The Forerunner
(No. 3102)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1908.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON THURSDAY EVENING, JULY
16, 1874.
"Where the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus." Hebrews 6:20.
THE Jewish high priest went within the veil once a year and represented
the people there, but he was never their forerunner, for no one
followed him into the Most Holy Place. His entrance within the veil did
not admit another human being–and when he came forth, the veil again
concealed the secret glories of the Most Holy Place even from him for
another year and from all others at all times–so that neither Aaron,
nor any other high priest of his line could ever be called a forerunner
within the veil. This is one of the many instances in which our Lord
Jesus Christ, as the great Antitype, far excels all the types. They do,
as it were, represent the hem of His garment, but the glorious majesty
and fullness of His high priestly office, they are not able to set
forth.
Moreover, this title of Forerunner is peculiar to the passage before
us. The fact that Christ is the Forerunner of His people may be found
in other words in the Scriptures and again and again in this Epistle.
But it is only here that we have the exact expression that Jesus Christ
within the veil has gone to be the Forerunner of His people.
Now, what is peculiar and unique usually excites curiosity and
attention. And if it is something peculiar and unique with regard to
our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Himself peculiar and unique, we should
look at it as closely as we can and bend our whole minds and hearts to
the consideration of it.
I. I am going to speak, first, upon THE NAME WHICH IS USED CONCERNING
JESUS CHRIST AS THE FORERUNNER. Our Lord is sometimes spoken of as the
Master, the Messiah, the Son of Man and so on, but here He is simply
called Jesus. "Where the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus."
I do not pretend to know why this title was selected, but at least it
may be suggested that Jesus is the name which His enemies
despise–Jesus of Nazareth, "the Nazarene," as His fiercest foes cry to
this day. About the name, Christ, there is always a measure of respect,
for even those who do not believe Him to be the Christ, yet look for a
Christ, a Divinely-anointed One, a Messiah sent from God. But, "Jesus,"
is the personal name of Him who was born at Bethlehem, the Son of Mary,
to whom the angel said before His birth, "You shall call His name
JESUS." It is "the Nazarene" who is "the Forerunner, even Jesus," and
it is that name of Jesus that has caused His enemies to gnash their
teeth and speak and act against Him, even as Paul confessed to king
Agrippa, "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things
contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." It is by that name which
His enemies abhor that He is known within the veil! They speak of Him
there as the Savior, the Joshua, the Jehovah-Jesus of His people–and
by that name we know Him as our Forerunner.
Moreover, Jesus is not only the name which is hated by His foes, but it
is the name which is dearest to His friends. How charming is its very
sound! You know how our hymn writers have delighted to dwell upon it.
Dr. Doddridge wrote–
"Jesus, Ilove Your charming name, 'Tis music to my ear. Gladly would I
sound it out so loud That earth and Heaven could hear!"
And Charles Wesley sang–
"Jesus, the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrow's cease 'Tis music in the sinner's ears, 'Tis
life, and health, and peace! Jesus, the name high over all, In Hell, or
earth, or sky, Angels and men before it fall And devils fear, and fly."
Out of all our Savior's names–and they are all precious to us and, at
certain times each one has its own peculiar charm–there is not one
which rings with such sweet music as this blessed name, "Jesus." I
suppose the reason of this is that it answers to our own name, the name
of sinner. That name needs, to cover it, the names of Him who saves His
people from their sins. The sound of this confession, "I have sinned,"
is like that of a funeral knell. But the music of the sentence, "Jesus
saves me," is like that of a marriage peal! And, as long as I am a
sinner, the name of Jesus will always be full of melody to my soul. To
the Old Testament saints, it was comforting to read of Him who was to
be born–"His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty
God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace"–and we still delight
to repeat those majestic sounds. But in our quiet and calm moments, and
especially in times of despondency and depression of spirit, the music
of the harp sounds most sweetly when this is the note which the
minstrel evokes from it, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." And it is very pleasant
to me to think that this is the name that we shall remember best even
in Heaven. He has gone there, as Jesus, to be our Forerunner, so Dr.
