Jonathan Edwards
SECTION 2
True Christians – A Royal Priesthood (Cont’d)
Second, when a Christian offers his heart to God, it is flaming with love. The sacrifice of old was not only slain, but also burned on the altar. it was to ascend in flame and smoke as a sweet savor and offering to God.
The fire upon the altar was a type of two things.
It was a type of the fire that represented the wrath of God. It was also a type of the fire of the Spirit of God or of divine love. The Holy Ghost is often compared to fire. With respect to God’s wrath, Christ alone is the sacrifice offered to the fire of God’s wrath. However, with regard to divine love, the hearts of believers are offered in the flame of divine love.
This divine love is fire from heaven, just as the fire on the altar of old was. When a soul is drawn to God in true conversion, fire comes down from God out of heaven. The heart is offered in sacrifice and God baptizes it with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
In many of the sacrifices in the Old Testament only the fat around the inside of the body was burned on the altar. This rising fat represented offering the soul. The soul or heart is what God looks at. The heart must be offered in sacrifice to God. When the saints are made priests in the world to come they offer up their hearts wholly to God in the flame of love. They will all be transformed into love, as burning oil is transformed into fire. It is in that flame that they will ascend up to God. .Their souls will rise like the angels, who are as flames of fire not only in service to the Lord, but also in love for Him.
B. The sacrifice of praise. This spiritual priesthood offers to God the sacrifice of praise. Many of their sacrifices under the law were sacrifices of peace offerings, which were mostly for thanksgiving and praise. But the honest and heartfelt praises of the saints are more acceptable to God than all the bulls, rams, and he-goats ever offered. The heartfelt praises of one true believer are more precious to God than all the 220,000 oxen, and the 120,000 sheep that Solomon offered to God at the dedication of the temple for praise offerings. Praise is called a sacrifice, Hebrews 13:15, “By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.” Psalms 50:13-14, “Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High;” Psalms 50:23, “Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God.” Psalms 69:30-31, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs..”
Praises are therefore in Hosea called calves of our lips, because they are like calves offered in sacrifice, Hosea 14:2, “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips.”
Only true Christians offer those sacrifices. Hypocrites pretend to praise God and offer thanksgiving to Him, but are insincere. They are neither offering spiritual sacrifices, nor doing the work of the spiritual priesthood. In heaven the saints will carry out the holy priesthood by continually offering these sacrifices to God. They will continually praise God and sing forth their ardent, joyful hallelujahs. They sing a new song — a song that never will end and never will grow old.
C. The sacrifice of obedience. The next sacrifice of the spiritual priesthood is obedience. Sincere obedience. The sacrifices under the law not only represented Christ’s payment for sin by suffering, but also His obeying in suffering. Psalms 40:6-8, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire: mine ears hast thou opened; burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.”
Although there is no “merit” in the obedience of the saints, it is pleasing and acceptable to God. It is as a sweet-smelling savor and preferred above sacrifices. 1 Samuel 15:22, “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken that the fat of rams.”
Christians, by being obedient to God in their lives and lifestyle, do what the apostle Paul calls “offering their bofies to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, as their reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). They dedicate their bodies to holiness and service. They give themselves as instruments of righteousness unto holiness. They offer their eyes, ears, tongues, hands, and feet to God. They are obedient to the dictates of his Word, and of his Holy Spirit in the soul.
D. The sacrifice of Christian love. If giving flows from a spirit of Christian love although it is but a cup of cold water, it is an acceptable sacrifice to God. In fact whatever is done from a spirit of love is a Christian sacrifice. It may be promoting religion, the public worship of God, or just helping someone else. It does not matter. If it is done from an honest and loving spirit, it is Christian sacrifice, Hebrews 13:16, “But to do good, and to communicate, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Sacrifices of this type can be listed under two headings:
(1) Giving to ministers of the gospel.
The priest of old lived upon the sacrifices that were offered to God. What is now given to ministers for their comfort and honorable support, Christ looks upon as offered to Himself. “He that receiveth you, receiveth me” Matthew 10:40. Paul says of those things that were given to him by his fellow believers, that they are a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God. Philemon 4:14, etc. “Notwithstanding ye have well done that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now, ye Philippians, know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphiroditus the things which were sent from you, an ordor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.”
(2) Offerings for the poor.
Christ accepts what is done to the poor as being done to Himself. Matthew 25:40, “And the King shall answer, and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” God prefers offerings to the poor over legal sacrifices. Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.”
