Well, I am very glad to have the opportunity of coming here to visit you, brothers and sisters.
What I would like to share with you, dear brothers and sisters, this time is very fundamental, but hopefully very practical. It concerns the believer’s life and ministry as illustrated in the tabernacle.
I suppose you are all familiar with the tabernacle in the Old Testament. To me, I feel that the tabernacle is one of the best illustrations you will find in the Word of God. Its application is so broad that you can use it for many, many different purposes.
Now, basically, of course, we know that the tabernacle speaks of the Lord Jesus, and then it speaks of the church. But we would like to use it this time to speak of the believer’s life and ministry.
Now, you know that the tabernacle is divided into three parts: the outer court, the holy place, and the holiest of all.
The outer court speaks of purification. This is the first, initial stage of a believer’s life and ministry. The holy place speaks of enlightenment, or transformation—the second stage in our life and ministry. Finally, the holiest of all speaks of union, our union with Christ in God, which is the ultimate.
Now, of course, we know that in spiritual experience you just cannot compartmentalise anything. In other words, when people are experiencing purification, they may at the same time have some experience of enlightenment and even of union.
But as you look back into your own life, I believe you will discover that there is a time when one stage seems to be more prominent than the other stages. Maybe in the first phase, you will find purification is the dominating factor in your Christian life and ministry. But that does not mean that you know nothing about enlightenment, or that you are not being transformed at all. Nor does it mean that you do not know anything about union with Christ in God. You do.
But predominantly, at that stage of your Christian life, purification is the factor. Then, as you grow on with the Lord, you will find that you enter more into this matter of enlightenment or transformation. Of course, you still need purification, but at that stage it seems that enlightenment is the thing of the time.
And then, if you grow still further on, you discover that union with Christ in God is what your life and ministry really are. So, God willing, we would like to use three sessions to speak on the three stages of the believer’s life and ministry. Tonight, to begin with, we will begin with the first stage.
Now, of course, when you study the Word of God, you find that in God’s revelation of the tabernacle, and in the making of the tabernacle, it actually begins with the holiest of all. It begins with the ark and the mercy seat upon it. Then it comes down to the table of shewbread and the golden lampstand, and then to the brazen altar and the brazen laver.
In other words, in God’s revelation, in the making of the tabernacle, it begins with the holiest of all and comes down to the outer court, because this is according to God’s purpose.
But in experience, or in our entering into the tabernacle, you find that the order is just reversed. You enter into the outer court first, and then, by the grace of God, you enter into the holy place; finally, you end up in the holiest of all.
Now, since this time our emphasis is more on the practical, experiential side of a believer’s life and ministry, we will begin with the outer court. By the grace of God, hopefully, we will end up in the holiest of all.
Now, in the outer court, you find that at its entrance stands the brazen altar.
Our God is a righteous God, but we are unrighteous. We are lawless, and there is no fellowship between righteousness and lawlessness. Our God is a holy God; He dwells in impenetrable light. But we are sinful; we live in darkness, and there is no participation between light and darkness.
Our God is living, full of life—real life, eternal life. But we were dead in sins and transgressions, and there is no agreement between life and death. In other words, there is no way for us to approach God.
But thank God for His provision. When a child of Israel entered the tabernacle, there stood before him, at the entrance, a huge piece of furniture: the altar, the brazen altar, or the altar of burnt offering.
Now, this altar is so big. It is five cubits in length, five cubits in width, and three cubits in height. It stands right at the entrance of the tabernacle. You cannot miss it. You are not able to bypass it. It is there. Why? Because the way to God is by the altar of burnt offering.
Now, of course, in New Testament terms, the altar of burnt offering speaks of the cross of our Lord Jesus. The cross of our Lord Jesus stands at the very entrance of our approach to God. In other words, there is no way for us to approach God except through the cross. You cannot bypass it.
The cross is the very foundation of our believer’s life. Without the cross, we cannot draw near to God; but with the cross, we are able to draw near to God.
