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Brother Andy has already Begun the conversation tonight on the subject of Christ as mediator and. So my goal is to simply as he said dig a little deeper into what the confession says about that. He is already explained a mediator is one who goes between.
Now mediator is usually intended to resolve a dispute. That's something to sort of think about as I was writing down a few thoughts preparing my lesson. One of the most dangerous things that people can think is that they have the right to go to God on their own without a mediator and How many people do you know that think that?
Well, God will accept me just the way that I am. I don't need Anyone to stand in the gap as brother Andy said, I don't need anyone to to exercise a mediator relationship between God and I. And in the passage that came to me as I was preparing this and I got to thinking about scripture was Exodus 33 verse 20 You don't have to turn there.
But if you probably remember this when Moses was on the mountain and God said to him You cannot see my face for no man shall see me. And what? Live. Now, why would God? Make such a proclamation. Well because it's true.
That's the simple side of it. God says that because it's true. But he's also saying something about the divide between he and us. No, man shall look upon me and live and I realize there are some Places where the scripture seems to be at conflict because I mean Abraham Spoke to God and ate with God and Adam walked with God the garden.
And so there are times where people seem to say well, what about this? God was with this person. I believe in my heart of hearts and I think I said this Sunday that every time we see God in his in a human form what we would call a theophany.
I believe that is actually a Christophany. I believe Christ is the one who is there. In fact, I think the the incident with Moses Stands as really this the the one lone time where the that God says no one can see me.
I think he's referring in that sense to the father. Because in that sense there is he doesn't show himself. He shows the hinder parts and we could talk another time about what that means. But the point of it is God in his fullness.
God in his glory cannot be seen by us. We need the mediator we need someone to go between if we were to Have a glimpse of the glory of God as Isaiah did in Isaiah chapter 6, what did he do? He said woe is me.
For I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among the people of unclean lips for I am Undone. I just that phrase I am undone. Woe is me. So Just that passage in Exodus 33, you know, no one can see God.
So so that tells us right there the need of a mediator. It gives us the idea someone if we're going to get to God it won't be on our own. It won't be by our own laurels. It won't be pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps and the Bible goes to great lengths.
To remind us that Christ is the only mediator between God and man now. We are going to read the confessional statements. But I want to make a few preliminary statements before we do brother Andy already read first Timothy 2 5.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus but there's another passage that I think is. It doesn't say that but it says it in a different way and actually talked about it today because today I did a funeral.
I do funerals a lot as you know, I did a funeral today for a family this morning. I got got the call yesterday. Can you do the funeral today? So it was it was a quick turnaround. As and so I went in this morning very you know.
Not unprepared but just having had to stay up late to prepare walk in and I and I and I and I read this verse. I am the way the truth and the life. No, man comes to the Father except how? Through me. That is another statement of Christ's mediator Relationship with us.
No one comes to the Father except through me. I am the Avenue. I am the way I am the door of the sheep. No one comes in. Anyone who comes in another way is a thief and a robber. Jesus said right I am the only way in fact, this is one of my and I know you not I Don't I don't mean to be hard on the Catholics but For a moment, I just want to reference one of the main Concerns I have with Roman Catholicism and and honestly as I was thinking about the confession I can't help but to be reminded that this confession is only 140 years not even 140 years, you know 120 years after the The beginning of the process of Reformation 1517 Martin Luther, you know.
If if we count that as the start of the Protestant Reformation, you know this this confession 1646 this is only 120 some odd years later and so the the idea of Christ being the only mediator I Think there's a lot.
I was wondering why so much stress on this. Well think about what the church is what is the Reformation come out of it's come out of a a false view of Christ as the priest is the mediator with Christ and Mary is the mediator with Christ and and the Pope is the mediator with Christ and I Just had to do it.
I looked up today. Just a few little quotes. Here's here's one on Mary. This is from the Catholic Catechism Paragraph nine six nine if you want to check up on my scholarship, and this is what it says regarding Mary.
