Intercession: Fruit

The Centrality of Man's Relationship to God and the Ground of Assurance

0:05 Let's turn, please, to the eighth chapter of Paul's letter to the church at Rome, Romans chapter 8,

0:14 what I believe will be our concluding study in this text that began as an Easter message,

0:23 and I trust has given us a little taste of Easter every Lord's Day for the past nine Lord's Days.

0:32 Romans 8 and verse 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died. Amen.

0:44 Yea, rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

0:56 While the men of the world continue their own headline news concerning the things that they believe to be really important, while they write their headlines concerning the things that they think are the issues of the day,

1:15 treaties of nuclear restraint, all the other issues, the word of God continues to assert that there is really but one great issue that is the burning issue in every generation and every single day of every generation, and that issue is simply stated in these words. Man's relationship to God and God's relationship to man. This would be true had sin never entered the human race. Nothing was more fundamental in that garden of Eden.

1:51 Amidst all the beauty of God's creative handiwork, nothing was more fundamental than Adam's relationship to God and God's relationship to Adam.

2:03 This is even more true now that that relationship is complicated by the fact of man's sin and God's anger and just against sin. And if the most fundamental thing in your life, your own personal life history, is your relationship to God as a sinner and God's relationship to you as a sinful creature, then there is no more important question that you can grapple with than this question, how shall I stand before God and not be condemned? How can I attain to a place where I can say with Paul,

2:47 who is he that condemns me? So when we study a text like this, we're not dealing with peripheral issues, we're dealing with the most fundamental issues in all of time and all of eternity. God's relationship to you as a sinful creature, your relationship to God as a sinful creature, and how in that relationship you can come to the place where you know that you will not be condemned for your sin. Well, the Apostle Paul came to that place, and we've been studying for some weeks what was the ground of his confidence that he would never be condemned for his sin.

3:24 What was the ground of his confidence that he would never be condemned for his sin? And we have seen that that ground rests or is comprised of four things to change the pillar, the analogy, his confidence rests down upon four pillars of fundamental biblical truth, and here they are. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died.

3:46 His confidence was rooted in an understanding of the death of Jesus Christ and its relationship to the problem of sin. Sinful man in the presence of a holy God. And any view of the cross of Christ that does not have central to its vision that the cross is God's answer to the problem of human sin in the presence of a holy God is not a biblical view of the cross. It is sentimental.

4:14 It may be traditionally religious, but it is not biblical. For as we read in the Gospel of John this morning, our Lord Himself was conscious that He was accomplishing a work with righteousness, with reference to the Father, and when that work was done, He said, It is finished. And so it was Paul's understanding then of the death of Christ and its application to him as a sinner that caused him to cry, Who is he that condemneth? But it was also an understanding of the resurrection of Christ in relationship to the problem of human sin.

4:47 It is Christ that was raised from the dead. And we've studied the implications of the resurrection and the problem of human sin. And then thirdly, he said, Who is at the right hand of God, the heavenly session of Christ, where He was seated and is now seated in the place of supreme authority. Now, for the past few weeks, our focus has been upon the fourth pillar of Christian assurance with reference to the matter of sin and guilt, namely, the intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Fact, Pattern, Principles, and Elements of Christ's Intercession

5:19 Thus far, we've studied together the fact of His intercession. Just as His crucifixion, His resurrection, His heavenly session are redemptive facts, not just religious ideas, not just Christian ideas and virtues, but actual historical facts. Christ died, Christ rose, Christ is seated. So it is a fact that He intercedes on behalf of His people.

5:45 We've studied together the pattern of His intercession. This is a priestly concept and it is a throwback to the type and shadow of the old Christian religion. In the Old Testament, in which the priest not only shed the blood of the innocent victim, but he caught that blood in a basin and brought it into the presence of God in the work of intercession. Hugh Martin, the Scottish theologian of another generation, has used a phrase with reference to this aspect of the pattern of Christ's intercession that has riveted itself to my own mind.

6:19 He says that in the work of intercession, Jesus Christ has done this. Nothing can be finer in this view of Christ as our High Priest than to see how the 53rd chapter of Isaiah culminates this work of a High Priest in intercession.