Now, of course, we know that on the cross our Lord Jesus died. His blood was shed for the remission of our sins. His life was given that we may receive eternal life. It is on the cross that we have reconciliation with God. It is by the cross that we become children of God.
So you find that everything pertaining to our Christian life is based upon the cross of our Lord Jesus.
I would like to read to you something written by Brother T. Austin-Sparks in his book The Centrality and Universality of the Cross. Probably that was the first large book he ever wrote.
He says:
We venture to say that there is not a theme in all the Word of God relative to the eternal purpose of God which is not governed by the cross of the Lord Jesus.
In the smallest matter of practical everyday life, the cross is to have its place; and from commonplace things, the application is to be made to ever-widening circles. You never get outside of the range of the cross.
In one of the chapters of that book, called “The Cross and the So Great Salvation,” our brother tries to explain various terms. All these various aspects of so great salvation are related to the cross of our Lord Jesus.
Substitution. All that I was, Christ was made on the cross for me. I was full of sins. I was corrupted. I was rebellious. I was dead. All that I was, Christ was made on the cross for me. All that I was not, that God required, Christ is unto me in resurrection. This, very briefly, is substitution. I think that is very clear.
Representation. In substitution, Christ died for us. In representation, Christ died as us.
The cross represents the zeroing of the old creation in all its aspects, nature, and abilities; and the beginning all anew, as by resurrection from the dead.
That is representation.
Redemption. Man is redeemed unto God, and upon the redeemed man Satan no longer has any claim. He has been the slave of sin and of Satan, but he has been redeemed by Christ. The new liberty consists in his being the slave of Christ. Now, that is redemption.
Justification. Justification sets forth a standing or position to which the believer is brought. Substitution sees the sin question dealt with. Representation sees the old creation removed and the new brought in. Redemption sees the link with Satan and his kingdom destroyed. When all these three things have been effected, then we have the answer to the question: How can man be just with God?
Reconciliation. Justified or reconciled, we are brought into the blessed fellowship of a new life and a new spirit.
Regeneration. By regeneration, something is present which was not there before: a life from God, which only the born-again possess; an indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is not true of any others. This Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has in it all the potentialities of a new creation. In every part, there is a new consciousness, a new capacity, a new sense, a new relationship, a new direction, and a new vocation.
Sonship. Our sonship is inherent in birth. In the New Testament sense, sonship is the realisation of the possibilities of birth. It is growth to maturity. It is not so much a matter of that from which we are saved as of that into which we are saved.
Sanctification. A setting apart, of being set apart unto God. Sanctification, or consecration, is fundamentally a matter of separation. Sanctification is therefore the working of the cross in us to make good the mortification of that estranged nature, and to bring in ever-increasing fullness of what Christ is as that altogether Other.
Glorification is the spontaneous issue of the working in us of the divine life, the incorruptible life of God.
Now you find that all these terms, which probably we have heard before—all these various aspects of so great salvation—are all based upon the cross. In other words, they are all the outcome, the result, the consequence, of the cross of our Lord Jesus.
It is by the blood of the cross that our sins are forgiven. It is by the death of the cross that our old man was removed. It is by the water—that is, the life released from the cross—that we receive eternal life. It is by the cross that we are delivered from the power of darkness and are translated into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love.
So, brothers and sisters, we find that the cross of the Lord Jesus stands at the very entrance of our approach to God. We cannot bypass it. It is only by it and through it that we are able to come to God. I believe we are all familiar with this, so we will not stay long on it.
But then, after you pass through the cross, you find that the next piece of furniture in the outer court is the laver of copper.
Now, brothers and sisters, let us remember this. It is said in Revelation 1:5 that Christ loved us and washed us from our sins in His blood. He has made us a kingdom of priests.
In Revelation 5, we are told that He has redeemed us; He has bought us with His precious blood out of every nation, tribe, people, and tongue. He has made us kings and priests unto God.
So, through the cross of our Lord Jesus, not only are our sins forgiven and washed clean, but by the cross of the Lord Jesus we are made kings and priests unto God.