Mary's motherhood with regard to the church. Actually, that's the title Mary's motherhood with regard to the church and this is the this is the statement in the Catechism quote this motherhood of Mary and the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation in which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect Taken up to heaven.
She did not lay aside the saving office her her office is a saving office. But by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. Therefore the Blessed Virgin Virgin is invoked in the church under the titles of advocate Helper Benefactress Mediatrix.
That is four titles given to Mary in Roman Catholic Produced literature. This is not something in a book from you know some random author. This is in the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church. She has four titles advocate and helper.
Those are two titles given to the Holy Spirit Benefactress and mediatrix benefactor. One who blesses mediatrix one who mediates Trinity. Yeah, well, it's I think yeah, yeah. Well, it's funny you say that because the other title that's not in this statement the other title that's been given to her is Co-redemptrix.
Co-redemptrix is actually from Pope Leo the eighth encyclical entitled Lacuna Semper Expect Expectation, I think I'm saying that correctly and he dedicated to the rosary these words quote in the rosary all.
The part that Mary took as our co-redemptrix comes to us such teaching about Mary is without biblical warrant and it borders on idolatry if not is Idolatry, but this goes also to the priests. Not just to Mary herself a Catholic priest according to the Society of st Pius the 10th quote Catholic priests serve primarily as mediators between God and man.
Linking the human and divine realms through the person of Christ. So Christ is mediator between you and God. The priest is the mediator between you and Christ. Pope Boniface the eighth speaking of the Roman office of Pope said this.
He said the Roman pontiff judges all men but is judged by no one. We declare assert define and pronounce to be the subject. To be subject to the Roman Pope is to every human creature altogether necessary for salvation.
That which was spoken of Christ thou has subdued all things under his feet may well seem verified in me. I have the authority of the King of Kings. I am all in all and above all so that God himself and I the Vicar of God have but one Consistory and I am able to do almost all that God can do.
What therefore can you make of me? But God in quote that was written in 1302 It was written it's called the unum sanctum and is considered by some historians to be the most Extreme statement of papal authority.
I am God. Ho ho indeed. That's right, that's right. Anything like that anything like that, that's right, that's right so. And there are others Pope Leo the eighth we hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty speaking of the papacy Pope Pius the tenth the Pope is not simply the representative of Jesus Christ on the contrary.
He is Jesus Christ himself under the veil of the flesh so Those are some Roman heresies That make us take a step back and say why such why spend so much time on the mediator? Ship of Christ or the mediating work of Christ.
This is one not the only reason but certainly one of the reasons Men cannot be their own mediators and men need not seek out another Mediator, that's the point of the confession. There is one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus and if we Seek out another we have failed to understand the uniqueness of the Savior and In article 10, I do want to I do want to I just this was in my notes.
I Interestingly enough Andy you didn't mention too much about it, but I do want to step back to one thing it says that he's a mediator of of The New Covenant and what's interesting about that is the New Covenant is actually what he mediates and I just in my mind as I'm reading that I'm thinking that's beautiful it calls it the covenant of grace because it is the covenant that God has given by his grace and It's interesting the between Baptists and Presbyterians there has been a historic difference about how they understand the covenant of grace.
Presbyterians have argued that the covenant of grace actually began in the garden with Adam and every covenant after that is a Re-administration of that covenant of grace but Baptists have seen the covenant of grace as being unique to the New Covenant we see that here the new and Everlasting covenant of grace and and this is this is just a just a point of historic distinction between the Presbyterians and the Baptists and so we see this here.
That is what he is the mediator of in fact We know that from Hebrews 9 15. Hebrews 9 15 tells us he is the mediator of a new covenant. That's what Christ is the mediator of. How does he mediate the New Covenant in three offices?
He mediates it as the prophet of the New Covenant. Christ is the prophet of the New Covenant. We can talk about Isaiah Jeremiah and all the others. They are the prophets of the Old Covenant. Now do they have new covenant value.
Of course because they point to the New Covenant. But who is the prophet of the New Covenant. Christ who is the priest of the New Covenant? You know the Old Covenant had the Levitical priesthood and all those priests every year and all the sacrifices.
