ABILITY 2 OF OUR LORD

God’s Word comforts as it reveals Jesus Christ’s extraordinary ability to save. Indeed, Hebrews 7:25 reads, ‘Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them’. His capability to save is linked with our Lord’s unbroken intercession ever since He ascended to heaven . Let’s consider this.

Truly, our Lord Jesus was able to rescue the derelict or depraved. We came to Him personally in our desperate need of a Saviour, and He accepted and pardoned us. Christ’s character was expressed in ’such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.’ ( v 25 ) His attributes of holiness, freedom from guile, and unstained life qualified our Lord to be ‘able to save to the uttermost.’ He met every requirement of the Father.

Christ suffered once in time and as a complete covering for all nations and generations on the cross as an offering for our sin. Verse 27 reads.’ He offered up sacrifices once for all (not daily as the priests had done), when He offered up Himself. His Calvary suffering alone qualified Him to save. Let us teach this: believe it; and defend this unchallengeable saving work of Christ.

His High Priestly ministry differed from man’s, which was passed on from one generation to another. The Lord Jesus had ‘an unchangeable priesthood’, which is best translated as an ‘intransmissible ‘one. No other had qualified for the once–in-eternity priesthood of our Lord Jesus. Surely, He died, but He rose again. His death could not be repeated nor would it ever be required so- it was ‘once for all’. But as our great High Priest, He presented us before the Father in an unbroken ministry since His induction at God’s right hand.

The priesthood of our Lord could never be passed on to another, for there is no rival for the position our glorious Lord held. There was no other redeemer except Jesus; no other cleansing except by His shed blood; no other Substitute except the Lamb of God; no other Mediator is seated at heaven’s right hand. Therefore, He had an intransmissible priesthood. Delight in this neglected truth.

I have been privileged often to speak at the local evangelical Greek and Slavic churches, comprised of those who had come to Christ out of the Orthodox background. They had abandoned the slavish rites and trappings of human priesthood. Now they were free! They had left such overpowering authority when they emerged into the liberty of the glorious gospel of Christ. What a surprise to discover that their beloved Saviour was also their great High Priest.

Their faces lit up and their hearts rejoiced that their living High Priest at the Father’s side in heaven continuously interceded for them. No wonder this Jesus our Lord is ‘able to save unto the uttermost, seeing He ever lives to intercede’. He is our Saviour. He is our Mediator. He is our great High Priest.

As a young medical orderly in the jungles of Papua New Guinea during WW11, I discovered that ‘He was able to keep me from falling, and to present me faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our saviour, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever. Amen! ( Jude 24 ). My heart sang at the beautiful picture of my Keeper , my Lord. I especially memorised it during the long night vigils, as I flashed torches in the faces of the patients while doing ward rounds. I knew that the same Saviour had preserved me from many evils of army life; and loved Him

Wuest translated that ‘One was able to guard you from stumbling ‘. I learned that the Lord closely observed our day by day walk, and His strong arm was often stretched out to catch us when we caught our toe on one of satan’s booby traps. If only King David had remembered that His powerful Saviour was able to keep him from falling when he faced the temptation to invite Bathsheba into the king’s private room . He need not have fallen; nor do you need to stumble.

This promise of our Lord’s power to keep is preceded by a stirring plea

‘ Beloved, build up yourself on your most holy faith. Praying in the Holy Spirit, Keep yourself in the love of God, and looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude continued, ‘Of some have compassion, making a distinction , but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. ( v20-23 )

‘Building up yourself constantly in your most holy faith’ safeguards us from the danger of falling, while our Spirit-directed prayer will defend our hearts in that danger hour. We must urgently keep ourselves in the love of God as a further protection from the fiery darts of temptation. While we are thrown on the mercy of our tender Saviour, we save others with awe and reverence, pulling them out of the fire of sensual desire and lustful passion and so sparing them the fire of God’s eternal anger on sin.

God’s promises are reasonable, for He preceded this with such heavenly counsel to live a godly life and follow His holy word.

It will be a life-changing discovery for you that ‘He is able to save unto the uttermost them that come unto God by Him’ and that ‘He is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the Presence of His glory’ .

You must lay hold of Him by faith and embrace Him and enter into the good of His promises.