“The Son is the radiance of God's
glory and the exact expression of His nature,
sustaining all things by His
powerful word. After making purification for sins,
He sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3 HCSB
Here we
have the final excerpts from chapter IV of our study of The Holiest of All by Andrew Murray. We begin:
That Christ as our Leader and Forerunner has rent asunder
the veil, and in the power of His blood has taken possession and secured access
into the Holiest of All does not mean only that we are to enter heaven when we
die.
The whole practical teaching of the Epistle is summed up and
applied in the one word: "We have boldness for entering in: let us draw
nigh: let us enter in." Christ seated on the throne in heaven means our
being actually brought, in the supernatural power which the coming down of the
Holy Spirit supplies, into God's holy presence, and living there our daily
life.
It was because the Hebrews did not know this, because they
had rested content with elementary truths about faith and conversion, and then
the life in heaven after death that they had so signally failed.
As we
finish with “The Theme” of our book, Mr. Murray is deeply concerned that the
Body of Christ does not understand the magnificence of all that Christ has made
available for us in this life. This is the whole purpose of my blog. This is where we find real
freedom in Christ. I want this for not only my family and myself but also each
of you.
Of all the
speakers I know of Mr. Murray is the most eloquent. His words are expressive,
persuasive, and moving. Here is the plea he made to us all over a century ago
from his book The Holiest of All
entitled “The Son – The Glory Of His Work” (emphasis mine):
The Church of our days is suffering from the same cause and
needs the same cure. It is so much easier to appropriate the work of Christ on
earth than that in heaven. It is so much easier to take in the doctrine of a
Substitute and atonement, of repentance and pardon, than of a High Priest
bringing us into God's presence, and keeping us in loving communion with Him.
It is not the blood-shedding upon earth only; it is the
blood-sprinkling in heaven, and the blood-sprinkling from heaven on heart and
conscience, that brings the power of the heavenly life unto us. And it is this
alone that makes us Christians, who not only seek to enter the gate, but who
daily press on in the living way that leads ever deeper into the Holiest.
Let no one think that I speak of what is too high. I speak
of what is your heritage and destiny. The same share you have in Jesus on the
cross, you have in Jesus on the throne. Be ready to sacrifice the earthly life
for the heavenly; to follow Christ fully in His separation from the world and
His surrender to God's will, and Christ in heaven will prove in you the reality
and the power of His heavenly priesthood.
Let the cleansing of sins be to you, as it was to Christ,
the entrance to the Holiest. He who effected the cleansing on earth, and
applies it in person from heaven, will assuredly lead you into all the fullness
of blessing it has opened up for Him and for you.
There are two sides from which we
can approach the higher truth of God's word as to holiness and likeness to
Jesus. The one is the desire to know all Scripture truthfully, and to have our
system of doctrine complete and perfect.
The other is the deep, intense longing to be made free from sin, as free as God
can make us in this life. It is only from this side that real access will be
given into the heavenly life of Christ.
Selah.