Oftentimes, when we believe in the cross of our Lord Jesus, we know that our sins are forgiven. But do we know that not only are our sins forgiven, but by the cross of our Lord Jesus we are actually made priests unto God? As priests, we are to serve God. We are not only saved; we are saved to serve.
This is where the brazen laver comes in. The brazen laver, which is full of water, is for the cleansing of the priests. Before they serve, either at the brazen altar or in the holy place, they have to wash their hands and feet. Otherwise, death will come upon them.
Brothers and sisters, do we know that we are priests? The universal priesthood of believers is a very important teaching in the Word of God.
In 1 Peter 2:5, it is said that as we come to the Lord, we are as living stones, being built up together into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
So we are not only living stones, being built up together to be that spiritual house, but at the same time we are the holy priesthood that serves in that house. Every believer is a priest. Through the cross of our Lord Jesus, you become a priest—not because anybody has ordained you. You become a priest because the cross has made you a priest.
Every believer is a priest. Because we are priests, our vocation is to serve God. No matter what our avocation may be, our vocation is serving God.
You may be a teacher, you may be a housewife, you may be an office worker, or you may be whatever you may be. This is your avocation. Your real vocation is serving God, because you are a priest. By new birth, you are born into the priestly family, and you are supposed to serve God. In whatever capacity you may be, you are to serve God.
But to serve God is a very solemn thing. Why? Because our God is a living God. Our God is a holy God. To serve Him, we have to be living and we have to be holy.
If we try to serve God not living, really, and not holy, the result is death. Not only will it mean spiritual death to us who serve, but it will bring death to those whom we serve. Therefore, it is of tremendous importance that the priests, before they serve each time—not just once, but each time they serve—wash their hands and their feet.
Whether they go out to the altar to offer sacrifices and help people offer sacrifices, or enter into the holy place to minister unto the Lord, every time they serve, they have to wash their hands and their feet. That is what the brazen laver stands for.
You know, brothers and sisters, we are not only purified by the blood; we are also cleansed by the water.
Our sins are washed by the blood. Water cannot wash our sins away. Revelation 1 says that He has washed us in His blood. In Revelation 7, you have that great multitude clothed with white robes. The reason why their robes are white is because they have been washed with the blood.
So, brothers and sisters, whenever there is sin, it is the blood that washes us clean, not the water. But there is an aspect of cleansing by the water with the Word. It is not really for sins; it is for defilement.
Now, this water in the brazen laver is not baptism. Baptism is immersion in water.
In Titus 3, it says that by the mercy of God we have received the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. But in that particular verse, the word translated “regeneration” is not the same word used to speak of new birth. That particular Greek word simply means a new position—a new position. This is what water baptism really is.
When we are baptised in water, the water does not wash our sins away. You may go into the water a hundred times, but your sins will not be washed away. Your sins are washed away by the blood of the Lord Jesus, not by water.
But then why do we enter into the water to be baptised? Because it is the answer of our conscience. In other words, we have been washed with the blood. Now we are redeemed; we have been purchased. We do not belong to the world anymore. We belong to the Lord Jesus.
Because of this, we confess it. We act it out by faith that we are now entering into a new position. When we enter into the water, we are the old creation; and when we are under the water, the old creation is not only dead, but buried. When we come out of the water, now we are a new creation. We are in Christ Jesus.
So baptism announces a new position. From now on, we do not belong to the world; we belong to Christ.
Just like the children of Israel, they were saved from death by the blood of the lamb, the Paschal Lamb. But after they were saved by the blood of the Paschal Lamb, they had to cross the Red Sea. By crossing the Red Sea, they were delivered from Egypt and from Pharaoh. They belonged to Moses.
So, brothers and sisters, this is what water baptism really means. It does not wash our sins away. You had your sins washed away already, but by the water you testify that you are brought into a new position. You are now in Christ Jesus.
