"AVENUES OF GRACE"
From the beginning of the Hebrews recorded history there has always been a priest unto God. From Melchizedec, who ministered during the first years of Hebrew history, to the priesthood of the Christian believer at the present time, God has always had His representatives on earth providing "avenues of grace" for those to whom they ministered.
This Melchizedec is a very interesting character. He was the forerunner or type that our Lord Jesus would take on in His ministry as The Great High Priest of all ages. "Thou art a priest after the order of Melchizedec".
God pronounced this to the Lord Jesus in Psalm 110, the Psalm of The Priest/King, regarded by many to be the pinnacle of the Psalter. It is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament quoted directly by our Lord when He stopped the mouths of the Pharisees.
In the process He proved to all of the nay saying critics of our time, proving that this Psalm is an authentic Psalm authored by David. This usage of Psalm 110 by our Lord also adds unparalleled credibility to the accuracy of the Old Testament narrative in Genesis 14:18-20.
Hebrews chapter seven also records this significant ministry, the priesthood of Melchizedec. He
"Met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him. To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abides a priest continually."(Hebrews 7:1-3).
The Scripture goes on to further emphasize the greatness of this mystical man, as he received tithes of Abraham and additionally of Levi himself as he was represented physically and spiritually in the loins of Abraham!
In contrast to the Levitical priesthood, the Priesthood of Christ which is after the order of Melchizedec is far superior. The Levitical priesthood was based on genealogy, it was weak and unprofitable, it had a succession of many priests, it was only for one nation, the high priest had to offer for his own sins, and it did not provide for a clean conscience.
The Priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ is based on the power of God, the power of His Blood is most capable, strong and profitable, only One Priest is necessary, His Priesthood is for all people/nations, our Priest the Lord Jesus Christ is sinless, and His Blood does have the ability to cleanse consciences.
His offering Himself "without spot to God", "once in the end of the world...to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself...to bear the sins of many" is the great foundation Stone upon which we rest. The price has been paid, the Sacrifice has been given, our sins are forever under the Blood of our Saviour, this Great High Priest unto God, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Although these facts are very important to the believer, there is much more on this subject of the priesthood, and specifically the subject of the priesthood of the believer. Our Lord Jesus, when He opened up the way into the presence of God for all His people, established a new priesthood, a "royal priesthood”… a "kingdom of priests", made up of each and every person that experiences the new birth through faith in His Blood.
Yes, every person that is "born again the Bible way" and becomes a member of God’s kingdom, is given the privilege and authority to minister to God and man at the very Throne of Heaven! He automatically becomes a king/priest unto God!
God announced through Moses to the whole nation of Israel, at the foot of Mount Sinai, during their first encounter with Him as a gathered nation to hear His Word, that they would be a "kingdom of priests" if they kept the conditional command to "keep My covenant". But, they did not! (Exodus 19:1ff)
It was not until our Great High Priest/King the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, and offered up Himself for our transgessions against the Law, did God again announce by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter, that there would again be a "royal priesthood" (I Peter 2:9), a "kingdom of priests" (Revelation 5:10) as the Apostle John also penned.
Here then lies the basis for us as "Born again the Bible way" Christians to claim our great, no not just great, but it is our high and holy calling, to serve the Glorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords in this consecrated capacity!!
This calling is unique, in that it can be filled by each and every believer. It is within this calling that we find our esteem, God’s esteem. The value He places on His king/priests unto God cannot be estimated! He loves us and gave Himself for us, so that we could minister to Him in this far too significant office of the King to just be called "great".
Why make such a fuss out of this one simple Bible truth? Because the priesthood and the "Avenues of Grace" it supplies are the missing ingredients we need to revive our spiritual lives, they are the missing ingredients we must apply to revive the lives of others through intercessory prayer, they are the missing ingredients necessary for the revival of our local church, our local community, our own country! (II Chronicles 7:14).
Without this work of the priest unto God, His Hands are literally tied without His instruments, His "Avenues of Grace", His king/priests, the ones He has called into this powerful ministry, those that provide Spiritual roadways for His power, His precious Holy Spirit to work in the lives of the saved and lost alike!
Yes, it is important, to have the privilege of spending quality time at the Throne of the King! It is an awe-inspiring duty we as His chosen saints have, to receive from Him the orders for the days march into the battlefields of the world where all authority is His, where His Plan is being worked out through His king/priests, receiving directions from Him as to who to pray for and when, and why, moment by moment communion with the King! What could be better?