We have one prophet who is Christ. What is what is Hebrews tell us at the very beginning in times past God spoke to our fathers through the prophets? But now has spoken to us through his son right. Christ is the prophet.
He is the priest the only one we need and He is King. That's how he ministrates or administers rather his Covenant. It's through this Mediatorial work so without that was all prefaced to the the three and I and I want to I'm going to read them one at a time.
And I'm going to make a few comments on each one. The first it references, and you know the titles were not part of the original the titles were added by the author of the of this Book, but I do think they're very helpful, so we'll use them that the sacrificial mediator concerning his mediator ship.
The scripture holds forth Christ's call to his office. For none takes this honor upon him. But that he is called of God as was Aaron it being an action of God whereby a special promise being made he Ordains his son to this office which promise is that Christ should be made a sacrifice for sin.
That he should see his seed and prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands all of mere free and absolute grace towards God's elect and without any Condition foreseen and them to procure it.
Note with me first that it references Christ's call. I think that's an interesting Language because we often talk about ministers and their call right you know people ask me sometimes. I just had lunch yesterday with a pastor.
Getting to know a new friend and new pastor friend, and we talked about our how we were saved. How did God save us and then we talked about how did God call us in the ministry? What circumstances did God use?
To bring us to understand that he called us to preach and bring us to ordination and those things and that was part of our conversation was how did God call us into ministry and The the Bible talks about for the minister having calls that are external and internal.
There's the internal call where the unction or the feeling that the desire to do it any man who desires to be an overseer must desire It you know that's that's an internal call, but there's also the external call.
That's the church. Recognizing that man for that office right there the church recognizing that a man's been called to do that thing. Well Christ here it talks about his call to this office was from God himself.
And he compares it that the brothers compare it to the call of Aaron. Now why Aaron because Aaron was the priest of Israel? He was the the the beginning of the Levitical priesthood began with Aaron. And and he says that was something God ordained.
God ordained Aaron and and the Levites to be the priestly class. Well God in a sense did the same with Christ he ordained Him as as brother Andy pointed out earlier. It was appointed by God. The mediator is appointed and God was the one who did the appointing and he was a In a sense ordained like to ministry God having been the one who ordained him.
And it goes on to say what he was ordained to he's ordained to be a sacrifice. Says that Christ should be made a sacrifice. For sin his mediation includes his sacrifice see his Ordination his ordination to profit or nation to priests or nation to King, but in this reference it's referencing his ordination as a Sacrifice.
He's called to do that thing. And notice it also says the reason behind it. After the semicolon at the last sentence it says all of mere Free and absolute grace. I Posted something earlier on on my page my media page.
Because it just came to me as I was reading that and I was thinking about tonight. Christ does not mediate for the deserving. Christ mediates for the undeserving. Notice what it says all of mere free and absolute grace.
Toward God's elect. How do you become God's elect? It's God's choice. We don't elect ourselves. God chooses. That is an act of grace. If I got what I deserved. Well, I wouldn't even be alive. What's that?
Amen death hell in the grave is what I deserve and it Reminds us. I love the fact that the brothers felt the need to put that in because they've already said that in other Articles beforehand, they've already stressed the free grace.
But they stress again this act of mediating that Christ is doing is by the mere act of grace for me the free and absolute grace of God without any condition foreseen in them to procure it. Yeah. It's awesome.
Just mere free and absolute grace. That's right. So that's his sacrificial mediator. Then we look at number 13 the fully qualified mediator. This office to be mediator that is to be prophet priest and king of the Church of God is so proper to Christ that neither in whole or Any part thereof it cannot be transferred from him to any other.
It was actually that one that made me think of the Roman Catholic Church as I was Preparing and reading and trying to think of how I wanted to express the truth and dig out the truth of this. I got to thinking well, why would they feel the need to stress that Christ's mediator?
