MADE NIGH BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
MADE NIGH BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
It is true that there is much in Christendom which would be regarded by the average man as ‘worship’ yet by Scriptural standards is false worship. "Ye worship ye know not what," was Jesus’s assessment of the Samaritans’ approach to God. John 4:22 His judgement on the religious leaders of his own people was equally scathing: "But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:9 It follows that, if doctrinal error is present, worship is "in vain;" and since Christendom is still astray from the truth it cannot offer acceptable worship to the Father.
Worship, like sacrifice under the Mosaic Law, must be offered on God’s terms and by men whom He is pleased to accept; it is not for men to presume to offer to the Deity words and actions of their own invention. The Word of God describes two kinds of man, "the old man" and "the new man," and makes it abundantly clear that the latter is in a position to offer acceptable worship to God whereas the former is not. The main expositional section of this article will examine Scripture teaching on these two states of man.
Man at his best state The terms applied in the Scriptures to "the old man" leave no possible room for doubt as to his true position in relation to God. There is no need to consider passages which are "hard to be understood" to establish this point; simply setting out a series of phrases from three typical sections of Paul’s epistles will suffice. The following list is by no means exhaustive, but those who are in the state of "the old man" are described as:
1."aliens from the commonwealth of Israel;" Ephesians 2:12 2."without Christ;" Ephesians 2:12 3."strangers from the covenants of promise;" Ephesians 2:12 4."having no hope;" Ephesians 2:12 5."without God in the world;" Ephesians 2:12 6."far off;" Ephesians 2:13 7."under sin;" Romans 3:9 8."not righteous;" Romans 3:10 9. "without strength;" Romans 5:6 10. "ungodly;" Romans 5:6 11. "enemies;" Romans 5:10
It is important to recognise that these passages are not descriptions of what polite society would call evil or wicked people. Ephesians 2:1-22 and Romans 3:1-31 are simply descriptions of unregenerate man as seen from the Divine point of view. Passages such as Romans 1:21-32 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 describe some of the worst excesses of human nature, but the sections of Scripture cited above are not drawing attention to specific sins, but to the state of alienation which exists between God and " the old man”. Our neighbours, colleagues at work, unbaptised relatives, members of the congregation at the local "church," all are in this position. It follows that there is no basis for them to "approach God" or "draw near" to Him, since they are alienated by sin and outside the bonds of His covenant. The men and women to whom Jesus and the apostles preached were in this category, and it is significant that in all the accounts of their various methods of preaching e.g. Acts 2:14Acts 8:5; Acts 8:35Acts 9:20Acts 14:15Acts 16:10Acts 19:9, etc. it is never recorded that they invited their audiences to ‘worship’, join in prayers, sing choruses or even attend ‘services’. Jesus and his apostles preached an uncompromising message, requiring their hearers to forsake their old ways, repent and be baptised, in order that their sins might be forgiven and reconciliation to God accomplished. The way of reconciliation
"It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." "The old man" cannot approach God, or even get himself into a position to do so on his own. There must certainly be a desire on the part of man, but the essential element in the process of reconciliation is a response by God to meet the need of those who are "far off" and "under sin." Two aspects of this will now be considered.
1. God’s call and our reaction to it
Jesus was just as emphatic about this as he was about the worship of the Samaritans and Pharisees: "No man can come to me, except the Father Which hath sent me draw him..." John 6:44 Before considering it in the context of the present study, it is important to notice the sharp contrast between its true meaning and the doctrines of Christendom. The latter, with such concepts as ’Prevenient Grace’, alleges that the Holy Spirit must act directly upon the heart of a man before he can hear and accept the gospel. Jesus, in the context of the words quoted above, leaves us in no doubt as to the nature of the drawing process: "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me" (John 6:45). The process of God’s drawing men to Himself is therefore a rational one; it involves God teaching men, and their hearing and learning of Him. It is more fully defined by Paul in Romans 10:9-15 :
(a) There must first be preaching for "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." 1 Corinthians 1:21
(b) Men must hear that preaching in order to manifest faith-"how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?"