Yes, it’s important, because it’s an INCREDIBLY important job to God! His only Son died to fulfill His calling as the Supreme Sacrifice, becoming our Great High Priest in the process! He was the only one Who could satisfy the righteous demands of His Father, in order to atone, or pay the price for our sin debt, and the sins of all generations past!
He, the Lord Jesus Christ was the only one Who was an Acceptable Sacrifice, that would fulfill all the requirements of God’s Holy Character and all It’s demands in dealing with the sin of mankind! It was at the Throne of Heaven where the God Man Jesus offered Himself for the penalty of our sin. And, this is where we as king/priests establish our daily relationship with Him, at the Throne!
At the Throne it is easy, better say easier, to "die to self", to "keep our bodies under", to "crucify the flesh"! Yes at the Throne everything becomes "easier" for we literally receive His strength, His power by the Holy Spirit through faith, to tackle each days "battle orders" and then "arise" and go on for Him!
Yes at the Throne of Grace, the Lord lets us in on His Plan for our day, so that we might minister to Him with an all encompassing effectiveness, executing His desires and not our own. It is at this same Throne, where we receive mercy for our past failures, and grace for our coming days orders.
It is at the Throne where we call upon God and He sets up our Divine Appointments as it were for the day we are about to enter! As king/priests unto God what more could we ask? So, as in all Spiritual work for the Lord, we as priests unto God must meditate on our calling, putting ourselves in the right frame of mind, recognizing the all important task we have been called to fulfill, for there are jobs that we alone can fill, requests that we alone have just the right capacity to meet the Lord’s needs, in each specific area He gives us to minister His grace.
Just think of all the lost opportunities we have passed by in the years since we were saved. Better yet, think of all the furture opportunities the Lord will give us, if only we are prepared to meet them. Preparation! To some of us who might be consumed with the "real quick" syndrome, also known as the "rush,rush malady", preparation can be an "eleven letter word".
Yes, being a disciple of the King takes daily painstaking preparation! But we must recognize the painstaking preparation made by our Lord as He entered into the Holiest, with His Own Blood, to come before the God of Heaven with His Holy Sacrifice! Our sacrifices must also be determined by the Lord, if we are to please Him Who rules all eternity! You might be saying "What is this, some legalistic, Old Testament jargon?"
No, the Bible has complete instructions for us as believers, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God, preparing us to enter His Throneroom:
1. The sacrifice of righteousness (Psalm 4:5, 51:19) Our righteousness must
be found in Christ, not "works of righteousness which have done"
2. The sacrifice of joy (Psalm 27:6) Our joy will then also be found in Christ
(Romans 5:11)
3. The sacrifice of a broken spirit (Psalm 51:17) Humility must be present,
in the presence of the King
4. The sacrifice of thanksgiving (Psalm 50:14, Hebrews 13:15) "In everything
give thanks"
5. The sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15) Continual Exaltation of the King
6. The sacrifice of doing good (Hebrews 13:16) Actions of Kindness
7. The sacrifice of communicating (Hebrews 13:16, Philippians 4:8) Giving,
Sharing in Attitude/Actions
8. The sacrifice of uplifted hands (Psalm 141:2, I Timothy 2:8) Blessing
the God of Heaven in Solitary Worship
9. The sacrifice of the body (Romans 12:1) The Reasonable Sacrifice
10. The sacrifice of martyrdom (Philippians 2:17, II Timothy 4:6) The Only
Privileged Sacrifice
Some of these sacrifices can only be performed once during the believer’s walk with the Lord. However, many of these are daily "rituals", and must be included in our "dying daily" battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil!
If not daily, it would do us good to remember just how our righteousness was "bought" with the Precious Blood of Christ! Reviewing our testimony and what the Lord has done in our lives will never "block the door" to the Throne-room of our Sovereign!
As a matter of fact, it might be the only way into "the Holiest" for some of us!
Remembering His great, all encompassing love, and the overpowering grip our sin had on us before we were saved could well bring us into His presence once again, at the foot of the Cross! (Romans 2:4b)
This vision of our Lord in His darkest hour, suffering for my sin, always seems to bring me to repentance, breaking my spirit, causing me to rejoice in Him, knowing His righteousness is mine, blessing the God of Heaven for His mercy to me, by sending Christ to die for my sin! It is from this position that we go on to fulfill the other Spiritual Sacrifices listed above.