Watts was right when he sang–
"Jesus, the Lord, their harps employs– Jesus, my Love, they sing!
Jesus, the life of both our joys, Sounds sweet from every string." II.
Now I want to show you IN WHAT SENSE JESUS IS OUR FORERUNNER.
The word used here means a person running before–a herald, a guide,
one who precedes. Such terms would correctly interpret the Greek word
used here, so it means, first, one who goes before to proclaim, or to
declare. A battle has been fought and the victory won. A swift young
man, out of the ranks of the victors, runs with all speed to the city,
rushes through the gate into the marketplace, and proclaims to the
assembled people the welcome news, "Our country is victorious! Our
commander is crowned with laurels." That young man is the forerunner of
the victorious host. The whole army will be back, by-and-by, the
conquering legions will come marching through the streets and all eyes
will gaze with admiration upon the returning heroes–but this is the
first man to arrive from the field of conflict to report the victory!
In that sense, Jesus Christ was the Forerunner to report in Heaven His
own great victory. He did much more than that, as you well know, for He
fought the fight alone and of the people there were none with Him. He
was the first to report in Heaven His own victory. On the Cross He had
met Satan and all the powers of darkness–and there had He fought and
overcome them and shouted the victor's cry–"It is finished!" Who shall
report the victory in Heaven? Shall some swift-winged angel, one of the
many that had hovered round the Cross and wondered what it all could
mean, fly like a flame of fire, pass through the gates of pearl and
say, "He has done it"? No, Jesus must Himself be the first to proclaim
His own victory and the eternal safety of all for whom He died! They
tell out this good news through the streets of Heaven to this day, but
He it was who first certified it! When He ascended up on high leading
captivity captive. When He entered within the veil and stood before His
Father, the First-Begotten from the dead. When He declared by His
majestic Presence that all was finished. When He proclaimed the
justification of all His elect–in that proclamation He was our
Forerunner–the first to proclaim that glorious Truth of God, "It is
finished!"
A second meaning of the word, forerunner, will be found in this sense
of possessing, for Christ has gone to Heaven not merely to proclaim
that His people are saved, but to possess Heaven on their behalf.
Representatively, He has taken possession of the heavenly places in the
name of those for whom He died. Christ had paid the purchase price of
our eternal inheritance. We as yet have not entered upon possession of
it, but He has and He has taken possession of it in our names. All the
elect are summed up in Him who is their Covenant Head–and He being
there, they are all there in Him. As the burgesses of a town sit in the
House of Commons represented by their member, so we sit in the heavenly
places represented by our Leader who sits there in our name. He has
taken seizin, as they used to say of old–taken possession of all the
Glory of Heaven in the name of His people! Why is Heaven mine tonight?
Because it is His–and all that is His is
mine! Why is eternal life yours, Beloved? Why, because "your life is
hid with Christ in God" and He has in Heaven for you, eternal life, and
all its accompaniments of joy and blessedness! And He is sitting there
enjoying them because they are His and yours. You are one with Him, so
He is your Forerunner in that sense.
Christ is also our Forerunner in the sense of preceding us. The
Forerunner goes first and others must come afterwards. He is not a
forerunner if there are not some to run behind him. When John the
Baptist came, he was the forerunner of Christ. If Christ had not come
after him, John the Baptist would have come for nothing. As Jesus is
the Forerunner to Heaven, rest assured that those for whom He is the
Forerunner will in due time follow Him there. The least pledge of the
glories of the saints in Heaven is the Glory of Christ there. The
surest proof that they shall be there is that HE is there, for where He
is, there must also His people be. I delight to think of Jesus Christ
as our Forerunner because I feel sure that the mighty Grace which
worked so effectually in Him, and made Him run before, will also work
in all His people and make them run behind till they enter into the
same rest that He now enjoys!