6:42 ...therein the great sacrificial offering to the throne of God on high.

6:49 By His intercession, Christ has riveted His sacrifice to the throne of God on high. ...even as the priesthood

6:58 would come in and sprinkle that blood upon the mercy seat, forever attaching the blood of sacrifice to the mercy seat, so the Lord Jesus has riveted His sacrifice to the throne of God on high. And we've looked at some of the qualifying principles of His intercession. It adds nothing to His sacrifice. It is not coercing God to give us what otherwise He would not.

7:22 It must conform to the whole pattern of the work of a priest who is doing something with reference to God on behalf of the people and His intercession partakes of His place of exaltation. Then last week, we studied together the specific elements of His intercession. He presents Himself. He petitions the Father on our behalf and He does it sympathetically, constantly, and efficaciously.

The Twofold Fruit of Christ's Intercession: Vindication and Preservation

7:50 So much for this very hasty review. Now we come this morning to the last part of our study of the intercession of Christ. And its relationship to this great question, how shall a holy God forgive me a guilty sinner? How can I come to the place where I with Paul can say, who is He that condemneth?

8:12 And it's what I'm going to call the fruit of the intercession of Jesus Christ. Having looked at the fact, the pattern, these qualifying principles, the specific elements of His intercession, the manner in which He intercedes, now this large, extravagant, area of truth, what will be the fruit of the intercession of Jesus Christ? Since He intercedes and intercedes constantly in this work of sympathy, in this ministry directed to the Father, what will be the issue of all of this? Christ ever lives to make intercession for us, Hebrews 7.25.

8:52 What will be the fruit of that intercession? Well, let me answer the question with a general statement as we look at the Bible. Let's look at the context and then seek to break it down into three specific areas. First of all, in the way of a general statement, if you look at the context, we may say that the fruit of Christ's intercession will be twofold.

9:13 It will be the vindication on the one hand and the preservation on the other hand of all for whom He intercedes. Notice how the questions preceding this statement of Christ's intercession deal with the subjection of the vindication of the people of God. Verse 32, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

9:39 Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, that rose, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. In other words, as Paul views the people of God standing in the presence of God with all the demands of the law of God, and he faces the people of God, and he faces the people of God, and he faces the people of God, and he faces the people of God, and he faces the people of God, and he faces honestly the problem of man's guilt and sin, he says the intercession of Christ is the final security of the vindication of all the claims of the law and of justice. The people of God are vindicated by the intercession of Jesus Christ.

10:20 But then he goes on in the very next statement to say, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? And he deals then with this matter of what we would call the preservation of the people of God. The intercession of Christ is the climactic statement with reference to their vindication, and then it is the introductory statement with reference to their preservation. Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ?

10:50 Shall tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, even as it is written, for thy sake we are killed, all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. And what was that love?

11:10 It was not just a love that met our need without these saving acts. It was a love that led Him to die, raised from the dead, seated at the right hand of God. A love that causes Him constantly to intercede for us. Hence Paul says, by virtue of, by virtue of the intercession of Christ, not only are the people of God vindicated from all the claims of the law, they are preserved in the midst of all of their enemies.

11:40 So if you ask the question, what will be the fruit of the intercession of Christ? The general answer is, the fruit of Christ's intercession is both the vindication and the preservation of all the people of God. Now, if you have that, you have the heart of the whole teaching concerning the intercession of Christ. But you'll notice he says, who interceded for us.

The Exclusive Reference of Christ's Intercession and the Call to Unbelievers

12:10 And that work of vindication and preservation has an exclusive reference. And the for us are those envisioned in this entire chapter introduced in the words of verse 1, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. And unless you are united to Jesus Christ in a living faith, unless you are united to Christ by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Christ is not committed for your vindication and preservation. He is committed for your absolute judgment and condemnation.

12:53 For the scripture says that he's been appointed the judge of the world. The Father has committed all judgment to the Son. And it is this very one who intercedes for his own, vindicating and preserving them, who will say to all who are not in him, depart from me, cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and for his angels. And so as the true believer is lifted to heights of exultation and praise as he contemplates the intercession of Christ, so any amongst us who are not joined to Christ in true faith, who are not united to him, by the indwelling of the Spirit, oh, dear friend, listen, listen.