These sacrifices precede our entering in to commune with God at His Throne. The putting on of His armor, found in Ephesians 6:10-18 must follow after this time of worship and instruction giving by the Lord.
The putting on of the Armor of God is in essence, the putting on of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are commanded to "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision to fulfill the lusts thereof"(Romans 13:14). This positive side of our daily entrance into the battlefield is a must if we are to "get the victory" for Him!
These multiple "put-ons" we are commanded to do,"put on the Lord Jesus Christ", "put on the whole Armor of God", "put on the new man" can be accomplished by the Spirit through the Word.
Yes, faith is the victory and the avenue by which we must apply this Armor of God, by faith putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, putting off the old man and putting on the new, allowing the Lord to walk within us, as He clothes our earthly "tabernacles", we put on His Heavenly Tabernacle, giving Him the opportunity to accomplish the supernatural work through us that only He can perform! Gideon in his supernatural encounter with the God of Heaven was literally clothed by the "Spirit of the Lord"
(Judges 6:34)
These seemingly complex and mystical Truths,"put off...put on" will become a "faith reality" when we allow the Word of God to saturate our entire being, building the simple faith required to believe the simple commands our Lord has given to us, allowing Him to do the work, while all we do is simply obey His voice and expect Him to do the rest!
This simple childlike expectation is what faith is made of! "The substance of things hoped for...", hope is expecting God to do what He said He would! Just like David, who with reverential boldness, expected God to "do as Thou hast said" (II Samuel 7:25).
This kind of attitude concerning God’s promises on our behalf will not only bless the heart of God, but it will cause our faith to grow in leaps and bounds. (To find the results of David’s attitude of boldness in prayer read II Chronicles 6:1-17, the reply of Solomon his son, as he too reviews and expects God to continue to fulfill His Promises to his father David).
This attitude of boldness, we as king/priests unto God must have as we enter into the Throne-room of the God of Heaven. Remembering our access into the Holiest was made possible by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when He suffered and died shedding His Blood on the Cross of Calvary!
Our boldness to enter must be based on this most momentous event in the history of man! What an event! The most spectacular, awe-inspiring event in the history of the world! The very first thing to occur at the point of our Lord’s death was the rending of the veil in the temple, opening up the way for us into the Holiest! Can you see it? Outside the city on Calvary’s hill Jesus cries "It is finished!"
Immediately the veil in the temple is rent, torn from top to bottom, a thick multi-layered curtain made of animal skins, was supernaturally torn open breaking down the "wall of partition", opening up the way for all who knew Him as personal Lord and Saviour, and all of the saints to come, the great company of priests who would follow for the next two millennia!
Imagine this scene with me, you are the Roman centurion, It’s totally dark, it has been dark now for almost three hours, the sun has supernaturally been kept from shining, there is this Man hanging there on the Cross, Who it is claimed by many to be the King of the Jews, as a matter of fact there is a sign saying this very thing in three different languages! There must be something to it?
And now He cries out, giving up the ghost, commending His spirit to His Father, and the earth shudders and quakes with a great convulsion, graves are opened, there are "dead men" walking, making their way into Jerusalem, the city of God, and you, a Roman soldier witnessing all of these supernatural phenomena, are being overtaken with these literal earth shaking events exclaim:
"Truly, this was the Son of God". You have now truly seen with the heart, the True Light, and you are miraculously saved! What a testimony!
All of these amazing occurrences have unfolded in the Holy Plan of God, His Only Son has just died for the sin of the whole world, your sin, He was the Only Perfect Man, He died in your place, His death provides you with eternal life in heaven, instead of the fiery torture of an eternal hell!
You are now no longer just a centurion in the Roman army. You have become in an instant a true soldier of the Cross, and beside all this, you have been called to serve Him as a King/Priest in your own right, yes, you now can serve this Great King of Kings, your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Also, included in this miraculous transaction are all of the other benefits of His Magnificent Work on the Cross! You now can have victory over sin in your life today! Because He lives! He’s alive! He is risen! This was the greeting used by the early Christians, and His resurrection and exaltation at the Right Hand of the Father, supplies you with unparalleled, unprecedented, spirtitual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. What a Saviour!
The major blessing we have received is our calling into the priesthood of the believer, providing us with access to the Father by the Holy Spirit! For it is this blessing from God to us that was immediately evident at the death of His Dear Son! The rending of the veil, the outward symbol of a magnificent Spiritual event, access to the King for all who believe, access to the One Who controls the universe!
