But Christ Being Come A High Priest

There is no office of Christ that is more wonderful and breathtaking than His position as High Priest over the House of God. The Old Testament priesthood, “…was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.” (Hebrews 9:9-10) “But Christ”, breaks upon the scene as the “Only Begotten Son” to establish a new priesthood “Upon better promises.” To fully understand this marvelous office of Jesus Christ is to enter into an assurance and authority that will alter our lives as saints of God.

Apostle Paul gave us a picture of this priesthood. “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” (Hebrews 9:11-12, 15) It is evident that God in Christ has established a Kingdom on this earth, invisible at present but, nevertheless, supernatural and visible spiritually. This Kingdom is totally administered by the Lordship of Jesus Christ and manifest by the gifts and administration of the Spirit. The culture and character of this Kingdom is witnessed in the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Any opposing culture cannot claim His Kingdom.

The marvel of this Kingdom is seen in the transforming work of His imputed righteousness. He takes a life that has been ravaged by sin and the human enemy, and He purges that life of its death and darkness, and renders it in His image. The Spirit declared, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14) Christian living under this holy priesthood of the Son of God is pure and unadulterated living, not by our flesh and its own righteousness, but by the supernatural grace of our High Priest. He changes our character and renews it in His creative design of the first Adam. In His letter to the Roman Christians, He promised, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” (Romans 6:3-5) What a beautiful life awaits those fully under His priesthood!

This life is ever enlarging as we learn to yield to His continued priesthood. So much of the church world knows little or nothing of a daily walk in the sunshine of His Lordship. The text at the beginning of this Salty Saints stated, “But Christ being come a High Priest of good things to come.” Growing in the nurture of His daily mediating of Divine grace is an ever-expanding life. Graces and gifts of His Spirit are under His Lordship, and He imparts them as the vessel is yielded to Him. The vessel cannot help from enjoying the flow of His life through us to others. He promises to make us an ever-flowing river. “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (St John 7:38-39)

There is healing of human frailties as His life expands in us. The absence of His healing virtue is directly related to the absence of His daily Lordship activities and sovereignty. As we walk in specific obedience to Him and His will, His fullness of life and resurrection power operates supernaturally in us. Because Christ was Lord in all his life, the enemies of Stephen “…were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.” “…looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:10; 15). The Word says, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11)

Every promise of the Word of God is yea and amen where the High Priest of God is sovereignly at work. Our High Priest ever watches over every truth of His Testament to fulfill all of it in us. He is the one and only mediator that speaks the Father’s will to us and fulfills the Father’s promises in us. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17)

The world is a trash dump compared to the life in Christ under His High Priesthood office. No promise can fail, no enemy can destroy, and no death can discourage for He is over all, when He is Lord of all. Whatever the world says or does, whatever happens in the perishing universe around us, always remember, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come…” (Hebrews 9:11a)