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We turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 
chapter 5. Hebrews chapter 5 for our meditation 
before we take the Lord's Supper. Basically what is going on in 
this particular section is the author is setting forth the superiority 
or the supremacy of Jesus Christ over the Levitical priesthood. If you look back for just a moment 
in chapter 4 at verses 15 14 to 16, he says, seeing then that 
we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, 
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For 
we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our 
weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without 
sin. Let us therefore come boldly 
to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace 
to help in time of need. Now he sets forth, as I said, 
the supremacy of Christ, and it's the largest section in the 
book. Essentially, what we find is 
the qualification for priesthood in both the Old Covenant and 
here in the New Covenant. There's a comparison and a contrast 
that is going on. In chapter 5, verses 1 to 4, 
the Levitical priesthood is described, and then of course in chapter 
5, verses 5 to 10, the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And 
then the Apostle exhorts the people to persevere, to guard 
against stagnation and apostasy, to resist the tendency and the 
temptation to fall away. And then he gives a detailed 
treatment of Christ's similarity to Melchizedek. He mentions Melchizedek 
in this particular passage. He develops this further and 
in more detail in chapters 6 and 7. And then the shadows of the 
Old Covenant are superseded by the excellence of the New Covenant. 
That's 8 and 9. and then the redemption secured 
by Christ's sacrifice is all-sufficient and eternal, chapters 9 and 10. And then in chapter 10 at the 
end we see there is transition into more practical application. But the bulk of the book of Hebrews 
is taken up with an exposition of the priesthood of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. So I'll just read beginning in 
verse 1 of chapter 5. For every high priest taken from 
among men is appointed for man in things pertaining to God, 
that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can 
have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, 
since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this, 
he is required, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer 
sacrifices for sins. And no man takes this honor to 
himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So 
also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but it 
was he who said to him, you are my son, today I have begotten 
you. As he also says in another place, 
you are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. 
who, in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers 
and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was 
able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly 
fear, though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things 
which he suffered. And having been perfected, he 
became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. 
called by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, 
of whom we have much to say and hard to explain since you have 
become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought 
to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first 
principles of the oracles of God. and you have come to need 
milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only 
of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a 
babe. But solid food belongs to those 
who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have 
their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Amen. Well, let us pray again and ask 
the Lord's help as we look to Scripture. Father, we pray for 
the ministry of your Holy Spirit right now. We pray that He would 
guide us and lead us into truth, that He would cause us to reflect 
upon the glory of our Savior, that we would reflect upon Him 
in His office primarily as priests. We thank you that He intercedes 
for us how we thank you that he sacrificed himself for us, 
how we thank you that he is most blessed, most holy, most glorious, 
and most able to save his people from their sins. We ask that 
you would forgive us again from all unrighteousness and help 
us, God, to be encouraged as we look to Scripture now. And 
we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, there 
are points of comparison between the two priesthood, between Aaron 
or the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood and what Christ underwent, but 
there are significant differences as well. You notice specifically 
in chapter 5, at verse 3, because of this, he is required, this 
is the Levitical priest, as for the people, so also for himself, 
to offer sacrifices for sins. Now that's obviously a point 
of difference. Jesus didn't have to offer up 
sacrifice for himself, because he was holy, harmless, and undefiled. He did not have sin. But so many 
of the things, with reference to the Levitical priesthood, 
correspond in the life and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
And I want to look at four of those elements this evening, 
specifically with reference to the appointment of the Lord Christ 
to the office of priest. First, his appointment. Secondly, 
his ministry. Thirdly, his obedience. And fourthly, 
his accomplishment in terms of his people. He saves them with 
an eternal salvation. We ought not to miss such references 
as these. I think it puts to rest this 
whole debate as to whether or not a Christian can lose his 
