Bob Cassell, Messenger
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Romans 5:10).
Please notice two words, in this scripture Much More. It is more than gracious that all who have believed on Jesus Christ are reconciled to God by the death of His Son. But it is a far greater thing that all who have been reconciled shall be saved by the life of the Son of God.
This does not mean that anyone is saved by following the examples in the earthly life of Jesus. Saved by His life here refers to his present life at the right hand of God in heaven. The meaning here is clearly taught by the following passage.
But this man (Jesus) because he continues forever is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:24,25).
The meaning of these passages is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to set men free from the power of Satan, to redeem them from the penalty of the law, and to reconcile them unto God. After these magnificent accomplishments for the payment of all sin, He arose from the grave and ascended into heaven where He now is in the presence of God the Father. His work there is a demonstration that all who come to God by Him shall be saved continually from wrath and brought into eternal glory in the presence of God where He now is.
This so great salvation is defined as being saved to the uttermost. Saved to the uttermost means saved NOW and forever and forever, world without end. His redemptive work did not stop at his death on the cross. That supreme and sufficient sacrifice for all sins past, present, and future does not stop the efficacy of its merit and accomplishment as it goes on perpetually for those who have trusted in him by a personal act of faith.
Because this salvation is conditioned upon His person and finished work, its efficacy continues forever! Of a surety this so great salvation continues forever and cannot in any present or future time be terminated. As always, salvation is the complete and unfailing finished work of God. It is not the beginning and continuing work of man.
Exactly how those who have become reconciled to God, by the sacrifice of His Son, are saved by His life may be learned from the word of God.
Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost those who come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).
It is because the Son of God intercedes with the Father on behalf of those who come unto God by Him that God exercises His power on their behalf.
Jesus’ intercession for his disciples, while with them on earth, should give us an idea of how, at the right hand of God, He now prays for all believers.
Just prior to the betrayal and arrest of Jesus by the religious Jews, He said to Peter,
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not (Luke 22:31,32).
Jesus warned Peter to watch and pray and to Guard his faith in Christ against unbelief. Did Peter believe these beautiful words from the lips of the one and only savior? No! Shortly after Jesus had spoken these truthful and prophetic words Peter denied Him three times. Did His prayer for Peter go unanswered? A thousand times NO! Jesus did not pray that Peter should not be tempted. Neither did He pray that Peter should not fail and deny Him. He prayed that Peters faith should not fail.
Peters’ faith did not fail. He sinned against the lord by denying Him and even cursed in the denial … but his faith did not fail. He was ultimately restored to full fellowship and in later life was seen with a much stronger faith than before. So, Jesus now prays for those who come unto God by Him that their faith fails not.
Let’s examine another example of the Lord’s intercession for members of His royal family. This information may be found in the seventeenth chapter of John. The entire chapter is the actual intercessory prayer of Jesus. He made it abundantly clear that this prayer is not for the entire world but only for those the Father had given to Him out of the world (vs 9). Those out of this world pertain to all who believe on Him as the unique savior, the Son of God. This prayer was not only for those who were present and actually heard His prayer, it was for them also which shall believe on me through their word (vs 20). Their word is the Apostolic teachings which we are blessed to have in our Holy bibles that are the inspired apostolic epistles. This powerful prayer of Jesus was for those who throughout the centuries, and even to today, have believed the gospel message and received Jesus Chris as their only Savior. We should carefully consider what he prayed on behalf of all believers who are living today. His prayer for them was,
Holy Father keep through your own name those whom you have given me (vs 11).
His primary concern for those for whom He died and had become reconciled to God by His death was that they should be kept safe. That is, His present concern for those who come unto God by Him. That they shall be saved to the uttermost. Saved! Not put on probation where if there is any slippage, they may lose this so great salvation and be lost forever.
If failing were possible to any degree this so great salvation would no longer be a so great salvation. It would be a so-called salvation that depends on the behavior of a strong today and weak tomorrow believer.
Is there any possibility that this intercession by Jesus with the Father will go unanswered? To even contemplate this kind of thought would be to consider that God could possibly fail to answer the petitions of His Own perfect Son.
Jesus even expanded on His prayer on behalf of all believers and said,
I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil (vs 15).
It was a broader prayer that they should be kept from evil in an evil world than that they be taken out of it. We learn from this information that God is not always a way out of our trials, but he is always the way through them. Therefore, He intercedes for all who have believed in Him and they, of a surety, are being kept from the evil one while in this world. This does not mean they do not fail at times as did Peter, but that the evil or the evil one shall not overcome them.
And further He prayed: that they all (the saved in this age) may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us (vs 21).
Jesus again prayed, Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me (vs 24).
All of this information is a part of His intercession for His own family members and is a part of being saved by His life.
Please note: there is another aspect to the intercession of our Lord for His Own. His intercession is similar to the best pleadings of a lawyer who is before a trial judge. There will be many times when the born-again heaven bound believer commits sin. Be warned… when this happens there is one, with bad intentions, who has access to the glories of heaven that brings accusations against the sinning child of God. This accuser is Satan himself and he is called the accuser of our brethren and is said to accuse them before our God Day and night (Rev.12.:10).
This incessant condition calls for intercession by Him Who is at the right hand of God for the very purpose of countering Satan’s charges. The accuser should tire of his incessant charges because nothing can ever be successfully charged against God’s elect. Why? Because it is God Himself that justifies. Notice what is said about this subject in the infallible word of God that you can read, in this moment, and understand?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that Justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us (Romans 8:33-34).
There is even more information that will serve as a great encourager should you ever doubt his underserved and gracious keeping power.
My little children these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin (and you will) 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 (1 John 2: 1-2).
We must learn well then, that when a born-again believer in Christ commits a sin, he will immediately be accused before God by Satan. He will be charged with breaking God’s law and Satan will insist that this sinning believer deserves death in hell. Then something astonishing happens. Jesus Christ the righteous Savior steps in as attorney for the weak believer and pleads that His own sacrifice on the cross paid the full penalty for the sin in question and that the sinning believer cannot be condemned. It is because of the advocacy by Jesus Christ that there can be no condemnation for him who has been justified. Please note!
This advocacy is not in any way, shape or form conditioned upon confession repentance, prayer, or anything else that may be accomplished by the sinning believer. The sure word of God does clearly declare,
If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:1,2).
No believer could ever be cleared if first he had to do something to merit God’s favor. If so, just how much doing would be required for the payment of the sins? All of the doings by man would never be enough because:
We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away (Isaiah 64:6).
No one can advocate for anyone else. Advocacy for the believer takes place in heaven the instant any child of God sins. The good news for the erring believer is, we do have an advocate before the Father, and that worthy advocate is the unique and perfect Son of God.
This worthy advocate is the one who suffered and died for the payment of the believer’s sins. This intercession is a part of being saved by His life, and because of it the one who has been saved shall be saved to the uttermost, or to the end.
Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).
The believer will be secure as long as his intercessor lives, and that is throughout all eternity. You can believe in this one who is the one and only exclusive savior. Call on Him and you will immediately receive everlasting life. From the very lips of Jesus Christ, he says to YOU…
Verily, verily, I say unto YOU, He that believes on me has everlasting life (John 6:47).
You will never have a more valid and sure offer of eternal life… this promise comes from Jesus Christ Himself, and it is He who stands behind and fulfills this amazing promise. In the quietness of your own soul, you can call on Him, in a moment in time, and He will give you eternal life.
For we are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26).
