CHAPTER XVI
THE TIMES OF
REFRESHING
And now, in this
time of the consummation of the hope of all the ages, in this time when the
true sanctuary is truly to be cleansed, in this time when the work of the
gospel is to be completed and the mystery of God indeed finished—now is the
time of all the times that ever were in the world, when the believers in
Jesus—the blessed objects of His glorious priesthood and wondrous intercessions
in the true sanctuary—shall be partakers of the full measure of His heavenly
grace and shall have in their lives transgression finished, an end of sins and
reconciliation for iniquity made forevermore, and, in the perfection of truth,
everlasting righteousness brought in.
This is precisely
and alone the purpose of the priesthood and ministry of Christ in the true
sanctuary.
Is not that
priesthood sufficient? Is not His ministry effectual to accomplish its
purpose?— Most assuredly. Only by that means can it be possible for this thing
ever to be accomplished. No soul can ever himself finish transgression or make
an end of sins or make reconciliation for iniquity or bring in everlasting
righteousness in his own life. For that ever to be done, it must be done alone
by the priesthood and ministry of Him who gave Himself and who was given that
He might accomplish this very thing for every soul and present every soul “holy
and unblameable and unreprovable” in the sight of God. Every one whose heart is
inclined to truth and right desires that this thing shall be done. Only the
priesthood and ministry of Christ can do it.
Now is the time of
the complete and effectual doing of it for evermore. Then let us believe in Him
who is doing this, and trust Him in the doing of it, that He does it completely
and forevermore.
This is the time,
and this is the work, of which it is written, that “there should be delay no
longer.”
And why should there
be delay any longer? When the priesthood of our great High Priest is efficient,
and when His sacrifice and ministry are all sufficient in that which is
promised and in that for which every believer hopes, then why should there be
delay any longer in the finishing of transgression, the making an end of sin,
the making of reconciliation for iniquity and the bringing in of everlasting
righteousness to each believing soul?
Then let us trust
Him to do that which He has given Himself to do and which He alone can possibly
do. Let us trust Him in this and receive in its fullness all that belongs to
every soul who believes in and implicitly trusts the Apostle and High Priest of
our profession—Christ Jesus. We have seen that the little horn—the man of sin,
the mystery of iniquity—has put his own earthly, human, and sinful priesthood,
ministry, and sanctuary in the place of the heavenly and holy priesthood,
ministry, and sanctuary. In this priesthood and service of the mystery of
iniquity, the sinner confesses his sins to the priest and goes on sinning.
Indeed, in that priesthood and ministry there is no power to do anything else
than to go on sinning, even after they have confessed their sins. But, sad as
the question may be, is it not too true that those who are not of the mystery
of iniquity but who really believe in Jesus and in His priesthood and
ministry—is it not too true that even these also confess their sins and then go
on sinning? But is this fair to our great High Priest, to His sacrifice, and to
His blessed ministry? Is it fair that we should thus put Him, His sacrifice,
and His ministry practically upon a level with that of the “abomination of
desolation” and to say that in Him and in His ministry there is no more power
or virtue than there is in that of the “mystery of iniquity”?
May the Lord forever
save His church and people this day with no more delay from thus bringing down
so low our great High Priest, His awful sacrifice, and His glorious ministry.
Let our trust in our great High Priest be true, and let it be truly implicit.
By protestants there
is often remark made of the blind unwisdom of Catholics in their so fully
trusting to the priest. And, with respect to any earthly priesthood, the
thought is correct. And yet implicit trust of the priest is eternally right,
but it must be trust of the right Priest.
Such trust in a
false priesthood is most ruinous, but the principle of implicit trust in the
Priest is eternally right.
And Jesus Christ is
the right Priest.
Therefore every one
who believes in Jesus Christ, in the sacrifice which He has made, in the
priesthood and ministry which He exercises in the true sanctuary must not only
confess his sins, but he must then forever implicitly trust that true High
Priest in His ministry in the sanctuary to finish transgression, to make an end
of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness, in his heart and life.
Everlasting
righteousness, remember.
Not a righteousness
for today and sin tomorrow, and righteousness again and sin again. That is not
everlasting righteousness. Everlasting righteousness is righteousness that is
brought in and stays everlastingly in the life of him who has believed and confessed
and who still further believes and receives this everlasting righteousness in
the place of all sin and all sinning.
This alone is
everlasting righteousness; this alone is eternal redemption from sin. And this
unspeakable blessing is the gracious gift of God by the heavenly ministry which
He has established in our behalf in the priesthood and ministry of Christ in
the heavenly sanctuary.
Accordingly, today,
just now, “while it is called today,” as never before, the word of God to all
people is “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall come [“that there may come seasons of
refreshing,” R.V .] from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus
Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until
the time of restitution of all things.” Acts 3:19-21. The time of the coming of
the Lord and the restitution of all things is indeed at the very doors.
And when Jesus
comes, it is to take His people unto Himself. It is to present to Himself His
glorious church, “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing,” but that is
“holy and without blemish.” It is to see Himself perfectly reflected in all His
saints. And before He comes thus, His people must be in that condition. Before
He comes we must have been brought to that state of perfection in the complete
image of Jesus. Ephesians 4:7, 8, 11-13.
Eph 4:7 But
unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of
Christ.
Eph 4:8
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and
gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:11 And
he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ
And this state of
perfection, this developing in each believer the complete image of Jesus—this
is the finishing of the mystery of God, which is Christ in you the hope of
glory. This consummation is accomplished in the cleansing of the sanctuary,
which is the finishing of the mystery of God, which is the final finishing of
transgression, the making of a complete end of sins, the making of
reconciliation for iniquity, the bringing in of everlasting righteousness, the
sealing up of the vision and prophecy and the anointing of the most Holy.
The present time
being the time when the coming of Jesus and the restitution of all things is at
the very doors and this final perfecting of the saints having necessarily to
precede the coming of the Lord and the restitution of all things, we know by
every evidence that now we are in the times of refreshing —the time of the
latter rain. And as certainly as that is so, we are also in the time of the
utter blotting out of all sins that have ever been against us. And the blotting
out of sins is exactly this thing of the cleansing of the sanctuary; it is the
finishing of all transgression in our lives; it is the making an end of all
sins in our character; it is the bringing in of the very righteousness of God
which is by faith of Jesus Christ, to abide alone everlastingly. This blotting
out of sins must precede the receiving of the refreshing of the latter rain.
For it is only upon those who have the blessing of Abraham that the promise of
the Spirit comes, and it is only those who are redeemed from sin upon whom the
blessing of Abraham comes. Galatians 3:13, 14.
Gal 3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us:
for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That
the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that
we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Therefore now as
never before we are to repent and be converted that our sins may be blotted
out, that an utter end shall be made of them forever in our lives and
everlasting righteousness brought in. And this, in order that the fulness of
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit shall be ours in this time of the refreshing
of the latter rain. And all this must be done in order that the
harvest-ripening message of the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all
the world with that power from on high by which the earth shall be lightened
with its glory.
The Consecrated Way
— Alonzo Jones
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