or her salvation. Jesus didn't come to simply help 
us unto salvation, but we find in verse 9 that He became the 
author of eternal salvation. He paid it all, He secured us, 
and He will keep us unto the very end. But more on that as 
we move through our exposition this evening. Note first of all 
his appointment in verses 5 and 6, just like the Aaronic or the 
Levitical priesthood. Notice in verse 1, for every 
high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things 
pertaining to God. And then dropping down in verse 
4, and no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called 
by God, just as Aaron was. The same thing is true with our 
Lord Jesus Christ. It wasn't self-appointment, it 
wasn't self-installation, but rather it was orchestrated by 
the Father for the good of His people. There are two specific 
elements highlighted with reference to His appointment. First, His 
glory. Notice in verse 5, so also Christ did not glorify himself 
to become high priest, but it was he who said to him, you are 
my son, today I have begotten you. It was God the Father who 
called him into service. Theologians refer to what's called 
the Covenant of Redemption, something that took place in eternity past, 
where the Father gave to the Son a certain amount of sinners, 
and the Son covenanted and transacted to save those people from their 
particular sins. And so Christ was appointed by 
the Father. He did not glorify himself to 
become High Priest. The implication is clearly, the 
Father glorified him to be High Priest. The Father conveyed upon 
him this honor. The Father gave him title and 
privilege to this particular office. He says, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. And then notice it refers to 
his office. In verse 5, this allusion, or 
this quotation rather, from Psalm 2, I think highlights the office 
of Christ as King. This is what's in view in Psalm 
2. But in Psalm 110, which is quoted 
in verse 6, this is His office as priest. As He also says in 
another place, you are a priest forever according to the order 
of Melchizedek. And so what we have in the person 
of our Lord Jesus is both King and priest. I love the way that 
A. W. Pate describes it. He says 
that Christ is a priest with royal authority. Christ is a 
priest with royal authority, and he says he is a king with 
priestly tenderness. Everything that we need is in 
the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. He possesses this threefold 
office. Prophet is not mentioned here 
specifically, but priest and king are. We need Christ as King 
to rule over us, to defend us, to govern us, to command us, 
to protect us, to subdue our enemies, and to further His kingdom. 
We need that aspect of Christ. We also need His priesthood. 
We need His sacrifice. There is no eternal life apart 
from the sacrificial work of our Lord Jesus. But we also need 
His intercession. This is what the Apostle goes 
on in chapter 7 to say. It is something highlighted in 
chapter 8 of the book of Romans that he never lives to make intercession 
for his people. That's a blessed thought, brethren, 
that we need to take to heart. There may be people at times 
that don't always pray for us, but we have a Savior, we have 
an Advocate with the Father who always lives to make intercession 
for His people. We identify with Christ in that 
priestly office in the most blessed and special way. Again, as King, 
as Prophet, but what is held forth to us in our consideration 
in this book of Hebrews primarily is the reality that He is our 
priest. So that's his appointment. He 
didn't glorify himself to become high priest. Isn't that beautiful? 
Christ demonstrates what it is to put the father first and others 
before himself. Isn't this the flow and the thought 
and the mindset that we find in Philippians chapter 2? The 
Apostle Paul tells us that we are to let nothing be done, verse 
3, Philippians 2, through selfish ambition or conceit. But in lowliness 
of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each 
of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for 
the interests of others. Pastor Kim announced this morning 
another engaged couple. We currently have two engaged 
couples. This is very peculiarly fitted 
for engaged couples, but as well it's very peculiarly fitted for 
married couples. Can you imagine if we actually 
put Philippians 2, 3, and 4 into practice? Could you imagine what 
our homes would look like if husbands lived this way with 
their wives and wives lived this way toward their husbands? Imagine 
if parents functioned this way toward their children. And imagine 
if children functioned this way toward their parents. Imagine 
if in the context and the life of the ministry of the local 
church, we actually pursued this particular example. We ought 
to do what Paul says, and he says very specifically, let nothing 
be done through selfish ambition or conceit. You see, that speaks 
specifically to every single one of us. If you're the one 
here that this doesn't apply to, then may I applaud you. Because 
the rest of us slobs all struggle with selfish ambition and conceit. We all struggle with wanting 
to be first, with wanting people to serve us. The ethic of the 
kingdom is not the ethic of man apart from the kingdom. Jesus 
says, if you want to be great in the kingdom, you need to be 
least. If you want to be first in the kingdom, you need to be 
last. You see, with reference to the 
kingdom of man, we like to be at the top of the pyramid and 
have everybody below us serving us. Pastor Albert N. Martin says, 
the ethic of the kingdom is this, you take that pyramid, you turn 