Oh, yes, this has got to be one of the most significant if not THE most significant blessings we have received from our Lord Jesus. He provided us with the office of priest/king, the office formally held by, Melchizedec the King of Salem, Priest of the Most High God, the only one in Biblical history to be a priest/king, until our Lord Jesus Christ was seated at the Right Hand of the Father!
This is truly a marvelous privilege, for us, as mortal men, to be ordained, placed into the ministry, called into an office that can only be fulfilled by us, whereby we can earn, through this same type of kingly/priestly ministry to the Lord and men, unsurpassed eternal rewards! It’s no wonder this caused "such a fuss"!
Yes, the "fuss" in the spiritual kingdom of darkness definitely reached epic proportions, when the old "dragon" learned that his best laid plans to put to "death" the Son of God succeeded", but the deceiver himself was deceived!
He played right into the Hand of the One Who holds the world together. I’m sure there was open bedlam in the halls of Hades when Satan found out there would now be a company of armed soldiers, a multitude of king/priests unto God, called out of the "mixed multitude", orderly marching in rank to the drummer of the King!
Can you see it? Mortal men armed with all of God’s weapons of warfare, felling the spiritual giants, as David of old, that once held them captive! Bringing them into captivity, each single enemy, bringing them into submission through the authority of the King to the obedience of Christ!
But, look again, these mortals are not just capturing their own enemies, they are also giving support, on the left flank and the right, in the battlefields of others who were held captive by him at his own will! Glory to God!
Can what I’m seeing be true! Yes, I believe it is, I’ve experienced this spiritual comradary myself! That’s right, without the ones who have opened up the avenues of victory for me, I would be well nigh hopeless! Hallelujah what a Saviour!
So, it’s time for us to put on our priestly garments, let us enter into the Tabernacle made without hands, Yes, let us offer the Spiritual sacrifices to the God of Heaven through the Lord Jesus Christ Who Alone is worthy!
Let us recognize the "real world" significance of our ministry to the Lord, showing His compassion to those who have not heard the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...But, before we speak His Word to others let us be sure the "avenues of grace" have been paved with our work of intercessory prayer, giving God the opportunity to begin working on His behalf in the lives of others.
If my own wife, and my own brothers, and my own mother, would have given up on the "Wolfeman" and had not earnestly prayed for me to be saved, I would be just finishing up my 29th year in hell!! That’s right, it is about twenty-nine years ago that I was saved by His grace while reading His precious Word! Just a short time before, I was overcome by drugs and alcohol. Suicide seemed like my only way out of this "world".
But God, through these "avenues of grace" paved by those who loved me and interceded for my soul, reached down from His Throne-room in Heaven, and spoke to my heart. "Jesus loves you" are the three simple words I heard, I had sung them as a child, my mother did what she could to raise me right, so Jesus loves me, were three words I knew were true, and now, the fifteenth verse of the Gospel of John underlined this vital truth I had learned as a child.
And God’s still small voice said "Jesus loves you!" My heart was flooded with joy unspeakable! Laughter mingled with my tears of repentance as I realized Jesus was the answer to the plight of my soul, but let us remember, it was all through His "avenues of grace" that God had worked His marvelous work of grace in my heart! YOU can be an "avenue" too.
Won’t YOU, right now, pray to the Lord, committing yourself to this one goal, interceding for those who are "closest to hell" as a notable evangelist of yesteryear always prayed. Plead with God, to bring them into the Kingdom of His Dear Son?
And then let Him lead YOU, and guide YOU, as YOU witness for Him. It could be YOU are the only one, the only one who has access to the Throne of the King of Heaven, YOU could be the only "avenue of grace" for these poor lost souls to enter the "Free Way" to heaven!
Will YOU take this simple challenge from the Word of God? Will YOU step by step by faith through memory and meditation on God’s Word begin to prepare your heart to walk with the Lord and enter into the Throne-room of God so that YOU can fulfill your primary calling, your ministry to Him?
Will YOU fulfill this high and holy calling given to YOU when you were saved from sin, death, and hell? If YOU will, YOU will be on God’s list of saints who recognize their duty to not only minister to Him, but to those He sends your way.
Those Divine Appointments! Those who need YOU to minister to their lost souls! Those who need YOU to minister to their hurting souls! If YOU say yes to Him, YOU will receive the "crown of rejoicing" from the King, YOU will also be on His list of king/priests who will have part in the first resurrection, the second death having no power over YOU, as YOU reign with the Lord for a thousand years! (Revelation 20:6)