And once again, Christ is our Forerunner within the veil in the sense
that He has gone there to prepare aplace for us. I do not know what was
needed to make Heaven ready for us, but whatever was needed once is not
needed now, for Heaven has been ready for us ever since Christ went to
prepare it. We have sometimes arrived at a house when we were not
expected–our friends have been glad to see us, but we could hear the
bustle of preparations and we almost wished that we had not gone, so to
put them into such a flutter in getting ready for us. But no unexpected
guest shall ever await at Heaven's gate! They are watching and waiting
for us. They know just when we shall get there and Christ has gone to
make everything ready for His long-expected and greatly-loved ones. "I
go to prepare a place for you," said Christ to His disciples–and that
place He has prepared. We have not to go into an undiscovered country,
for however glorious the new world might be, the first man to enter it
would tread its soil with trembling feet, for he would not know what he
might find there. It was a brave thing to be a Columbus to discover a
new world, but it is a happier thing to go to a country that has been
discovered many hundreds of years, where civilization has provided for
the supply of all our needs. Christ was the Columbus of Heaven and He
has made it ready for us who are to follow Him there when our turn
shall come to emigrate to the better land!
III. Now I want to answer this question, INTO WHAT IS CHRIST OUR
FORERUNNER? He is our forerunner
within the veil. Where is that?
Well, first, it is where all our hope is fixed. Our hope is fixed on
things invisible, mysterious, spiritual, sublime, immutable,
Divine–which are where Christ is. Paul tells us that the anchor of our
soul is "within the veil, where the Forerunner is for us entered, even
Jesus."
Within the veil is, also, the place of the greatest possible nearness
to God. Under the old dispensation, it was an awfully solemn thing for
a man to be allowed to enter within the veil. Anyone who ventured in
there uncalled would have been instantly destroyed. To stand within the
veil was a joyous, blissful privilege, yet it involved enormous
responsibility. But you and I, Beloved, stand there in the closest
possible nearness to God because Christ has gone there as our
Forerunner. He is not merely our Forerunner so that we may enter there
in 20 or 30 years' time, or whenever we die, but that we may now boldly
enter into the heavenlies where He has gone! Where He is, we are bound
to go. Well then, as Christ is there, at His Father's side–
"The Man of Love, the Crucified"– let us not fear to enter where we
have the right to go! It is very sad that when some of us pray, we do
not dare to enter within the veil. Even the outer court seems to be too
holy a place for us! If we do venture into the court of the priest, we
are all in a tremble. But, Brothers and Sisters, we are permitted to
enter into that which is within the veil, for Jesus is there and He
bids us come to Him–therefore let us come boldly. There is a measure
of holy familiarity which the devout man may enjoy in the Presence of
God. It is a blessed privilege to know God as your Father and to be as
bold with Him as a child is with a father–with the boldness of a love
which does not dare because it deserves, but dares because God loves
and which, while it humbles itself into the very dust, yet grasps the
feet of God even there, clings to Him and delights in its nearness to
Him! Is it not a cause of untold joy to us that Jesus Christ is within
the veil now as our Forerunner, that we may daily go where He always
is? This is the right position for a child of God in prayer! He must
not stand at the foot of Sinai. He must not stand in any unclean place,
but he must go where the blood has been sprinkled on the Mercy Seat–
brought near by the precious blood of Jesus!
Let us also remember that this place of nearness to God, into which
Christ has gone, will mean nearness to God in a higher sense,
by-and-by. You cannot conceive of anybody being nearer to God than
Christ is "within the veil." In that nearness He is our Forerunner if
we are truly in Him by faith. Is not that a wonderful thought? We might
have thought that in that wondrous nearness to God which the Mediator
enjoys, He would be alone, for He is so very near, but it is not so. He
has Himself said, "To Him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on
My Throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father on
His Throne." It is not only true that we are to behold Christ's Glory,
but even while on earth He said, "Father, I will that they also, whom
You have given Me, be with Me where I am, that they may behold My
Glory"–as if they would never fully see that Glory till they were with
Him where He is. To whatever heights of Glory He has gone–to whatever
raptures of joy He has ascended, He has gone there as the Forerunner of
His people!
