11 Saved By His Life
Chapter Eleven SAVED BY HIS LIFE
Paul writing to the Christians in Rome said, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" (Romans 5:10). Notice the two words, "much more". It is great that all who have believed on JESUS CHRIST are reconciled to GOD by the death of His Son. But it is a far greater thing that all who have been so reconciled shall be saved by the life of the Son of GOD. This does not mean that they are saved by the earthly life of JESUS and by following His example. The life here referred to is the present life of JESUS CHRIST at the right hand of GOD in heaven. That this is so is taught clearly by the following passage; "But this man (JESUS) because he continueth ever . . . is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:24-25). The simple meaning of all this is that after JESUS CHRIST died on the Cross to set men free from the power of Satan, to redeem them from the penalty of the law and to reconcile them unto GOD, He arose from the grave and ascended into heaven where He now is in the presence of GOD the FATHER. His work there is to see to it that all who come to GOD by Him (i.e., His death) shall be saved from wrath and brought into eternal glory in the presence of GOD where He now is. This salvation is said to be to the uttermost.
Because it is conditioned upon His continuing forever it must be a continuing salvation, one that cannot be terminated. Here as always, salvation is represented as an unfailing work of GOD.
Just how those who have become reconciled to GOD by the death of His Son are saved by His life is learned from the expression, ". . . he ever liveth to make intercession for them." In other words, because the Son of man intercedes with the all-powerful FATHER on behalf of those who come unto GOD by Him, GOD will exercise His power on their behalf.
It is helpful to consider the nature of this intercession of JESUS CHRIST with the FATHER. Instances of His intercession for His disciples while with them on earth give some idea of how at the right hand of GOD He now prays for all believers.
Just before the betrayal and arrest of JESUS by the Jews, He said to Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not . . ." (Luke 22:31-32). Bible readers are familiar with the story (Mark 14:54; Mark 14:66-72) how after JESUS had spoken these words Peter did deny Him three times. Did JESUS’ prayer for Peter go unanswered? It did not. JESUS did not pray that Peter should not be tempted. Neither did He pray that Peter should not fail and deny Him. No, He prayed that Peter’s faith should not fail. And Peter’s faith did not fail. Though he sinned against his LORD by denying Him, even to the point of cursing, his faith failed not. He was restored and in his later life he was seen with an even stronger faith than before. So JESUS now prays for those who come unto GOD by Him that their faith fail not.
There is another example of the Lord’s intercession for His own. It is found in the seventeenth chapter of John’s Gospel. This whole chapter has been called CHRIST’s intercessory prayer. JESUS makes it clear that this prayer is not for the world (that is, all mankind), but only for those whom the FATHER had given to Him out of the world (v. 9). This was all who believed on Him as the Son of GOD. But it was for many more than those who were then living. It was not for them alone, "but for them also which shall believe on me through their word" (v. 20). This prayer, then, was for all who throughout the centuries since, even down to this time, have believed the Gospel message and accepted JESUS CHRIST as their SAVIOUR.
What then did He pray on behalf of all believers of this age? His first prayer for them was, "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me" (v. 11). His first concern for those for whom He had died and who had become reconciled to GOD by His death was that they be kept safe. That is even now His concern for those who come unto GOD by Him. They shall be saved to the uttermost. Is there any possibility that this intercession by JESUS with the FATHER shall go unanswered? To say so would be to say that GOD fails to answer the petitions of His Own Son.
Then JESUS enlarged upon His prayer on behalf of His own. He said, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (v. 15). It was a greater prayer that they be kept from evil in an evil world than that they be taken out of it so as to be kept from being lost. If there had been any question about the greater petition being fulfilled, surely all who are His Own because of His intercession are being kept from the evil while in the world. This does not mean that they do not fail at times as did Peter, but that the evil shall not overcome them.
He further prayed, "that they all (all the saved of this age) may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" (v. 21). This is a prayer that all believers may come into that perfect unity (more than harmony) with GOD the FATHER and GOD the Son as exists between them. No finite mind can grasp the implications of this prayer but it is nothing less than a divine position for those who believe on the Son of GOD.
Again He prayer, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me" (v. 24).
All of this is a part of His intercession for His own and all is a part of being saved by His life. But there is another aspect to the intercession of CHRIST for His Own. His intercession may partake of the nature of the pleadings of a lawyer before a court of justice. There are times when one who has been saved commits sin. When that happens there is one who now has access to heaven "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them" (Job 1:6), that brings accusations against the sinning child of GOD. He is Satan, who is called the "accuser of our brethren" and is said to accuse "them before our God day and night" (Revelation 12:10). This condition calls for intercession by Him Who is at the right hand of GOD. But the accuser (the prosecuting attorney) can lay nothing to the charge of those for whom CHRIST intercedes. It is written, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, ye rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:33-34).
There is another passage that presents the same truth. "My little children (those born of GOD), these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, JESUS CHRIST the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). This teaches then, that when one who has been justified by GOD because of the death of His Son commits a sin, he is accused before GOD by Satan. He is charged with having broken GOD’s holy law and is therefore worthy of death. Then JESUS CHRIST, the righteous One, steps in as attorney for the defense and pleads that His own death on the Cross paid the penalty for the particular sin in question and therefore His client cannot be condemned. It is because of this advocacy by JESUS CHRIST that there can be no condemnation for him who is justified. This advocacy is not in any way conditioned upon confession, repentance, prayer or anything else to be done by the one who sins. It says, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father." It is well that it is so, for often unknown sins against GOD are committed of which the believer could not be cleared if he first had to do something. This advocacy by CHRIST cannot of course enter into the life of any believer as an experience. It is something that takes place in heaven the instant that any child of GOD sins, and that is oftener than most people think. It would not be known except that it is revealed by the Word of GOD. The knowledge thereof, however, is of the same utmost comfort and assurance to all who have come to see this great truth and realize how often even a saved person sins. This too, then, is part of being saved by His life. More might be said on this subject, but that which has here been presented is sufficient to show the importance of this part of GOD’s work of salvation. Because of it, one who has been saved shall be saved to the uttermost, or to the end, as Hebrews 7:25 might be translated. He shall be safe as long as his intercessor lives and that is throughout all eternity.