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We have two lines of Old Testament truth coming together to emphasize how personal our New Testament salvation is. One line of truth is the kinsman-redeemer concept that emphasizes deliverance must come through our closest relative. The second is the high priest concept that underscores the reality that redemption is based upon the faithfulness and character of a person. Both of these lines of truth highlight what the New Testament so beautifully teaches -- salvation is a person, Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23-26 tells how Jesus delivers us from our past. We are free from every trace of guilt over past wrongs because of Jesus, and He is the only one who can accomplish this for us. When the darkness of our past tries to haunt us through the terrible reminders of other people, the accusations of Satan, or our own guilty thoughts and memories, we can smile and say, "God doesn't remember that any more. I may have guilt feelings, but I have no guilt before God because Jesus has delivered me." My little children, these things I am writing to you in order that you should not sin. And if anyone should sin, we continually have a helper, an advocate, in the personal presence of the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He Himself is the satisfaction concerning our sins and not concerning ours only, but also concerning all the world. I John 2:1-2 tells how Jesus delivers us from our present sins. God has paid the bills for the sins of the world. God has satisfied Himself concerning our sins and He has made the way of salvation a person. Jesus Christ the righteous is the answer for our present sins. The biblical picture here is interesting. The Bible assumes we are capable of losing our salvation every day and Christ has to protect our salvation every day. Because He is consistent and righteous, we are protected every day. Our assurance and insurance is a person, not a system. If He should cease helping, we would be in deep trouble. God knows we are spiritually unintelligent individuals who are continually getting ourselves lost and going astray. That is the nature of sheep, and that is why Christians are compared to sheep. If you do not continually get lost and go astray, you cannot qualify for being protected by a shepherd. You are too smart to have a shepherd. The task of convincing Christians they really do things that are wrong and that they really do need a shepherd is very difficult. In fact, finding non-Christians who will admit they are not exactly angels is just as difficult. But Christ is our Shepherd, and He is looking for those who will admit they are in need and are continually getting into trouble so that He can continually protect them. Hebrews 7:25 shows us Jesus delivers us from our future sins. Whence He is able to save unto the complete end the ones who are coming to God through Him because He always lives to intercede for them. The word “end” is panteles, a Greek word made from two other Greek words: Pas meaning all, and telos meaning until the very end. Sometimes the word is translated "forever,” but it is not really relating to time; it is relating to a process -- the process of being saved. If you run up to Jesus and say, "I trust you,” Jesus will turn to you and say, "Now I am your high priest. I have also been the sacrifice for all of mankind, but now I am your high priest. You have put your hand on the sacrifice and made identification with it." In the Old Testament the person being atoned for had to put his hand firmly on the head of the animal to be sacrificed. What I am referring to is the Old Testament process of purification. Some sacrifices were made in order to satisfy God for all of Israel. But the protection and purification was for those who came to the priest and placed their hand firmly upon the head of the animal sacrifice and said by doing that "I will identify with the sacrifice." Jesus Christ stands between God and man. He is the sacrifice for all of mankind. He is the bronze altar of sacrifice for all of mankind, but He is the high priest only for those who come forward and identify with the sacrifice. At that point, those who come are justified by faith in the person of Jesus Christ who will protect them forever. Salvation is a person. When you go to sleep tonight, you are protected by a person. You are not protected by a legal clause or a system. You are protected by a person who loves you and who agrees with God the Father that you are worth His suffering. Jesus is the person who delivers us from the past, who sustains us in the present and who will complete the process in the future. He is the one who, as the Hebrew go'al -- the family kinsman-redeemer -- paid our debts from the past, delivers us from slavery to sinful habits in the present, and will rescue us from the threat of the worldwide tribulation period and the Antichrist* in the future. Salvation is a person who is related to us as our closest family member. If anybody asks you who your relatives are, you have a legitimate right to say, "Jesus Christ is my closest relative." If you find that strange to say, the truth has not been adequately integrated into your heart. Work that through in your mind. Compare each of your family members with Jesus Christ. According to God's perspective, Jesus is a closer family member to you than your father, your mother, or your brothers or sisters. The kinsman-redeemer accepted the obligation of the closest family member. God is claiming family rights as a Father and as the kinsman-redeemer. You are in an entirely new family! *Antichrist is a predicted future world-ruler who will be a substitute for Christ. He will be satanically energized so that those who are not true believers in Christ will worship him as God. Christ returns and judges him, and brings His thousand year reign of love, compassion and equity to the world.
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ur salvation is designed to create a
secure friendship with God and protection for us from our
wrongdoing. Our acceptance with God -- our salvation -- is
caught up with a person, Jesus Christ, whose responsibility is to
deliver us from our past failures and sin, and protect us in the
present and in the future. This deliverance is based upon the
character, faithfulness, and integrity of that person. The
system is best illustrated by the Old Testament high priest.
In the Old Testament, the high priest was continually involved in
protecting the people from the penalties due for their sins.
He went into the presence of God in the temple once a year to plead
for the nation Israel, and to make satisfaction for the nation’s
sins.
