The Holy Place

The Holy Place

Once we have come to the church, our goal should be to enter the Holy Place in the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:19. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are there. Colossians 2:2-3. In order to come to this, Jesus has to perform a high-priestly service in us.

Jesus has two ministries in our life: one that is priestly, and an­other that is high-priestly. 1 John 2:1-2; Hebrews 5:1 and 9. Jesus’ priestly ministry is to forgive sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), leading us on to be crucified with Him. Then conscious sin ceases and Jesus’ high-priestly work can begin.

Jesus Himself was fully trained and perfected in the high-priestly ministry. Hebrews 5:9. He was tried in all things as we are. Hebrews 4:15. His flesh was crucified daily from the time he knew to refuse the evil and choose the good. Isaiah 7:15-16; 1 Peter 3:18. He battled in prayer, with vehement cries and tears, to bring God’s work of salva­tion to completion. Hebrews 2:9 and 5:7. He looked ahead to the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), and He never failed. Jesus’ tunic was without a seam. John 19:23. When He said, “It is finished,” He committed His spirit to God. Then all the sin that had entered the world through the fall had been put to death. We have such a great high priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God who has passed through the heavens (Hebrews 4:14), who with His own sacrifice obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11-12.

In the church, there are brothers to whom God’s word has been entrusted and who have been given grace to lead the church into the Holy Place to the unsearchable riches of Christ. They are aware of their calling and work in the church, with Israel as their example. 1 Corinthians 10:6 and 11.

Israel had a tabernacle with two veils closing off the Most Holy Place. In like manner, there are also two veils that shut people out from the presence of God. The first veil is conscious sin. The second veil is sin in the flesh (Romans 7:18) with the other law in the mem­bers. Romans 7:23. The first veil is removed through the forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9); this is Jesus’ priestly ministry for us. The second veil (Hebrews 9:3) is removed through Jesus’ high-priestly ministry in us. Hebrews 9:15. Jesus had no part in the first veil—conscious sin. The flesh, through which Jesus consecrated a new and living way, was the second veil. Sin in the flesh is condemned with each step as we follow Jesus on this way, and this results in sanctification. In this manner, we walk step by step through the second veil, deeper into the Holy Place. This is Jesus’ high-priestly ministry in us. Most people are satisfied with Jesus’ priestly ministry—the forgiveness of sins—without any longing to be conformed to His death. Philippians 3:10.

In the beginning, J.O. Smith had to wage war against different schools of thought. Some people believed in the baptism of the Spirit and putting off the old man, but when they “hopped over” Romans chapter 7, there was no longer any difference between the old man and sin in the flesh. The old man was put off by faith, and then they were also sanctified. Sanctification, to them, was a one-time experi­ence. There was no more sin left nor anything in the flesh that had to be suffered into death. In this manner, the Scriptures can be twisted to one’s own destruction. 2 Peter 3:15-16.

We must hold fast to what we have heard from the beginning concerning the obedience of the faith in the fellowship of Jesus’ suffer­ing. Nothing else will lead us to be conformed to the image of the Son. Romans 8:29.

We have received the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus; and we have entered the Holy Place in His blood, and have be­come one spirit and one flesh with Him. There we perfect our sancti­fication in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1. Because we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:17.