The Lord Jesus has led captivity captive, and now sits at the right hand of God, forever making intercession for us.
Like the high priest of Israel He stands with outstretched arms: there is majesty in His bearing, and with authority He pleads. On His head is the bright shining crown of His priesthood, and on His chest are glittering the precious stones on which the names of His people are everlastingly engraved.
Listen as He pleads — can you hear what it is? Is that your prayer He is mentioning before the throne? The prayer you offered this morning, Christ is now offering before His Father's throne. He is the Altar and Priest, and with His own sacrifice He perfumes our prayers.
✦ Your Name on His Chest
Spurgeon paints the picture: Christ as High Priest, standing before the Father, arms outstretched, names engraved on His chest — your name among them. Not written in ink. Engraved. Everlastingly. The prayer Le offered this morning before dawn — He is offering it now, perfumed with His own sacrifice.
The Altar and the Priest are the same Person. The sacrifice and the One who presents it are the same. He perfumes our prayers with Himself. The prayer that smelled of weakness and need when it left Le's lips arrives before the Father smelling of Calvary. 🙏
Perhaps you have been praying long and had no answer. Poor, weeping one! You have sought the Lord and He has not seemed to hear you.
If your prayers do not succeed, His will. If your intercession is unnoticed, His cannot be dismissed. He is God's Son. He pleads and must prevail. God cannot refuse His own Son what He now asks — He who once purchased mercies with His blood.
Be of good courage! Continue your prayers, for Jesus "always lives to make intercession" for you. (Hebrews 7:25)
✦ If Yours Do Not Succeed — His Will
The comfort for the unanswered prayer: your prayers are not the only ones being offered. While you pray below, He prays above. While your intercession struggles, His cannot be dismissed. The Son pleads — and the Father cannot refuse the Son.
Spurgeon's day ten: test Him — test Him! He will never break His promise. And today: continue your prayers, for Jesus always lives to make intercession. The perseverance from day ten meets the intercession of today. Keep praying — because even when your prayers seem to fail, His are succeeding on your behalf. 🙏
Holiness is the blueprint upon which God builds up His living temple.
A wonderful reminder of the majesty of Christ. "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
Be holy because He is holy — no other reason. 🙏
✦ The Simplest Reason
Be holy because He is holy — no other reason. The simplest and most complete reason for holiness ever spoken. Not holy for reward. Not holy to avoid punishment. Not holy for appearance. Holy because He is holy. 1 Peter 1:16. The reason is the Person, not the principle.
Jowett from last week: the first step in the creation of pure affection is the contemplation of a Holy God. Le today: the only reason for holiness is His holiness. The contemplation produces the imitation. The gazing produces the becoming.
Ephesians 4:30 — do not grieve the Holy Spirit, with whom you were sealed. The seal from Ephesians 1 — guaranteed, unbreakable. The instruction is not do not break the seal — because the seal cannot be broken. The instruction is do not grieve the One who sealed you. The relationship is secure. The conduct should honour it. The holiness flows from love, not fear — from the desire to please the One who holds, not the dread of the One who judges. 🙏
"Be holy because He is holy — no other reason."
Le · 1 Peter 1:16 · The reason is the PersonThe Intercession
Christ at the right hand, arms outstretched, your name engraved on His chest. Your morning prayer, perfumed with His sacrifice. He pleads and must prevail.
If Yours Do Not Succeed
His will. His intercession cannot be dismissed. God cannot refuse His own Son. Continue your prayers — He always lives to make intercession. Hebrews 7:25.
Holy Because He Is Holy
No other reason. Not for reward, not for fear. The Person is the reason. The seal cannot be broken — but the Spirit can be grieved. Holiness flows from love.
Spurgeon's fourteenth day. And today the majesty of Christ meets the simplicity of holiness — He intercedes above, we honour Him below.
Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 4 — the seal holds: Day one with Paul: sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, a deposit guaranteeing the inheritance. And today: do not grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed. The same seal. The same Spirit. The seal guarantees the inheritance. The holiness honours the One who sealed.
Jowett's whiteness — Le's holiness: Jowett last week: the first step in the creation of pure affection is the contemplation of a Holy God. Le today: be holy because He is holy, no other reason. The contemplation and the imitation are one movement.
The perfumed prayer: Christ taking Le's morning prayer and perfuming it with His own sacrifice before presenting it to the Father. The prayer that left Caldas da Rainha smelling of need arrives in heaven smelling of Calvary. The Priest and the Altar are the same — and the sacrifice that perfumes is the sacrifice that saves.
Guyon's day eight — desire over fear: "It is better to cherish a desire to please God than a fear of displeasing Him." And Le today: be holy because He is holy — no other reason. Not fear. Not calculation. The desire to please the One who is holy. The same posture Guyon taught — arriving in Spurgeon's temple of holiness, built on the blueprint of love. 🙏