It Shall Be Perfect to be
Accepted
Leviticus 22:21
And whosoever offereth a
sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted;
there shall be no blemish therein.
The peace offering and the
freewill offering were intended to show gratitude for the after effect, of the
burnt offering, which was intended to cover sin for a season, this Old
Testament offering, with all the ceremonial offerings of the law of Moses, was
a shadow, or picture of the true offering which made an end of sins forever
(Daniel 9:24). All these sacrifices pictured the one offering of Jesus Christ
Himself, in the room and stead of His people, that offering of Christ made
complete peace with God by putting away the sins of His people forever (Hebrews
10:1-5; 9:26). His offering reconciled God (II Corinthians 5:18-19). It is
written: “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to
reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I
say, whether they be things in
earth, or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:20). And because of that one
offering only once offered, God is called the God of peace (Hebrews 13:20). In
the burnt sacrifice, all the parts of the victim were burned, except for the
blood, which was scattered about the alter of burnt offering and on its sides
in large quantities (Leviticus 1:8-9). In burning the body of the slain victim,
the smoke of the sacrifice went upward, symbolic of a sweet savor of Christ
ascending to God making peace, through the blood of His cross.
The life is in the blood
(Leviticus 17:11), when the blood was brought in one of the vessels of the
tabernacle, it was a demonstration that life had been forfeited for sin. Which
made satisfaction to the law of God for sin. God will have death for sin,
(Ezekiel 18:4) either the death of the sinner or a suitable substitute, Jesus
Christ is that substitute which is without spot, or blemish, or any such thing,
the substitute must be perfect. Therefore the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, must
be Surety, Great High Priest, Savior, and Mediator for the children of God.
Christ Jesus stood in the place of His people before the justice of God, and
answered it’s demands for them. He was the perfect sacrifice, who alone could satisfy
God as a Surety and Substitute for the people who God had given Him in eternity
past.
Christ Jesus is the Lamb of God
who took away the sin of world by one offering (Hebrews 10:14). John the
Baptist said: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
(John 1:29) Christ Jesus finished that work, He did not finish that work, if,
men will believe and repent. Christ Jesus absolutely took away the sin of the
world of His elect; and all who are of that world, whose sin Christ Jesus took
away, are made willing to believe and repent because they are the house and
city of God (Hebrews 3:6; 12:22-24; Revelation 21:9-10; I Peter 2:5; Ephesians
2:20-22). These members of the body of
Christ are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit, and it
is written of them: “That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every win of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lay in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body
fitly joined together and compacted by that which ever joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians
4:14-16).
Perfection in righteousness, and
perfection in holiness, is the standard by which judgment will be given at the
judgment seat of Christ. For, God “hath appointed a day, in which he will judge
the world in righteousness by that
man whom he hath ordained; whereof he
hath given assurance unto all men, in
that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31) Jesus Christ the God-Man
is the standard of judgment and also the Judge (John 5:22; II Corinthians 5:10)
nothing and no one will be accepted of Him in that great and terrible day of
the Lord (Joel 2:31) except that which is found perfect in His sight.
Every son of Adam has an
indwelling principle of sin; both regenerate and unregenerate (Romans 7:23)
therefore as far as our offerings to God are concerned, in the case of the
regenerate, if those offerings are the fruit of the operation of the Holy
Spirit they are accepted in the Mediation of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians
3:11-13). In the case of the religious unregenerate, they are a stink of the
filthiness of sin. Only those who are in Jesus Christ: First by the electing
love of God, Second by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, and Third by the
effectual call of God the Holy Ghost, only these, are perfected by the one
offering which Christ Jesus the God-Man made in His official capacity of
Mediator of the everlasting covenant of grace.
Only those who are the chosen of God “from among men” (Revelation 14:4)
have been, from eternity “accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Being
joined to Him in covenant union from everlasting, (I Corinthians 6:17) and
therein crucified with Him (Galatians 2:20), buried with Him (Colossians 2:12),
risen with Him (Colossians 2:12-13; 3:1), and ascended with Him to glory
(Ephesians 2:6). “For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are
sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14). All that Jesus of Nazareth did in His life and
death on this earth was as the representative Man and Mediator (Romans 5:14; I
Corinthians 15:22,45; Hebrews 7:9-10), the Head of the church of God; and in
secret union with His body (the church of God) from everlasting. The Christ of
God accomplished His work, “not for
Himself” as it is written: “And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah
be cut off, but not for himself:” at the time appointed of the Father, Jesus of
Nazareth the Messiah of Israel was crucified but “not for Himself:” He died
because all His seed who were in Him, were under the sentence of death in the
first Adam. And when Messiah was cut off, He died with all His members (I
Corinthians 12:27) in Him, according to that secret covenant union established
by God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in eternity past (Titus 1:1; Genesis
7:17; II Samuel 23:5; Proverbs 8:22-31; Hebrews 2:16). Christ Jesus
accomplished, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session at the right
hand of God, with all His members in Him, and He did it for them, in their room
and stead, that is, Jesus Christ saved His people from their sins, having by
Himself purged their sins (Hebrews 1:3).
Any attempted additions to this work shows that the person who attempts
it, has not known Christ, nor the Father, and has not been the object of
sanctification of the Spirit, in short that person has no part in the covenant
of grace, at least not manifested at that point in time.
Reader, has your Christ
accomplished all this, or has your Christ only made it possible that you could
be saved if you, by an act of your own, are willing to believe and repent? Has
your Christ saved, or has he made it possible that you could be saved? Has your
Christ saved His people from their sins, or has he only made men savable?
Reader, there is a vast difference, either Christ Jesus saves His people
completely, by representing them in all His finished work, or all men without
exception must perish to all eternity. Who is your Christ? Is the Christ of
Holy Scripture who has by Himself saved His people from their sins your Christ,
or is your Christ the Christ who has done all he can do and the rest is your
responsibility? Reader, your soul hangs on your answer to this question, is
Christ Jesus the Savior, or is Christ Jesus only a partial savior, who needs
your help to finish the work? From the cross Christ Jesus declared it finished,
what is your declaration? Did Jesus of Nazareth save His people from their
sins, (Matthew 1:21) or did He begin the work and then leave something that you
must do, you, whose best works are filthy rags in the sight of God. (Isaiah
64:6). Do you trust yourself, your
works, your decisions, or will you declare these things imperfect, because they
come from you who, drink iniquity like water (Job 15:16). The true Israel of
God, with the Apostle Paul make this declaration: “For we are the circumcision,
which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3).
AJ Ison
See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com Hear
the true gospel of the free and sovereign grace of God in Christ Jesus preached
at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting
live at listed service times.
