High Priestly Application of Atoning Sacrifice II

Wondrous Results of Christ's Priestly Mediation

1. INTERCESSION LINKED TO THRONE OF GOD. —The intercession of Christ is as a golden chain fastened to the throne of God. He has turned the merit of His sacrifice into prayer. Jesus prays, and by prayer succeeds.—Manuscript 8, 1892.
2. INCESSANT MINISTRY IN OUR BEHALF.—As our Mediator, Christ works incessantly. Whether men receive or reject Him, He works earnestly for them. He grants them life and light, striving by His Spirit to win them from Satan's service. And while the Saviour works, Satan also works, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, and with unflagging energy. But victory will never be his.—The Review and Herald, March 12, 1901.
3. ACCESS TO GOD PROVIDED BY MEDIATOR.—This Saviour was to be a mediator, to stand between the Most High and His people. Through this provision, a way was opened whereby the guilty sinner might find access to God through the mediation of another. The sinner could not come in his own person, with his guilt upon him, and with no greater merit than he possessed in himself. Christ alone could open the way, by making an offering equal to the demands of the divine law. He was perfect, and undefiled by sin. He was without spot or blemish.—The Review and Herald, Dec. 17, 1872.
4. MINISTRY KEEPS MAN FROM TRANSGRES­SION.—Christ is the Minister of the true taber­nacle, the High Priest of all who believe in Him as a personal Saviour; and His office no other can take. He is the High Priest of the church, and He has a work to do which no other can perform. By His grace He is able to keep every man from transgression.—The Signs of the Times, Feb. 14, 1900.
5. ATONEMENT AND INTERCESSION KEEP US STEADFAST.—Faith in the atonement and inter­cession of Christ will keep us steadfast and im­movable amid the temptations that press upon us in the church militant.—The Review and Herald, June 9, 1896.
6. PREPARES BELIEVERS TO STAND IN DAY OF Gon.—The great plan of redemption, as re­vealed in the closing work for these last days, should receive close examination. The scenes connected with the sanctuary above should make such an impression upon the minds and hearts of all that they may be able to impress others. All need to become more intelligent in regard to the work of the atonement, which is going on in the sanctuary above. When this grand truth is seen and understood, those who hold it will work in harmony with Christ to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, and their efforts will be successful.—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 575.
7. PROVIDES GRACES OF COVENANT FOR RE­PENTANT SINNERS.—Christ's priestly intercession is now going on in our behalf in the sanctuary above. But how few have a real understanding that our great High Priest presents before the Father His own blood, claiming for the sinner who receives Him as his personal Saviour all the graces which His covenant embraces as the reward of His sacrifice. This sacrifice made Him abundantly able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him, seeing He liveth to make intercession for them.—Manuscript 92, 1899.
8. RESTORES RACE TO FAVOR WITH GOD.—Christ as High Priest within the veil so im­mortalized Calvary, that though He liveth unto God, He dies continually to sin and thus if any man sin, he has an Advocate with the Father. He arose from the tomb enshrouded with a cloud of angels in wondrous power and glory,—the Deity and humanity combined. He took in His grasp the world over which Satan claimed to preside as his lawful territory, and by His won­derful work in giving His life, He restored the whole race of men to favor with God. The songs of triumph echoed and re-echoed through the worlds. Angel and archangel, cherubim and seraphim, sang the triumphant song at the amazing achievement.—Manuscript 50, 1900.
9. PREPARES SOULS TO REFLECT DIVINE IMAGE. —This is the great day of atonement, and our Advocate is standing before the Father, plead­ing as our Intercessor. In place of wrapping about us the garments of self-righteousness, we should be found daily humbling ourselves be­fore God, confessing our own individual sins, seeking the pardon of our transgressions, and cooperating with Christ in the work of prepar­ing our souls to reflect the divine image.—Manuscript 168, 1898 (SDA Commentary, vol. 7).
10. COMPLETE INTERCHANGE OF SIN IN RIGHT­EOUSNESS.—As our Mediator, Jesus was fully able to accomplish this work of redemption; but 0, at what a price! The sinless Son of God was condemned for the sin in which He had no part, in. order that the sinner, through re­pentance and faith, might be justified by the righteousness of Christ, in which he had no personal merit. The sins of every one who has lived upon the earth were laid upon Christ, testifying to the fact that no one need be a loser in the conflict with Satan. Provision has been made that all may lay hold of the strength of Him who will save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.

Christ receives upon Him the guilt of man's transgression, while He lays upon all who re­ceive Him by faith, who return to their alle­giance to God, His own spotless righteousness. —The Review and Herald, May 23, 1899.

1. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS SUFFUSES OUR PETI­TIONS.—He holds before the Father the censer of His own merits, in which there is no taint of earthly corruption. He gathers into this censer the prayers, the praise, and the confessions of His people, and with these He puts His own spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the merits of Christ's propitiation, the incense comes up before God wholly and entirely ac­ceptable. Then gracious answers are returned. . . . The fragrance of this righteousness ascends like a cloud around the mercy seat.—Manu­script 50, 1900 (SDA Commentary, vol. 6, on Rom. 8:26, 34).

II. Holy Spirit Joins in Mediation

1. INTERCESSION OF CHRIST AND HOLY—Jesus is officiating in the presence of God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a lamb slain. Jesus presents the oblation offered for every offense and every shortcoming of the sinner.

Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in man's behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and thanksgiving.—Manuscript 50, 1900 (SDA Com­mentary, vol. 6, on Rom. 8:26, 34).

2. ADVOCATE SENDS SPIRIT AS REPRESENTATIVE.--When Christ ascended to heaven, He as­cended as our advocate. We always have friend at court. And from on high Christ sends. His representative to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. The Holy Spirit gives the divine anointing to all who receive Christ—The Christian Educator, Aug., 1897, p. 22.