I may seem to be uttering truisms, but I cannot help it. These are the
sort of Truths of God upon which one cannot give allegories,
illustrations, or fine sentences. The Truths themselves are so glorious
that it would be like painting the lily and gilding it with pure gold
to try to adorn it. We must not attempt it, but just leave the Truths
as they are for the Spirit of God to apply them to your souls–and so I
mean to do after I have mentioned a few practical inferences from the
Truth which I have been trying to set before you.
The first is, beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this–let us each
one endeavor by faith to realize our nearness with Christ. He has
entered within the veil, but He has entered as our Forerunner. Remember
that although you are imperfect, feeble, sorrowing, yet you are one
with Jesus Christ! You believe that as a Doctrine, but I want you to
realize it now as a fact. If you had a rich friend who had given you an
equal share with himself of all that he possessed, even if you had not
entered upon the possession of it, you would think, "I have not to
depend upon charity for my daily bread, for my rich friend has made me
as rich as he is, himself." Now, whatever joy that might give you, it
ought to give you far more to think that you are one with Christ and
that Christ is one with you! When you suffer, Christ is suffering in
one of the members of His mystical body. And when He rejoices, it is
His desire that His joy may be in you, that your joy may be full. He
has married you and He means you to take His riches as well as Himself
and to reckon that all He is and all He has is yours. If the Holy
Spirit would cause you to realize this, it would make your soul leap
within you and bless the Lord and magnify His holy name! "I am my
Beloved's and my Beloved is mine." No, more, I am a member of His body,
of His flesh and of His bones. Our interests are one, for we are one
and Christ up there, in the heavenlies, is but myself there, for I am
in Him and I shall soon be actually and literally where He is, as I now
am in the Person of Him who is there as my Representative and
Forerunner.
That is the first practical thought. And the second is this–is He your
Forerunner, Beloved? Then, run after Him. There can be no forerunner,
as I have said before, unless somebody follows. Jesus is our
Forerunner, so let us be His after-runners. "Ah," says one, "but He is
so different from us." The beauty of it is that He is not different
from us, for He was a Man like ourselves. "Forasmuch then, as the
children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise
took part of the same." Though in Him was no sin, yet in all other
respects He was just such as we are–and it cost Him as much to run as
it will cost us to run–yes, more, for His race was more arduous than
ours is. "You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin,"
therefore "consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners
against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds." Your
road may be full of crosses, but they are not such crosses as the one
He carried. You have suffered bereavements. Yes, and "Jesus wept." You
have to endure poverty. And He had not where to lay His head. You are
often despised. And He is still "despised and rejected of men." You are
slandered. But as they called the Master of the house, Beelzebub, what
wonder is it that they speak ill of those who are the members of His
household? Jesus Christ ran the very race that you have to run and He
ran it perfectly! And that same power which worked in Him to run until
He entered within the veil, and so passed the goal, will help you to
run till you reach the same spot. If He is your Forerunner and He has
run the race, it is essential that you should run it, too, and should
also win the prize. Courage, Brothers and Sisters–nothing is too hard
for our poor manhood to accomplish through the power of the
ever-blessed Spirit! As Christ has conquered, so can we. Sin's assaults
can be repelled, for Christ repelled them. The Holy Spirit can lift up
"poor human nature"–as we call it–into something nobler and better,
transforming it into the likeness of the Human Nature of the Christ of
God, till in that Human Nature, purity and holiness, shall dwell even
to perfection!
Follow, Brothers and Sisters, the mighty Runner who has gone before you
within the veil! And the best way to follow Him is to put your feet
into His footprints. It may seem as if you might get to the goal either
this way or that, but the best Christian is he who does not wish for
any other path than that which his Master trod. I would like–oh, that
I might realize it–to "follow the Lamb wherever He goes." Not to say,
"This is not essential, and that might be dispensed with," but, like
the Master, Himself, to say, "Thus it becomes us to fulfill all
righteousness." Good writing, I think, depends very much upon the
little letters. If you want to read a man's letter easily at the first
glance, he must write legibly, and mind his Ps and Qs, and all the
other letters of the alphabet, especially those that are nearly alike,
such as C and E, or I and L. O Christian, there may be very little
difference, to the eye of man, between this letter and that of the
Believer's alphabet, but you will do best if you follow your Master
exactly in all points! No hurt comes of doing that, but great hurt
comes of even the least laxity. Follow closely your great Forerunner!