If you have been washed once, that is all you need. You do not need to be washed again. You remember our Lord Jesus, when He tried to wash His disciples’ feet. Peter said, “Not only my feet, but my whole body.” The Lord Jesus said, “Oh no, you do not need it. You have been washed all over once, so all you need is the washing of your feet.”
If you go to Hebrews 10, you find that we have boldness to enter into the holiest of all, to the very throne of grace. Why? Because of the blood of the Lord Jesus; because He has opened a new and living way for us through His flesh. He is now our High Priest.
So let us approach, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Here you find our conscience washed with the blood and our body purified by water. That speaks of baptism—water baptism. Our whole body has been washed, and we are clean.
So, brothers and sisters, we have believed in the Lord Jesus and we have been baptised. Our whole body has been washed; we are clean. We do not need to go back and be baptised and baptised and baptised again. Once is enough: one baptism.
But we need to have our hands and feet washed every time we come to serve God.
Now, you remember that night when our Lord Jesus was having His last feast with His own. As a matter of fact, this was the only time recorded in the Gospels when the Lord Jesus acted as the head of His own family. During His public ministry, He had passed through at least three Passovers, but this was the only time He provided the feast as the head of the family.
So He gathered His disciples together, and during the feast our Lord Jesus got up. He took off His garment, girded Himself with a towel, put water in a basin, and started to wash His disciples’ feet.
Why did He wash His disciples’ feet? Peter said, “No, no, You cannot wash my feet.” The Lord said, “If you do not allow Me to wash your feet, then you have no part with Me.” Peter wanted so much part with the Lord Jesus that he wanted his whole body washed. But the Lord said, “It is not necessary—just your feet.”
Now, why is it so? Why are the hands not mentioned there?
You know, in the old days, you did not have paved streets. It was all dirt streets, and you did not wear shoes; you wore sandals. So when you came from outside, no doubt your feet would be covered with dirt and dust.
Therefore, whenever you entered into a house to have a feast, usually the host or hostess would have a slave girl at the door with water, washing the guests’ feet, so that when they reclined and ate, they would feel comfortable. Otherwise, when your feet are covered with dirt, you do not feel comfortable and cannot enjoy the feast. That was the custom in those days.
But strangely speaking, at that feast the Lord provided the feast. Everything was there: the basin was there and the water was there, but the slave girl was not there. I think it must have been by prearrangement. It was not the negligence of the host of the house, because the Lord wanted to say something and teach something to His disciples.
Why must the feet be washed? Feet represent our walk.
As we walk through the world, even though we may not sin, after we have walked through the world and contacted the world for a whole day, when we come back home somehow we feel that our spirit is not as alert as it was in the morning.
When you go out in the morning, you have a time with the Lord and you are refreshed in your spirit. But after a whole day in touch with the world, even if you have not sinned, somehow you find that your spirit is dull and slow, as if it is covered with something. Your spirit needs to be refreshed.
The defilement of the world, unconsciously and unknowingly, has attached itself to your spirit. That is the reason why you need to be washed. When you are washed, then your fellowship with the Lord is renewed and refreshed. That is why the Lord said, “If you are not washed, you have no part with Me.” No part with Me.
Our feet need to be washed. In that sense, in John 13, it is a matter of fellowship. A feast, a table—it speaks of communion. That is the reason why the hands are not mentioned.
Now, what are the hands? The hands represent work. We walk with our feet; we work with our hands.
In other words, when a priest is to serve God, his walk with God is as important as his work for God. Lots of people think that if we have our hands clean, that is all that matters. But the Lord says, “No, you need to have your hands and your feet washed.”
If you are not walking spiritually clean with the Lord, if your fellowship and communion with the Lord are not uninterrupted, pure, and clean, even if your hands are clean, God will not accept your service. He wants your relationship with Him to be right before He will allow you to touch His work.
That is the reason why the priests had to wash their hands and their feet. Of course, in the outer court there was no floor; the ground was sand and dirt. So that was another reason why they had to wash their feet.