13:36 The intercession of Christ says nothing to you by way of consolation. But in his role as the appointed judge of the world, he is committed to your judgment. Hence, you should flee the wrath to come by fleeing unto Christ. So much then for the general statement of the fruit of Christ's intercession.

Three Specific Fruits: Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification

13:58 Now let me enlarge upon it in three specific directions. Christ's intercession for all who come unto God by him secures three things for us. First of all, it is his intercession that assures our being kept in the favor of God. Secondly, his intercession assures our being supplied with all the gifts necessary to persevere in the ways of God.

14:31 And thirdly, his intercession secures our being brought to behold the face of God. And if you've thought at all, you realize that his intercession then has direct reference to our justification kept in the favor of God, our sanctification being supplied with the grace necessary to persevere in the ways of God, and our glorification being brought to behold the face of God. Now let's look at those things for a few minutes. In that order.

Fruit 1: Kept in the Favor of God (Continuance of Justification)

15:03 First of all, his intercession will have as its fruit our being kept in the favor of God. As Goodwin points out in his excellent treatment of this text, once we are justified, declared righteous, and accepted before God on the basis of the righteousness of Christ, there are only two ways we could possibly come back into condemnation. One is, if old sins are brought to remembrance, or two, if new sins bring us under the wrath of God. They could be brought back into condemnation.

15:40 If God says to the sinner who is joined to Christ, I accept you in the Beloved, I put to your account, I impute unto you the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, that righteousness which he is, and that righteousness which he has wrought by his life and death, the only possible way we could ever come under condemnation is, if, in the name of Jesus Christ, we are brought into condemnation. the only possible way we could ever come under condemnation is, if, in the name of Jesus Christ, we are brought into condemnation. as if God were to bring to remembrance past sins, or bring us under the condemnation of future sins. and it is at this point precisely that the intercession of Jesus Christ comes in, for by his constant presence in at the right hand of God,

16:25 there presenting himself in the perfection of his person and sacrifices we saw several weeks ago, the Father can never bring to remembrance sins for which Christ has paid. The Father hears him pray, his own beloved one. He cannot turn away the pleading of his Son. Five bleeding wounds he bears, received on Calvary, they pour effectual prayers. They strongly plead for me. And so his very presence is a constant

16:57 reminder, as it were, to the Father that our sins have been paid for, and we cannot come under the condemnation of them. And 1 John 2 says, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation. And so we are kept in the favor of God by Christ's intercession at the right hand of God. As one has said, and I quote, we owe our standing in grace every moment to his sitting in heaven and interceding every moment.

17:34 Now let me pause to underscore this. I know this has been hard to think. If you think it's hard to follow while you're preaching, I'm preaching it. You should sit where I've sat for these weeks and try to organize this material and lay it out. We have a built-in tendency to divorce our blessings

17:52 from Christ himself. We are brought into the favor of God, not by the doctrine of justification, but by Christ himself. 1 Corinthians 1.30, that is, God, are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. You're not brought into God's favor because of the doctrine of

18:20 justification by faith. You are brought into the favor of God by virtue of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and by virtue of being joined unto Christ. Now we need to understand the doctrine of justification by faith. I've been spending on the average of a day and a half or so a day and a half a week on the doctrine of justification by faith. I've been spending on

18:38 it for a week for over a month now, studying that doctrine and preparing to preach on it three times in a week and a half from now at our pastor's conference. But I need to remind myself and remind you that we are not brought into God's favor by the doctrine of justification, but by Christ who is our righteousness. Likewise, we are kept in the favor of God, not by the doctrine of preservation, but by him whose work is the work of God. We are brought into the favor of God, the work of intercession secures our standing in God's favor. The doctrine of the preservation of

19:17 the saints that keeps you in the favor of God is Christ himself interceding who keeps you in his favor. Hence Paul can say as he does in Romans chapter 5 verse 10, for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. Your salvation is dependent upon his life. What are this text butchered by one of these deeper life teachers? Talking about the saving life of Christ, living his life in me and

19:59 through me. That isn't what the text is talking about. It's talking about saved by his life which is the life of constant intercession in the presence of God. And so we are kept in the favor of God by the intercession of Jesus Christ.

