Acceptance.
The purpose of the temple is the establishment and maintenance of harmonious relations between God and the sons of men. By sin those relations have been interrupted; by religion they are restored. What was symbolized by the material temple at Jerusalem—its priesthood and services and sacrifices—is realized in the spiritual temple of the new covenant, in which Christ is the Sacrifice and the Priest, and in which the Holy Spirit sheds the Shechinah-glory through the holiest of all. Acceptance thus takes the place of estrangement.
I. ACCEPTANCE IS OF GOD'S GRACE, AND IS UNDESERVED.
II. ACCEPTANCE IS IN VIRTUE OF THE HIGH PRIEST'S MEDIATION AND INTERCESSION.
III. ACCEPTANCE IS FOR THE OBEDIENT, THE COMPLIANT, THE SUBMISSIVE.
IV. ACCEPTANCE IS ALIKE OF THE PERSON AND OF THE SERVICE.
V. ACCEPTANCE INVOLVES THE ENJOYMENT OF ALL THE MANIFESTATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE DIVINE FAVOR
APPLICATION.
1. One aim of a spiritual ministry to men is to convince them that in their sinful state they are without acceptance with God.
2. Another aim of such a ministry is to exhibit the divinely appointed method of obtaining and enjoying acceptance with God.
3. Yet another aim is to expose false and delusive representations of the way of acceptance. "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."—T.