it upside down, and the man that's at the bottom, serving everybody 
that's above him, is the one that's great in the kingdom of 
heaven. So you see the ethic imbibed 
in this passage. Let nothing be done through selfish 
ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others 
better than himself. Let each of you look out not 
only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 
And then he highlights this reality in verse 5. Let this mind be 
in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form 
of God, did not consider robbery to be equal with God, but made 
himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and 
coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance 
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point 
of death, even the death of the cross." So the next time somebody 
says, you need to live the way Paul says in Philippians 2, 3 
and 4, do not answer, but you don't know the person that I'm 
dealing with. You don't know what my spouse is like. You don't 
know what my church is like. You don't know how hard my relationships 
are. Do you see what Jesus does? Do 
you see that the Son of God God in the flesh comes down into 
this world as a man of sorrows and one acquainted with grief 
and he never puts himself first. The same thing is true with reference 
to his installation or appointment with reference to the priestly 
ministry. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become 
High Priest, but it was He who said to Him, You are my Son, 
today I have begotten You. The Father ordained the Son for 
the execution of the priestly ministry in order to save His 
people from their sins. Notice, secondly, back at verse 
7 in Hebrews 5, His ministry. who in the days of his flesh, 
when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement 
cries and tears to him, who was able to save him from death and 
was heard because of his godly fear." There's a few things highlighted 
in this particular verse. First is incarnation. The days 
of his flesh refers to that reality when the second person of the 
Blessed Trinity took to himself man, took to himself human nature, 
was born of a woman, was born under the law so that he might 
redeem those who were under the law. Do you realize what took 
place in Bethlehem on that day? Do you realize that the Eternal 
Son of God Most High came into this world not to be praised 
and worshipped and adored and celebrated, but he came ultimately 
to be mocked to be scoffed at, to be rejected, and to be crucified. Who in the days of his flesh, 
the incarnation, the entirety of the state of humiliation." 
And then he says this, when he had offered up prayers and supplications 
with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him 
from death. Most interpreters see in this 
a reference to Gethsemane. That time before Golgotha, before 
he goes to the cross, Christ goes to the Garden of Gethsemane. 
You may turn to Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22. This is what the author is referring 
to. It is good for us to consider 
it. Luke 22 at verse 39. Coming out, he went to the Mount 
of Olives as he was accustomed, and his disciples also followed 
him. When he came to the place, he said to them, pray that you 
may not enter into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them 
about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, 
Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, 
not my will, but yours, be done. Then an angel appeared to him 
from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony, he prayed 
more earnestly." You see why interpreters think. 5.7 is a 
reference to this particular scene. No doubt Christ prayed 
throughout His ministry. We've seen that in Matthew's 
Gospel. He likes to steal away to be by Himself so He can pray 
to His Father. This is the one instance in Scripture 
where we see something of what goes on in the closet. I mean, 
if you were walking by the garden that night, you would hear a 
man who says he's exceedingly sorrowful, his soul is exceedingly 
sorrowful, even unto death. And then you hear him crying 
out to the Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from 
me, nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. The resignation 
involved. the realization that He is the 
covenant mediator, that He must do exactly what is specified. 
He must drink that cup of God's wrath if the Father intends to 
give it to Him. And verse 43, or 44 rather, tells 
us, in being in agony, he prayed more earnestly than his sweat 
became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When he rose up from prayer and 
had come to his disciples, he found them sleeping from sorrow. 
Then he said to them, why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest 
you enter into temptation. You know, there's always the 
danger of treating gospel truth in a mundane or routine sort 
of a way. We need to come back to passages 
like these. Christ knew what was on the other 
side of Gethsemane. Christ knew what was waiting 
for Him on the cross. Christ understood all too really 
what the wrath and fury of God against sin is all about. That's what provoked from Him 
the sweating of drops of blood. It wasn't the wrath of man. It 
was the wrath of His Father. He's pleading with God. He's 
pleading with the Father to take this cup away from Him. It says, 
He prayed more earnestly than His sweat became like great drops 
of blood falling down to the ground. So on the one hand, our 
salvation is absolutely free. Jesus paid it all. We don't contribute. We don't do, we don't merit, 
because we couldn't, if we understand the doctrine of depravity accurately. 
