Hebrews 7:25 Why he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them. The long interval between the fall of man and the Redeemer's advent showed the hopelessness of men without Him. Through those four thousand years all they could desire and do to rise to a higher state was tried in vain, till it is not too much to say that they were fast settling into despair. But when the hope of saving themselves was dying out, there appeared One who lived, and taught, and died, and rose again to heaven, of whom it was affirmed with utmost emphasis in the words before us, "He is able to save." And This His ability is because "He ever liveth to make intercession." Our Lord liveth. We cannot dwell too much on the glorious truth that " Christ died for our sins," but we can dwell too little on the truth which is even beyond that, "He rose again for our justification," aye, and for our sanctification too. Salvation will be to us what it might be in proportion as we look for it, not to the Cross, but to Him who, once crucified, is now living — living for evermore, to continue in heaven the work begun on earth. I. Then, in the first place, the text reveals OUR LORD AS LIVING TO SAVE. In our jealousy of the truth of the sufficiency of His atonement we may think of it to our great impoverishment as though there were nothing more for Him to do. But the atonement does not include the whole work of salvation, as Saviour Christ never rests, He ascended to carry on His work to further developments, and we need for His praise and our own comfort to train ourselves to think of Him as living to make redemption complete. Certainly this is true of Him, for — 1. Nothing less reaches the perfection of grace. A Saviour that died for us were much, how much! but a Saviour who then goes on to live for us is more, and we can believe even that possible. Then it is true. We cannot think God greater than He is, His grace must be beyond our thought, and that we can imagine grace like this is in itself the assurance that Christ liveth to save. 2. Without this His work on earth were unavailing. His death alone would not avail for redemption. Christ for us once was not enough; the world were lost, the cross were useless, were that all; we need Christ for us still — by His life making it possible for us to accept the salvation He secured by His death. 3. Only this explains our continued spiritual enrichment. We have visible assurances of many an unseen cause. Behind the works of nature we see the unseen God; only God, we say, could work thus. So the history of the church is an assurance of a living Redeemer. If she has passed unharmed through ages of fiery trial it can only be because a Divine hand, never withdrawn, followed her with an encircling shield. If her light through storms of opposition has not been quenched, it can only be because a Divine hand, with ceaseless care, has supplied the lamp with oil. And the history of each of her members points to the same fact - notwithstanding the corruptions of their nature and their helplessness against the adversary, and their tendency to neglect what is spiritual, notwithstanding their slowness to learn and trust and obey, their spiritual life has been maintained — maintained in spite of sin and of Satan, and of the world, and even of themselves. II. THE METHOD BY WHICH OUR LORD CARRIES ON HIS SAVING WORK IN HEAVEN IS THAT OF CEASELESS INTERCESSION. Christ Himself is the great plea; His presence in heaven is the prayer for His people than which none could avail more. And that is necessary. Divine redemption must accord with the requirements of Divine law; hence we read of our being "justified," that is, acquitted — a legal term; so "Intercession," "Mediation," "Advocate" — they are all due to the necessarily legal aspect of redemption; God cannot gratify His fatherly love but by simultaneously satisfying His kingly rights: He must deal with us as sinners though He receive us as sons; He can grant no blessing save through the atonement. Hence our Lord intercedes, presenting His atonement for us. 1. This intercession is for those that come unto God by Him. And what it is to come unto God is shown by the prodigal son: "he arose and came to his father." But there are different ways of coming. We may come making light of sin, or trusting our own righteousness — "God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men!" to such there is no promise here. But suppose we come relying on Christ, sensible of unworthiness, looking to be received only for His sake; the promise is to such; Christ intercedes "for them." 2. And this secures for them everything He asks. We know that from the merit of His sacrifice. On earth He said, "Father, Thou hearest Me always! "He, the well-beloved, cannot ask in vain. But, say you, that is when He asks for Himself. It is equally true when He asks for His people, since He presents the plea of the cross. Do we realise that we are to receive all that the Cross deserves, and that He ever presents its claim? 3. But let us carefully mark that this intercession includes all possible good. We are assured of that by His love. Jesus never tires, never forgets, never leaves off. III. Then THIS INTERCESSION ENABLES HIM TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST. "To the uttermost." What "uttermost"? Every "uttermost." 1. To the uttermost depth of depravity. I am too great a sinner to be saved, ore thinks. That cannot be. Could we stand at God's throne and look on men in their varied distances from Him, some not far off, others by increased hardness of heart and wicked works farther and yet further and further still away, somewhere in the dark, dark distance, we should see one further from the Father than any other of Adam's sons — some one at the extreme limit of alienation. Now, can Christ save that one? Well, the "uttermost" is the "uttermost," and if "He is able to save to the uttermost" He can save that man. He is able because of the sacrifice of infinite merit which He presents for the sinner. 2. To the uttermost limit of time. I am saved to-day, but what if I be ultimately lost! We ought to be ashamed to think that the salvation Christ purchased by His blood can be so poor as that. No doubt if we must depend on ourselves we must have that fear, but have we not learnt that we are not saved partly by Christ and partly by self, but altogether by Him, that we are in the keeping of One who having died for us, lives for us, and that from His mighty tender hands we cannot slip! 3. To the uttermost measure of perfection. And I pray you not to think of that only in connection with the other world. There is a perfect Christian life for earth. He is able to save to the uttermost of God's requirements and purposes, the "uttermost" of what He would give to us and do for us on earth developing into the "uttermost" of heaven. Wonderful salvation! The length, the breadth, the height of it are equal; it is "uttermost" everywhere. Then why is the salvation of some of us so poor; why, if He is able to grant it, is ours not of the "uttermost " kind; why are some of us Christians only partly saved? Because of our unbelief, because we only trust Him partly, because our obedience and confidence do not look to Him for it or expect it of Him. (C. New.) Parallel Verses KJV: Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. |
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