(c)There must be belief in the heart in Scripture the heart is the seat of the intellect, not simply of the emotions, for"as he thinketh in his heart, so is he"
(d)Having heard and believed, there must next be confession of faith with the mouth this implies both that a man must declare his faith publicly and that he is able to express in his own words the things that he has come to believe.
(e)All these things having been done, the man must then call on the name of the Lord both aspects of this are vital: first the recognition that even after manifesting faith a man is not saved without the mercy of God and His grace in forgiving sin; second, the importance of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, "for there is none other name...given...whereby we must be saved," Acts 4:12 for "God...gave unto him the name which is above every name." Php 2:9, RV A similar sequence can be seen by putting together the three records of the parable of the sower. Those who bring forth fruit are they that (i) hear the word; Matthew 13:23 (ii) understand it; Matthew 13:23 (iii) accept it; Mark 4:20, RV (iv) keep it. Luke 8:15
These passages leave no room for doubt that God’s way is to call men and women through the proclamation of His Word and to accept those who respond to that call in the way that He requires. The notion that men who are ignorant of the true God, His ways and His doctrine can offer such worship as they think fit and be accepted by the Deity is clearly at variance with these Scriptures.
2. Christ’s sacrifice and our belief This section is an expansion of (e) above: what is involved in calling upon the name of the Lord? Again, the Word of God teaches us that both God and man are involved: God opening up the way of reconciliation and man availing himself of it. The following stages can be seen:
(a) "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 God made the first move in sending His Son into the world to be "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"
(b) Writing to those who, like him, were "in Christ," Paul continued: "(we are) now justified by his blood." Romans 5:9 Justification (being accounted righteous by God) comes only as a result of association with the blood of Jesus; there is no other way.
(c) Again, writing to believers, Paul said: "but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:13 The sacrifice of Jesus is the means and the only means whereby men can come near to God in an acceptable relationship.
(d) The sacrificial work of Jesus was to the end that "he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross." Ephesians 2:16 Man cannot achieve this reconciliation independently of Jesus’s sacrifice.
Thus this section of the study establishes that unless a man has availed himself of God’s gracious provision in the sacrifice of His Son, he is still unjustified and far off from God (and therefore not in a position to offer acceptable worship) even though he knows the doctrines of the Truth academically. The example of Saul of Tarsus is quite outstanding in this respect:
(i) he saw the risen Lord Jesus on the Damascus road; Acts 26:13; Acts 26:19 (ii) he was chosen by God; Acts 22:14 (iii) he was to be a chosen vessel to bear the gospel to the Gentiles; Acts 9:15 (iv) he was to be a witness to the things he had seen, and of other things which would be revealed to him. Acts 26:16
Yet all these things would have come to nought if he had not obeyed the command of Ananias: "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts 22:16 There can be no forgiveness, no reconciliation, no bringing nigh to God, without baptism. Jesus and his apostles emphasised this point time and again:
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned;" Mark 16:15-16 "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;" Acts 2:38
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ...And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:27; Galatians 3:29
Salvation, taking on the name, and the hope of the promises made to the fathers, are all inextricably bound up with baptism in these passages. No man can ignore the latter and claim that he stands in some kind of relationship to the other things, and that upon this basis he can offer acceptable worship. A right relationship with God must come first The effect of reconciliation The position of "the old man" (whether he profess to be an atheist, or a ‘born-again Christian’) has been examined. What a contrast there is when we now turn to look at the teaching of the Scriptures concerning "the new man!" Those in this position are:
1. made nigh by the blood of Christ; Ephesians 2:13 2. reconciled to God; Ephesians 2:16 3. able to "have access...unto the Father;" Ephesians 2:18 4. "fellowcitizens with the saints;" Ephesians 2:19 5. members of "the household of God;" Ephesians 2:19 6. "called saints;" 1 Corinthians 1:2, Gk.
