Christ As High Priest Interceding Now

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

The blood is of what was sacrificed. That does not mean he does not still stand as High Priest. In fact since the sacrifice is still sufficient and active..one sacrifice for all it makes sense there would still be a priest. And in fact that is what Hebrews says several times. He is the high Priest forever after the order of melchizedek

Exactly. Good way of putting it. The sacrirfice was for once and for all. BUT NOT THE PRIESTHOOD MINISTRY. The high priest SITS THERE FOR US NOW so we CAN ENTER THE HOLIEST. His intercession is involving OUR ACTUAL ENTERING into the holiest. I really think those who oppose the idea of present intercession are completely missing this part of Hebrews' teachings.

Heb 10:19-22 KJV Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (21) And having an high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

He is a high priest OVER THE HOUSE OF GOD.

It is not a high priest we LOOK TO IN THE PAST WHEN ATONEMENT WAS MADE. We have one RIGHT NOW who is PRESENTLY ACTIVE IN MINISTRY OVER THE HOUSE OF GOD. We have access to the mercyseat BECAUSE OF ACTIVE DUTY OF THE HIGH PRIEST.

This brings in anothre thought of the priesthood no one has mentioned yet.

The PEOPLE were considered to have entered the mopst holy place WHEN THE HIGH PRIEST DID, during times of old. This is because the high priest was there for the people BY PROXY for them. They laid their hands on the priests, to show the priests' actions were as though the people did them. And the priests laid their hands on the high priest, to show that his actions ultimately represented all the priests and the people who laid their hands on the priests. So he went into the holiest AS THEM.

Well, CHRIST IS OUR HIGH PRIEST. He is in the Holiest AS US. But Hebrews is saying we do nto appreciate that as yet. If we did, we would have practical victory in everything.

Since entrance into the HOLIEST is something Hebrews 10 teaches WE CAN EXPERIENCE NOW, WELL AFTER WE WERE ATONED FOR, and it mentions this is possible since we HAVE a high priest who is presently over the house of God, then his MINISTRY is OCCURRING NOW before God, AS US in there.

The idea of the actual time of offering the blood being the only issue involved in the priesthood, as Bro Strange and Jones are saying, I believe, dismisses the entire concept of THE MAN ACTUALLY STANDING AS US IN OUR PLACES right now FOR US TO ENTER. Yes, He offered blood. But He went in BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD. AND HE STILL IS IN THERE DUE TO THAT SAME BLOOD. And Hebrews 10 applies this to us and says that if we can only appreciate the PROXY position Christ holds as us, WE CAN ENTER AS WELL by way of practically having victory, since the blood paid for that position for us.

So the aspect of HIM BEING PROXY in position AS US has to be involved in this issue. And I propose Bro Strange and Bro Jones have neglected this aspect, which has caused them to not see any present intercession occurring.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Exactly. Good way of putting it. The sacrirfice was for once and for all. BUT NOT THE PRIESTHOOD MINISTRY. The high priest SITS THERE FOR US NOW so we CAN ENTER THE HOLIEST. His intercession is involving OUR ACTUAL ENTERING into the holiest. I really think those who oppose the idea of present intercession are completely missing this part of Hebrews' teachings.

Is he acting as intercessor or mediator when we allowed access to the Father? Or both?

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Is he acting as intercessor or mediator when we allowed access to the Father? Or both?

Good question. It was a topic before I think of who we pray to? Jesus or the Father...as though they were two different beings. But the bible does say we access the Father by Jesus right?

Jesus said "Whatever you ask in my name that will I do that the Father might be glorified in the Son" does that still happen? We are told in the epistles that the church called on the name of Jesus...Stephen called on that name in prayer..

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Is he acting as intercessor or mediator when we allowed access to the Father? Or both?

Yes! He is there for us as High Priest IN PROXY position for us. We do not physically enter there of course, since it is most likely a spiritual dimension, anyway. But the high priest was always in the most holy place AS THE PEOPLE. And if the people did not benefit from it due to lack of faith in the whole concept, he was there doing nothing for them, personally. Similarly when we believe this is real and He is there as us, we enter there by faith which shows in our behaviour being empowered by God due to that faith. This is what I beleive Hebrews means in 6:18 when it says we can enter where our forerunner has entered. And in chapter 10 it says to boldly enter with fulll assurance of faith.

[mfblume]

BUMP

Originally Posted by mfblume

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...

Rom 6:10-11 KJV For in that he died, he died unto sin once (as lamb): but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God (as high priest). (11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.


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....

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....



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!

[mfblume]

Dan, I hate to propose this, but if you could read over all my posts, I believe they show the ongoing work of the high priest and its nature, in the present.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Dan, I hate to propose this, but if you could read over all my posts, I believe they show the ongoing work of the high priest and its nature, in the present.

I've read thru them ... I have little dispute with their content ..... I am learning as I read also. Still haven't formulated any firm assertions yet. I will re-read to clarify for myself.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

I've read thru them ... I have little dispute with their content .....

No problem.

It's just my best at trying to understand what Hebrews is teaching.

I am learning as I read also. Still haven't formulated any firm assertions yet. I will re-read to clarify for myself.

I think we've rarely ever heard preaching from Hebrews along these lines. One thing is for sure, when we've not been made familiar with an issue, it will appear odd, whether it is truth or not.

[deacon blues]

Have not read the thread.

Most people make the mistake of visualizing Jesus before God standing and interceding on our behalf. I came to terms with this particular scripture back in bible school 20+ years ago.

The fact that God became a man and dwelt among us, His experiences, His being touched with the feelings of our infirmities, His humanity, acts as a continual intercession for mankind. He is perputually standing in the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God. The veil in the tabernacle was a buffer between the two just as the man Christ Jesus is the buffer between our wickedness and God's holy wrath.

Its a metaphor, not a literal picture.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

Have not read the thread.

Most people make the mistake of visualizing Jesus before God standing and interceding on our behalf. I came to terms with this particular scripture back in bible school 20+ years ago.

The fact that God became a man and dwelt among us, His experiences, His being touched with the feelings of our infirmities, His humanity, acts as a continual intercession for mankind. He is perputually standing in the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God. The veil in the tabernacle was a buffer between the two just as the man Christ Jesus is the buffer between our wickedness and God's holy wrath.

Its a metaphor, not a literal picture.

Then, as I asked many others with no response, why is the unending life aspect of Christ's priesthood said to be the reason for His ability to ever make intercession?

It is far from a metaphor. He is actually High Priest, after which the Old Testament high priest was patterned.