The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-08-21


became the author of eternal salvation unto
all them that obey him.-Hebrews SO.
The infinite superiority of the Lord
Jesus Christ, in both person and
work, is a theme which the writer
of Hebrews presented to encourage
Hebrew Christians who were suffer
ing much for their faith (Heb. 10:32)
and were being tempted to turn
back to Judaism (Heb. 81; 3;12).
His purpose was not only to stem
the tide of unbelief and discourage
ment, but to urge them to 60 on to
better things GLIB because of the
better covenant under which they
had come as believers in Christ.
The portion of the chapter before
us deals with the heart of the mat
ter in presenting the sacrifice of
Christ as being superior to all the
sacrifices of the Old Testament. The
verses are somewhat difficult to out
line, but the following, adapted in
a measure from DR.. w. H. Griffith
Thomas, will be helpful.
l. The Ministry of Christ-a Bet
ter Ministry wv. 11-14).
Every act of worship calls for a
sanctuary and a worshiper Under
the old covenant the Jews we're ia
miliar with the tabernacle into
which their priests went daily, and
the holy of holes into which the
high priest went once a year with
the blood of goats and bulls; but
now under the new covenant they
had
l. A Better Priest and Sanctuary
". ~.
No longer do we need the mediat-
ing priesthood of a fellow man set
apart for that office, for Christ Him
self has become a High Priest and
is the lone mediator between God
and men, Il Tim. 2:5), yet He is
not one 'who cannot be touched with
the feelings Of our infrmities; but
was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).
2. A Better Sacrifice and Blessing
" 12).
The blood of Christ, the perfect
and final sacrifice for sin, resulted
in once-for-all solution of the sin
problem and provided the blessing
of eternal redemption.
3. A Better Result wv. 10, 14).
The sacrifices of the Mosaic ritual
had an outward result. They re
moved ceremonial disabilities they
restored the unclean to fellowship,
they kept the chosen people in cove
nant relation with God" They did
sanctify and cleanse the flesh; how
much more the blood of Christ
(Moorehead). His sacrifice gave
spiritual cleansing, the cleansing of
the conscience from dead works to
serve the living God" ". 14).
ii. The Ministry of Christian Eff
ficacious Ministry wv. 1929.
This ministry of our High Priest,
Christ, is well characterized by the
word "efficacious, which means
"having the effective energy to pro-
duce an effect" He came into the
world "to save sinners" q Tim.
1:15), and He did it. We note
l. The Power of the New Minis
try ". 15).
The surrender of Christ even unto
death gives validity and efficacy to
the new covenant. "All the trans
gressions of the old covenant had
been treasured up; the death of
Christ gave satisfaction to all that
that covenant could claim, and
brought release. So the Mediator of
the new covenant begins an entirely
new economy, with sin put away by
the sacrifice of Himself, and an open
path to the beginning of a new life
in the favor and power of God"
(Andrew Murray.
2. The Guarantee of the New Min
istry wv. 16, 10.
Speaking of our redemption as an
eternal inheritance ". 49, naturally
leads to the thought that testa-
ment or will does not become effec-
tive until the death of the testator.
God has blessed us with all spiritu-
al blessings in heavenly places in
Christ: according as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of
the world" (Eph. 1:3, ~. He has
bequeathed all that to US, and the
bequest is made certain by His
death. That means that not only our
salvation, but everything we have
had, even our temporal mercies, are
a part of those purchased and be-
queathed blessings; everything is
sanctified by the precious death of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
g. The Confirmation of the New
Ministry (vv 1929.
The shedding of blood on Cal
vary's tree for the remission of sin
was not a new or strange thing.
The proof for that is given by re-
ferring to all of the old covenant
procedure for the cleansing of the
sinner. How was it brought about?
Through blood. In that Old Testa-
ment covenant it was the blood of
goats and bulls, not sufficient to per-
fectly cleanse the spirit of man nor
give him once-for-all remission, but
nonetheless type of the better sac
rifice of the Lamb of God.
Then ''let us hold fast the profess
sion of our faith without wagering
(for he is faithful that promised. }"
(Heb. 1929.