Follow at His heels, as a dog follows his master. Just as Christ ran,
so may the Holy Spirit help you to run with endurance the race set
before you, "looking unto Jesus."
The next thing I have to say is this–let us love our Lord intensely.
He has gone to Heaven, but He has not gone there for Himself alone. He
has got so into the habit of sharing with His people all that He has
that He has not left off that habit now that He has got into Glory! He
says, "I am here for My people. I was on the Cross for them and I am on
the Throne for them." It is marvelous that even the reward that is
given to Him, He shares with His own beloved ones, for there is nothing
that He has that He keeps to Himself! It was a blessed marriage day for
us, His people, when He took us to be His–for with all His heavenly
gifts He did us endow and now He has nothing but what He holds in
common with His people. We are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ." Then must we not love Him much who has loved us so much that
He has given us Himself and all He has? Come, my cold heart, if there
is anything that can warm you, surely it is the thought of such true,
fond, constant, faithful love as this! Indulge a moment's thought now.
Indulge it quietly. Let your soul picture Him. Come to His feet and
kiss them. And if you have an alabaster box of precious ointment, break
it open and anoint Him, and fill the house with the perfume of your
offering of love and gratitude.
Last of all, since Christ has gone to Heaven to be our Forerunner, let
us trust Him. We could have trusted Him, I hope, while He was running
His race, so surely we can trust Him now that He has won it. The saints
of God who lived before Christ came to dwell upon the earth, trusted
Him before He started to run. His Apostles and other disciples, in
their poor feeble way, trusted Him while He was running–so shall not
we trust Him now that the race is finished and He has gone into Glory
on our behalf? If a man says, "I will do a thing," if he is a truthful
man and he can do what he says, we depend upon him. But when he has
done it, it would be a shame not to depend upon him. If Christ came
here tonight, never having died, and He said to us, "You poor lost
ones, I mean to save you," ought we not to believe Him? If He said,
"Dear children of Mine, I mean to come and run a race and win it for
you," would we not say, "Lord Jesus, we trust You"? Well, He is not
here in bodily Presence–He is up yonder. Do you not see Him with the
crown upon His head? There He sits in Glory–innumerable angels are
bowing before Him and cherubim and seraphim are praising Him day
without night–and the redeemed from among men are singing, "Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain for us." Can you not trust Him, Sinner? "He is
able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He
ever lives to make intercession for them." Can you not trust Him? He is
within the veil, pleading for us, and pleading for all who come unto
God by Him–and setting His people the example of coming there to
plead, too.
As He is there, can we not all trust Him? The dying thief trusted Him
when His hands were nailed to the Cross. Can we not trust Him now that
His hand grasps the scepter of Sovereignty? The dying thief trusted Him
when men ridiculed Him and thrust out their tongues, and railed at
Him–can we not trust Him now that Heaven and earth are full of the
majesty of His Glory? Surely we must! Jesus, Master, if we never have
relied upon You before, grant us the Grace to do so now! And as for
those of us who have depended on You these many years, You dear, tried,
precious, faithful Lover of our souls, surely we have done with
doubting! We are in Your bosom–no, more–we are inside Your very heart
and, therefore, we must be safe! Who can harm us there? You did say,
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish."
With this assurance let us go our way, resolving to follow our
Forerunner till we get where He is, "within the veil," and then forever
to follow Him "wherever He goes." Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: HEBREWS9:24-28; 10.
Hebrews 9:24. For Christ is not entered into the Holy Place made with
hands, which are the figure of the true; but into Heaven itself now to
appear in the Presence of God for us. He has gone within the veil–not
the veil of "blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of
cunning work," but within the veil that hides "Heaven itself from our
eyes. And there He is–"in the Presence of God for us."