But on the other hand, it cost Christ everything. It cost him 
his life, it cost him his reputation, it cost him everything, and he 
was pressed in the garden to the point where the blood flowed 
from his pores." This is what's going on in this passage. Listen 
to Philip Hughes with reference to Gethsemane. He says, "...the 
agony of Christ at Gethsemane was occasioned by something other 
and deeper than the fear of physical death. For what he faced was 
not simply a painful death, but also judgment, the judgment of 
a holy God against sin, our sin, which is the experience of the 
second death, the disintegrating experience of separation from 
God, hence the terrible cry of dereliction from the cross, My 
God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? For this reason the second 
death has no power over those who by faith are one with Him, 
as our sin-bearer endured the second death in our place. You understand that? He exhausted 
the wrath of God in our place. It's the blessed doctrine of 
substitutionary atonement. He stood in our place. It's not some general atonement. It's not some unlimited atonement 
made effectual by the faith and the good works of men. It is 
a particular atonement. It is a definite atonement. It 
is a redemption that secures eternally all that the Father 
had given unto Him. Because Jesus stood in our place, 
Jesus suffered in our place, and He paid the penalty due our 
sins. He goes on to say, and for them 
the first death, which is the death of the body, holds no terror, 
because the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee that 
day two will rise to everlasting life. It's not true. I hope you 
don't fear physical death. I mean, I'm sure we all fear 
the circumstances involved with physical death. Are we going 
to get a spike through our head? Are we going to get run over? 
Are we going to die in our sleep? I mean, those are some unfortunate 
things to consider. The reality of death for the 
believer ought not to paralyze us with fear. That is the means 
by which we pass into the presence of the Lord God Almighty. The 
dread with which he approached the cross is explained, as Calvin 
says, by the fact that in the death that awaited him, he saw 
the curse of God and the necessity to wrestle with the total sum 
of human guilt and with the very powers of darkness themselves. who in the days of his flesh, 
when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement 
cries and tears to him, who was able to save him from death. 
and was heard because of his godly fear." It's a great summary 
statement of his life, and his ministry, and his humiliation 
on the part of his people. Notice thirdly, his obedience, 
verse 8. Though he was a son, yet he learned 
obedience by the things which he suffered. We need to make 
sure that we understand that Jesus here did not learn obedience 
as the second person of the blessed Trinity. Jesus Christ incarnate. the man Christ Jesus who came 
into this world willingly submitting himself to the law of his father, 
willingly carrying out the terms of the covenant, willingly executing 
obedience to the law and dying as a sacrifice in the stead of 
his people. It is in that posture, it is 
as the son of David, it is as the son of man, it is as the 
Messiah. He is the one who learned obedience 
through suffering. And this is what our text holds 
forth to us. And you know that I have said 
this on many occasions, if he learned obedience by the things 
which he suffered, we ought to recognize and realize that is 
going to be the path that we must traverse as well. We're not going to learn obedience 
by just kicking back. We're not going to just sit by 
the pool and learn how to obey God. It is in the midst of trial, 
it is in the midst of suffering, it is in the midst of difficulty, 
it is in the midst of pressure. Isn't it? If you've been a Christian 
for any amount of time and you look back on the history of your 
Christianity, when did you grow the most? It was during trial. That's not an accident, brethren. 
It's not like, wow, we all just have the same experience. It 
is designed by God that way. All who desire to live godly 
in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. All Christians will go through 
their trials and their difficulties and their hardships. If you think 
that this is not the case, then just wait, because it's going 
to be the case. You see, our Savior set the pattern. Our Savior traversed it first. And the text is quite amazing. Though He was a Son, and Christ 
is a Son to the Father in a way that we are not. Look at verse 
5. You are my Son, today I have 
begotten you. How is Jesus referred to throughout 
Scripture? He is God's only begotten Son. He is God's one and only Son. Some translations say he is God's 
unique son. And that's not a bad rendering. 
It's not a bad tradition. That is not a bad approach. What 
it is doing is identifying the singly distinctive nature of 
the Lord Christ. Now, we are sons by adoption. We are sons by grace. We are 
brought into this living union. And it's as if the author wants 
to indicate and highlight the uniqueness of this event Though 
he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which 
he suffered." What are the sufferings of Christ? It's good to rehearse 
that. We've seen Gethsemane, the Orthodox Catechism, Hercules 
Collins sums it up well. What do you believe when you 
say he suffered? that He, all the time of His 
life, which He led on the earth, but especially at the end of 
it, sustained the wrath of God both in body and soul, against 
the sin of all mankind, that He might by His passion, as the 
only propitiatory sacrifice, deliver our body and soul from 
everlasting damnation, and purchase for us the favor of God, righteousness 
and eternal life. The Son suffered for us. And that brings us finally to 
His accomplishment, His redemption, the execution successfully of 
His purpose. Verses 9 and 10. And having been 
perfected, or having been sanctified, He became the author of eternal 
salvation. He is the source. He is the origin. You're here tonight, saved by 
grace, not because of you. In fact, you are here tonight 
saved by grace in spite of you. It is by grace alone, through 
faith alone, in Christ alone, and He is the author of that 
eternal salvation. It is He that fulfilled the law. It is He that died in your stead. 
