Under the old covenant, the priest stands and
ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again
and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered
himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat
down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There
he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.
For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are
being made holy. (Hebrews 10:11-14)
Over the
years, I’ve played in a number of golf tournaments, usually to raise money for a
charitable cause. In one of those tournaments, the teams were comprised of a pro
and three amateurs, and the lowest score of any player would be recorded. In
other words, even on the holes where I stunk, if one of my partners did well, I
did well. And that’s exactly what happened on seventeen of the eighteen holes. Let’s
take a long par five, for example. Where I score an eight but the pro, or one
of my partners, scores a four, guess whose score is recorded? Correct. The four.
My eight is forgotten and the other player’s birdie is noted. And for duffers
like me, I could really get used to that kind of scoring system. In other
words, I got credit for the good work of someone else simply by virtue of being
on his team.
And Christ
has done the same for me and you. What my team did for me during that golf tournament,
our Lord does for us every day of the week. Because of his performance, we close
our daily round with a perfect score. It doesn’t matter if we hooked a few into
the woods, or sliced one into the drink. What matters is that you showed up to
play and joined the right foursome. In this case, your foursome’s pretty good:
it’s you, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. A better team doesn’t exist. The
fancy theological term for this is positional
sanctification. Simply stated, it means that you are given a prize, not
because of what you do, but because of who you know. But there’s a second term that
was illustrated in my golf game that day: progressive
sanctification. Here’s what I mean.
Remember
my contribution on the golf course? Right. One out of eighteen holes. On one
hole I actually made a par. My par went on the card and carried the team. Want
to guess which hole it was? Right again. The last one. Though I offered so
little, however, I did improve with each hole. The pro kept giving me tips and
changing my grip until I finally made a contribution. I improved progressively.
The prize came because of the pro’s score. The improvement came because of the
pro’s help. Positional sanctification comes because of Christ’s work for us. Progressive
sanctification comes because of Christ’s work in us. Both are gifts from God. “With
one sacrifice he made perfect forever
those who are being made holy.” (Heb.
10:14; my emphasis) See the blending of the tenses? “He made perfect” (positional sanctification) those who are “being made holy” (progressive
sanctification). Positional and progressive sanctification. All in one verse. Stated
differently, it’s God’s work for us and God’s work in us. Neglect the first,
and you grow fearful. Neglect the second, and you grow lazy. Both are essential,
and both are seen in the moistened dirt at the base of the cross of Christ. Remember
the scene?
“But one
of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus’ side, and at once blood and water
came out.” (John 19:34) Even a casual student of Scripture knows the connection
between blood and mercy. As far back as the son of Adam, worshipers knew that “without
the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Heb. 9:22) How Abel knew this
truth is anyone’s guess, but somehow he knew to offer more than prayers and parsley.
He knew to offer a life. He knew to pour out more than his heart and his
desires; he knew to pour out blood. So, with a field as his temple and the
ground as his altar, Abel became the first to do what millions would later imitate.
He offered a blood sacrifice for sins. But that ended at the cross. What Abel
sought to accomplish in the field, God achieved with his Son on the cross. What
Abel began, Christ completed. After his sacrifice there would be no more
sacrificial system because “he came as High Priest of this better system which
we now have.” (Heb. 9:11)
After
Christ’s sacrifice there would be no more need to shed blood. He “once for all took
blood into that inner room, the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it on the mercy
seat; but it was not the blood of goats and calves. No, he took his own blood,
and with it he, by himself, made sure of our eternal salvation.” (Heb. 9:12) The
Son of God became the Lamb of God; the cross became the altar; and we were “made
holy through the sacrifice Christ made in his body once and for all time.”
(Heb. 10:10) What needed to be paid was paid. What had to be done was done.
Innocent blood was required. Innocent blood was offered – once and for all
time. But if once and for all time, does it need to be offered yet again? No, it
doesn’t.