Dear brothers and sisters, the world is dirty. God has not reformed the world and paved it with gold yet. It is still dirt.
That is the reason why we, as Christians, live in the world. Though we are not of the world, we still live in the world and are in contact with the world. Unconsciously, we pick up something from the world: somehow the spirit of the world, somehow the fashion of the world, somehow the pleasure of the world, somehow the lust of the world—somehow that which is of the world attaches itself to us.
Even if we have not fallen into sin yet, we have become dull, dim, darkened, and unrefreshed. How can we serve God in that way? Our fellowship with the Lord is not intimate, clear, and clean. If our spirit is not in that condition, there is no way to serve God.
No matter what you do with your hands, you cannot serve God. Basically, our relationship with the Lord is so important. So we have to have our feet washed. But not only must our feet be washed; we have to have our hands washed too, because we are now serving.
Unclean hands—defiled hands—not defiled by the world, but defiled by the flesh.
You know, in the Bible, the flesh is considered defiled. That is the reason why a priest or a Nazarite could not touch a dead body. When a Nazarite touched a dead body, then he had to start all over again, because he was defiled.
So, flesh—remember, flesh. Our flesh, not just others’ flesh, but your flesh too. Whatever is of the natural man, whatever is of the old creation, whatever is of myself—the flesh—anything that is of the flesh defiles.
We cannot use our natural talent to serve God. Lots of people think, “Before you were saved, you were an executive in a great big corporation. After you are saved, my, you are the best material to be an elder in the church. Because if you know how to govern a corporation, surely you know how to govern a church.”
But no. That is unclean hands.
Now, it does not mean God does not need your talent. Even your talent was given by God, because God created you and gave you your talent. But the question is: it has to go through death and resurrection.
If it has not gone through death and resurrection, you are using it. Outwardly, you are using it to serve God; actually, you are using it to glorify yourself. But after it has gone through death and resurrection, then God is able to use it for His glory.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, you find that anything that is of the flesh, that is of ourselves—our cleverness, our experience, our talents, our energy, whatever is ourselves, whatever we had before we believed in the Lord Jesus—everything of the old creation, everything that is not of Christ but is of me, has to go through death and resurrection before God can ever use it.
Otherwise, maybe today we are serving God with unclean hands. We do not realise that our hands need to be washed.
If the hands are not washed, they will bring in death instead of life. That is the reason why the priests, every time they began to serve, had to wash: wash their feet, wash their hands. Then their relationship with the Lord was right, and they were serving God not in their own strength but in the power of the Holy Spirit—not of themselves, but of the Lord. Then you find that their service will be accepted by God.
It is very interesting. You notice that all the furniture in the outer court was either made of copper, or overlaid with copper. The altar of burnt offering was built with acacia wood and overlaid with copper. But the brazen laver was made purely of copper.
Now, why copper? Because copper in the Scriptures speaks of divine righteousness dealing with man’s responsibility. In other words, copper in the Scriptures speaks of the judicial judgment of God. God demands righteousness of man.
That is the reason why, in the outer court, all the furniture was copper or overlaid with copper. It speaks of judgment—judgment for purification, judgment to meet the righteousness of God.
But strangely, you find that the copper used for the brazen laver was a special kind of copper.
If you read Exodus 38:8, it says that the copper used to build the brazen laver came from the mirrors of the women who assembled themselves at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
In the old days, you did not have glass mirrors. Today we use glass mirrors, but in the old days mirrors were made of copper, or bronze. You shined it so that it would reflect you. Of course, women love mirrors, right?
But here you find these women assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and they gave these mirrors up. Moses used these mirrors to make the brazen laver.
Now, brothers and sisters, I think this is tremendous. Why did these women assemble at the gate of the tent of meeting? In other words, you find that these women were devoted to God.
Now, in the Old Testament—and this is not inequality; it is simply God’s order—you find that the priests were all men. They were all men, the priests.
