Jesus is ABLE to Save

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Jesus the Great High Priest in Hebrews 7

Welcome to No Compromise Radio ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth. Michael Lee Abendroth. I wish Lee was around. Lee was my father. I got his first name for my middle name. My son got my first name for his middle name.

Hopefully if my wife, my wife, my son gets married and has a wife, and then children and a son, right, there�s a lot of components there, moving components, I mean, odds are it�ll happen, that he�ll get married, but then if he has a boy, maybe he�ll name his boy, I don�t know, something Luke, that�s what he needs to do, Jake Luke, Jack Luke.

John Luke. I don�t know what he�s, John Luke, uh-oh, here we go. Luke just sent me this, matter of fact, on text by John Donne. Death be not proud, though some have called thee. Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so.

For those whom thou thinkest thou dost overthrow, die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, much pleasure then from thee, much more must flow, and soonest our best men with thee do go.

Rest of their bones and soul�s delivery, thou art slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men, and dust with poison, war and sickness dwell, and poppy or charms can make us sleep as well. And better than thy stroke, why swellest thou then?

One short sleep pass, we wake eternally, and death shall be no more, death thou shall die. Interesting, I just got that from Luke, and it is a perfect segue into our topic today, Jesus Christ the High Priest in Hebrews chapter 7.

Why? Because priests die. They die to fate. Because of fate, chance, kings, desperate men, poison, war, sickness, poppy, charms, stroke, they all die. Wouldn't you like to have a priest that doesn't die?

And that's the point of Bethlehem Bible Church, is to proclaim the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ and worship Him. That is the MO for No Compromise Radio. So we're talking a little bit today about Jesus the Great High Priest, and I'm trying to find my notes.

There it is. Consequently, He is able, Hebrews 7 .25, to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. And I said every one of those words is important, right?

Well, of course, because you could say that out of every word in the Bible. But there are particular words in that verse that I want to latch on to, to talk through this passage, because I don't want you to rush by it.

This passage has probably served you well as you've struggled in life with internal issues, external issues, and you think, okay, who knows about me, and how can I make it through? And here it says that Jesus is alive and He makes intercession.

And we saw last time, just beginning to look at that word, the first word I wanted to highlight, uttermost. It comes from the word all and complete, pan-telus, like telescope, pan-millennial, pan-aplee, and it's all and complete.

Jesus is going to get you to the final destination, that is, in heaven, the holy heaven, and He will make sure that all of you gets there, all of you Christians and all of the Christian. This word is only used one of the time to the uttermost, and it's used in Luke 13.

Remember that woman who couldn't stand up straight? It says in Luke 13, and behold, this is the ESV, there was a woman who had a disabling spirit for 18 years. She was bent over. Now, sometimes people just get old and they hunch over, right, but this, I think, was different.

She's just bent over. How would you like to have that for 18 years? You can't stand up straight, and you probably think that it's some medical thing, but this is a disabling spirit, the text says. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.

Now, in that verse, which word do you think is uttermost, translated uttermost in Hebrews? Behold, there was a woman, so far no, we don't have a word, who had a disabling spirit, no, for 18 years, no, she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.

She couldn't straighten herself to the uttermost. She couldn't straighten herself, if you want to use the word again, the two Greek words put together, to the all-complete. She couldn't do it. And you get the idea.

So when we're talking about Jesus and His saving work, He can save completely. He can save fully. He can save eternally. And sometimes people think, you know, is this a qualitative issue, He can save completely?

Or is it a time thing, a temporal thing, forever? And I think most of the people that I have read think that both nuances are correct, and therefore the New English Bible translates this absolutely. And both time and quality are then captured.

Jesus saves absolutely, right? He saves to the uttermost. He saves all-ending, all-completely, fully. To the ultimate degree, completely. And in terms of time, forever. And if you want to say He saves completely and forever, you can say that.

I cannot do that for you. No Roman Catholic priest can do that for you. No Jewish rabbi can do that for you. No religious leader can do that for you. These people back in the Old Testament days, the Aaronic priests, the Levitical priests, they had to sacrifice things year after year after year.

Is there someone who can sacrifice Himself or anything or anyone so effectively that there never has to be another sacrifice? Since Jesus has been sacrificed, He's the high priest and sacrifice, and has been raised from the dead, and the Father has exalted Him, and Jesus sits down at the right hand of the Father, honor, power, authority, dominion, exaltation.

Why would you, let's think New Testament time again when this letter was written, and who the recipients were, why would you, Jewish people, go back to killing bulls? Why would you go back to killing lambs?

Why would you go back to grain offerings? Why would you go back to killing animals? That just does not make any sense at all. How are you going to be accepted by God, by this high priest, the Lord Jesus?

That's how you get acceptance. That's how you're saved, and that's how you're saved to the uttermost. You're not just saved halfway there, right? Is it the Jehovah's Witness doctrine with the 144 ,000?

