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ÒMaketh IntercessionÓ

Romans 8:27

 

Whatever gifts of grace we possess are the gifts of God the Holy Spirit, who is the ascension gift of Christ to his people (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). But often our faith is so mixed with unbelief that as Peter sank in the waters, so our hearts sink in darkness until we are made to cry, ÒLord, save me, I perish!Ó Then he stretches out his hand and lifts us up. How often our love to Christ is so cold that we cannot call it love, though love him we do. Like Peter, we have a strange way of showing it! Yet, our Lord knows how to draw out the confession, ÒThou knowest that I love theeEven the unbelieving cry of his disciples, ÒMaster, carest thou not that we perish?Ó arouses the attention of our Savior; and he soon answers, ÒPeace, be still!Ó

 

His Knowledge

The Lord Jesus knows even the whisperings of our hearts, and is ready to answer them (John 16:19). He is always more ready to teach than we are to be taught, more ready to help than we are to be helped, more ready to answer prayer than we are to pray, and more ready to forgive than we are to be forgiven. Our Savior knows the deepest, truest desires of our hearts. He Òknoweth the mind of the Spirit.Ó He knows our faith in him, our love for him, our longings to be like him, our desire to do his will, our yearnings for his presence, and our concerns for his glory.

 

ÒHe knows the words I mean to speak, ere from my opening lips they break.Ó

 

His Intercession

Let us ever be confident of and rejoice in the intercession of the Heart Searcher, Òbecause he maketh intercession for the saints.Ó Here Paul speaks of two intercessions: the intercession of Christ for us in heaven and the intercession of the Spirit in us on earth. I have shown you how the Spirit makes intercession in us. Now I want you to see how that Christ makes intercession for us. To make intercession is to interpose with a plea, to plead for another, to entreat for the acceptance of another.

      We have a beautiful, graphic type and picture of ChristÕs intercession in Leviticus 16, where God gave commandment concerning the work of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. The sin-offering is Christ, the Lamb of God (v. 9). The burning coals of fire represent the sufferings of Christ (v. 12). The sweet incense portrays the intercession of Christ (v. 13). The sprinkling of the blood upon the mercy-seat seven times speak of complete atonement for all Òthe Israel of GodÓ by ChristÕs precious blood (v. 14). And the scapegoat beautifully typifies our Lord Jesus Christ who took our sins away (vv. 20-22).

      Atonement is the basis of intercession; and the two can never be separated. Without atonement intercession could not be made. With atonement intercession cannot fail! And the atonement and intercession were made for the same people. The Lord Jesus Christ, by his death on the cross made atonement for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). By his resurrection life he makes intercession for us (Hebrews7:25; Zechariah 3:1-5). The perpetuity and efficacy of his priesthood and the prevalence of his intercession are the glory of his gospel (1 John 2:1-2).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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