F. The sacrifice of the prayer of faith. Though in Scripture this is compared to incense instead of sacrifice, yet it is the same thing in the priesthood. Incense was the sweet item mentioned in, Exodus 30:34, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices, with pure frankincense; of each shall there be a like weight.”
They burned these in the censer as they offered it to God. The incense produced a beautiful smell tht is a figure of the merits of Jesus Christ, and is a type of prayer of God’s people. It was the custom that when the priest was in the temple burning incense, people prayed outside. Luke 1:10, “And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.” And gracious prayer is compared to incense. Psalms 141:2, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” The prayer of faith is a sweet smell to God.
SECTION 3
True Christians — A Holy Nation or People
- We have discussed here some great reasons that everyone should seek to become true believers. It is a great honor to be priests of God today just like it was a great honor of old to be a priest under the law. It was greater in some respects to be a priest than a king. The priests were closer to God, and more concerned with Him in their everyday work. It is even more wonderful to be a priest today — we have better access to God and infinitely greater privilege. Also the access to God that we will have in the world to come will only get better, for we shall see Him as He is! If ever a king was ambitious of the honor of the legal priesthood, surely you may well desire the spiritual, which is an eternal priesthood.
Do you realize that this priesthood is available to you today? It used to be only in line of Aaron could participate in the priesthood. It is vain for any others to seek it, but not you. You have a call to it!
It would be totally presumptuous for you to seek it if you were not called. Hebrews 5:4, “No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” But now you are called, and it would be presumptuous and contemptible for you to refuse it. To refuse such an honor that God offers you is reckless. Make sure you are not like Esau. For a piece of meat, he sold his birthright, and with it the priesthood. Watch out that you do not sell this spiritual priesthood for a piece of meat, or for the trifles of this world. Make certain that you are not more concerned about a little worldly gain and glory than those things that are sacred and honorable.
How do you enter this priesthood? Seek God and His holy anointing. Beg Him to pour out his Spirit and His Sanctifying Spirit upon you. The priests of old were consecrated by the holy anointing oil. Exodus 29:7, “Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.” Exodus 30:30, “And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.”
If you are to be separated for this holy position and service, you must have that holy anointing of the Spirit of God. Just as the oil was poured on Aaron’s head, the holy anointing oil of God must be upon you. - Let all who profess Christ watch out that they do not defile themselves and profane their sacred character. There were strict requirements for the priests to make certain that they would not defile themselves and profane their office. For it was regarded as a dreadful thing to profane it.
The very same holy God has threatened in the New Testament, “if any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy” 1 Corinthians 3:17. As Christians are here called the temple of God, so it is said, in the fifth verse, “Ye are a spiritual house, an holy priesthood.” Avoid the appearance of evil and things that profane the sacred name by which you are called, and the sacred position to which you have been appointed.
Be careful to maintain your purity. These things were looked upon as defiling the holy office of the priesthood in the Old Testament. Even if a daughter of a priest was guilty of whoredom, she was burnt. Remember Hophni and Phineas, and how severely God dealt with them for profaning their office, or even good Eli when he failed to restrain his sons, God took away the priesthood from him, and took away the ark of the covenant from Israel. He was delivered into slavery, and God fulfilled His promise that “there should not be an old man of his house forever.”
Be carefu of any and every sin. Do not allow any manner of sin to destroy your holy character. - See that you perform the duties of your office well. Offer up your heart in sacrifice. Get and keep close to God. Come to Him with boldness. Offer up a heart broken for your sin. Offer up a flaming love of God. Offer praise to God.
Praise God for His glorious excellency, and for His love and mercy. Praise God for the redemption of Jesus Christ, His sufferings, His obedience, and the gift of that holiness which makes you like unto God.
Be ready to give, willing to communicate, and do what is right. Consider that it is part of your office to do the things that you are called and anointed to do. They are your sacrifices well-pleasing to God. Pity others that are hurting, and be ready to help.
Be diligent in offering your prayers to God. Make sure that your offerings are offered upon the right altar, otherwise He will not accept them.
Offer your complete heart to God through Jesus Christ. In His name present the sacrifice of praise, obedience, love, and prayer on the golden altar perfumed with the incense of Christ’s merits.
Your reward will be honor in heaven. You will be exalted to that glorious priesthood, to be made a priest unto God forever and ever.