7. ‘Justified by faith;" Romans 5:1 8. able to "have peace with God;" Romans 5:1 9. able to "rejoice in hope;" Romans 5:2 10 "sanctified." Hebrews 10:14
It is instructive to compare and contrast the details in the above list with those in the parallel list above. It is important also to remember that this division of mankind into two classes (very unequal in numbers) is not ours but God’s. It is not we who say that outwardly religious, good-living and well-meaning people in the world are "dead in trespasses and sins;" it is the Word of God. We are not judging them when we say this, but the Word does. Likewise, we are not justifying ourselves, or claiming "works of righteousness" better than theirs when we claim that we are saints and they are sinners; we are stating the facts as the Scriptures set them forth. We have no cause for pride, but should be humbly grateful that God has called us out of darkness into light, whereas He has not (yet?) called them. Because of this situation we should increase our efforts in His service to preach the gospel in the hope that it will be the means of drawing others to Him. What we must not do is blur God’ s boundary lines and say that those whom His Word defines as sinners do in fact have "access unto the Father" and can therefore offer acceptable worship to Him. The privilege of worship
Having written of those who are "sanctified"as a result of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ Hebrews 10:14, quoted above the apostle continued: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession (RV) of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:19-25 The whole of this section of the Letter to the Hebrews is based on the Mosaic ordinances of the Day of Atonement and of the sacrifice of the red heifer; Hebrews 9:13 the latter being a type of the offering of Jesus, in that the sacrifice of the one heifer was effective in the cleansing of many over a long period of time; and the former, in that both the work of the high priest and the sacrifices he offered pointed forward to the greater sacrifice of the Son of God. On the Day of Atonement the high priest, having washed in the water of the laver, was allowed the privilege of entering the most holy, taking with him blood to sprinkle before the mercy seat, and incense which represented the prayers of the nation. In this way he was permitted to "draw near" to God-something which was not allowed to any other Israelite under the Law. The argument in the section of Hebrews 10:1-39 cited above is that, spiritually, this privilege of" drawing near’ to God has now been granted on a far wider scale than anything which was allowed under the Law. We must however, be careful to notice that this privilege is still a privilege; permission to "draw near" has not been granted universally, it is only given to those who 1.are "brethren" in the accepted New Testament sense of the word;
2.have availed themselves of "the blood of Jesus";
3.have accepted and recognise Jesus as their high priest;
4.are members of the "house of God";
5.have a "true heart";
6.know what they believe, to the point of having a "full assurance of faith";
7.have been baptized, their "bodies washed with pure water";
8.have made a "confession of (their) faith";
9.are of those who regularly assemble themselves together;
10. are looking for "the day approaching.
It is these people who reckon themselves to be "strangers and pilgrims on the earth," and of whom the apostle further wrote: "For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips which make confession (RV) to His name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Hebrews 13:14-16 Our worship-be it prayer, singing, reading or whatever "the fruit of our lips" is here paralleled with the sacrifices offered under the Law. It must be offered in the appointed way, that is, "by him." To offer worship "by him" we must be "in him"; therefore worship is the privilege only of those who are in Christ.
Christendom, en masse, is not "in Christ," for it is ignorant of the truth as it is in him. It is therefore collectively in the state of "the old man" as Scripturally defined in the list above, and its constituents are not in a position to offer "the sacrifice of praise" to God. It is manifest that they do not "fear this glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH THY ELOHIM’ Deuteronomy 28:58 when they offer prayers ‘in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost’ or sing hymns to the ‘blessed Trinity’ etc.
It may be objected that the understanding of the matter expressed in this article shuts the vast majority of humanity off from the privilege of worship. It is true that it does. However this is not a thing of sentiment or feeling; the touchstone must be: "What saith the Scripture?" Jesus said: "...wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13-14 We should always be deeply suspicious of anything which makes the narrow way seem to be broad.
Practical consequences The foregoing study has sought to establish the Scriptural principles concerning the saints and worship. None of the passages quoted are felt to be ‘difficult’ or obscure in their meaning, The relative positions of "the old man" and "the new man" in the sight of God are so clearly set forth in the New Testament that some readers might feel that points have been unnecessarily laboured in this article. It is the writer’s experience, however, that the difficulty in this subject lies not in understanding the principles but in applying them day by day in ecclesial life. There are two particular areas in which problems arise from time to time.