You are
positionally sanctified. Just as the achievements of my team were credited to
me, so the achievement of Jesus’ blood is credited to us. And just as my skills
improved through the influence of a teacher, your life can improve the longer
and closer you walk with Jesus. The work for us is complete, but the progressive
work in us is ongoing. So, if his work for us is seen in the blood that was
shed, what might the water – that also flowed from his side – represent? (John
19:34) I think it’s his work in us. Remember the words of Jesus to the
Samaritan woman? “The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up
inside that person, giving eternal life.” (John 4:14) Jesus offers not a
singular drink of water, but a perpetual artesian well. And the well isn’t a
hole in your backyard, but the Holy Spirit of God in your heart. “If anyone
believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart,
as the Scripture says.” Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had
not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory. But later, those
who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit. (John 7:38–39)
Water is a
picture of the Spirit of Jesus working within us. He’s not working to save us,
mind you; that work’s already been done. He’s working to change us. Here’s how
Paul described the process. “Do the good things that result from being saved,
obeying God with deep reverence, shrinking back from all that might displease
him. For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then
helping you do what he wants.” (Phil. 2:12–13) As a result of “being saved”
(the work of the blood), what do we do? We obey God “with deep reverence,” and
shrink back “from all that might displease him.” Practically put, we love our
neighbor and refrain from gossip; we refuse to cheat on spouses and do our best
to love people who are tough to love. Do we do this in order to be saved? No.
These are “the good things that result from being saved.”
A similar
dynamic occurs in marriage. For instance, are a bride and groom ever more
married than they are on that first day? The vows are made and the certificate is
signed — could they be any more married than that? Perhaps. Because imagine
them fifty years later. Six kids later. A bunch of jobs and a cluster of victories
later. After half a century of marriage, they finish each other’s sentences and
order each other’s food. Wouldn’t they have to be more married on their
fiftieth anniversary than on their wedding day? Maybe. But on the other hand,
how could they be? The marriage certificate hasn’t matured like some kind of savings
bond. But the relationship has. And that’s the difference. Technically, they’re
no more united than they were when they left the altar. But relationally, they’re
completely different. Marriage is both a done deal and a daily development; something
you did and something you do.
The same
is true of our walk with God. Can you be more saved than you were the first day
of your salvation? No. But can a person grow in salvation? Absolutely. It, like
marriage, is a done deal and a daily development. The blood is God’s sacrifice
for us. The water is God’s Spirit within us. And we need both. John is very
concerned that we know that, too. Because it’s not enough to know what came
forth; John wants us to know how they came forth: “At once blood and water came
out.” (John 19:34) John doesn’t emphasize one over the other; it’s both. But we
do sometimes, don’t we? Some accept the blood but forget the water – we want to
be saved, but don’t want to be changed. Others accept the water, but forget the
blood – they’re busy for Christ, but they’re never at peace in Christ. What
about you?
Do you
tend to lean one way or the other? Do you feel so saved that you never serve?
Are you so happy with your team’s score that you don’t even bother to get out of
the golf cart? If that’s you, then let me ask a question: Why does God have you
on the course? Why didn’t he just beam you up the moment he saved you? The fact
is, you and I are here for a reason, and that reason is to glorify God in our service.
Or, is your tendency just the opposite? Perhaps you always serve for fear of
not being saved. Perhaps you don’t trust your team. You’re worried that a
secret card exists on which your score is actually being recorded – and it’s
not very good. Is that you? If so, then know this: the blood of Jesus is enough
to save you. Engrave in your heart the announcement of John the Baptist – Jesus
is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). The
blood of Christ does not cover your sins, conceal your sins, postpone your
sins, or even diminish your sins. It takes away your sins, once and for all
time.
Jesus
allows your mistakes to be lost in his perfection. And as the four of us
golfers stood in the clubhouse that day to receive some sort of recognition,
the only ones who knew the poverty of my game were my teammates, and they
didn’t tell. And when you and I stand in heaven to receive our prize, only one could
know all of our sins, but he won’t embarrass you — he’s already forgiven and
forgotten them. So enjoy the game; your prize is secure. But while you’re on
the course, why don’t you ask the Teacher for some help with your swing because
he can improve your game.
Grace,
Randy
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