SECTION 4
True Christians — A Peculiar People
Christians are of a peculiar descent or generation, different from the rest of the world. There are three significations of the word generation in the Scriptures. In common use, it means a class of persons among a people, or in the world, that are born together, or so
nearly together that the time of their being in the different stages of the age of man is the same. They shall be young persons, middle aged, and old together. All that are together upon the face of the earth or in the stage of action are very often accounted as one generation. Thus when God threatened that not one of the Israelites of that generation should see the good land, it means all Israelites twenty years old and older.
A second meaning is of peculiar descent or generation is those who are born of a common progenitor (father).
A third meaning of the word in Scripture is a certain race of mankind, whose generation and birgh agree, not as to time, but as to descent and pedigree, or as to those persons from whom they originally proceeded. See Matthew 1:1, “This is the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham.” That is, tjhis is the book that gives an account of His pedigree. And this meaning, viz. those who are of the same race and descent, must be given to the word in the text. The righteous are often spoken of in Scripture as being a distinct generation, Psalms 14:5, “There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.” Psalms 24:6, “This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob.” Psalms 73:15, “If I say, I will speak thus: behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.”
It is evident that the godly are a distinct race, since they are descended from God. They are a heavenly race derived from above. The heathen were apt to pretend that their heroes and great men were descended from the gods, but God’s people are descended from the true and living God. Psalms 22:30, “A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the LORD for a generation.” That is, a seed, a posterity, shall serve him, and it shall be accounted to the LORD for his posterity or offspring.
Now that we are considered as descending from God, and as being His posterity, either remotely or immediately, consider this:
- We are remotely descended from God. The Church is a distinct race that originally came from God. Other men are of the earth; they are of earthly descent. The Church is the prosterity of God. Thus it is said, Genesis 6:2, “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.” The sons of God were the children of the Church, of the line of Seth.
God set up the Church in the world, and those who were the first founders of the Church were of God, and were called the sons of God. Seth was the seed that God appointed, Genesis 4:25, “And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth. For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Caine slew.”
In Luke’s geneaology of Christ (Luke 3:38, “Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God,”) Adam is called the son of God, possibly because he was immediately created by God, was from God, and was begotten by Him. Luke 3:38, “Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.”
Adam was a good man. He founded the Church of which Christ became a part. When the Church was almost extinct, God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, and then out of Haran. Abraham was called by God; and all God’s people in all succeeding ages are counted as the children of Abraham. God promised Abraham that his seed should be as the stars of heaven and the sand on the seashore. These are not primarily his children by line of birth. John the Baptist said that God is able to raise up children of Abraham from stones. In the New Testament, those that have faith are the children of Abraham. Christians, as well as Jews, are the seed of Abraham. Galatians 3:29, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” So the Church is the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is called God’s son. Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” All God’s people are called Israel, not only his direct descendants. True believers are the true Israel.
So the people of God are descended from God the Father as they are in Christ. Christians are called the seed of Christ, Galatians 3:29, “And if ye be Christ’s,” etc. They are, as it were, His posterity. Christ calls them His children, Hebrews 2:13, “Behold I and the children which thou hast given me.”
If we trace the pedigree of God’s people, they will be found to be descended from God. They are of heaven, not of this world. Other men are of the earth, and are earthy. Believers are heavenly, and are of heaven. The wicked are called the men of this world, Psalms 17:14, “From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.”
The first beginnings of the Church were from God, the great founder of the Church. God chose them, called them, and created them for this purpose, God’s people are descended from one another. The Church is continuing generations. It is continuing by itself through all generations, the people of God are begotten through the education, teaching, and endeavors of those who were God’s people before. That is why the Church is represented in Scripture as being the mother of its members, Galatians 4:26, “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Believers are the children of the Church, as they are often called, Isaiah 49:20, “The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shalt say again in thine ears, the place is too strait for me; give place to me, that I may dwell.” Isaiah 54:1, “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.” And many other places.
Through their education and instruction, God’s people are often the spiritual parents of those of whom they are the natural parents Spiritual fathers are the ministers of the Word and ordinances. The apostle tells the Christian Corinthians that he had begotten them through the gospel. - God’s people are instantly begotten of God. When they become saints, they are born again. They have a new nature given to them. A new life is begun, and they are renewed in the whole man by a new generation and birth, John 1:12, 13, “but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” They are born of the Spirit of God, John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” God is said to have formed the Church from the womb, Isaiah 44:2, “Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.”
(To be continued …)
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