High Priestly Application of Atoning Sacrifice

I. Ministers the Benefits of Complete Atoning Sacrifice

1. SACRIFICE AND PRIESTHOOD BASIC THEMES. —These are our themes—Christ crucified for our sins, Christ risen from the dead, Christ our intercessor before God; and closely connected with these is the office work of the Holy Spirit. —Evangelism, p. 187.
2. MINISTERS BENEFITS OF ATONING SACRIFICE. —The great Sacrifice had been offered and had been accepted, and the Holy Spirit which de­scended on the day of Pentecost carried the minds of the disciples from the earthly sanc­tuary to the heavenly, where Jesus had entered by His own blood, to shed upon His disciples the benefits of His atonement—Early Writings, p. 260.
3. INTERCESSOR PLEADING EFFICACY OF BLOOD. —Our Saviour is in the sanctuary pleading in our behalf. He is our interceding High Priest, making an atoning sacrifice for us, pleading in our behalf the efficacy of His blood.—Funda­mentals of Christian Education, p. 370.
4. PURCHASED BY BLOOD, BUT KEPT BY INTER­CESSION.—Everyone who will break from the slavery and service of Satan, and will stand under the blood-stained banner of Prince Im­manuel, will be kept by Christ's intercessions. Christ, as our Mediator, at the right hand of the Father, ever keeps us in view, for it is as necessary that He should keep us by His inter­cessions as that He should redeem us with His blood. If He lets go His hold of us for one moment, Satan stands ready to destroy. Those purchased by His blood, He now keeps by His intercession.—Manuscript 73, 1893.
5. PLEADS EFFICACY OF HIS PARDONING BLOOD. —Thank God that He who spilled His blood for us, lives to plead it, lives to make intercession for every soul who receives Him. . . . We need to keep ever before us the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. That life-cleansing, life-sustaining blood, appropriated by living faith, is our hope. We need to grow in appreciation of its inestimable value, for it speaks for us only as we by faith claim its virtue, keeping the conscience clean and at peace with God. This is represented as ,the pardoning blood, inseparably connected with the resurrection and life of our Redeemer, illustrated by the ever-flowing stream that proceeds from the throne of God, the water of the river of life.—Letter 87, 1894.
6. ATONEMENT MADE EFFECTUAL BY PRIESTLY MEDIATION.—Christ died to make an atoning sacrifice for our sins. At the Father's right hand He is interceding for us as our High Priest. By the sacrifice of His life He purchased redemp­tion for us. His atonement is effectual for everyone who will humble himself, and receive Christ as his example in all things. If the Saviour had not given His life as a propitiation for our sins, the whole human family would have per­ished. They would have had no right to heaven. It is through His intercession that we, through faith, repentance, and conversion, are enabled to become partakers of the divine nature, and thus escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. —Manuscript 29, 1906.
7. HEAVENLY MEDIATION COMPLETES EARTHLY OFFERING.—This prayer [of John 17] is a les­son regarding the intercession that the Saviour would carry on within the veil, when His great sacrifice in behalf of men, the offering of Him­self, should have been completed. Our Mediator gave His disciples this illustration of His minis­tration in the heavenly sanctuary in behalf of all who will come to Him in meekness and humility, emptied of all selfishness, and believing in His power to save.—Manuscript 29, 1906 (SDA Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1145).

II. Ministry Applies and Completes Transaction of Cross

1. CHRIST'S MEDIATION AS ESSENTIAL AS HIS DEATH.—The intercession of Christ in man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, "whither the forerunner is for us entered." Hebrews 6:20. There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemp­tion. The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God.—The Great Controversy, p. 489.
2. ATONEMENT COMPLETED; BEGINS MEDIA­TORIAL Woax.—Christ's words on the moun­tainside were the announcement that His sacrifice in behalf of man was full and com­plete.The conditions of the atonement had been fulfilled; the work for which He came to this world had been accomplished. He had won the kingdom. He had wrested it from Satan, and had become heir of all things. He was on His way to the throne of God, to be honored by angels, principalities, and powers. He had en­tered upon His mediatorial work. Clothed with boundless authority, He gave His commission to the disciples, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."— Manuscript 138, 1897.
3. INTERCESSOR PLEADS EFFICACY OF SPILLED Blood.—Thank God that He who spilled His blood for us, lives to plead it, lives to make intercession for every soul who receives Him. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. It speaketh better things than the blood of Abel, for Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us. We need to keep ever before us the efficacy of the blood of Jesus.—Letter 87, 1894.
4. PRESENTS SHED BLOOD IN OUR BEHALF.—Jesus stands before the Father, con tinally offering a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He is the minister of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. The typical offerings of the Jewish tabernacle no longer possess any virtue. A daily and yearly atonement is no longer necessary. But because of the continual commission of sin, the atoning sacrifice of a heavenly Mediator is essential. Jesus, our great high priest, officiates for us in the presence of God, offering in our behalf His shed blood.—The Youth's Instructor, April 16, 1903.
5. INTERCESSION BASED ON PERFECT SACRIFICE. —By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded for the lost race. And now, not as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede for us, but as a conqueror claiming His victory. His offering is complete, and as our intercessor He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotless merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. Perfumed with the fragrance of His righteousness, these ascend to God as a sweet savor. The offering is wholly acceptable, and pardon covers all transgression. To the true believer Christ is indeed the minis­ter of the sanctuary, officiating for him in the sanctuary, and speaking through God's ap­pointed agencies.—The Signs of the Times, Feb. 14, 1900.
6. PLEADS AGELESS EFFICACY OF ATONING SACRIFICE.—In the courts above, Christ is plead­ing for His church—pleading for those for whom He has paid the redemption price of His blood. Centuries, ages, can never lessen the efficacy of His atoning sacrifice. Neither life nor death, height nor depth, can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus; not because we hold Him so firmly, but because He holds us so fast.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 552, 553.
7. JESUS MAKING INTERCESSORY ATONEMENT Now.—Jesus is our great High Priest in heaven. And what is He doing?—He is making interces­sion and atonement for His people who believe in Him.—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 37.

