The short answer is that “glorification” is God’s final removal of sin from the life of the saints (i.e., everyone who is saved) in the eternal state (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). At Christ’s coming, the glory of God (Romans 5:2)—His honor, praise, majesty, and holiness—will be realized in us; instead of being mortals burdened with sin nature, we will be changed into holy immortals with direct and unhindered access to God’s presence, and we will enjoy holy communion with Him throughout eternity. In considering glorification, we should focus on Christ, for He is every Christian’s “blessed hope”; also, we may consider final glorification as the culmination of sanctification.
Final glorification must await the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13; 1 Timothy 6:14). Until He returns, we are burdened with sin, and our spiritual vision is distorted because of the curse. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Every day, we should be diligent by the Spirit to put to death what is “fleshly” (sinful) in us (Romans 8:13).
Sanctification is one of those religious sounding words that people in the church use, but may not understand what it means. In its most basic sense, to sanctify something is to set it apart for God’s special use and purpose. Therefore, God’s people are sometimes said to be sanctified because they are set apart for God’s special purposes in the world: “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy; for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Lev 20:7–8). As this verse helps us see, the word sanctification is closely related to holiness. The word sanctification can be used in a similar sense in the New Testament, and in one sense, believers are already sanctified because of what Jesus has done for them. Hebrews 10:10 tells us that as followers of Christ “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
But most of the time when Christians use the word sanctification, they are referring to the progressive work of God to make a believer more like Jesus Christ. As such Paul can write, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thes 4:3). He commands Christians to “present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification” (Rom 6:19). Because believers have been set free from their slavery to sin, “the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Rom 6:22).
3 Minute Theology 4.4: What is Sanctification?
The Greek word translated “sanctification” (hagiasmos [aJgiasmov”]) means “holiness.” To sanctify, therefore, means “to make holy.” In one sense only God is holy ( Isa 6:3 ). God is separate, distinct, other. No human being or thing shares the holiness of God’s essential nature. There is one God. Yet Scripture speaks about holy things. Moreover, God calls human beings to be holy — as holy as he is holy ( Lev 11:44 ; Matt 5:48 ; 1 Peter 1:15-16 ). Another word for a holy person is “saint” (hagios [a&gio”]), meaning a sanctified one. The opposite of sanctified is “profane” ( Lev 10:10 ).
From time to time human beings are commanded to sanctify themselves. For example, God commanded the nation of Israel, “consecrate to me every firstborn male” ( Exod 13:2 ). God said through Peter, “in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord” ( 1 Peter 3:15 ). One sanctifies Christ by responding to unbelievers meaningfully, out of a good conscience and faithful life. God calls his own to set themselves apart for that which he has set them apart. Sanctify, therefore, becomes a synonym for “trust and obey” ( Isa 29:23 ). Another name for this action is “consecration.” To fail to sanctify God has serious consequences ( Num 20:12 ).
Human beings ultimately cannot sanctify themselves. The Triune God sanctifies. The Father sanctifies ( 1 Cor 1:30 ) by the Spirit ( 2 Thess 2:13 ; 1 Peter 1:2 ) and in the name of Christ ( 1 Cor 6:11 ). Yet Christian faith is not merely passive. Paul calls for active trust and obedience when he says, “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” ( 2 Cor 7:1 ). No one may presume on God’s grace in sanctification. Peter reminds believers to be diligent in making their calling and election sure ( 2 Peter 1:10 ).
A person or thing can be sanctified in two ways according to God’s creative purpose or according to God’s redemptive design. All sanctified in the first sense are used by God in the second sense. Not all God uses in the second sense are sanctified in the first sense.
In our Statement of faith we assert this about Justification,
The Justification of Sinners We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice on our behalf. By his perfect obedience he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God.
This short course would will cover the meaning and definitions of Justification. It will also suggest resources you should consider in furthering your understanding.
What is Justification Simply Put?
Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous, to make one right with God. Justification is God’s declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous, based on Christ’s righteousness being imputed to the accounts of those who receive Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Though justification as a principle is found throughout Scripture, the main passage describing justification in relation to believers is Romans 3:21-26: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
3 Minute Theology 3.8: What is Justification by Faith?
The doctrine of justification by faith has had a checkered history. It was virtually ignored until the Reformation. That all changed with Martin Luther, who elevated justification to the head of all doctrines. Ever since, Lutheran theologians have followed their founder’s lead, proclaiming in the oft-quoted phrase that justification by faith is the doctrine “on which the church stands or falls.”
How does it happen?
