Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
1 Timothy 2: 5
2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
Faith in the Blood of Christ—
God is approached through Jesus Christ, the Mediator, the only way through which He forgives sins. God cannot forgive sins at the expense of His justice, His holiness, and His truth. But He does forgive sins and that fully. There are no sins He will not forgive in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the sinner’s only hope, and if he rests here in sincere faith, he is sure of pardon and that full and free. There is only one channel and that is accessible to all, and through that channel a rich and abundant forgiveness awaits the penitent, contrite soul and the darkest sins are forgiven. {7BC 912.9}
These lessons were taught to the chosen people of God thousands of years ago, and repeated in various symbols and figures, that the work of truth might be riveted in every heart, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. The great lesson embodied in the sacrifice of every bleeding victim, impressed in every ceremony, inculcated by God Himself, was that through the blood of Christ alone is forgiveness of sins; yet how many carry the galling yoke and how few feel the force of this truth and act upon it personally, and derive the blessings they might receive through a perfect faith in the blood of the Lamb of God.... {7BC 913.1}
Justice demanded the sufferings of man; but Christ rendered the sufferings of a God. He needed no atonement of suffering for Himself; all His sufferings were for us; all His merits and holiness were open to fallen man, presented as a gift (Letter 12, 1892). {7BC 913.2}
Christ Jesus has been our mediator since Adam and Eve. Christ thus saved humanity from immediate death. After the fall, Christ became their instructor. Here His work began as mediator between man and God. Later, Christ Jesus revealed Himself to man in human form. As the head of humanity, He took the nature, but not the sinfulness of man. At the cross, He offered Himself as a sacrifice and completed a perfect atonement for the sins of the people. Behold, He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. As our High Priest, He is performing His work in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, interceding on our behalf. What a joy it is to be in Christ, having the blessed hope of the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. This is a gift from God. Money cannot buy it, and there is nothing we can do by our own merits to attain it. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. We are to bring our prayers directly to God in the name of Christ Jesus, and no one else. 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. He ever liveth to make intercession for us.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
We come before You, in the name of Christ Jesus, in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer. We thank You so much for the sacrifice made, on our behalf, of the only begotten son, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Thank You for coming to earth, taking on humanity and the nature, but not the sinfulness, of man. Thank You for being our sin bearer and sin offering. Thank You for rendering the sufferings of a God for us. Thank You for being our mediator since Adam, and saving the race from immediate death. Thank You for continuing the work of mediator between God and man in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. We come to You as sinners, and are sorry and humbly repent of all our sins. We pray that in Your mercy, compassion, and grace that You forgive us of all our sins, from the beginning until now, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thank You for being our advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, the propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world. We pray You have mercy on the souls who are promulgating deceptive doctrines of being Vicars of Christ. There is no man that can intercede on Your behalf. We pray they stop talking falsely and spreading their inventions. They themselves are sinners and need forgiveness; instigated by Satan to carry out his own schemes. You have told us that no man knoweth the Son but the Father, that no man cometh unto the Father but by You. We pray Your truth might be riveted in every heart, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins; that through the blood of Christ alone is forgiveness of sins. Thank You for being the channel whereby forgiveness awaits the penitent, contrite soul. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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