III. Christ Is Our Friend at Court

1. OUR ADVOCATE HAS NEVER LOST A CASE. —Our great High Priest is pleading before the mercy-seat in behalf of His ransomed people. . . . Satan stands at our right hand to accuse us, and our advocate stands at God's right hand to^-plead for us. He has never lost a case that has been committed to Him. We may trust in our advocate; for He pleads His own merits in our behalf.—The Review and Herald, Aug. 15, 1893.
2. MAY CLAIM CHRIST AS FRIEND AT COURT.—Christ glorified not Himself in being made High Priest. God gave Him His appointment to the priesthood. He was to be an example to all the human family. He qualified Himself to be, not only the representative of the race, but their Advocate, so that every soul if he will may say, I have a Friend at court. He is a High Priest that can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities—Manuscript 101, 1897.

IV. Christ's Mediation Embraces the Universe

1. PRIESTLY MEDIATION POTENTIALLY FOR ALL. —He has paid the ransom money for the whole world. All may be saved through Him. He will present those who believe on Him to God as loyal subjects of His kingdom. He will be their Mediator as well as their Redeemer.—Manu­script 41, 1896.
2. WAY OPENED TO BOTH JEW AND GENTILE, —When Christ died upon the cross of Calvary,. a new and living way was opened to both Jew and Gentile. The Saviour was henceforth to officiate as priest and advocate in the heaven of heavens. Henceforth the blood of beasts offered for sins was valueless, for the Lamb of God had died for the sins of the world.—Und. Manu­script 127.
3. IMMENSITY OF CHRIST'S MEDIATORIAL WORK. —The arm that raised the human family from the ruin which Satan has brought upon the race through his temptations, is the arm which has preserved the inhabitants of other worlds from sin. Every world throughout immensity engages the care and support of the Father and the Son; and this care is constantly exercised for fallen humanity. Christ is mediating in behalf of man, and the order of unseen worlds also is preserved by His mediatorial work. Are not these themes of sufficient magnitude and importance to engage our thoughts, and call forth our gratitude and adoration to God?—The Review and Herald, Jan. 11, 1881; Messages to Young People, p. 254.

V. Became Man that He might Become Mediator

1. ARMS ENCIRCLE BOTH HUMANITY AND DIVINITY.—Jesus became a man that He might mediate between man and God. He clothed His divinity with humanity, He associated with the human race, that with His long human arm He might encircle humanity, and with His divine arm grasp the throne of Divinity. And this, that He might restore to man the original mind which he lost in Eden through Satan's alluring temptation; that man might realize that it is for his present and eternal good to obey the requirements of God. Disobedience is not in accordance with the nature which God gave to man in Eden.—Letter 121, 1897.

2. NAIL-PIERCED ADVOCATE PLEADS OUR CAUSE. —The completeness of His humanity, the per­fection of His divinity, form for us a strong ground upon which we may be brought into rec­onciliation with God. It was when we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. We have re­demption through His blood, even the forgive­ness of sins. His nail-pierced hands are out­reached toward heaven and earth. With one hand He lays hold of sinners upon earth, and with the other He grasps the throne of the In­finite, and thus He makes reconciliation for us. Christ is today standing as our Advocate be­fore the Father, He is the one Mediator be­tween God and man. Bearing the marks of His crucifixion, He pleads the causes of our souls. —Letter 35, 1894.

VI. Heavenly Advocate Retains Human Nature Forever

1. TOOK "HOLY HUMANITY" TO HEAVENLY COURTS.—Christ ascended to heaven, bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One who has redeemed every human being in the city of God.—The Review and Herald, March 9, 1905.

2. HEAVENLY ADVOCATE RETAINS OUR NA­TURE.—By His appointment He [the Father] has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed with our nature. As our Intercessor, His office work is to introduce us to God as His sons and daugh­ters. Christ intercedes in behalf of those who have received Him. To them He gives power, by virtue of His own merits, to become mem­bers of the royal family, children of the heav­enly King.—Testimonies, vol. 6, pp. 363, 364.

3. SINLESS PROPITIATION Now OUR ADVOCATE. —It is our privilege to contemplate Jesus by faith, and see Him standing between humanity and the eternal throne. He is our Advocate, presenting our prayers and offerings as spiritual sacrifices to God. Jesus is the great, sinless propitiation, and through His merit, God and man may hold converse together. Christ has carried His humanity into eternity. He stands before God as the representative of our race.—The Youth's Instructor, Oct. 28, 1897.

4. RETAINS HUMAN NATURE AS PLEDGE FOR­EVER.—Jesus could give alone security to God; for He was equal with God. He alone could be a mediator between God and man; for He pos­sessed divinity and humanity. Jesus could thus give security to both parties for the fulfillment of the prescribed conditions. As the Son of God He gives security to God in our behalf, and as the eternal Word, as one equal with the Father, He assures us of the Father's love to us-ward who believe His pledged word. When God would assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, He gives His only begotten Son to be­come one of the human family,.forever to retain His human nature as a pledge that God will fulfil His word.—The Review and Herald, April 3, 1894.

5. RECONCILIATION ONLY THROUGH DIVINE-HUMAN MEDIATOR.—The reconciliation of man to God could be accomplished only through a mediator who was equal with God, possessed of attributes that would dignify, and declare Him worthy to treat with the Infinite God in man's behalf, and also represent God to a fallen world. Man's substitute and surety must have man's nature, a connection with the human family whom He was to represent, and, as God's ambassador, He must partake of the divine nature, have a connection with the Infinite, in order to manifest God to the world, and be a mediator between God and man.—The Review and Herald, Dec. 22, 1891.