We are justified, declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation. Justification does not make us righteous, but rather pronounces us righteous. Our righteousness comes from placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice covers our sin, allowing God to see us as perfect and unblemished. Because as believers we are in Christ, God sees Christ’s own righteousness when He looks at us. This meets God’s demands for perfection; thus, He declares us righteous—He justifies us.
Romans 5:18-19 sums it up well: “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” It is because of justification that the peace of God can rule in our lives. It is because of justification that believers can have assurance of salvation. It is the fact of justification that enables God to begin the process of sanctification—the process by which God makes us in reality what we already are positionally. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
I remember as a young Christian in youth church being introduced to Watchman Nee by an encouraging uncle. He spotted my youth like zeal and thought to give me some tough food to chew on. The truth is, I’m still chewing today. I was introduced to Nee’s book ‘The Release of the Spirit’, which was first published in China in 1955. Nee taught in that book that the path to spiritual fruitfulness— and to a true, intimate knowledge of the Lord—is the brokenness of the outward man. He explained that God uses tests and trials in our lives to break our selfish nature so that Christ’s nature can flow through us. He spoke of the freakish nature of the Christian faith and the need to stand out. I remember as a young person reading this book and watching as these themes cascaded one on top of the other. With each point, my fear compounded as it dawned on me that zeal was not only to be outward expression and energy but the denial of a lot of the shows, songs, and ‘banter’ that I had come to love. It dawned on me that I not only needed to be bold and loud but that I needed to become an Alien!
Identity Crisis
Let us be honest, even as a Christian, there can often be (an albeit fading) desire to fit in, to be socially relevant and accepted by the world. I still get excited every time I make a successful pop culture reference. Although we have left the club, many of us still feel the desire to keep our membership card — just in case. We may still be drawn to attend the same parties but miss the ones that are really bad, we may even speak the same but avoid really bad speech, we watch the same things but avoid really bad shows. The ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) can be crippling for Christians who watch everyone ‘playing and having fun’ and feel like they have no option but to join in. They enter the fun under the ruse of ‘banter and letting hair down’ and in so doing make their witness ineffective. This appears to be the experience of some nominal Christians around the world.
I have spoken earlier about Moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD). It’s a term that was first introduced in the book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (2005). The book is the result of the research project the “National Study of Youth and Religion”. The author’s study found that many young people believe in several moral statutes not exclusive to any of the major world religions. A central statute in this book is that most young people think the point of religion is to help you behave better and make you into a better person. This is false. Alarming as it may be, this is what some Christians may have been hoodwinked into or knowingly started believing. This is the view that Christians are to be less bad than the world. To attend wild parties but not sin, to drink but not get drunk, to dance intimately but not have sex. To get involved in every discussion and debate but not be vulgar. To enjoy the same things leaving space for repentance straight after.
Many Christians believe Christianity is about being less bad than the world. Sure, this is a part of the Gospel, but not the thrust of the Gospel. The thrust of the Gospel is about making you right with God. It’s about satisfying eternal and weighty wrath and being born again. It’s about a change of nature and essence and not solely managed behavioural change. That comes after. Why is this important? Well because when we consider that we have been reborn (John 3:1-21) and set apart (1 John 4:4-5), we begin to understand that standing out and being different is the very call of the gospel. It’s not a choice or an optional module, its the very point of being saved. Saved from what? Yourself
Saved for or saved from?
One of the main reasons we struggle saying no to the desire to fit in and to be culturally relevant is because our Christian lives can sometimes feel like a never-ending list of don’ts. Don’t watch this, don’t read this, don’t listen to this. That way of living can feel repressive and stifling. Here, it’s important to consider the message of the Gospel. Through Gospel lenses, we see that the Christian life is not a constrained life by any measure, only a carnal mindset will produce that thought.
John Piper put it well when he said:
“My father used to say, be so busy doing… you don’t have time to “don’t“. When people accused us fundamentalists of being people with a bunch of don’ts, I have never felt that way. My life is not a constrained life. It is a free life.” “You were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13)”
Life in Christ is not mainly about the avoidance of evil, but mainly the passionate and intense pursuit of good. “Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
We haven’t just been saved from ourselves, but we have been saved for greater works, greater joy, greater peace – in Him. Jesus died — yes to purify his people and to make them positionally right forever. However, it is an absolute travesty to the triune God, to the cross, to treat it as though Jesus died only to forgive us for sinful acts and not to purify us for the power not to go back to our vomit. We have been saved from ourselves, from the applause of men, from needing validation from culture and saved for union and increasingly joyful communion with God.
What do I do when I feel left out?