25, 26. Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest
enters into the Holy Place every year with blood of others; for then
must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now
once in the end of the world has He appeared to put away sin by the
Sacrifice of Himself The high priest brought the blood of the animals
that were slain for a sin-offering, and hence he came often. He could
not bring his own blood, or he would only have come once, but our
Savior has come only once, "to put away sin by the Sacrifice of
Himself." [See Sermons #759, Volume 13–jesus
PUTTING AWAY SIN; #911, Volume 16–THE PUTTING AWAY OF SIN and #2283,
Volume 38–CHRIST'S ONE SACRIFICE FOR SIN]
27, 28. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, that after this
the judgment: 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. He had to suffer because of sin once, but He will never
again have to do that! His Sacrifice will never need to be repeated and
never can be repeated.
Hebrews 10:1, 2. For the Law having a shadow of good things to come,
and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto
perfect For then would they not have ceased to be offered?If the
sacrifice had really put away sin, surely it would never have needed to
be offered again. If one sacrifice had put away the guilt of Israel,
there would have been no need to bring another.
2. Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more
conscience of sins. Once cleansed from sin, we are cleansed from
sin–the great deed is done once and for all.
3-5. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins
every year For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats
should take away sins. Therefore when He came into the world. You know
who that is, there is but one great, "HE," to us–our blessed Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ, the true High Priest!
5. He said, Sacrifice and offering You would not, but a body have You
prepared Me. By the work of the Holy Spirit within the Virgin Mary, the
blessed body of Christ was "prepared" so that He might be God and Man
in one Person and so might bring an offering acceptable unto God.
6-9. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have had no
pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is
written ofMe), to do Your wiil, O God. Above when He said, Sacrifice
and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin You would not,
neither had pleasure therein; which are offered by the Law; then said
He, Lo, I come to do Your will, O God. He takes away the first, that He
may establish the second [See Sermon #2698, Volume 46–the first and
the
SECOND] That He may bring in the real Sacrifice of which the
others were but types and prefigurations.
10. By that will. The will which Christ fulfilled in life and in
death–"By that will."
10. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once. [See Sermon #1527, Volume 26–perfect
SANCTIFICATION] Only one Sacrifice was required. The key-word
here is that little word, "once." Let it not only sound in your ears,
but be written in your hearts! Jesus Christ died once. He brought His
Sacrifice once. He put away our sins once.
11, 12. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but
this Man, after He had offered one Sacrifice for sins forever, sat down
at the right hand of God. Christ stands no longer to minister as a
sacrificing priest. He is sitting down at the right hand of God. That
is the posture of one whose work is done and who is taking his
rest–"He sat down at the right hand of God." [See Sermon #91, Volume
2–christ
EXALTED]
13-18. From henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His
footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever them that are
sanctified. Whereof the Holy Spirit also is a witness to us: for after
that He had said before, This is the Covenant that I will make with
them after those days, says the Lord, I will put My Laws into their
hearts, and in their
minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember
no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for
sin. Sin itself being no longer imputed to any Believer in Christ,
there is neither the occasion nor the need for the offering of another
sacrifice for sin. Christ's one Sacrifice has forever put away the sins
of all who believe in
Him!
19-22. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest
by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He has
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 with a
true heart in full assurance offaith, having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water The Jew could
not personally go up to the Mercy Seat. He had to go there through his
representative, the high priest, and we have Christ as our "High Priest
over the house of God," so we come to God through Him. The Israelite
could not pass through the veil which hid from public gaze the glory of
the Shekinah, and Jesus Christ's Humanity was a veil which somewhat
concealed the glory of His Deity. But the flesh of Christ having been
crucified, the veil has been torn and now we may come right up to the
Throne of God without trembling. No, we may come even with holy
boldness and familiarity and speak to God without alarm. Having such a
privilege as this, let us not neglect it. It was denied to Prophets and
kings in the olden time, but now that it is vouchsafed to us, let us
avail ourselves of it and constantly, "let us draw near" unto God "with
a true heart in full assurance of faith."
