Christ As High Priest Interceding Now

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Another tributary from the thread AS MAN JESUS... BUT AS GOD JESUS...

I already stated much about this issue in that other thread, but I truly believe the book of Hebrews is a key book which reveals much about Christ's present intercessory priesthood, and this deserves its own thread.

Most simply knee-jerk a reaction when they hear of this, and say, "Christ is not interceding for sinners who come to God now. He did that once when He died for them and made atonement once and for all." But that is not what the book of Hebrews is saying the intercession is about, anyway! The intercession in Christ's priesthood, that IS ONGOING EVEN NOW, is not for atonement for sin. It is for empowerment for those who are believers so that they can live above sin and victoriously.

I will endeavour to prove this by quoting from Hebrews in this thread.

Heb 7:24 KJV But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Notice the indication his priesthood is ongoing through now into the future, since His ascension. His priesthood required a continuing LIFE. WHY???

If his priesthood was in death only and is now done and over with, no more active intercession occurring, why did He requrie a continuing life in order to have an unchangeable priesthood? That would make no sense.

Hence...

Heb 7:25 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.

If atonement is the issue, which I think it is not, and atonement was the only intercessory work Christ did, whcih renders intercessory in the past alone, WHY DO WE READ HIS UNENDING LIFE IS NECESSARY FOR IT? And why do we read his unending life is associated with ever living to make intercession? When one lives to do something, that means one lives IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH something. Since everlasting life is what is required for intercession for us, NOT SINNERS, then intercession is ONGOING.

He has an unchangeable priesthood, that death cannot hinder nor affect in any way, since He never will die....

Rom 6:9-10 KJV Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. (10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

HE LIVETH UNTO GOD.... The "eth" suffix indicates an ONGOING thing. He continues to LIVE UNTO GOD. Notice the distinction from GOD here.

This proves there remains a distinction between the WILL of the MAN Christ Jesus and His deity. LIVETH is not PAST but PRESENT AND ONGOING. It is a NOW thing.

We know this because it is an example for us wherein we find the SAME TWO blessings Christ enjoys now applied to us....

Rom 6:11 KJV Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We can easily see that we have need of living UNTO GOD. But this states that this is so because CHRIST LIVETH UNTO GOD right now. That is not past tense. It is ONGOING.

Christ is not alive unto HIMSELF as a MAN. He is our example and living unto DEITY, as High Priest, MINISTERING TO DEITY, just as WE ARE ALIVE UNTO GOD in the LIKEWISE fashion.

In verse 11, "LIKEWISE" indicates that we experience the same thing Christ experiences. And since Christ died once to sin, we LIKEWISE are DEAD INDEED unto sin. And since Christ is alive unto God, we LIKEWISE are alive unto God. Our wills are distinct from God's will, so that demands Christ's WILL AS A MAN is distinct, but in full obedience to the will of GOD, when He is described as one who "liveth unto God". And all the while HE IS ONE PERSON!

His intercession NOW sends forth a flow of power from the Father to us at all times, so we can live life to the UTTERMOST!