Now, you may think, “Well, if God only used men to be priests, then where were the women? In other words, the women had nothing to do in the matter of God’s service.” Just like one sister once said, “You brothers seem to be doing everything, and what is there for us sisters? In the kitchen.”
Not so. Even though officially, in the Old Testament, only men were made priests, unofficially you find there were women who gathered at the gate of meeting, waiting to serve. Whatever it might be, they were ready for it.
They gave themselves to the Lord with such devotion that they did not need the mirrors anymore. In other words, they gave up their vanity in order to glorify God. Now, what a devotion that is.
Brothers and sisters, let me encourage you sisters. The sisters have a tremendous ministry here. Why? Because these mirrors were made into the brazen laver.
What does it mean? It means that every time a priest was to serve, he had to approach the brazen laver. As he approached the brazen laver, that laver reflected and revealed to him his dirty feet and unclean hands.
In other words, he was measured; he was judged by the devotion of these ladies. Now, is that not a tremendous ministry of the sisters?
You sisters, God will use you to judge the brothers. God will use your devotion to make these brothers feel that their hands are not clean and their feet are not clean. They need to be washed. It brings conviction to the priests. Is that not wonderful?
And thank God, after their dirty hands and dirty feet are revealed and exposed, there is provision: the water. So they wash their hands and their feet, and now they are ready to serve.
What is this water?
It brings us to Ephesians 5. In Ephesians 5, we are told that Christ so loved the church that He gave Himself for it. He sanctifies it, washing it with the water by the Word, that He may make His church a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; that He may present her to Himself holy and without blemish.
Here you find that our Lord Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for the church, not only to bring the church into being, but to sanctify it—to set it apart. It is separated by the washing of water with the Word.
Water with the Word. Now, you cannot say here that the water is the Word, because it is the water with the Word. So the water must be something different from the Word.
Now, of course, the Word of God cleanses us; that is true. But here you find that the water cleanses, and the water here is not the Word. It is connected with the Word, but it is not the Word. Therefore, we need to ask: What is this water?
Then again, you go back to John’s writings. In the Gospel of John, you find that when our Lord Jesus was crucified, all His disciples left, but John was the only one at the foot of the cross.
When the soldiers came to make sure that those who were crucified were dead, they broke the legs of the two robbers because the robbers were strong and were not dead yet. They broke their legs to speed up the death process.
But when the soldiers came to the Lord Jesus, they saw that He was already dead. To make sure that He was really dead, one soldier thrust his spear through the side of our Lord Jesus. It reached His heart, and out of it came water and blood.
John said, “I saw it, and I bear witness that this is true.” Now, why does John make such an emphatic statement? Why?
Then in 1 John 5, again he says that there are three that bear witness: the blood, the water, and the Spirit. Now, what is the water, then?
The water here speaks of life. You remember Psalm 22: He poured forth His life like water. In other words, here you find that out of His side, out of His broken heart, came blood and water: blood for the remission of sins; water to give life.
So water here speaks of life. Now, brothers and sisters, here you find that it is the life of our Lord Jesus within us that washes us daily, so that we may be fit to serve.
Oftentimes, you find that the Word of God comes to you—not merely logos, but rhema. In other words, you find that the Word of God comes to you personally, and comes to you in such a living way.
As the Word of God comes to you, it judges you, exposes you, and reveals you, like the brazen laver. It reveals what you are. Then you find that the life of the Lord Jesus within you cleanses you, sanctifies you, and brings you to a new level.
It is the water—the life of the Lord Jesus in you—continually cleansing you with the living Word. When these two begin to work in your life, you are cleansed; you are washed from defilement so that you are fit to serve.
So, brothers and sisters, you find that in this first stage of the believer’s life, the main emphasis is on purification. How can we be purified from our sins? How can we be purified from all defilements, that we may not only be saved, but may be able to serve as priests?
Now, this is the life part. Now we would like to briefly enter into the ministry part.
As we mentioned before, we are saved to serve. When God sent Moses to Pharaoh, He said, “Let My people go.”
Now, why should they go? So that they might be free and do whatever they wanted to do? No. “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.”
In other words, when they were slaves, they had to serve Pharaoh. They had no time and no energy; they could not serve God. God needs free people to serve Him. So God said, “Let My people go.” They had to be free so that they could serve Him.
So, brothers and sisters, let us remember: we are freed not so that we can do anything we like now, but we are free so that we are able to serve God.
There is a ministry for everyone, brothers and sisters. Everyone who is saved is, generally speaking, a minister unto God. We are saved to serve.
Now, how do we serve? Where do we serve? You find that the very altar that saves us is the altar at which we serve. Here you find that the cross has saved us, and now we serve at the cross.
So the apostle Paul says, “We do not preach ourselves; we preach Jesus Christ.” “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” In other words, the cross that saves us is the very message that we preach to the world.
We preach the cross of Christ. We preach the Christ of the cross.
On that brazen altar, they offered sacrifices: sin offerings. What is a sin offering? A sin offering is a type of Christ as our sin offering. In other words, He offered Himself in our stead.
He Who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. God has made the Just to die for the unjust. Christ is our sin offering. That is what we preach.
We preach to the world that Christ is the sin offering. He died for our sins; therefore, our sins are forgiven.
On the altar, you offer the trespass offering. What is the trespass offering? The trespass offering simply means that in your daily life you have done something wrong against God or against man, and therefore this has to be atoned for.
Christ is our trespass offering. Not only once for all were our sins forgiven, but even in our daily life, whenever the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, if we confess, God is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, because we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
So, brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus is not only our sin offering; He is our trespass offering. Daily, we are in the good of the efficacy of His blood. This is what we preach. We tell people that Christ Jesus is able to save to the uttermost. He is our trespass offering.
Our Lord Jesus is also the peace offering. He is our peace. He made peace between us and God, reconciled us to God, and restored that harmony with God. He made peace among us, so that we are no longer at enmity against each other, but are one.
Whether Jews or Gentiles, He has brought us into one and made peace with one another. This is how we experience, and this is what we preach. We tell people that Christ is peace. He is the peace offering. You can have peace with God; you can have peace with your brothers and sisters.
In the peace offering, you find that not only the offerer eats; the priest eats, the Levites eat, and everybody shares. Peace offering.
Christ is the meal offering, the oblation. It speaks of the life of the Lord Jesus. His life on earth was so pure, like fine flour, and full of oil, the Holy Spirit. This is the kind of life that God has offered to us. We have received Him as our life. Christ is our life.
This is what we preach. We minister to people that Christ is our life.
Here you find Christ as the burnt offering. The burnt offering is a whole offering; it is a voluntary offering. The whole offering is burned and consumed into ashes to be the food of God, to be God’s pleasure.
This is Christ—His devotedness to the Father. In union with Christ, we are to offer ourselves also as a whole offering to God. Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus is in union with Christ in this utter devotedness to the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, this is our ministry. This is what we preach: the altar, the cross of the Lord Jesus.
Of course, we know that the priests not only served at the altar, but the priests entered into the holy place and served. Now, we will leave that for tomorrow. God bless.
So, dear brothers and sisters, how we do praise and thank God that He has made every provision for us. He wants us to come to Him. He wants us to accept the cross, and He wants us to be washed, that we may serve Him. So may the Lord help us. Shall we pray?
Dear heavenly Father, we acknowledge that these are very elementary, and yet we do feel that these are so important.
We do pray that Thy Holy Spirit will bring back to our minds that which Thou hast revealed to us before, that it may become living and fresh, as if we had first seen it and heard it.
We pray that all these will become very real and living in our daily lives. We do praise and thank Thee for saving us. We thank Thee for the cross of our Lord Jesus.
We thank Thee for the life that cleanses us continuously, that enables us to serve as priests. O our Father, we pray that we may not be those who neglect our duties, but that we may be those who are not only saved, but those who serve according to Thy will and unto Thy pleasure.
We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.