Priest upon the Throne

It may perhaps be asked, Why, if the work is perfectly accomplished, is He yet a Priest upon the throne? He is not there at all as a Priest to work out righteousness, for that He has done and done completely. "This man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God." His sitting down is the proof that nothing remains to be done regarding atonement for His friends, and now He only waits "till His enemies be made His footstool.”
In order, then, that we may have the enjoyment of these things, He is acting in another way as Priest. Having the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us, we consequently see many things in ourselves contrary to Him—many things that would hinder fellowship with God. Now here it is that the present ministry of Christ comes in. We need His priesthood in order to maintain our communion with God. We need Him in our daily sins, as it is said, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." We need the presence of perfect righteousness on our behalf before God who has ever before His eyes, and that for us, the accomplisher of "counsel of peace," "Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Here, then, is "counsel of peace" which was purposed between God and Jesus. Here, and here only, have we peace. If ever our souls have any idea of finding rest in anything else, we have got out of God's way of accomplishing peace, off the ground of this "counsel of peace." He has not called us into "the counsel," which really is entirely independent of ourselves—between them both—accomplished, sure, and everlasting. Nothing can ever touch it. God has publicly owned His acceptance of Christ's work, by seating Him at His own right hand. The Holy Spirit is sent to witness to us that Jesus is now on "the throne of God," having "by one offering... perfected forever them that are sanctified.”