III. Sole Hope of Heaven

1.  SOLE CHANNEL OF FORGIVENESS.—God is approached through Jesus Christ, the Mediator, the only way through which He forgives sins. God cannot forgive sins at the expense of His justice, His holiness, and His truth. But He does forgive sins and that fully. There are no sins He will not forgive in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the sinner's only hope, and if he rests here in sincere faith, he is sure of pardon and that full and free. There is only one channel and that is accessible to all, and through that channel a rich and abundant for­giveness awaits the penitent, contrite soul and the darkest sins are forgiven. These lessons were taught to the chosen people of God thousands of years ago; repeated in various symbols and figures that the work of truth might be riveted in every heart, that without the shedding of blood there is no re­mission of sins.—Letter 12, 1892.
2. TITLE TO HEAVEN BASED ON CHRIST'S PER­FECTION.—Christ died for us, and receiving His perfection, we are entitled to heaven. To all who believe in Him, He gives power to become the sons of God. Because He lives, we shall live also. He is our Advocate in the courts above. This is our only hope.—Manuscript 29, 1906.
3. PLEDGES CLEANSING OF EVERY REPENTANT SouL.—By pledging His own life, Christ has made Himself responsible for every man and woman on the earth. He stands in the presence of God, saying, Father, I take upon myself the guilt of that soul. It means death to him if he is left to bear it. If he repents, he shall be for­given. My blood shall cleanse him from all sin. I gave my life for the sins of the world. If the transgressor of God's law will see in Christ his atoning sacrifice, if he will believe in him who can cleanse from all unrighteous­ness, Christ will not have died for him in vain. —The Review and Herald, Feb. 27, 1900.
4. DEPENDS ON CRUCIFIED CHRIST FOR WORTHI­NEss.—"In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things per­taining to God [mark the words], to make reconciliation for the sins of the people," through the atonement. The repenting sinner is to believe in Christ as his personal Saviour. This is his only hope. He may lay hold on the merits of the blood of Christ, presenting to God the crucified and risen Saviour as his worthiness. Thus through Christ's offering of Himself, the innocent for the guilty, every ob­struction is removed, and the pardoning love of God flows forth in rich streams of mercy to fallen man.—Letter 91, 1895.
5. CLOTHED WITH HIS PRIESTLY VESTMENTS. —As we acknowledge before God our apprecia­tion of Christ's merits, fragrance is given to our intercessions. Oh, who can value this great mercy and love. As we approach God through the virtue of Christ's merits, we are clothed with His priestly vestments. He places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite. He puts His merits, as sweet in­cense, in a censer in their hands, in order to encourage their petitions. He promises to hear and answer their supplications.—Letter 22, 1898.
6. FATHER RECOGNIZES REDEMPTIVE PRICE FOR HUMANITY.—Today He [Christ] is making an atonement for us before the Father. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Pointing to the palms of His hands, pierced by the fury and prejudice of wicked men, He says of us, "I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands" [Isa. 49:16]. The Father bows in recognition of the price paid for humanity, and the angels ap­proach the cross of Calvary with reverence. What a sacrifice is this! Who can fathom it! It will take the whole of eternity for man to understand the plan of redemption. It will open to him line upon line, here a little and there a little.—Manuscript 21, 1895.

