by suffering humiliation without the shedding of blood there is no remission humiliation violence is forever put behind him for the word of God says he and giving him a name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess our Lord humiliation in the language of Philippians 2, took upon himself the form of a servant and being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even

Implication Two: Absolute Finality

34:36 to the shame for we do not live in the times in which our Lord lived, in which cross crucifixion meant one thing from society, the death. He became obedient to death, even the death of the cross, but never again. His humiliation is behind him. His suffering is behind him.

35:10 And therefore, because of his conditions of humiliation and suffering, are he sent to sacrifice? Since there will be no more humiliation, no more can be repetition of the sacrifice. There is absolute finality. Now why is this such a vital concern? Because the people of God, the abs, is a necessary attendant of its perfection. Remember, the imperfection of the old economy was witnessed to in what? Petition. Sin was not put away. He never sits. Petition is the eloquent testimony. But when the sacrifice

36:12 never to be repeated testimony to its absolute, the virgin was not speaking beyond the warrant of truth when he said, What then shall we say of those who come forward and pretend that they perpetually present the body of Christ? In the unblessed sacrifice of the mass. Why this, that no profane jest from the lip of Voltaire's slightest degree of blasphemy in it compared with his insult as this horrible pretense. Here is the tender, Christ-loving, Christ-exalting Spurgeon who uses some of the strongest language I've ever found in the hundreds of pages that I've read of this man of God. He says, Voltaire,

37:18 And Rome has never changed that dogma. She's changed her incantations from Latin to English, but her dogma remains the same, and her priests this day shall carry on that blasphemy. Oh, dear people of God, how grateful we should be for some who had the eye of discernment to see. That at the heart of the whole Roman of the work of Christ is this blasphemous lie which does not speak to the perfections of the atonement of Christ. But you know the Romanist is in all of us, and though we would not deny the finality of the sacrifice by seeking to repeat it upon an altar in some religious ceremony, do we not deny the finality by somehow feeling

38:42 that we must go through some process of internal penance, that when we've sinned and conscience is aware of sin, we cannot come freely and boldly to the perfections of the sacrifice of our blessed Lord? There is an absolute finality. And then, finally, the perfection consists not only in historic objectivity, absolute finality, but in intrinsic efficacy. Voltaire, And Rome has never changed that dogma. She's changed her incantations from Latin to English, but her dogma remains the same, and her priests this day shall carry on that blasphemy. Oh, dear people of God, how grateful we should be for some who have the eye of discernment to see. Oh, dear people of God, how grateful we should be for some process of internal penance, that when we've sinned and conscience is aware of sin, we cannot come freely and boldly to the perfections of the sacrifice of our blessed Lord. efficacy. And I'll explain my words. I've chosen them carefully.

39:32 Intrinsic, that which belongs to this water is intrinsically, that's why I drink it. Now, it's not intrinsically able, it's rather flat, to titillate the palate. You may have to put something extrinsic to it. You might have to put a little orange juice in it or something else.

39:55 But intrinsically, we mean by intrinsic, belonging to, that means the ex-orientatious, to put a little orange juice in it or something else. I drank it with that end in view, it was efficacious. You see the meaning of the words? When we contemplate the perfection of the sacrifice of Christ, we should contemplate it.

40:50 They were nothing less than in the language of Hebrews 2, to bring many sons to glory. That's a wonderful, simple description. I don't need to define any of those words, do I kids? Bring the capable, Ephesians 5, the church, self of the church, in order of glory.

41:44 Sacrifice and present them faultless before the presence of His Father's glory with exceeding joy. In the language of the Westminster Confession, and it's eloquent at this point, you can follow if you wish to by looking on page 677 of your hymnal.

42:13 Page, under the section of Christ, we read the perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which He, through the eternal Spirit, once offered up to God. What has He done? Number one, hath fully satisfied the justice of His Father, purchased not only reconciliation, but an evidence in the kingdom of heaven for all whom the Father hath given unto Him. By His, and ever, we need affection of the sacrifice of Christ, that it is intrinsic, that is, the sacrifice of Christ has a qualification to bring us all to the state of nature, to a state of glory. We need bring to it no penance, no purgatory,

43:31 and unto Christ, and dear,

43:38 although our debt swallowed up. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing to have a wealthy relative who had, to his intents and purposes, what we would call limitless resources, who told you, no matter what your needs are, write out checks for any amount, and I'll check with the bank every day to make sure there's enough to cover it. Wouldn't that be great? To write out checks against a limitless, limitless balance?

44:16 Some of us really sweat after all the checks are made out, and then we get our little computer, and we hold our breath when we see what the total of the checks is going to be and compare it with the balance. And if we get through, we say, well, thank you, Lord, you've met my needs for another month. Isn't that right? That's the way many of you operate.

44:34 There's a knowing look and nod for many of you. Imagine, no matter what, knowing that there was something that you could write out. We, the people of God, heed things necessary for us in Jesus. For we read the blood of Jesus Christ.

45:42 The duplicity of the blood of Christ is not an adequate provision. He that spared not his own thank God for the inerrant efficacy in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Now, what do we say in the light of such wonderful truths taught so clearly in the Word of God? Well, my final word of application is this.

46:19 Those of you who sit here this day unconverted, what do we mean by that? You've never seen your sin. You've never been driven out of yourself to rest in Christ alone. May I submit to you that the perfection of Christ's sacrifice says two things to you, among many, but two things that I want to underscore this morning.