20:16 Jesus Christ. Hence though we rejoice in the once for all declaration of justification, the moment there is the embrace of Christ in faith, that faith which is the fruit of the work of the spirit in our hearts, we are declared accepted in the beloved. And that declaration is a once for all declaration. It can never be improved upon. But the basis upon which that declaration is made

20:44 is really as it were. Spread before the Father as he beholds his son at his own right hand and we are secured in that state of favor by the constant ministry of Jesus Christ on our behalf. And so dear child of God you and I must learn to give Christ his due praise and his due thanks that he not only has brought us into the favor of God by his sufferings. To death and by his resurrection. But that he keeps us in the favor of God by his intercession. So that

21:25 our own sins will never rise up. Though they rise up in our memory to taunt us and to haunt us. Thank God they'll never rise up in the memory of God to damn us. For he says their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Why? Because he remembers the covenant he made with his son

21:44 who poured out his soul unto death. And the Father accepted the payment made for our sins. And so we owe to Christ our constant standing in the favor of God by virtue of his intercession. Hence when we approach God as we've approached him in prayer this morning we should not only look back with gratitude to what he did upon the cross but the book of Hebrews emphasizes that we must think of the present ministry of Christ. We must

22:18 think of the present ministry of Christ. Which enables us to draw near in the favor of God. Look at Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 19. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus. By the way which he dedicated for us a new and living way through

22:35 the veil that is to say his flesh. And having a great priest over the house of God. Having right now a priest who intercedes. What are we to do? Let us draw near.

22:48 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. What is it that enables me as I look back over this past week and I see the things I've left undone that I should have done. My sins of omission. The things I've done that I ought not

23:08 to have done. My sins of commission and they lie heavy upon my conscience. How can I come into the presence of a holy God? How can I come into the presence of one who though he is my father I know I've offended and grieved him by my sin. What is my basis of drawing nigh with

23:24 boldness? Here it is. I priest over the house of God. His own sacrifice in blood. He intercedes

23:36 for me. He keeps me in the favor of God. And I emphasize again Christian. You're not kept in the favor of God by the doctrine of justification. You're kept in that favor by the present ministry

23:49 of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

23:55 This will so grip us that whenever we bow to pray in our closets always remind ourselves as I bow to pray. One has been praying long before I bow. How precious this thought was to me this morning when I rose to pray. And I thought Lord Jesus you've kept a vigil through what to me was the night hours. And you've been bearing me before your father. Presenting yourself and your blood and

24:23 your sacrifice in all of its perfection. That I might have the privilege of praying in your presence. That I might have the privilege of rising this morning. And coming and saying my father who is in heaven. And worshiping him and praising him. Not overlooking the sins and

24:37 failures. Not thinking that I'm better than I am and the word of God declares me to be. But still coming with boldness. Why? Because of a great high priest who keeps me in the favor. Well then in the

Fruit 2: Supplied with Grace to Persevere (Continuance of Sanctification)

24:52 second place the fruit of Christ intercession is not only our being kept in the favor of God. Amen. I use the term the continuance of our justification. But secondly our being supplied with grace to persevere in the ways of God. This is the second great fruit of the intercession of Christ. As we

25:15 saw last Sunday evening the Bible makes very clear that perseverance in faith and holiness and a good confession are conditions of final salvation. The same Bible that says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. The same Bible that says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Also says he that endureth to the end the same shall be saved. Impossible. A justified man who did not

25:40 persevere would be damned. I said impossible. Because God says in Hebrews 10 38 and 39 if a man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But the writer to Hebrews says we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe unto the saving of the soul. But God has so ordered things that all who are truly

26:03 justified shall endure and persevere to the end. Not only must they they shall. But now the question is this. What is it that secures this grace to persevere to the end? Is it their determination

26:19 that they've rolled up their sleeves and they've got great big iron wills and they say I'm going to persevere? Is it their inherent ability their own cleverness in wrestling with the world the flesh and the devil? No. None of these things.