IV. Christ Ministering in Heavenly Sanctuary

1. LIVING IN GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT.—We are in the great day of atonement, and the sacred work of Christ for the people of God that is going on at the present time [1882] in the heavenly sanctuary, should be our constant study.—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 520.
2. MILLIONS OF ANGELIC BEINGS ASSIST SAV­IOUR.-0 that all could behold our precious Saviour as He is, a Saviour. Let His hand draw aside the veil which conceals His glory from our eyes. It shows Him in His high and holy place. What do we see? Our Saviour, not in a position of silence and inactivity. He is sur­rounded with heavenly intelligences, cherubims and seraphims, ten thousand times ten thou­sand of angels. All these heavenly beings have one object above all others, in which they are intensely interested,—His church in a world of corruption.—Letter 89c, 1897.
3. MINISTERING ANGELS AID WEAKEST SAINT. —He is in His holy place, not in a state of solitude and grandeur, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand of heavenly beings who wait to do their Master's bidding. And He bids them go and work for the weakest saint who puts his trust in God. High and low, rich and poor, have the same help provided.—Letter 134, 1899.
4. MEDIATES FOR MAN BEFORE HEAVENLY ARK.—Do not place your influence against God's commandments. That law is just as Jeho­vah wrote it in the temple of heaven. Man may trample upon its copy here below, but the origi­nal is kept in the ark of God in heaven; and on the cover of this ark, right above that law, is the mercy seat. Jesus stands right there before that ark to mediate for man.—Manuscript 6a, 1886 (SDA Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1109).
5. HEAVENLY SANCTUARY A REALITY.—We all need to keep the subject of the sanctuary in mind. God forbid that the clatter of words coming from human lips should lessen the be­lief of our people in the truth that there is a sanctuary in heaven, and that a pattern of this sanctuary was once built on this earth. God de­sires His people to become familiar with this pattern, keeping ever before their minds the heavenly sanctuary, where God is all and in all. —Letter 233, 1904.
6. OFFERING OVER; PLEADS PARDON FOR CONTRITE—Jesus is Our Advocate, our High Priest, our Intercessor. Our position is like that of the Israelites on the day of Atonement. When the high priest entered the most holy place, representing the place where our High Priest is now pleading, and sprinkled the atoning blood upon the mercy seat, no propitiatory sacrifices were offered without. While the priest was in­terceding with God, every heart was to be bowed in contrition, pleading for the pardon of trans­gression.—The Signs of the Times, June 28, 1899.

V.       Second Phase of Priesthood Embraces Judgment

1. Two PHASES OF CHRIST'S COMPREHENSIVE PRIESTHOOD.—He fulfilled one phase of His priesthood by dying on the cross for the fallen race. He is now fulfilling another phase by pleading before the Father the case of the re­penting, believing sinner, presenting to God the offerings of His people. Having taken human nature and in this nature having overcome the temptations of the enemy, and having divine perfection, to Him has been committed the judgment of the world. The case of each one will be brought in review before Him. He will pronounce judgment, rendering to every man according to his works.—Manuscript 42, 1901.

VI.    Continual Atonement and Perpetual Intercession

1. CONTINUAL ATONEMENT; PERPETUAL INTER­CESSION.—The incense, ascending with the prayers of Israel, represents the merits and inter­cession of Christ, His perfect righteousness, which through faith is imputed to His people, and which can alone make the worship of sinful beings acceptable to God. Before the vail of the most holy place, was an altar of perpetual intercession, before the holy, an altar of contin­ual atonement. By blood and by incense, God was to be approached,—symbols pointing to the great Mediator, through whom sinners may approach Jehovah, and through whom alone mercy and salvation can be granted to the repentant, believing soul.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 353.
2. CONSTANT INTERCESSION OF CHRIST NEEDED. —In the service of the Jewish priesthood we are continually reminded of the sacrifice and intercession of Christ. All who come to Christ today are to remember that His merit is the incense that mingles with the prayers of those who repent of their sins and receive pardon and mercy and grace. Our need of Christ's intercession is constant.—Manuscript 14, 1901.

VII. Crucified One Both Mediator and Judge

1.  CHRIST BOTH JUDGE AND MEDIATOR.—By personal experience Christ is acquainted with the warfare which, since Adam's fall, has been constantly going on. How appropriate, then, for Him to be the judge. To Jesus, the Son of man, is committed all judgment. There is one media­tor between God and men. Only by Him can we enter the kingdom of heaven. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. From His decision there is no appeal. He is the Rock of ages, a rock rent on purpose that every tried, tempted soul may find a sure hiding place.—The Review and Herald, March 12, 1901.
2. CRUCIFIED ONE NOW JUDGE OF ALL.—"The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." "He bath given him authority to execute judgment also be­cause he is the Son of man." In His superadded humanity consists the reason of Christ's ap­pointment. God has committed all judgment unto the Son, for without controversy He is God manifest in the flesh. God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from eternal death; He whom men de­spised, rejected, and upon whom they heaped all the contempt of which human beings, in­spired by Satan, are capable; He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, and who suffered the ignominious death of the cross,—He alone is to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment. He who submitted to the suffering and humiliation of the cross here, in the counsel of God is to have the fullest compensation, and ascend the throne acknowl­edged by all the heavenly universe as the King of saints. He has undertaken the work of salva­tion, and shown before unfallen worlds and the heavenly family that the work He has begun He is able to complete. It is Christ who gives men the grace of repentance; His merits are accepted by the Father in behalf of every soul that will help to compose the family of God.

In that day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners will recognize in Him who was crucified the Judge of all living.—The Review and Herald, Nov. 22, 1898.