1. Our association with the world
It is a sad fact of ecclesial life today in certain areas that some brethren and sisters join with one or more of the denominations of Christendom to,worship ‘ while retaining association with the ecclesia.’ Yet the Scriptures teach that there can be no communion (fellowship) between light and darkness, and that the saints cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and the table of devils. 2 Corinthians 6:141 Corinthians 10:21 It ought to be self-evident that what passes for worship in the modern temples of the apostasy is just as much idolatry as the worship offered in the temples of Corinth, since the Triune Deity is just as much a figment of man’s imagination as Aphrodite or Apollo. Members of the ecclesia who associate with the apostasy in this way should be lovingly yet firmly taught again "which be the first principles of the oracles of God," Hebrews 5:12 and encouraged to make the right choice between light and darkness. If they will not do this then the ecclesia must separate itself from them: "now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be an idolater...with such an one no not to eat" ( 1 Corinthians 5:11, where the context in verses 7,8 is the Breaking of Bread). This is unquestionably an issue of fellowship, and it has been so regarded by faithful brethren and ecclesias from the time of Brother Thomas.
2. The world’s association with the ecclesia
It has already been noted that there is no evidence in the New Testament that the apostles, or those who were taught the truth by them, held ‘services’ at which the public were invited to join with them in worship yet we do! If we wish to follow the Scriptural pattern our public preaching (whether in our own halls or hired premises) ought to consist simply of reading from Scripture and a proclamation therefrom of the truths of the gospel, with opportunities for public discussion as well if circumstances permit (e. g. Acts 17:1-3Acts 19:8-10, etc.).
Such arrangements are suitable for occasions when the majority of the audience are still in the position of "the old man." If the ecclesia’s circumstances are such that visitors to public meetings are few and far between, and the brethren and sisters (being in the vast majority) wish to engage in the privilege of worship which is theirs, there is no Scriptural reason why they should not do so. However, to be consistent with the principles which have been considered in this article, the presiding brother should:
1. Begin the meeting by saying that it has been arranged by the ecclesia for the purpose of preaching the truth to such as will come in and listen.
2. Abstain from inviting those not in the covenant to "join us in our opening hymn" etc.
3. Choose hymns which declare relevant aspects of the Truth, rather than those which contain petitions or promises of faithfulness.
4. Offer prayer on behalf of the saints, seeking God’s blessing on their preaching of His Word. Alternatively, pray on behalf of those who are "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel," that God’s Word may have its effect upon them and that through belief, baptism and obedient walk they may be found approved of the Lord at his coming. There is good Scriptural ground for the latter method. see Genesis 20:7Job 42:7-9
5.Say nothing that would lead the unenlightened "stranger from the covenants of promise" to think that he has the same privilege of approach to God as the saints.
It ought by now to be evident that there is no Scriptural basis for ecclesias holding ‘Family Services’ or public meetings for worship. The apostles and the first-century ecclesias did no such things, and for us to do them would be to deny the principles of separation and holiness which are taught time and again in the Word.
Another aspect of the matter which is perhaps even more important is that of youth gatherings, where many baptised and unbaptised young people come together to be taught from Scripture. There is a need for the organisers of such events to think very carefully about the devotional aspects of the programme in order to avoid creating the impression that all can join in worship on an equal basis. Such gatherings should be wonderful opportunities to emphasise the privileges of worship and fellowship which are given to those who are prepared to accept God’s offer of salvation and take upon themselves the responsibilities of becoming"members of the household of God".
Further reading The basis of the exposition set forth in this article is neither new nor original. The doctrinal position advanced has been that held by faithful brethren throughout the history of the Christadelphian community. Some of the source and background material which I have found helpful is listed below for those who would like to study the subject further.
"Inviting sinners to sing and pray," Brother J. Thomas, The Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, 1859, pp. 131-3.
"What about the children?," Brother R. Roberts, The Ambassador of the Coming Age, 1866, pp. 184-5.
"Inviting strangers to take part in the worship of the ecclesia," The Christadelphian, September 1866, Intelligence columns.
"Worship in relation to the alien," Brother A. T. Jannaway, The Christadelphian, July & August 1886.