The Signs of the Times
June 28, 1899
The Only True Mediator
“And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death ... they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” ST June 28, 1899, par. 1
Jesus is our Advocate, our High Priest, our Intercessor. Our position is like that of the Israelites on the day of Atonement. When the high priest entered the most holy place, representing the place where our High Priest is now pleading, and sprinkled the atoning blood upon the mercy seat, no propitiatory sacrifices were offered without. While the priest was interceding with God, every heart was to be bowed in contrition, pleading for the pardon of transgression. ST June 28, 1899, par. 2
Type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb slain for the sins of the world. Our great High Priest has made the only sacrifice that is of any value in our salvation. When he offered Himself on the cross, a perfect atonement was made for the sins of the people. We are now standing in the outer court, waiting and looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. No sacrifices are to be offered without, for the great High Priest is performing His work in the most holy place. In His intercession as our advocate, Christ needs no man's virtue, no man's intercession. He is the only sin-bearer, the only sin-offering. Prayer and confession are to be offered only to Him who has entered once for all into the most holy place. He will save to the uttermost all who come to Him in faith. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. ST June 28, 1899, par. 3
This makes of no avail the offering of the mass, one of the falsehoods of Romanism. The incense that is now offered by men, the masses that are said for the deliverance of souls from purgatory, are not of the least value in God's sight. All the altars, sacrifices, traditions, and inventions, whereby men hope to earn salvation, are fallacious. ST June 28, 1899, par. 4
Priests and rulers have no right to interpose between Christ and the souls for whom He has died, as though invested with the Saviour's attributes, and able to pardon sin. They are themselves sinners, and are only human. One day they will see that their deceptive doctrines have led to crime of every stripe and type. They are responsible for many terrible wrongs which men have perpetrated upon their fellowmen. Martyrs have been tortured and put to death by men instigated by Satan to perform wicked deeds. These things have been done under the rule of the man of sin, who has placed himself as God, sitting in the temple of God, and taking upon himself the prerogatives of God, that he may carry out his own schemes. The Judge of the whole earth will call those who have done those deeds to account. The case of every soul that has been imprisoned, every human being that has been tortured, has been noted by the recording angel. ST June 28, 1899, par. 5
“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He which is of God, He hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” ST June 28, 1899, par. 6
The mightiest human being, whatever may be his claim, is not infinite. He can not understand infinity. Christ plainly stated, “No man knoweth the Father but the Son.” A teacher was once endeavoring to present the exaltation of God, when a voice was heard saying, “We can not as yet understand who He is.” The teacher nobly replied, “Were I able fully to set forth God, I should either be a god myself, or God Himself would cease to be God.” The mightiest created intellect can not comprehend God; words from the most eloquent tongue fail to describe Him; in His presence silence is eloquence. ST June 28, 1899, par. 7
Christ represented the Father to the world, and He represents before God the chosen ones in whom He has restored the moral image of God. They are His heritage. To them He says, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” No man “knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” No priest, no religionist, can reveal the Father to any son or daughter of Adam. Men have only one Advocate, one Intercessor, who is able to pardon transgression. Shall not our hearts swell with gratitude to Him who gave Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins? Think deeply upon the love that the Father has manifested in our behalf, the love that He has expressed for us. We can not measure this love; for measurement there is none. Can we measure infinity? We can only point to Calvary, to the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. ST June 28, 1899, par. 8
“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. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; ... Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.” ST June 28, 1899, par. 9
“For their sakes,” Christ prayed, “I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, ... that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me.... Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee; but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” ST June 28, 1899, par. 10
Thus the great Intercessor presents His petition to the Father. No middle-man comes between the sinner and Christ. No dead prophet, no buried saint is seen. Christ Himself is our Advocate. All that the Father is to His Son He is to those whom His Son in humanity represented. In every line of His work Christ acted as a representative of the Father. He lived as our substitute and surety. He labored as He would have His followers labor, unselfishly, appreciating the value of every human being for whom He suffered and died. ST June 28, 1899, par. 11
The promise of the Father was pledged that if Christ clothed His divinity with humanity, if He endured the test that Adam failed to endure, His obedience would be counted as righteousness to His people. Thus He would conquer in their behalf, and place them on vantage ground. Thus they would be given a probation in which they might return to their loyalty by keeping God's law. And in this Christ would see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied. ST June 28, 1899, par. 12
Mrs. E. G. White