Spurgeon and the Blasphemy of the Mass

46:37 Number one, it says that if God went to such lengths to make a perfect sacrifice for sin, do you see how seriously God regards human sin?

46:51 How seriously does God regard your sins, those sins that are part of the obligation and the objective, historic reality of your life? Every word that has ever been spoken contrary to truth, every thought contrary to the attitude, contrary to love, every deed comes as an objective, historic reality. How do you look toward that? Look to the sacrifice of His Son.

47:22 If you think God will just simply blink, if somehow God will just weigh the good with the bad and everything will turn out my friend, you look at the sacrifice of His Son. Look at the lengths to which God went. Look to God the Son, the Son and Holy Ghost and the perfection of the sacrifice of Christ that He is tossed and has intercession and mercy. It is a frightening thing. For those of you that are yet in your sins and unwashed and uncleansed,

48:19 it also says there is terrible danger in trifling with that provision.

48:28 And if I could this morning, I would speak with a face blanched white with the terrible, terrible warnings of God. God. To those who would trifle with so perfect a sacrifice. The Word of God says, He that trifled with all the revelation under Moses, He that said it not Moses, Lord, die,

Implication Three: Intrinsic Efficacy

48:57 but for all his men shall he mourning to some who trifle with this perfect sacrifice. Because you trifle with the high priest who made it and you can't separate the two. That's why the writer to Hebrews says, Though put the Son of God, and you cannot say that you love and trust the sacrifice if you despise the high priest. The two stand or fall.

50:01 I know not what's made the little child to cry, but would to perfection of Christ's solemn word concerning the seriousness of sin, the danger of trifling with so great a provision.

50:42 The child of God, oh, that we may learn that here and here alone is our true resting place. We need do know evangelical penance. When we've sinned, we need not feel that we must be faithful in our devotions for three days before we can come with confidence into the presence of our Father. We've got a high priest who pleads the virtue of that perfect sacrifice every moment.

51:12 He ever make intercession for all who come unto God by him. We deny the doctrine of purgatory to come. You see, the whole Romish teaching is essentially this, that in baptism, you're cleansed of the sins, original sin. And then, of course, we're kept from those other kinds of sins for which there is no forgiveness.

51:35 But the sins in between, they've got to be atoned for. And therefore, purgatory comes in because there is something imperfect in the sacrifice of Christ. But we can set up a kind of present purgatory in which we torment ourselves,

51:58 but with a form of works righteousness in which we feel if we can torment ourselves with, with a gloom for a day or two, then God may welcome us. Oh, dear friend, don't create your own purgatory. Christ took all the...

52:16 that you and I might live in the holy place. When you sin upon Christ in terms of his work as a priest who hath perfected forever by one sacrifice, that doesn't mean our ethical and moral perfection, of course. That's a process that will culminate in glorification. But the writer in the language of Hebrews, perfection is in terms of forensic legal justification of the book of Romans.

52:48 And he hath perfected forever.

52:52 Sanctified, wonderful, perfect sacrifice. Think of his past. I found that to be a great comfort to me in the past day. Where is Jesus made?

53:18 And now he says, let us come boldly. Let us come boldly. How many times? As often as we need to come.

53:26 You have something better than a relative with infinite resources. There is infinite virtue in the sacrifice of an infinite Savior. Oh, may God help us as his people. Someone says, oh, but wouldn't that lead to carelessness?

53:42 If when you sin you can go... Anyone who says that has never looked upon his sins in the light of the cross.

53:49 No, no. The one who has beheld his sin as that which put...

53:54 will never use the freeness of grace as the grounds to trifle with grace. It's only those who come to the cross with the devil's logic that will pervert it as an excuse for sin.

54:08 No, no, child of God. The great high priest has made the perfect sacrifice. May this be our resting place. May this be our joy.

Application to the Unconverted: Sin's Seriousness and Danger of Trifling

54:19 May this be our constant recourse. Until the efficacious nature of that sacrifice will be manifested before the whole moral creation when we stand with him and the Lord Jesus in the language of Scripture as our elder brother presents us to the Father and says, here am I. And the children, whom Thou hast given me.

54:43 Let thy soul grow big in the contemplation of Jesus Christ. And may we say with sense what Flavel meant by that. May we say with heart...

54:57 Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray.

55:14 Our Father,

55:17 how we desire to express something of our gratitude to You for so great a salvation as is experienced, extended to guilty sinners in the person and work of Your beloved Son.

55:41 What can we say when we contemplate the fact that You in sovereign mercy and in loving initiative have made such a provision for sinners? Then You sincerely offer that provision to every sinner in the Gospel.

56:05 O God, may there be none this day, who will despise that provision and the great High Priest who has made it. May Your people, all of us, come to a new appreciation of the absolute perfection of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the longer we live and the more we grow in grace and in knowledge, may we be found growing more and more in the Spirit that says, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Receive our thanks for Your presence.

56:48 Receive our thanks for Your Word. Enable us now to manifest our genuine love to our great High Priest by no longer looking to ourselves, looking within, but oh, that we may honor Him by venturing wholly and exclusively upon that perfect sacrifice. Hear our prayer and may we be saved. Amen.

57:12 May Your blessing rest upon us and abide with us as we leave this place through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.