26:36 But as the Westminster Confession states so beautifully in the section on perseverance and I quote from it now 681 in your hymnals. Paragraph 2. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will but upon the immutability of the decree of election flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the merit and the intercession of Jesus Christ. What is it that secures all the grace necessary for a true Christian to persevere in the ways of God? Knowing he must persevere

27:19 what is it that gives him the grace to persevere? It is the merit and the efficacy of the intercession of Jesus Christ. Listen to me Christian. Listen now. Let me appeal to your own deepest experience

27:36 as you've walked with God. Think of those times when through neglect of the means of grace went through the allowance of unconfessed sin to collect in your life garbage under a kitchen sink until the stench of it as it were went through all the departments of your life and there was no hunger anymore for the Lord and his word and his people and his truth. What was it that for no account of walking in your own home or driving your car somewhere and that awful sense of pain came over you? The thought of bygone days when there was sweet

28:21 communion. It was the reality of the countenance of your Savior upon you. You knew of those days when there was vitality and genuineness. When each day though the events were no different there was something of the glow and the glory of walking with God and the sense of pain came over you that you were not now as you were in former days. That sense of pain gnawed until it drove

28:47 you to a place of prayer. The place of confession and there was the dealing with that backlog that accumulation of sin and uncleanness and the springs of grace that seemed to be well nigh dry were opened up again and you were brought back into blessed and delightful communion with the Lord. As you look back upon those times, have you ever asked yourself, what is it where it turned the whole case? Was it that suddenly I just said, well you know I think I ought to get back in fellowship with the Lord? Was it? No. What was it? What was it? I'll tell you what it was. It was

29:23 the prayer of your great high priest who was praying that you should be kept from the evil one. And those sins that had begun to take their effect and take their toll upon you, if they had their way, they would have carried you right on in Christian profession into total apostasy. Since you are one of those for whom he prays, sin cannot bring you back under its dominion that way. Though it may scar you and mar you, it cannot slay you because your high priest is praying and it was the fruit of his intercession.

30:01 That caused that grace to be given that brought you back into the way of God. Look at the case of David who sinned so foully and so openly in the case of Bathsheba and then added to that sin hardness of heart and went for a period of almost a year. Why did God send a Nathan to David? And why did the words of a Nathan pierce the heart of David and bring him down in brokenness until he cried, Have mercy upon me, O God. I'll tell you why. It was the fruit of the intercession of Jesus Christ.

30:41 That's why. Think of those times, dear child of God, when your faith is well nigh than gone.

30:50 When the promises of the word of God held no sweetness. When the thought of the face of God in the world to come and that world of spiritual reality was distant and unreal. And for all intents and purposes, you could have said, well, I think I'll just go back to the old days. There would have been nothing human. These speakings are hidden to you. What is it that

31:10 brought you up short and began to kindle again those extinguished coals of desire? I'll tell you what it was. It was the intercession of your Lord. It was the intercession of your Lord who by that intercession secures that grace shall be given to restore the child of God. Grace that he shall not be swallowed up and be destroyed. And I go back again to

31:39 the text we've quoted often in this reference. There is Peter, early sifted and tried and the devil would have him. Christ says, I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. If faith is extinguished, the root grace is gone, then everything's gone. But he said, I have

31:59 prayed that thy faith fail not. His courage failed, but not his faith. And so there was a look of the Savior and it pierced his heart and he was brought back to a place. Oh, dear child of God, can you think of those many times when in the midst of your sins and denials there's been a look from Christ that's brought you back. Christ has looked at you through

32:24 the preaching of the word. Christ has looked at you in the prayers of God's people. Christ has looked at you in some secret place and his eye has broken your heart. It's the intercession of Christ. Oh, be unto the Christian who thinks he stands in grace today because of something

32:45 in him. If you've said with Paul, I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, then you'll also have to say, I am what I am by the grace. Grace working by way of the intercession of Christ. Christian, learn to trace everything that has been brought into your life, enabling you to persevere in the ways of God. Trace it all back to the sacrifice of Christ which

33:17 purchased such grace. And to the intercession of Christ which secured its application. Paul said in Romans 8, 32, He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us a life of intercession? And in conjunction with that, there is the whole doctrine of the ministry of the Spirit. Christ says, I will pray the Father, he will

33:50 give you the Spirit. He being by the right hand of God exalted has shed forth this. And so everything we know of the Spirit, we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the

33:57 Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so

33:59 everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know

34:01 of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit.