Position cannot be shared. Well, maybe it's because for so long it had been improperly shared. And again, I don't have the accompanying works of these men to prove that thesis. I it's a basically it's just a hypothesis.
I think that could be one of the reasons. Another reason of course is because it's true Christ doesn't share this position with anyone it says here. It is so proper to Christ. I love that phrase is so property in Christ is the only one worthy of it.
And it says it cannot be transferred. You guys you probably remember this but we have a Document one of our founding documents of the United States. It says we hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men are created equal and they are endowed by their Creator with certain what in Alienable rights, what does an alienable mean?
Means it cannot be taken away and Cannot be given away. Inalienable means It cannot be taken Can't be given. I can't give them up and no one can take them from me. They are natural to me and I honestly think that idea of inalienable is What is the brothers are getting at when they say can't be transferred.
Christ can't stop being the mediator and He can't give it to someone else because it only is His he is the only one as brother Andy so eloquently said he is the only God man. He's the only one that can can touch both sides he's the only one who can join the hands on both sides of that equation and And One thing Christ cannot do and people say God can do anything one thing Christ cannot do is Make someone else man's mediator.
He can't give it up and give it to somebody else. Because he's the only one that qualifies all right number 14 as Necessary mediator the office, excuse me this office To which Christ is called is threefold a Prophet priest and king and I want to I do want to point this out and brother Andy.
I'm gonna I'm gonna write out a thought. Because here's the way that the way the confession is breaking down this truth Christ is mediator and What does it mean to be mediator? Mediator is first Prophet second priest third king.
Now as brother Andy said and he's right this isn't like either or and it's not sequential. He's all of these things at the same time. The point of the confession though is all when we say Which I think When we say Christ is prophet priest and king what we're saying is he's mediator.
And when we say he's mediator what we're saying is that he's prophet priest and king because these three Ways are how he exercises that. So if you said Christ is a mediator of the New Covenant Say well, how is he a mediator first?
He's a mediator by being the prophet of the New Covenant. That's how he mediates it. He proclaims it. That's what a prophet does. He brings God's message to the people. He's the priest. What is a priest who brings the people to God?
Right. He exercises the act that role and he's king. King in exercising and I want to point this out his sovereignty. Note what it says. It says the office to which Christ is called is threefold prophet priest and king.
This number in order of offices is necessary for in respect of our ignorance. We stand in need of his prophetical office in respect of our great alienation from God we need his priestly office to reconcile us and In respect of our aversiveness and utter inability to return to God.
We need his kingly office to convince subdue draw uphold and preserve us to his heavenly Kingdom. Oh mercy one day. I'm gonna preach that I Mean really because he just gave a three-point sermon. He says one you're ignorant and you need a prophet to your alienated and you need a priest and three.
You're unable and you need a king. Yes. I mean, that's the three points of that sermon. He says he says because of our ignorance we needed Christ to to prophesy to speak God's truth to us. Because of our alienation we needed Christ to be our priest and bring us back and the last one.
Because of our inability and notice the way it says it it says our aversiveness and utter inability. Because of that we needed his kingly or it says here kingly office and I wrote in my notes sovereign.
Because when we talk about sovereignty in regard to God, we often are referring to his salvation, right? God is sovereign over salvation how he convinces us. He subdues us. He draws us. He upholds us and he preserves us all the things that a king who is sovereign is able to do.
I Just love it for our ignorance. Christ is prophet for alienation. Christ is priest and for our inability Christ is King. What a blessing it is. He is the necessary mediator because we are so So dependent upon him if it ever be asked.
Why do you believe Christ is necessary for salvation? We often want to use John 14 6. The one I quoted earlier. Somebody asked you. Why do you think you have to believe in Jesus to be saved? You might say well the Bible says I Am the way the truth in the life and no one comes to the Father.
Except through me, but might I add to you tonight a thought. That the next time someone asks you that question the next time someone says why is it? That I need Jesus to be saved. That you might point to them Exodus 33 and verse 20.
No one can see God. And live why do we need a Savior because he's the only one. And can go to God on our behalf.