They're the only ones that make it to the ultra-special place, and the rest have to settle for heaven on earth or, you know, whatever. I don't know the details, but I think there's some grades, and who makes it to the special spots and who doesn't.

I always thought to myself, you know, there's a lot of people in this world who come and go, and even though the Jehovah's Witnesses haven't been around for a long time as a named group, I mean, Arian has been around for a long time, but if you only can get 144 ,000 to the exclusive celestial heaven, whatever they call it and whatever the details are, you know what I'm trying to say, then it seems like there's been a lot more people out there doing harder work than you have, Mr. and Mrs. Dorr-Proslattizer.

I mean, only 144 ,000? I mean, just think, Christian, out of all the people who have lived in the world, going back to Adam, do you think you're one of the most godly people that have ever lived? Do you think you're one of the most 144 ,000 most godly people that have lived?

I want to be! I wish it were true! But then we realize, you know what? It's not true. So what do we do? Hey, friends, I've got good news for you. Even though you're not one of the most 144 ,000 godly people of all time, you still make it to the uttermost, not because of you, but because of this great high priest.

He's able to save to the uttermost. That's good news. He saves eternally and completely. In other words, he saves absolutely. That's a great word, uttermost. You're going to make it to heaven, Christian.

There's another word that we want to focus in on, those, in verse 25. This is the second word we want to focus in on. It says, consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him.

This eternal high priest is not saving himself. He's not becoming a priest for himself. It's for other people. He works on behalf of people, as a mediator for people, as someone who is truly God and truly man, because he has to be the mediator between God and man, the man, Messiah, Jesus.

He is the one who does his interceding work. It's not for himself. It's for you. He loves you and gave his Son for you. That's amazing, who he does his work for. There's another word here that we should look at.

It's the word he, consequently, he is able to save. Jesus is the priest. Jesus is the high priest. Jesus is the only high priest. Jesus, Christian, is your high priest, and he is the only one through whom God hears prayers.

He's the only one through whom God saves. No one comes to the Father except through me, John 14, 6. And he is not only the exclusive Savior, he's the powerful Savior. He is able to save. Isn't that good?

He's got the power to do what he wants to do. It's one thing to say, I will something, and another thing to do it. You've got to have power to match the will. I have all kinds of things that I wish would happen, and if I could, I would will them to happen.

But if I don't have the power, then it doesn't matter, but Jesus has the will to save, and he has the power to save. He's able to save, and that's present tense, by the way. He's always able to save. It's not like, you know, he used up all his power off, you know, on your poor buddy who's even more sinful than you are, and he doesn't have any power left to get you to heaven.

He doesn't have any more power left to get you through this trial as he's interceding. It's a hope so, but it's not a, you know, a no so. No so? No co? It's a hope so, not a no co? It's time to just take a coffee break, isn't it?

I have had a bunch of weird things lately for caffeine, and I hate to say this, but in the old days, man, it just wasn't a good day if I didn't get up and have a cup of good coffee and be waiting for that coffee, even in the middle of the night, thinking, I can't wait to have that coffee.

You know what? I like coffee. If I'm out, I'll get a couple shots of espresso or maybe a triple shot of espresso or something. I don't know, you have one of these gallon drinks, you know, with all kinds of milk in it or something.

Milk, milk. And, uh, but I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting older. The taste buds. It's like, okay, coffee. And maybe this is just the Nebraska man coming out in me. By the way, Nebraska man was a pig tooth.

Remember that? But anyway, you know, they're looking at finding, you know, Neanderthal and Nebraska man. Nebraska man was just a tooth and then they found out it was just a pig tooth that had nothing to do with a man.

Nebraska man. That's Nebraska. What's the N stand for on the Nebraska helmet? Knowledge. All right. I have some listeners from Nebraska. I think I'm giving up my Nebraska passport. My, my, uh, birth certificate says, um, Clarkson hospital, Omaha, Nebraska.

I think I was born shortly after midnight, May 12th, 1960. But that was so old. I'm so old now that, uh, you know, when it comes to coffee, if somebody said, this is the $20 cup and this is the $5 cup, as long as the beans, you know, are pretty good.

I don't care. I mean, I know what a bad cup of coffee is. C .D .D. Dunkin' Donuts. Boy, the Dunkin' Donuts people here in New England are crazy. I mean, Dunkin's is, you know, across the country now and across the world, but it's, it's here and it's got a whole new kind of feel.

You used to get off the Virgin America flights. They've since been absorbed by Alaska, but you'd walk outside the area where it's, you and you get ready to walk down to the baggage claim at Logan. And what's the first thing that's right there when you walk out?

Double D Dunkin's, baby. Dunkin's. One sip and you're going to be a believer. Jesus is able, He's always able to get you there. I mean, there's a lot of factors that might not, you know, that could prevent you from getting to heaven, but Jesus is able to save.

And when you just see that theme in the New Testament about He's able to save, it's just good reminder. With all the things I'm not able to do, what is God able to do? Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to both destroy soul and body in hell.