34:03 And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know

34:05 of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. And so everything we know of the Spirit. based upon His sacrifice in keeping with the Father's eternal purpose.

34:12 And so we see the fusion of the purpose and provisions of the triune God to secure the salvation of His people. Thank God for our great High Priest. Any grace given this morning to worship the right is secured by that intercession. Well, in the third place then, His intercession as to its fruit is not only seen in our being kept in the favor of God, the continuance of our justification, our being given the necessary grace to persevere in the ways of God, the continuance of our sanctification,

Fruit 3: Brought to Behold the Face of God (Glorification)

34:54 but the fruit of His intercession is seen in our being brought to behold the face of God, that is, our glorification.

35:04 Look at the context of our text, and we see that it is, in undisputable, indisputable fact of biblical revelation, that the goal of redeeming grace is nothing less than the glorification of the people of God. Verse 29, Whom He did foreknow, He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son. Whom He predestinated, then He called. Whom He called, He justified.

35:29 Whom He justified, He glorified. God's goal is nothing less than the glorification of all upon whom He sets His law. Hence, the Lord Jesus comes forth from the presence of the Father, takes upon Himself our humanity to do what? Hebrews 2.10,

35:48 to bring many sons to glory. Not to bring many sons to the place where they enjoy a little sense of forgiveness for a year or ten years or twenty years, but it says, He came as the captain of our salvation, Hebrews 2.10, to bring many sons unto glory. That was His purpose, to come down that He might take us back with Him in the glorified state.

36:14 So then, in His death, He had nothing less than this in mind. He gave Himself to the church. Why? That He might perfect it and present it to Himself, a glorious church.

36:26 Well, if that's the purpose of His death, then His intercession must be the same for the two are tied together. And that's what we read in Hebrews 7.25. He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him.

36:38 What is this? The uttermost. Glorification. So in John 17.24 we read,

36:44 Father, I will, that they whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory.

36:52 Why is it that the saints of God are certain and assured that they should behold the face of God in glorification? It's because Jesus Christ intercedes for them. Let me say to you, dear child of God, this morning, do you have that? Do you have that confidence that you should behold the face of God with joy?

37:16 Again, what's the ground of that confidence? The doctrine that all who are justified are glorified? Or is it that person by whom alone that doctrine is certainly true? Christ Himself, the author of our faith, who in the work of salvation has taken the task upon Himself of bringing many sons to glory.

37:44 The contemplation of this, should produce in us something like that which Professor Murray describes at the close, the last paragraph of his excellent little booklet on the heavenly priestly activity of Christ. And I read now from Professor Murray, but the fact that from the seat of exalted and undimmed glory, and in the exercise of His priestly role, He, Jesus, interposes petition to the Father on behalf of every one of His own, to the end that they may be glorified with Him, this should cause us to be filled with holy and adoring amazement

38:25 at the condescension of Trinitarian love and grace. The Father appointing such a Savior to secure such blessings, and the Spirit working in conjunction with the purpose of the Father and the purchase of the Son, beholding this, Professor Murray rightly says, should fill us with adoration, adoring amazement, at such Trinitarian love and grace. And the effect will be that we shall be humbled to the point of being speechless, and in a true sense, exasperated at the thought of the intercession which is interjected to save us from the doom

39:08 which our continuing sinfulness and unfaithfulness deserve, and saves us to a glory which consists in nothing less than glorification with Christ. You see, the professor is saying when we contemplate an intercession which is exercised to keep us from that which our sins deserve, it's amazement enough. But when we realize it is an intercession which secures nothing less than glorification with Christ, then he says we're not only filled with amazement, but we're in a true sense exasperated

