His Works, Not Our Works

Our pastor finished out the passage on Hebrews 5 this week dealing with Christ as our mediator, with this last segment dealing with the perfect nature of Christ.

The sermon focused on verses 8-10:

8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Pastor David first pointed out in earlier verses in how Christ was heard in His prayers to God because of His reverence--and this is not a manner of prayer so much as it is His status before God as co-equal since the beginning. Jesus was, is and is to come. We cannot have such a status before God or even a manner of reverence as Christ had--we must rely on His reverence.

Moving on to verse 8, some readers may be struck by the fact that Christ learned through obedience. Some may say, "hey, I thought Christ was perfect!" This learning may imply that he made "mistakes" or fell short somehow so that he had to learn, but we have to remember that Christ was sent to suffer and die for us--that was His calling, to proclaim His Gospel and die for our sins. He "learned" obedience by submitting His will to the Father in His suffering--in the Garden of Gethsemene, what does He say? And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (see Matt. 26:39)

He learned obedience in His suffering, learning submission through the experience--Pastor David rightly pointed out that there are even instances that we as Christians learn in a similar way in our suffering which does not result from sin but is the bitter providence that God has ordained for us. And this suffering that Christ endured, in his full humanity, was necessary for Him to be our "sympathetic" high priest.

In all this, verse 9 emphasizes the consequence of this--that Christ being made perfect, without blemish, is the source for eternal salvation for all who believe. Why? Because He is sacrificed on the Cross once and for all for the sins of those who would believe--His righteousness is imputed, credited to us; while all of our sin was bore by him. He hung on the Cross and endured the wrath of God that was poured out for the sins that believers committed and ever will commit.

The Cross signifies the last sacrifice needed--because Christ was both the priest offering the sacrifice and the sacrifice itself! He is prophet, priest, King and Savior!

He lowered Himself in coming to Earth and dying for us, denying Himself, His glory, His crown and power, to give us life and life everlasting. And in the end, the Father glorified Him, with Christ victorious over death.

And this is why it is not improper to say we are saved by works--but it is Christ's works, not our works. It is the same to say that God in no way lessened His demand for perfection under His law--but in sending His Son, He provided a way to uphold His holiness and power and yet guarantee salvation for His elect. Praise God!

I will close with an excerpt from Charles Spurgeon that was my daily reading this morning:

Jesus, the Redeemer, is altogether ours and ours for ever. All the offices of Christ are held on our behalf. He is king for us, priest for us, and prophet for us. Whenever we read a new title of the Redeemer, let us appropriate him as ours under that name as much as under any other. The shepherd's staff, the father's rod, the captain's sword, the priest's mitre, the prince's sceptre, the prophet's mantle, all are ours. Jesus hath no dignity which he will not employ for our exaltation, and no prerogative which he will not exercise for our defence. His fulness of Godhead is our unfailing, inexhaustible treasure-house.

His manhood also, which he took upon him for us, is ours in all its perfection.
To us our gracious Lord communicates the spotless virtue of a stainless character; to us he gives the meritorious efficacy of a devoted life; on us he bestows the reward procured by obedient submission and incessant service. He makes the unsullied garment of his life our covering beauty; the glittering virtues of his character our ornaments and jewels; and the superhuman meekness of his death our boast and glory. He bequeaths us his manger, from which to learn how God came down to man; and his Cross to teach us how man may go up to God. All his thoughts, emotions, actions, utterances, miracles, and intercessions, were for us. He trod the road of sorrow on our behalf, and hath made over to us as his heavenly legacy the full results of all the labours of his life. He is now as much ours as heretofore; and he blushes not to acknowledge himself "our Lord Jesus Christ," though he is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Christ everywhere and every way is our Christ, for ever and ever most richly to enjoy. O my soul, by the power of the Holy Spirit! call him this morning, "thy Redeemer. "

Glory today in your Redeemer!