Embrace it. Don’t run away from it. Embrace it. It’s a sign that you were ‘made for another world’. Let it remind you fo this truth. That you are a sojourner, an alien, a misfit here on this earth. It’s a sign that you have been enlisted into a different army and that you have a different commander. Christians ought not to run away from this feeling but to see what it points to and to rejoice in that. The truth is the world does not need ‘less bad’, irrelevant copies of itself. The world needs more aliens. More folks that are willing to stand out and be different. Who are willing to be called prudish, bizarre and old fashioned and uncool. Who are willing to embrace the ‘shame’ of the world and let it do its work. After all, look at the effect shame had on the life of Jesus. Shame stripped away every earthly support that Jesus had: his friends gave way in shaming abandonment; his reputation gave way in shaming slander; his decency gave way in shaming nakedness; his comfort gave way in shaming torture. It reminded him that he was different, set apart and holy.
Crucially, mature Christians must embrace a similar type of shame (Hebrews 12:2,3) and instead rejoice in God’s approval of their behaviour. Feeling left out is not only a sign but it also has a purifying effect in the life of a believer. It weans you off the world and prepares you for a new one. It makes you even more effective because to maintain your prophetic witness you need to maintain a prophetic distance. The truth of the matter is that we (Christians) cannot hope to change the world if we are motivated by the same things they are motivated by. What’s the difference? How can you aim to influence people who don’t see you as different? If they only see you as ‘better’ than they are, then they will wrongly assume that they just need to work harder to get to your ‘level’ when in reality they need to be saved and born again. Here are some helpful passages on standing out.
Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God’s compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you. Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.
1. Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, your minds must be clear and ready for action. Place your confidence completely in what God’s kindness will bring you when Jesus Christ appears again. Because you are children who obey God, don’t live the kind of lives you once lived. Once you lived to satisfy your desires because you didn’t know any better. But because the God who called you is holy, you must be holy in every aspect of your life.
1 Peter 1:13-15
You people are not faithful to God! You should know that loving what the world has is the same as hating God. So anyone who wants to be friends with this evil world becomes God’s enemy.
James 4:4
I believe we must reclaim the forgotten message of consecration. It is not enough to know Christian doctrines or to paint a nice Christian veneer on the surface of our lives. God wants our hearts. We must embrace the cross daily. It is not enough to simply avoid the sins that our Christian culture says are the “worst”; we must also allow God’s knife to slay the pride, the self-will, the self-confidence and the self-glorification that our backslidden Christian culture encourages. We must consider that if we continue to indulge in the culture we are commissioned to change, we will be continually sanded until, subtly (and sadly) unbeknownst to us, our love grows cold and we are rendered blunt and ineffective in the hands of our Master.
We’ve all been there. Bending over backwards in our attempts to push our friend who has expressed an interest in Christianity to give their life to Christ. We sniff out opportunities to sprinkle the Gospel invitation into conversation wherever possible. We bring them to church whenever we can. Weeks become months and months may even become years. At times it feels as though there’s nothing more we can do. However, no matter how helpless we may feel, there is great hope in this simple truth: God is sovereign in salvation.
Our role cannot be understated. God has entrusted us as His mouthpieces who will declare the Gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-19). We proclaim the message of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, loving our friends and patiently journeying with them. Their salvation ultimately comes down to God being the great initiator in our conversion and in our new birth. It is He who draws the person to the belief in accordance with His sovereign will. We proclaim, God saves.
Introducing The Doctrine of Predestination
Predestination is one of the most controversial doctrines in Christianity; central to it are election and reprobation. Click here https://linktr.ee/oggm and listen to episode 6 of The Pulse entitled ‘Does God Predestine people to go to hell?’ For the purposes of this article, the focus will be placed on election.
Election is an act of God, before creation, in which He chose those who will be saved. This act is entirely based on His will and good pleasure rather than any merit of their own, as shown in Ephesians 1:3-6, 1:11-12. This means that God has decided before the foundations of the world those He will save unto Himself and those He will pass over.
In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul speaks of how God chose Jacob and not Esau (Malachi 1:2-3) so that His purpose of election may be made evident and continue.
though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Romans 9:11-13
Some among the nation of Israel were saved and others were not; the elect and non-elect. (Romans 11:7-8). In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were preaching to the Gentiles in Pisidia, Antioch. Luke writes that upon hearing the Gospel, ‘as many as were ordained to eternal life believed’ (Acts 13:48).
Do We Even Have A Choice?
Does predestination enable your friend to free choice? Most definitely. All people are invited to respond to follow Jesus, making willing choices as to whether they accept or reject the Gospel (Matthew 11:28, John 7:37-38 and Revelation 22:17). God sovereignly works through our voluntary choices, He guarantees that our choices come about as He has ordained. Therefore, this does not contradict John 3:16.