It is He that secured your redemption. That's why, as I mentioned this 
morning, when we eat this bread and we drink this cup, it's not 
a reward for your well-doing this past week. It's not good 
job on your various accomplishments. It's not eat this bread and drink 
this cup because you successfully read the Bible each and every 
day, and you didn't say any curse words, and you didn't say anything 
mean to your wife, and you didn't say anything bad at work. No. We are here to proclaim His death. It is that by which we are secure 
in Him and we have everlasting life. He is the author, the source, 
the cause of man's salvation. And then note specifically, He 
is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. And in the 
context, I think faith is the primary element. If you look 
back at 3.19, So we see that they could not enter in because 
of unbelief. Again in chapter 4, verse 2. But the word which they heard 
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who 
heard it. Again in 4, 6. Since therefore 
it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was 
first preached did not enter because of disobedience. He's 
using this terminology very specifically, and the idea here is faith that 
leads to following the Lord Christ. Calvin says, but by saying this, 
he recommends faith to us. For he becomes not ours, nor 
his blessings, except as far as we receive them, and him by 
faith. So we see in the passage the 
Lord Christ in His appointment, in His ministry, in His obedience, 
and in His accomplishment on behalf of God's people. It is reiterated in verse 10, 
He's called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. And just by way of two concluding 
thoughts. The first is I want to read a 
quote from John Gill, with reference to the author of Eternal Salvation. He says, the salvation Christ 
is the author of is eternal. Get that. How many times in the 
book of Hebrews do we see that? Eternal redemption. Why is there 
a debate as to whether people can lose their salvation? Whence 
the debate? The Bible tells us He secures 
eternal salvation. Why would anybody come along 
and say, well, you can lose your salvation? Not if you're saved. I saw a quote recently, a little 
blurb on the internet. John MacArthur was attributed 
to John MacArthur. He said, if you could lose your 
salvation, you would lose your salvation. That's all there is 
to it. Right? If you could, you would. But you can't because HE can't. Christ doesn't fail. Gil says the salvation Christ 
is the author of is eternal. It was resolved upon from eternity 
and contrived in it. It was secured in the everlasting 
covenant, in which not only a Savior was provided, but blessings both 
of grace and glory. and it is to eternity, and stands 
distinguished from a temporal salvation, and is opposed to 
eternal damnation. It is the salvation of the soul, 
which is immortal, and it takes in both grace and glory, which 
are of a durable nature, and the continuance of it is owing 
to the abiding and lasting virtue of Christ's person, blood and 
righteousness, And Christ is the cause or author of this salvation 
by His obedience and sufferings. Praise God for eternal salvation. And then the second thought, 
it's not a quote, just a reminder of what I read at the very beginning 
in verses 14 to 16. 14 to 16, in some respects, serves 
as a bit of encouragement, not a bit, a lot of encouragement 
for the people of God. From 5 to 10, it's as if that 
is amplified, it's expounded, it's detailed, and it's highlighted 
in terms of how this priesthood is enacted. But look at what 
the author says in verse 14, seeing then that we have a great 
high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus, the Son of 
God. Okay? You see what he's doing? 
We have this high priest. He's passed through the heavens. 
He is Jesus, the Son of God. Based on that reality, based 
on that knowledge, based on our brief discussion concerning Hebrews 
5 this evening, here's some practical encouragement for the people 
of God with reference to the priestly office of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. What's the first thing that he 
says? Let us hold fast our confession. The end of verse 14. Because 
we have this High Priest enthroned at the right hand of God Most 
High. Read your Bibles. Understand theology. Understand 
our confession of faith. Be in the house of God when preaching 
takes place. Be in the house of God when there's 
teaching. Be in the house of God when we're expounding scripture, 
or we're teaching doctrine. Be in the house of God so that 
you can understand that truth, because it's absolutely crucial 
that you hold fast your confession. You see, in the context that 
Paul is writing to, people aren't holding fast their confession. 