39:51 before such displays of sovereign mercy. And I appreciate that paragraph because I felt that exasperation as I sought to contemplate this basic and glorious biblical doctrine that Jesus Christ, in His work as a High Priest, did not shed His blood hoping to secure something for no one in particular, the issue of which is left up to man's whim, that He laid down His life to secure glory for a multitude whom no man can number. And now in the second aspect of His priestly work, that of intercession, He is bringing to pass all that He died to prepare

40:35 so that He will indeed see of the travail of His soul and be perfectly satisfied. Who for the joy that was set before Him, what was that joy? Seeing the intent of His blood shedding frustrated by man's will, weakness and failure and unbelief and sin, what kind of joy is that? To pour out your soul unto death for multitudes who will spurn the very blood you shed?

41:07 Will that satisfy Him? Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame, the joy of knowing that which we confess when we sing the hymn, Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power till all the ransomed church of God be saved. To sin no more. And our glorification is brought to pass by the intercession.

Exhortation to Worship Christ as Interceding High Priest

41:42 I conclude with the exhortation to each one of you who is a child of God, learn to love the Lord Jesus. Learn to magnify and worship Him in His office as an interceding High Priest. Do not only love Him and worship Him and adore Him and magnify Him in His work of oblation here on earth, but in His continuing work of intercession in the presence of the...

42:13 Magnify Him as the God that He is, for how could anyone less than one who is true God bear the weight of the cause of all of His people through all the ages in all the complexity of their needs, sympathetically identifying with each one as though they were the only one He had to care for. Away with the intercession of Mary and priests and the intercession of all who would intrude into the office of Christ. My dear godly mother in her simple, feminine, intuitive, theological sensitivity was in the hospital one time bearing one of the ten of us and she was talking with

42:56 a Roman Catholic roommate and trying to get her to see how futile it was to pray to Mary. And she said to her something, along this line, she said, now tell me, how many children do you have? And the woman had three or four. She said, how do you feel when they're all asking you for something all at once?

43:10 Well, as a mother, she knew what that's like. Some of you mothers, you know, you feel like you tear your hair off. Everyone's saying at the same time, mommy this, mommy that. And you say, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

43:19 One at a time, please. Well, you can imagine how frustrated heaven would be held to Mary if all that intercession was reaching her at once. Wouldn't it frustrate her no end? There's no intercession of Mary and the saints.

43:41 He who intercedes for the people of God must himself be God, possessed of all the attributes of omniscience and omnipotence. And this the Lord Jesus Christ is. So worship him as God. Worship him as the only and the efficient and effective mediator.

44:03 Learn to honor him in his rightful role and to trust him to accomplish all that his mediation is intended to accomplish. For you, do you want to say with Paul, who is he that condemneth? Then, dear child of God, ask the Holy Spirit to open up with grace and power to your heart the implications of the intercessory work of Christ and then feed upon him by faith as he's revealed in the Word. And for those of you who sit here this morning who say, oh, I wish I could know that the problem of my sin was resolved.

Call to Unbelievers: Flee to Christ for Salvation

44:42 I wish I could know that even in the light of that awesome day when the judgment is set and God comes forth to deal with men. Oh, that I could know that my sins will not rise up and condemn you. My friend, there's only one way to know that. That's to come into saving union with him who died, who rose, who is seated and who intercedes.

45:11 The only way you can get into the orbit and I say that reverently, into the sphere, into the realm of his intercessory work for you is to come to him as the one who says, come unto me. Oh, ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Cast yourself upon the Lord Jesus without reservation, without sharing any confidence with your own merit, your own works, your own performance. Nothing in my hands I bring.

45:43 Simply to thy cross I cling. Foul I to the fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or I die. All whom he thus receives he preserves and he keeps and blessed be God he will glorify them because by his intercession he will keep them in the favor of God.

46:06 He will supply them with all grace necessary to persevere in the ways of God. He will bring them to behold the face of God. Then and only then in the words of McShane will we know how much we owe. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ.

46:28 Let us pray.