Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1203
“This is the thing that you shall do onto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me in the priest’s office.” Exodus 29:1.
UNDER the Law, only one family could serve God in the priest’s office, but under the Gospel all the saints are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). In the Christian Church no persons whatever are set apart to the priesthood above the rest of their Brethren, for in us is fulfilled the promise which Israel, by reason of her sin, failed to obtain—“You shall be a kingdom of priests unto Me.” Paul, in addressing all the saints, bids them present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is their reasonable service. It is the grand design of all the works of Divine Grace, both for us and in us, to fit us for the office of the spiritual priesthood, and it will be the crown of our perfection when, with all our Brothers and Sisters, we shall sing unto the Lord Jesus the new song, “Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.”
All the saints have this honor. According to Peter, in the second chapter of his first Epistle, it belongs even to newborn babes in Grace, for even such are spoken of as forming part of an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Nor is this confined to men as was the Aaronic priesthood, for in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female. My subject, today, is the consecration of priests, but it does not refer exclusively, or even especially, to persons called clergymen, or ministers—but to all of you who believe in Jesus, for you are God’s clergy, His cleros, that is, His inheritance, and you should be all ministers, ministering according to the Divine Grace given to you. The family of Aaron was chosen unto the priesthood, “for no man takes this honor upon himself, but he that was called thereunto as was Aaron,” and even thus, all the Lord’s people are chosen from before the foundation of the world.
I. First, THE PRIESTS WERE WASHED. We read in the 4th verse, “Aaron and his sons you shall bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall wash them with water.” The pure and holy God cannot be served by men of unclean hands and impure hearts. He would not endure it under the Law, nor will He tolerate it under the Gospel. “Be you clean that bear the vessels of the Lord,” and, “Be you holy for I am holy,” are standing precepts of our priesthood. It was well said by the Psalmist, “I will wash my hands in innocence, so will I compass Your altar, O Lord.”
This washing is afforded us in two ways, answering to our double need. First, it is given to us in regeneration, in which we are born of water and of the Spirit. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are made new creatures in Christ Jesus and in us is fulfilled the type set forth in Naaman, who washed in the Jordan, and his flesh came, again, unto him, even as a little child. Not in the waters of Baptism, but in the living water of the Holy Spirit are we cleansed from Nature’s original defilement. He it is who causes old things to pass away and makes all things new. Through His sanctifying operations we are cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit—and made vessels fit for the Master’s use. This washing is essential in every case.
You may say, “I desire to serve God,” but you cannot do it till you are born again. Your whole nature must be cleansed, or you will never be qualified to stand as a priest before the thrice holy God! I marvel how some who know nothing about regeneration can dare call themselves priests. They are strangers to the renewing influences of the Spirit and yet they style themselves God’s ministers! Has God set blind men to be guides and dead men to quicken souls? Onto such as these, God says, “What have you to do to declare My statutes?” The need of another form of washing was indicated by the double stream which flowed from the pierced breast of Christ, for, “forthwith came there out blood and water.”
We must be washed by remission of sin, of which David sang, “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” In the first moment of our faith in Jesus there is given to us a washing which makes us, once and for all, clean in the sight of God. It is that washing to which the Lord Jesus referred when He said, “He that is washed needs not save to wash his feet, for he is clean.” The priests were washed once, from head to foot, to make them ceremonially clean—after that they needed only to wash their feet when they came into the holy place. Even thus our Lord told His disciples, when He washed their feet, that they had no need of another complete bathing, for they were clean every whit.
Believers should not pray to their heavenly Father as if their sins still rested upon them and had never been forgiven, for the Lord has put away their sin—and as far as the east is from the west so far has He removed their transgressions from them. Yet as they continually accumulate some evil and stain by being in this body and in this world, they have need to come each day with, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us.” Our first washing has removed all sin as before God the Judge. Our daily washing cleanses us from offenses towards God as our Father. Even when we walk in the light as God is in the light, and have fellowship with one another, we yet need daily cleansing from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son. And, blessed be God, we have it!