People are letting go of their confession, and they're turning 
from Jesus, they're going back to the Levitical priesthood, 
they're picking up goats, they're picking up bulls, they're picking 
up pigeons, and they're walking back to that sacrificial system, 
and they're offering up sacrifices on altars of abomination. Because once Christ has died, 
once for all, that has finished and completed the sacrificial 
system. So for these people, let us hold 
fast our confession meant to continue to run after Jesus Christ. In our context and in our situation, 
there's a lot of attacks on the Christian faith. It's not just 
false religion. It's not just, you know, godless 
philosophy. There's atheism. There's secularism. There's a movement. There's a 
drive. There's a prejudice towards those 
who actually believe in objective standards. There is a prejudice 
against those who actually believe that homosexuality is wrong. There is a prejudice against 
people that believe with the Bible that God made the world 
by the Word of His power in the space of six days and all very 
good. There's a ridicule. There is 
all sorts of things targeting the Bible believer. And here's 
what the Scripture says, considering that you have this great high 
priest, hold fast your confession. And what is unfortunate at times 
is that we don't know that confession like we ought to know. We need 
to know the Scripture. We need to know theology. We 
need to know the person and work of Christ. We need to know something 
about the Trinitarian God that we serve. We certainly need to 
know something about justification by faith alone. We need to understand 
the place of good works in the Christian life, sanctification. 
This all follows after he makes this statement in 5.5-11 concerning 
the priesthood of Christ. What's his exhortation there? 
Don't be stagnant. Don't be sluggards. Don't be 
dullards. Don't just drink milk, but eat 
meat. You need to grow. You need to 
understand. The best protection against defection 
from the Christian life is to know the truth. Is that what 
Jesus taught? Let's think about this recently. 
Sanctification, that's an important subject. That means to grow in 
Christian holiness. That means to grow in Christian 
development. You know how many times people 
approach sanctification in a way that is not biblical? They say 
that sanctification is when you don't do this or when you do 
do this. Sanctification is when you don't go there and you do 
go there. Those might be fruits, those 
might be applications, those might be things that flow from 
the primary emphasis. How does Jesus say that his people 
are sanctified in his high priestly prayer? Sanctify them by what? Truth. You want to grow in grace 
and in holiness? Study this book. You want to 
grow in your ability to function like a Christian human being 
with other people? Then know this book. You want 
to be faithful to your children or faithful to your parents? 
Then know this book. Sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth. The idea seems 
to be that as the word of God finds its way into our minds 
and in our hearts, then we actually do what it says. I know it seems 
odd, but that's the way God's designed it. We ingest it, and 
then we live according to it. We can't live according to it 
if we don't know it. You see? Because you hang apple 
trees on an orange tree doesn't mean it's an apple tree. It's 
still an orange tree, just fastened apples to it. You may learn some 
morality by not going here or by going there, by not doing 
this or by doing that, but genuine Christian growth comes as a result 
of having taken in God's Word and then by the Spirit's power 
being conformed unto it. Let us hold fast our confession. Notice he gives as an encouragement, 
verse 15, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize 
with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are 
yet without sin. Now notice more of what we ought 
to consider. Let us therefore come boldly. to the throne of grace, that 
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." 
You see what an understanding of the high priestly office of 
Jesus Christ will produce in the Christian life according 
to the Apostle. You'll hold fast the truth of 
God's Word, and you'll go to the throne of grace. Isn't that 
beautiful? Isn't that blessed? Isn't that 
what it's all about? Prayer, Bible reading? We know 
who Christ is, we understand what the Savior says, and we 
come to Him. We pray to him, we unburden our hearts at the 
throne of grace. And it says that we may obtain 
mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When is that 
time of need? That time of need is from the 
moment we wake up in the morning until we lay our heads back down 
at night. And then we trust with the Psalter 
that God protects us even while we're sleeping. So those are 
some practical implications of the high priestly office of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God for eternal salvation. And praise God for our blessed 
Redeemer. And in light of the reality that 
He's passed into the heavens, hold fast the confession. Be 
a man, a woman, a boy, a girl of prayer. Be at the throne of 
grace. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your Word and we thank You for this ministry 
of our Lord Jesus. And we praise You that He ever 
lives to make intercession for us. We praise You that He is 
our great High Priest, that He has accomplished what we could 
not. We thank you for his obedience 
to the law. We thank you for his death and 
his resurrection that has provided for us eternal life. God, encourage 
us with these thoughts and cause us to be a people that hold fast 
this confession. Help us to be a people who come 
boldly to the throne of grace. What a blessed religion, what 
a blessed system, where God commands us to come with boldness to the 
throne, to seek help in our time of need. Thank you, Father, for 
your love for us. Thank you, Father, for providing 
to us the Lord Jesus. And God, help us to always live 
in light of these truths. And we ask through Christ our 
Lord. Amen.