23. Let us hold fast the profession [See Sermon #1897, Volume
32–HOLDING FAST OUR PROFESSION] of our faith without wavering, (for He
is faithful that promised). As He is faithful, let us also be faithful
and hold, as with a death grip, the faith which has been revealed to us
and worked within us by the Holy Spirit. Yes, and the profession of
that faith, too, never being ashamed to acknowledge that we are
followers of the Nazarene. And let us while we are thus faithful,
ourselves, endeavor to strengthen others.
24. And let us consider one another to provoke into love and to good
works. The Greek is "to stir each other up to a fit of love. There is
no fear that we shall ever go too far in our love to God! Though it
would cast us into a state of blessed excitement, yet would it be
healthy for us to so live and to so work.
25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is. For Christian fellowship is helpful to us and we are
helpful to others by it. A Christian is not meant to be a solitary
being. Sheep are gregarious and so are the sheep of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Let us not be solitary pilgrims along the road to Heaven, but
join that glorious host of God's elect who march beneath the guidance
of our great Master.
25. But exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day
approaching. Does not every day bring us nearer to the coming of the
Lord? Are there not many signs that these are the last days? Well then,
so much the more let us stir each other up to love and to good works!
26, 27. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a
certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which
shall devour the adversaries. Here the Truth of God taught is that if a
Christian apostatizes–if he renounces his faith and goes back to the
world, it is impossible to reclaim him. A backslider may be restored,
but anyone who should willfully, after receiving the Truth, reject it,
has rejected the only Savior. He has rejected the only regeneration
and, consequently, he is without the pale of the possibilities of
restoration. The question is, "Will any true child of God so
apostatize?" That question is answered in this very chapter, but the
Truth here taught is that if he does, he goes into a state of absolute
hopelessness.
28, 29. He that despised Moses' Law died without mercy under two or
three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment. Can there be any sorer
punishment than to die without mercy? Yes, there is, for there is
eternal punishment–"of how much sorer punishment"–
29-31. Suppose you, shall he be thought worthy who has trodden
underfoot the Son of God, and has counted the blood ofthe Covenant,
wherewith He was sanctified, an unholy thing, andhas done despite unto
the Spirit ofGrace?For we know Him who has said, Vengeance belongs unto
Me, I will recompense, says the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge
His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands ofthe living
God [See Sermon #682, Volume 12–future punishment a
FEARFUL THING] With what terrible sentences does Paul hedge up
the way of the Believer! Leave that way and there is nothing for you
but destruction. Reject your Savior, give up your hope in Him and there
cannot be another name by which you can be saved, or another sacrifice
by which you can be cleansed from sin.
32, 33. But call to remembrance thee former days, in which after you
were illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions; partly,
while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and afflictions.
Made a spectacle to be mocked at in the theater of the world.
33-35. And partly, while you became companions of them that were so
used. For you had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the
spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in Heaven a
better and an
enduring substance. Cast not away therefore, your confidence, [See
Sermon #1263, Volume 21–HOLD FAST YOUR SHIELD] which has great
recompense of reward. You must push on! You have already defied the
foe–to turn back is certain destruction, for you have no armor for
your back. 36. For you have need of patience. Or, endurance–
36. That, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the
promise. To hold on, to continue to do God's will–this is the task. To
start and to make a spurt now and then, is easy enough–but to keep on
is trying to every spiritual muscle. And only God can enable you to do
so.
37, 38. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and
will not tarry. Now thejust shall live by faith: but if any man draws
back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him. If there is a drawing back
from faith, God can have no pleasure in us. But shall we draw back?
That is the question! And here is the answer.
39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition. We who have
believed in Jesus. We who have sincerely committed ourselves to His
care. We who have been born-again of the Holy Spirit, we in whom there
is the real work of Grace which God has pledged to carry on–"we are
not of them who draw back unto perdition."
39. But of them that believe to the saving of the soul What a blessed
Truth of God is this! O Christian, as you see the danger that lies
before you if you did prove to be an apostate, bless that Sovereign
Grace which will not allow you so to do, even as Paul wrote to the
Philippians, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which has
begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ."