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TWO ASPECTS OF SANCTIFICATION
 "The oil . . . upon the place of the blood" (Lev. 14:28.)
Leprosy cut a man off from fellowship both with God and man, and its cleansing, and the pronouncement that leprosy had departed, is given a large place in the ceremonial of the book of
Leviticus. The special feature that is before us at the moment is the teaching involved in the type so far as it throws light upon Sanctification. The quotation given above from Leviticus 14:28 warns us
not to stress Sanctification by the Spirit to the omission of the Sanctification by the Blood of Christ, as also it teaches us to place Sanctification by Blood before Sanctification by the Spirit. Some of
the excesses that have marred the testimony of some companies of believers is attributable to an undue emphasis upon the "Spirit" without the balancing emphasis upon the "Blood," the super
structure more than the foundation.
Let us attempt to put the Scriptural order in which the great effect of the Atoning work of Christ is to be referred.
SANCTIFICATION BY BLOOD
"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sancitifieth to the purifying of the
flesh; How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience" (Heb. 9:13, 14).
"We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all"
(Heb. 10:10).
"For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14).
"The blood of the covenant, wherewith He was sanctified" (Heb. 10:29).
"Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate" (Heb. 13:12).
SANTIFICATION BY THE SPIRIT
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:2).
"God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13).
"Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word" (Eph. 5:25, 26).
"The oil . . . upon the place of the blood" (Lev. 14:28).
NO MORE
Three occurrences of the phrase "No more" in Hebrews 10 may provide us with a little help by the way.
NO MORE CONSCIENCE OF SINS. Hebrews 10:2.
What can bring about such a condition as this? Does this mean that the Apostle was an advocate of the doctrine known
as sinless perfection? A careful reading of Romans 7 and Galatians 5:16-25, 1 John 1:6-10, and 3:9 will provide evidence
that the believer is in possession of two natures, one called "FLESH" and the other called "SPIRIT;" one "begotten of God,"
the other "begotten of the flesh;" the one ever at war against the other.
How then can such an one attain to the condition of "no more conscience of sins?" The whole verse and context supplies
the Scriptural reason and only answer. "For the Law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the
things, CAN NEVER with the same sacrifices which year by year they offered continually, make the comers thereunto
pefect; else would they not, in that case, have ceased being offered, by reason of those rendering the divine service
having NO MORE conscience of sins, BEING ONCE FOR ALL PURIFIED?" Hebrews 10:1-2. Yes, the "no more" depends
upon the "once for all." This blessed state is not brought about by turning over new leaves, by belittling sin, or by reducing
God's holy standard; no, it comes into the very light of the Presence of God; it walks in the light as He is in the light; it has
fellowship with God, yet never does it say "I have not sinned" or "I have no sin." The secret of that holy boldness is that
"the blood of Jesus Christ, His son, cleanseth us from all sin."
This is the testimony of the other occurrences of this word "conscience" in Hebrews. The offering of the blood of bulls
and goats never touched the conscience, they "could not make him that did the service perfect, AS PERTAINING TO THE
CONSCIENCE." Heb. 9:9. But "if the blood of bulls and of goats . . . sanctifieth to the PURIFYING OF THE FLESH: how much
more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works" Hebrews 9:13, 14. Hence Hebrews 10:22 says "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience."
The passage under consideration does not mean that the believer will never be troubled by sin any more; this is not the
case at all. As he grows in race, his own unworthiness and defilement appear to deepen, but all through he has the glad
conscience that the Blood of Christ has "once for all" settled the whole question of sin and sins before God.
"It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins . . . but this Man, after He had offered one
sacrifcice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God" Hebrews 10:4-12. Fellow-believer, HE SAT DOWN, His
work "finished;" can you not rest if He does? Surely nothing more is needed; He Who came to save has "sat down," for
by one offering He hath perfected unto perpetuity them that are sanctified." Hebrews 10:14.
NO MORE REMEMBRANCE. Hebrews 10:17
What is the result of this wonderful offering? This verse goes on immediately, "Wherefore . . . their sins and iniquities will I
remember NO MORE." Oh, the joy of it! The sacrifice of Christ not only breathes its blessed "no more" to our conscience, it
also says "no more" to the memory of God. "blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is COVERED" Psalm 32:1.
NO MORE OFFERING. Hebrews 10:18.
Even this is not all. So complete is the offering, so full the forgiveness and the forgetfulness, so perfect the cleansing, that
the Lord can add "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." Heb. 10:18. No more conscience
of sin! No more remembrance of sin! No more offering for sin! This speaks to us of perfection. Never through all eternity
will that one offering need repetition. Its efficacy avails to the uttermost. Sins past, present, and even future (which, O
Lord, give grace to reduce) are all met and dealt with by the precious blood of Christ.
BUT NOW. BUT GOD
The words placed as a heading of this study hardly range as a text, but they are of sufficient importance to justify a
consideration of their bearing on the context in which they are found. "But" is an adversative conjunction and marks a
contrast, and an otherwise concealed antithesis (see Dr. Bulinger's Gk. Lexicon) An adversative places the second
sentence or clause in some kind opf opposition to the preceding one. There are three species:
(1) Exclusive adversatives (viz. not, but, else).
(2) Alternative adversatives (viz. either - or, whether - or).
(3) Arrestive adversatives (viz. but then, still, nevertheless).
Speaking simply, "but (a) arrests attention, and (b) draws the attention to an opposition or contrast. Some of these
antitheses or contrasts are of great doctrinal importance, and without going too minutely into their meaning or atempting to
deal with every occurrence, we bring forward a few passages in the hope that readers will be made aware of the
importance of this little but arresting word "but" in their own reading. "But God" (Eph. 2:4). "But now" (Eph. 2:13).
First the contrast of time:
"In Time past"(Eph. 2:2).
"But God"(Eph. 2:4).
"At that time"(Eph. 2:12).
"But now"(Eph. 2:13).
The first passage reveals the doctrinal condition of the Gentile world. The second reveals their dispensational position.
They WALKED according to the course of this world. Doctrine and Practice.
They WERE aliens and foreigners. Dispensational position,.
The change introduced by the words "But God" stresses the grace of salvation, the words "But now" the reconciliation of
"the both" unto God in one Body. The condition of the earlier reference is that of sin and death, the second reference speaks of distance and nearness.
Passing to the practical section of this epistle we find the words "But ye have not so learned Christ" (Eph. 4:20) set over
against the previous walk "in the vanity of their mind," leading on to the contrasted renewal "in the spirit of your mind," and in Ephesians 5:8 we read
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light."
Here we have "sometimes," "walk" and "children," the same words that have already occurred in Ephesians 2:2, 3. "But
now" in Romans 3:21 brings to a conclusion the argument of the opening chapters.
(1)The statement. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. "For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed (a righteousness) from faith (addressed) to faith" (Rom. 1:16, 17).
(2)Before going further with this declaration, the Apostle sets out to show that this righteousness is required;
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
unrighteousness." The one "revelation" is placed over
against the other (Rom 1:18).
(3)To prove his point, Paul shows that the Gentiles who had no written revelation but only the testimony of creation and
conscience, were "without excuse" (Rom. 1:20). He then proceeds to show that the Jew, who boasted in being those
who were entrusted with the oracles of God (Rom 3:2; 2:17-23) were equally "inexcusable" (Rom. 2:1).
It is here that the "But now" of Romans 3:21 comes in with such force.
"But now the righteousness of God without the law (here, the Apostle explains what the righteousness of God means in
Romans 1:17) is manifested" (here he explains the meaning of "is revealed" in Romans 1:17).
"Being witnessed by the law and the prophets" (here he reiterates what he has said in Romans 1:2 and 1:17). Throughout
the scriptures this adversative conjunction "but" is used to cause the reader to stop, to think, to consider contrasts; in
other words to arrest his attention, draw attention to the contrasts of grace and works, law and faith, flesh and spirit.
We leave our readers with these few notes and examples, and commend to them the enlightening study of this small but
most important word. As an incentive and an exhibition of its use and value, we append a concordance to this brief article.
"But" in the Epistle to the Hebrews 1and 2.
"But unto the Son He saith"(Heb. 1:8).
"But Thou remainest"(Heb. 1:11).
"But Thou are the same"(Heb. 1:12).
"But to which of the angels . . . "(Heb. 1:13).
"But one in a certain place testified"(Heb. 2:6).
"But now we see not yet all things . . . "(Heb. 2:8).
"But we see Jesus"(Heb. 2:9).
"But He took on Him the seed of Abraham"(Heb. 2:`16).
We will not set out the complete list of occurrences of this word. The above specimen reveals how closely the doctrine of
the epistle is linked with these recurrent "buts," and a patient completion of this concordance will prove these "buts" to be of importance beyond question,
"But this man" (Heb. 7:24).
"But Christ being come . . . " (Heb. 9:11).
"But a body has Thou prepared Me" (Heb. 10:5),
point the way to a glorious conception of the Person and Work of the Saviour, above angels, above Moses, above Levitical priests or sacrifices, "His Son" (Heb. 1:2).
AS HE IS (1st Epistle of John).
"AS HE IS" - Christ is the center of all the purposes of God's grace. He is the Author, The Perfector, The Goal.
Likeness to our Risen Lord is the theme before us now, both during our sojourn here, and in that day when we shall be satisfied upon awaking in His likeness.
First let us briefly consider Him. "If we walk in the light, AS HE IS in the Light" (1 John 1:7). Verse 5 declares that "God is
Light, and in Him is no darkness at all." In the full blaze of that glory our Saviour stands. Not only is He there in His own
right, but He is there because of the perfectness of His Atoning Work. Nothing but absolute righteousness and perfect
holiness could endure the Light in which our Great Advocate and High Priest stands. Yet, fellow-believer, weak and failing as we may be in ourselves, THAT, AND NOTHING LESS, is our position in Christ!
Chapter 2:29 tells us "He is righteous;" 3:3 tells us "He is pure," emphasizing that which is involved in the statement quoted
above "He is in the light." 1 John 1:7 commences with a "But if" - a condition is therefore attached. Before we consider
the conditional aspect, let us turn to the verses that reveal the absolute nature of the believer's sanctification in Christ.
A literal reading would read as follows:
"In this hath been perfected the love with us, in order that we may have
boldness in the day of judgment, that AS HE IS, we also are (though)
in this world" (1 John 4:17).
God's love to us is the subject under consideration in this verse. The words translated "In this" are of constant
occurrence in the epistle. In this very chapter they are translated "hereby" verse 13, "herein" verse 10, and "in this" in
verse 9. To what does the Apostle refer when he says "In this" in verse 17? Does he mean that God's love is perfected
in this - that believers shall have boldness in the day of Judgment? Yes - and yet no - for this is but part of the glorious goal.
Avoiding the somewhat stilted literal translation given above, the following may be acceptable.
"In this is the love with us perfected (in order that we may
have boldness in the Day of Judgment); that as He is, so
are we in this world."
The Love is PERFECTED IN THIS - that the believer in Christ is AS HE IS. God Himself knows no higher goal for eternity than
that the believer shall be AS HIS LORD, and when these bodies of our humiliation are changed for bodies like unto that of the glorified Lord, then perfect love will have found its goal.
What "grace wherein we stand!" Every believer equally perfect in Christ. The weakest and the strongest, the babe and
the full grown, all are equally and altogether complete IN HIM. There are no "if's" here. This is no more conditional upon our
walk and life than is our justification,. Results will necessarily follow; but let it always be remembered that they FOLLOW
not come before. He that IS righteous (in Christ) doeth righteousness (as a result)." Root must come first; fruit should follow.
AS HE IS - WE ARE. 1 John 4:17
AS HE IS - WE SHALL BE. 1 John 3:2.
"We know that when He shall appear, we shall be LIKE HIM."
Again we deal with that which is absolute. "We SHALL be like Him" - perfect love will have reached its goal. Can we not
better understand the reason why the Apostle introduces this marvellous subject with the words "Behold, WHAT MANNER
of love?" What is to be the outcome of this glorious position? "Everyman that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even
as He is pure." According to many, possibly among them some who will read these words, "certainty" means "license."
They think it is presumption to "know" that which God hath declared. Scripture does not veil the fact that there will always
be those who "turn the grace of God into lasciviousness," but this by no means alters the relations established between 1 John 3:2 and 3.
The reasoning of the renewed heart will be "AM I AS HE IS by grace in Christ? Oh, that I may be more like Him in practice.
Am I to be like Him in the future? Oh, for grace to be more like Him now." Keeping 2 John 4:17 in mind, we turn to 1 John
2:5, 6. Again we shall read of God's love being perfected; but this time dealing with the conditional side of sanctification.
"But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the LOVE OF GOD PERFECTED. In this know we that we ARE IN HIM. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."
Even in this conditional setting, the keeping of the Word is a proof of our being in Him; not that the keeping of the Word either places us in that blessed sphere, or secures us when we are there.
By comparing 1 John 4:17 with 1 John 2:5, 6, it will be seen that God's love to us and our love to God meet together in the
Lord Jesus Christ as their goal; both point forward to likeness to Him. The believer's love to God urges him to seek more
conformity to the image of His Beloved Son; and God's love to His people has fixed its goal - perfect likeness to Christ in
resurrection glory. Be it noticed that this verse does not say, "We OUGHT to be as He is," but it says, "We OUGHT to walk
as He walked." Many have gone into all kinds of excesses in their endeavour to "walk as He walked," forgetting that 1
John 1:7 must be included, and that henceforth we know Christ according to the flesh no longer. 1 John 1:7 speaks of walking in the light. THIS is how the Lord Jesus always walked whilst here on earth.
In the very Presence of God, in the light of the Holiest of All - what a position in which to be found! What a position to abide
in! No creature preparation or perfectioness can avail there; in fact, any attempt at such only shows the failure to
appreciate the heights of Holiness demanded by that awful Presence. What is our warrant for daring to walk in that light?
AS HE IS - WE ARE. Is this sinless perfection? No. If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves. If we say we have
not sinned we make God a liar. It is not by covering up our sins, neither is it by imagining ourselves to have become
sinless that we draw near to the Presence of the Lord. It is by reason of the wondrous grace that has made us
"Accepted in the Beloved," that has made us "meet" to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. With all our
imperfections still upon us, with all our sins of omission and commission, we may draw near to walk in the light. Do we
make little of sin? No! God does not, but He has made provision. It is not our walk or our talk that will ever keep us fit for
His Holy Presence, but "if we walk in the light. . . the BLOOD of Jesus Christ His son cleanseth us from all sin."
Such is some small fragment of the teaching of these verses. Let us glorify God by believing His Word, and seeing that in
His grace WE ARE, in Christ, AS HE IS, and that AS HE IS WE SHALL BE, let us seek by grace to WALK AS HE WALKED, to
walk in the light, thankfully to confess the glorious efficacy of the Blood that cleanseth, and to exemplify in some measure the complete sanctification which is ours in Christ Jesus.
BLOT OUT . . . WASH ME (Psalms 51:1, 2)
The first verse of Psalm 51 has been printed as a heading in the A.V. but it is an internal part of the Psalm. It puts the
whole of David's predicament, his prayers, and his restoration in its historic association with Bathsheba and Uriah, and with Psalm 32, where his tardy "acknowledgement" is recorded.
Here, in Psalm 51, his confession and prayer is the outcome of this acknowledgment "For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me" (Psalms 51:3).
We are limiting our examination in this article to the twofold petition of verses 1 and 2:
"Blot out . . . Wash me."
This is not merely a repetition for the sake of emphasis; two vitally associated consequences of redemption are here
suggested. "Blot out" envisages a record written in a book, that must be cancelled if peace is ever to be envisaged.
"Wash me" rather considers sin in its defiling nature, rendering the sinner "unclean" and so unable to enter into the holy
place. "Blot out" looks to justification. "Wash me" to sanctification. David was guilty of both murder and adultery, and he
knew only too well that under the law of Moses there was no provision for a murderer.
"Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death; but he shall be surely put to death" (Num. 35:31).
Yet David could pray for deliverance from blood-guiltiness, and declared that his tongue should "sing aloud of Thy righteousness" (Psalm 51:14).
In the opening of this Psalm, David speaks of God's loving-kindness and tender mercy, but righteousness as a basis for an
unforgiveable sin looks beyond the law, and is inexplicable apart from the offering of Christ. David's consciousness of the
extreme defilement left by his sin is indicated by the emphasis he places on the need, not only for washing, but to be
washed "throughly," the Hebrew reading literally "multiply to wash." This consciousness of great defilement is seen in the
different words used: "wash," "cleanse," "purge," "clean" "To blot out," as we have already suggested, refers to the erasure of a record, as in Exodus 32:33
"Him will I blot out of My book."
"The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water" (Numbers 5:23).
"Let them be bloted out of the book of the living" (Psa. 69:28).
"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions" (Isa. 44:22).
"I, even I, as He that blotteth out they transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins" (Isa. 43:25).
Let us look a little closely at these words that speak of cleansing. "Wash me." The Hebrew word used in Psalm 51:2 and
7 is kabas which refers in every passage to the washing of clothes, particularly in the ceremonial cleansing of Leviticus
11:14 and 15. In 2 Kings 18:17, Isiah 7:3; 36:2 and Malachi 3:2 it is translated "fuller." Wash ,me THROUGHLY and I shall
be WHITER than snow. David here looks beyond the cleansing that the law provided to "the precious blood of Christ" that cleanseth from all sin.
"Purge me." Here the Hebrew word is chata. Now chata is translated "sin" 165 times, yet the self same word is rendered purge, purify, cleanse, make reconciliation, offer for sin.
The Companion Bible has the comment against "purge" here
"Thou wilt sin-cleanse me, or un-sin me: i.e. expiate by the blood of a sin offering."
So closely associated in the mind of God is "sin" and its "punishment" and "forgiveness" and the "bearing" of sin, that the A
.V. and the R.V. print in the text of Genesis 4:13, as we have earlier observed:
"My PUNISHMENT is greater than I can BEAR" but in the margin read
"Mine INIQUITY is greater than may be FORGIVEN"
This double meaning is seen in Genesis 19:15
"Lest thou be consumed in the INIQUITY of the city" (Margin "punishment").
From Genesis, throughout the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, and from Matthew, throughout the Gospels, Acts, Epistles and the Revelation, the Scriptures testify with one voice that
"Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22).
In both Hebrews 9:14 and 22 the blood of Christ is linked with "purging." The purging with hyssop does not refer to the
use of the herb as a medicine, but as a "sprinkler." In Exodus 12:22 "a bunch of hyssop" was used to sprinkle the lintel
and the side of the door, at the time of the Passover. In Leviticus and Numbers, hyssop is used for the cleansing of the Leper, and for uncleanness (Lev. 14; Num. 19).
"Whiter than snow" seems an anticipation of the description of the Transfiguration:
"His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them" (Mark 9:3).
"Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psa. 51:10).
Here is no reform, no turning over a new leaf, but rather a new creation. The word "clean" looks back to the "cleansing"
of a leper (Leviticus 14) which, be it remembered, restored the leper to his place as a worshipper; and also the "pure" gold
and the "pure" incense, that was demanded for the worship in the tabernacle. So David can pray for a "clean heart" and a
restoration to the "joy" of his salvation. A superficial criticism of Psalm 51:13
"Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee"
says in effect "Surely anyone who had sinned as David had, is no fit person to teach or to think of the conversion of
others" - but this is untrue. The primary qualification for a Teacher and Preacher of God's Word and Gospel is that he himself, the Teacher and the Preacher should be able to say
"Once I was blind but now I can see."
"Blot out." This looks to "justification." The Law Court.
"Wash me." This looks to "Sanctification." The Temple.
And both look to the blood of Christ:
"Being now justified by His blood" (Rom. 5:9).
"Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood.
suffered without the gate" (Heb. 13:12).
WONDROUS MEETING PLACES
It is not our purpose to discuss the merits of any particular place of worship, nor to advocate the attendance, or non
-attendance at the meeting place of any one sect or denomination; we desire to "Preach Christ," and by so doing we shall
strike a more powerful blow at sectarianism than by all the denunciations that we might pour forth, and at the same time feed the Lord's people with the True Bread which cometh down from heaven.
The wonderful Meeting Place to which we wish to draw attention is found in Isaiah 53 and symbolized in Exodus 25:21
and 22. Let us turn to Exodus 25:16-22. The Ark of the Covenant had placed within it the UNBROKEN tables of stone. Let
it be remembered that Israel in reality NEVER RECEIVED THE TEN COMMANDMENTS--they were broken before they could
be given them. God's answer was "Make an Ark," not "Give them another chance," or "Give them an easier code."
Upon this Ark is placed the Mercy Seat, the PROPITIATORY, which exactly fitted the Ark beneath. Here we have Romans
3:21-26, set before our very eyes. Atonement has a broad base of rightousness to rest upon. The blood sprinkled upon
the Mercy Seat covers the perfect and unbroken law within. "That He might be JUST, and the JUSTIFIER of him which believeth in Jesus."
This symbol of the perfect work of Christ is the ground of meeting in Exodus 25. THERE I will meet with thee, and I will
commune with thee from above the Mercy Seat" (verse 22). Fellow-believer, "Let us draw nigh;" none can say us nay if
He bids us welcome. With this beautiful type in mind let us turn to Isaiah 53.
In Acts 8:35, we read, "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him - Jesus."
Isaiah 53 is "the same Scripture." It is a part of repentant Israel's confession when they look upon Him Whom they pierced,
when the veil shall be removed and they shall say, "Surely He hath borne OUR griefs, and carried OUR sorrows." "All we
like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath MADE TO MEET on Him the iniquity of us all."
Let us pause and consider this wondrous Meeting Place. The Sufferer is the Son of God; the Hands which fashioned the
Heavens (Hebrews 1:10) are nailed to the Accursed Tree; the Brow which is yet to wear "many diadems" is crowned
with the thorns that sprang up in consequence of Adam's sin. Why all this? Was there no other way? No! The Lord of
Glory stepped down from His exalted throne, became a man, a servant, and died under the imputed guilt which the Lord
MADE TO MEET on Him. What a tremendous thought is here; how it calls upon us to remember that we are upon holy ground!
One sin to an infinitely Holy Being must be loathsome; but to think of the combined sin of my lifetime being made to converge
upon His Sacred Head is more than heart can conceive. But the writer is not the only one for whom the Saviour died.
Thousands more can rejoice in Him as the great Sin Bearer for them. But this is not all. Generation after generation have
lived, and sinned and died and for many of each the Saviour's blood was shed. Here, like Paul at the end of Romans 11
(as he goes on to enumerate the multiplied mercy of God), we get out of our depth - we can only bow our heads and say, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God."
This is not all, however; there is still a "much more." At the end of Isaiah 53:12, we read of a second Meeting Place, linked
and founded upon the first one in Verse 6. "He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and
made a MEETING PLACE for the transgressors." The same Hebrew word, paga is used in Isaiah 53:6 "hath laid on Him,"
and in Isaiah 53:12 "made intercession." He was first made a Meeting Place for transgressions, and then, having put away
sin by the sacrifice of Himself, He sat down at the Right Hand of the Majesty on High where He ever liveth to make
intercession for us, to Whom we can go at all times by a new and living way. What a glorious Meeting Place!
But even this does not exhaust the depth, nor scale the height, nor comprehend the love that passeth knowledge. We,
who by FAITH look back to that solemn Meeting Place of Calvary, look forward in HOPE to the consummation of it all, as
expressed in the words of the Apostle to the Thessalonians. Whether 1 Thessalonians 4 is to be interpreted of the Church
of the Mystery is a question with which we have dealt elsewhere, but one thing we know, that the Redeemed of all ages
and dispensations, whether by Rapture or Resurrection; whether before or after The Great Tribulation; whether to inherit Heavenly Places, or the Earthly Paradise; THEY SHALL ALL MEET THE LORD.
1 Thessalonians 4:17; 1 John 3:1-3; Phil. 3:20 and 21; Colossians 3:1-4; Titus 2:13; Revelation 20:4; 22:4.
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Salvation - It’s Need, It’s Provision, It’s Goal - Page 3