But Doesn’t God Desire for All to be Saved?
Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 33:11
1 Timothy 2:4 also teaches this. However, we have to interpret these scriptures not in isolation but in light of what the entirety of scripture says on the matter. When considering these passages alongside all of the above, we can conclude that these two assertions are true of God. He desires for all to be saved, but has also chosen from the foundations of the world those He would save from his wrath. God is not schizophrenic, He is most concerned with displaying His glory as greatly as possible and this is His entitlement as the creator of the universe.
Election is one of the ways He chooses to do so. We may not fully understand it, but that’s what happens when our fallible minds attempt to fully comprehend an infallible God.
According to John Piper, there are two wills at work in God because:
“This allows the manifestation of the full range of God’s glory in wrath and mercy (Rom. 9:22–23) and the humbling of man so that he enjoys giving all credit to God for his salvation (1 Cor. 1:29).”
How Does This Inform Our Evangelism?
Predestination does not make evangelism pointless, contrastingly, it emphasises the importance of witnessing. Your friend cannot be saved unless they hear the Gospel, stressing the importance of the role that God has given us as bearers of the good news.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Romans 12:14-17
Paul practiced what he preached. Election assured him that his evangelistic labours would not be in vain. He knew that wherever God sent him, there were many who would be saved. Paul saw this as a source of encouragement to evangelism.
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
2 Timothy 2:10
Therefore, when the Lord told Paul ‘I have many people in this city [Corinth]’ (Acts 18:9-10), this did not lead Paul to inaction. He responded by remaining in Corinth for a year and six months, tirelessly preaching the Gospel for their sake. With exception to Ephesus, this was the longest time he had remained in any city on his missionary travels recorded in Acts. We should follow his example and enable predestination to steer us toward greater efforts.
What a great encouragement we have in knowing that we are guaranteed some success in witnessing. The friend you’re journeying with may be among the elect. There is a good chance that they will eventually come to saving faith. Let this increase your efforts, devotion, and commitment to sharing Christ with them.
Soul ties. A term we hear tossed to and fro’ among conversations. Maybe a Youth pastor uses it to warn young Christians of the perils of pre-marital sex. Perhaps a mentor uses the term, trying their best to offer reasoning for a mentee’s distress and inflamed emotions after falling into sexual sin. Whatever the case is, soul ties are a belief held by many Christians. But what exactly are they and more importantly can we consider it a biblical truth?
Soul ties are commonly believed to describe the way in which two souls are ‘knit together’ spiritually. Many argue that this affinity can be forged through sexual relationships; an ‘eternal bond’ usually formed between a husband and wife. In cases of extra-marital sex, this ‘tie’ is believed to have destructive consequences on the individual’s emotional and spiritual health.
Most Christians will agree that the term isn’t directly mentioned in the Bible, however, there are scriptures that lead them to believe that soul ties exist. This begs the question; why do we believe in something that is so loosely based on scripture?
If you ask a Christian who believes in soul ties, whether it is biblical, they will be quick to guide you to 1 Samuel 18:1 (NKJV); “…the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David.” However, is the ‘knitting’ that is described here, a spiritual welding of two souls? Or rather, an illustration of the visceral congeniality between two friends, a friendship more commonly known in our time as a ‘budding bromance’? What about soul ties during sex, can soul tying occur as a result of physical intimacy? Some might argue that a man and a woman’s souls are knitted together when they become ‘one flesh’ (Gen 2:24) and this bond is further deepened during sex; that is to say that Christians who practice sex outside of marriage put themselves at risk of ‘binding’ their souls to the individual they have slept with. While it is commendable that a Christian’s aim here, is to educate others (as they should) on the sanctity of sex in marriage, unfortunately, they misapply the covenant binding nature of marriage to the actual act of sex itself, which as result, can be misleading and cause much confusion.
I believe that one reason why many of us believe in soul ties despite the fact that is supported by little to no biblical evidence, is because of English translations of Hebrew manuscripts, and their best attempts to convey its exact meaning in a way that can be understood by those who read what has now formed to become the Bible. The issue is that, Hebrew is a language that is heavily pictorially based, often using imagery to drive home a particular point. Therefore, when trying to capture the affinity created between those who share an esteemed level of intimacy or affection, some of this meaning is lost in various translations. Given that there is a lot obscurity surrounding the understanding of the soul and how it functions, even the best of us can take up meaning to be literal, when it is in fact figurative.