We have Abraham for our father, for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham, right? You can't just say that to yourself, the text says. It says here that, who are you to judge the servant of another to his own master, he stands or falls and stand he will for the Lord is able to make him stand, Romans 14.

Romans 16, not to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which has been kept secret for long ages past. That's Romans 16.

How about 2 Corinthians 9? God is able to make all grace abound to you that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. He's able, that is so great. And even in the book of Hebrews, he is able to come to the aid of those who are being tempted chapter two.

Chapter 11, for he considered God is able to raise men even from the dead. And then finally, Jude, there are others, but just Jude to read for today, not to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory blameless with great joy.

He's able, Jesus alone to save you to the uttermost. Jesus was born and he was a son of Mary and his name was called Jesus for he's able to save. No, it just says he who will save his people from their sins.

Of course he's able, but he saves. There's a lot of words here that should just give you comfort, Christian. The next one is near. And in Greek, it's going to be drawn near, but I said words, so I'm going to try to stay with what I said.

God, uttermost, those, he, and now near. To have this high priest as your priest, you can get close to God. You can come near him and you can think about all the ways in the Old Testament where there was a prohibition of getting too close to God or to see his face or to come in contact with his holiness.

You can think of Isaiah chapter 6. Here though, you can come near to God. You can get close and you're not going to get incinerated. And it is simply through him, through faith. This priest is yours by faith alone.

And that faith, that saving faith is not just a, you know, c 'est la vie kind of faith or come what may kind of faith or, yeah, I kind of believe, but I believe in other saviors too. I kind of believe in what he's done, but I believe that I can contribute.

It is knowledge, assent, and trust, that saving faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus, the eternal Son, who in time, right, is born of one, born under law, that he might redeem those who are under the law, and he perfectly obeys.

Where Adam did not obey, Jesus obeyed. And then he died for our disobedience and our sin and was raised from the dead. And therefore he says, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you what?

Rest. And you receive these great benefits through a non-meritorious instrument called faith. God saves to the uttermost those who come to him through the Son. And that means that you don't come to the Father and to receive the work of the Son as a priest through your good works.

It does not say that you receive this through religious deeds, ceremonies, baptisms, circumcisions, feast days, food. What kind of food you eat or don't eat, food, the kind of food you don't, you eat or don't wheat, gluten.

So by the way, if you're listening today and you're not a Christian, and you think you got to get rid of all your sin before you come to Christ, it's never going to work. How are you going to do that?

Why don't you come to the Lord Jesus? Why don't you believe right now? Why don't you say, God, I believe, help my unbelief. Why don't you call out to God for mercy, Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Why don't you believe under the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

The Bible doesn't say put away all your sins in order to come to Christ. That's not what it says. God justifies ungodly people. There are no antecedents to saving faith because you couldn't do enough.

The standards are too high and Adam's sin has tainted you and consequently you have a sin nature. And so there's nothing you could do because you'd have to do it perfectly and you'd have to do it with right motives and you'd have to be off the charts in your attitude.

And therefore there's only one way to receive the benefits and that's through faith. There's no alternative, no works, no religious ceremonies, no keeping it certain days or anything else. And then the last word I want to talk about, and really this is what I wanted to get to, but since it's radio and we have to have a little coffee breaks and stuff, it's the word intercession, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

What's going on here? Jesus the High Priest constantly, always prays for you. Christian, that's right. He, based on His life and death and resurrection, sits at the right hand of the Father and now He intercedes.

He appears for us in the presence of God the Father. Now, if you remember back in the day in Exodus 28, the High Priest wore garments and there were stones and breastplates and things that they would wear.

And that garment would remind them of the different tribes of Israel so that they might be remembered in the intercessions of that High Priest. Let me read you 28th chapter of Exodus verses 9 through 12.

You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone in order of their birth. As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel.

You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree, and you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance, to be reminded to pray.

That's what High Priests do. They offer and they intercede. They offer sacrifices and they intercede for the people. And here we have the Lord Jesus interceding. And you say, well, what are the specific things that He intercedes for?

How does He specifically intercede? And of course, the text here, we're not told. The text doesn't specify exactly what Jesus is interceding about, but we know it's for us. And we know it's in a great manner to take care of us.

Remember, the Lord has already died on the cross and been raised from the dead, and sin has been dealt with. It is finished. He has purified sins, chapter one. He has been the sacrifice for sin. He's offered for one time a sacrifice for all sins.

And therefore, if you think He's kind of up there like those drawings, you know, pleading with tears, God the Father doesn't really want to save. And here the priest, he's just begging God to do that kind of saving work.

That has not anything to do with this intercession. We are accepted before God the Father and the Holy Spirit, for that matter, because of the work of the Son. And we have been cleansed. And that's a wrong way to think about it, somehow that, you know, the intercession of Christ is not tied to His death.

Anyway, time is fleeting. I got to go. Mike Abendroth, NOCO Radio. At 508 -835 -3400.