Let us not be mistaken, though as believers we might feel entangled in our emotional and sexual desires as a result of a past relationship or sexual sin, we must understand that the gospel offers a completely different reality. A reality where our souls are not tied to man but instead united with Christ who has assured us of our freedom by means of His atonement on the Cross. During times, where we do feel burdened, we should pray for the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened to the hope that we have been called to (Eph 1:18) so that we can both recognise and rejoice in the fact that our souls have been set free from, not only the bondage in this present world but also from eternal corruption in the life to come.
Patience isn’t just about waiting. It’s about waiting without complaint. Patience is all about enduring discomfort without complaint. In this podcast, we look at how to grow in patience.
What does the Bible say about #CancleCulture and how should we think about forgiveness Biblically? In this episode, we tackle the hard but important topic; true biblical forgiveness. Join the conversation online using the hashtag #ThePulsePodcast
Join the debate online by using the hashtag #ThePulse
‘Why does a loving God allow suffering in the World’? Every day, we are inundated with news of the deadly virus COVID-19, wars, murders, and the list goes on. Our very natural response is to ask, ‘Why?’ ‘Why do these things happen?’ And if God exists, why would He let them happen? All of this and more are tackled in this week’s episode of The Pulse Podcast.
Join the debate online by using the hashtag #ThePulse
In my Christian walk, I’ve found great comfort in Jesus’ active role as the mediator between God and I (1 Timothy 2:5). This is explored throughout Hebrews where He is repeatedly described as our Great High Priest. Jesus’ intercession for us at the right hand of the Father changes everything. It provides hope when struggling with sin, comfort and assurance of our salvation.
Jesus belongs to a greater priesthood
Hebrews 6:20 describes Jesus as “a high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek” . To be a high priest in Israel you had to belong to the tribe of Levi, the first being Aaron (Exodus 28:1-3). However, there is an exception. Melchizedek was a priest before the Levitical priesthood even existed (Genesis 14:17-20). This means that Jesus is not a High Priest from the Levitical priesthood but belongs to a priestly line far superior – the Melchizedekian priesthood.
The Levitical priesthood was temporary, but Jesus’ priesthood is eternal. Like Melchizedek, he is both a priest and a king, now and forever as revealed centuries before in Psalm 110:1-4.
Jesus brought a greater sacrifice
Sacrifices brought by the priests on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) provided a temporary covering for Israel’s sins. This pointed toward a greater sacrifice our Great High Priest would bring before the altar of God – Himself. He lived a perfectly sinless life (1 Peter 2:22) which you and I cannot live ourselves. He bore the punishment we rightly deserved on the cross to atone for our sins, reconciling us unto God and delivering us from his wrath. Through faith in the atoning work of his blood we are made right with God, once and for all.
For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
(Hebrews 7:26-27)
Our Great High Priest gives us full access to God
In John Calvin’s exposition on the nature of our heavenly High Priest’s intercession, he stated:
As He appears continually as the one who died and rose again, and as His death and resurrection stand in the place of eternal intercession and have the efficacy of a powerful prayer for reconciling and rendering the Father propitious to us, He is justly said to intercede for us.
John Calvin
On earth, His intercession for His people took place on his knees (John 17). In heaven, it’s His very presence at the right hand of the Father! As theologian Ian Hamilton puts it, “Our Saviour’s nail-pierced hands and feet are our intercession.”
Jesus is presently and unrelentingly interceding for us. He does so with great empathy (Hebrews 4:14-16) because He knows what it’s like to live in this sinful world. He will never quit on us because He intimately understands our struggles. The atonement through the sacrifice of Himself is final. Accordingly, our access to God is direct, unrestrained and irrevocable.
Jesus’ intercession for us is crucial to our sanctification
Have you ever wondered why the longer you walk with God, the heavier the guilts feels when you sin? This is because sanctification sees us progressively become more like Christ and gradually free from sin. As we mature, we increasingly hate sin because we love God more. Thankfully, Jesus’ intercession mutes Satan’s accusations which intend to cast doubt over the assurance of our salvation when we stumble. With Jesus interceding on the basis of His payment for our sins on the cross, He preserves us. This ensures that though we may fall into sin, we never suffer total and final falls beyond God’s grace.
Closing reflections
Our Great High Priest is interceding for you at this very moment. He is the author and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). We persevere in this Christian race not because of our own strength. It is by His intercessory work for us that we endure to the end. Dr. R.C. Sproul declared:
My confidence of my preservation is not in my confidence to persevere. But my confidence rests in the power of Christ to sustain me with His grace and by the power of His intercession for us, that He is going to bring us safely through.
Dr. R.C. Sproul
Our obedience may fail, our faith may wane, but Christ’s intercession will never fails us.
