Welcome to Affirm foundation presented by Princeton Ministries with Dr. Ken Smith. This is Carol Smith, Ken’s wife. Please enjoy.

There is a grand distinction between Christianity and all of the other religions of the world. That distinction is to be found that all of Christianity’s teachings, all of the influence of Christianity is cantered not in a teaching. It is cantered in a person. Jesus Christ.

A firm foundation. We invite you to stay tuned for this next half hour as our speaker, Ken Smith, deals with subjects that will strengthen your foundation in the word of God. Here now is Ken Smith to tell you more about this most interesting topic introduced at the beginning of today’s broadcast.

Now, all of the other religions of the world are different because they focus not so much on individuals, but they focus rather upon the teachings of individuals. For example, if you were a Confucianist, the thing that you would be most interested in is not the personal life of Confucius, but you are keenly interested in the teachings of Confucius. So it doesn’t matter if he was an agnostic or if he believed in God. That’s not the important thing. The important thing is what did he teach. Same thing is true for those who are Buddhists. It is not so much a question of the person of Gautama. It is rather an emphasis that’s placed upon his Eightfold path of the middle way. His teaching is what is all important. Same is true with those who are followers of Mohammed. It’s not Mohammed as a person.

It is much more important what did he teach? And so the Quran becomes the very important focus for the Mohammedan. Well, the focus of all of the religions of the world except Christianity is a focus upon the teaching rather than the teacher. When we come to Christianity, all of the teachings of Christ presuppose the question of who he was as a person. And that’s the reason that we believe as Christians in the teachings of Moses, we believe in the teachings of Paul, but Christians believe in Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is to be in Christ. To live our life as a Christian is to have fellowship with Christ. To die as a Christian is to spend eternity with Christ. The important focus of the message of Jesus Christ is upon who he was. And so the question is asked, who is this man?

And it is a question that is very critical to an understanding follower of Jesus Christ. Who is, when he came, what did he do? Foundationally, who was he? Well, Christians have disagreed through the centuries on a lot of the teachings of Jesus. You’ll find denominations that have been established because of questions on baptism, you will find denominations that have been established on questions of the Holy Spirit. You will find denominations that have been established looking at the Lord’s supper. And among the Christian community, there has been great diversity of interpretation on the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, at the heart of all of those denominations, of all of those groups that would say we are Christian, there is one truth that all of Christendom agrees upon. And what is that truth?

Whether you are a Greek orthodox Christian or you are a Roman Catholic Christian, or you are a Lutheran Christian or reformed Presbyterian, there is one truth that all true Christians accept without regard to their denominational affiliation. And they all agree that Jesus Christ is the mediator between a sinful world and a holy God. First Timothy, chapter two, verse five. We read this verse, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man. And who is that? The man Christ. Jesus. Jesus Christ stands alone from any other man in all of history. He comes as a person into this world, having been the second person of the Godhead. Jesus humbles himself, empties himself of all of his glory, and comes into this world. And why did he come? That he might live a perfect life.

And as he stands as a perfect human being, Jesus Christ stands between a holy God and sinful men and women. Jesus declared this on many occasions. It was Jesus who said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one cometh to the Father but by me. Paul reminds us innumerable passages that he who honoured the son honoured the Father. In other words, according to the scripture, only those who are honouring Jesus Christ, whose faith has been placed in Christ alone, are honouring God. And the converse is true that all of those who would say that they are honouring God, must Honor God through the door of Jesus Christ. There is no one, according to scripture, who honours God without first honouring Jesus Christ.

Now, the work of a mediator is one who reconciles offended parties who to one another have nothing in common. They are in rebellion; they are fighting one another. The mediator brings those offended parties together, and in doing so, the work of the mediator is to remove whatever obstacles there are between the two parties. And so, according to scripture, we have on the one hand man, you and me, who according to scripture, have fallen and sinned. And on the other side, we have God the Father, who is holy. There is no sin in his holiness. He is purer than eyes can even behold. And there is one great obstacle between us and God. That obstacle, the scriptures declare, is sin. Sin whether we would overtly commit by the breaking of the commandments of God, or we would quietly, in our own mind, commit sin.

Jesus said, if we have in our own mind, thought of murdering, we have in fact committed sin spiritually. Is there anyone among us who can say that we have not sinned? Is there anyone who cannot say that my arms have not been bound by sin, that my feet have not carried me to places of sin, that my tongue has not been used to bring a curse against God, that my hands have not been used in oppressing my neighbor? Is there any of us who can say that my eyes have never once looked with envy or lust upon another person? Is there any of us who can declare that my heart has never been motivated by a sinful desire? Is there any of us who can declare that my mind has never once thought of evil? No. Instead, we all are indicted.

We know that we have used every part of our body, every part of our mind, in the completion of sin. Like Jacob Marley in the Christmas Carol, who comes to visit on that cold night his old business partner, Scrooge, as hears the sounds of the chains rattling. It is true that each day of our life, you and I have been forging for ourselves a chain. With each sin, we have cast in steel another link in that chain. And each day that passes, there seems to be a heavier weight upon us. And that chain of steel has turned to rust as we look with horror at the length of that chain. And perhaps at a certain point, we have said, this burden is so great, I will resolve to be a good person. I am going to begin to polish this chain.

I’m going to do a few good deeds. And perhaps by my good deeds, I will be able to snip off a few of these links. And haven’t we all begun that work of self renovation? And so we go, and we try as best we can to do good, and we think that our chain will become shortened. But what happens? We find that with every good deed that we do, we only add to our chain. For the motive of our heart is not to please God, but just simply to be free from the weight of the chain. And so the scripture declares that even our good deeds, in the eyes of God, are like links on a chain, like filthy rags. And our good deeds only add to our burden.

All of the religions of the world, if you look at them closely, are teaching that we are saved by the things that we have done. And so whether it is a way of thinking that will save you or it is by the actions of your life that will save you, the Bible, on the other hand, teaches that the things that we have done condemn us instead. The Bible teaches that we are saved by what Christ our mediator did upon the cross. Now, between God and man is this obstacle, sin. And every day we build that wall, brick by brick, higher and higher, until finally not even the rays of God’s glory are able to leap over that wall. And as we look at creation, we sin against God’s creation. We forget that God has made this.

We look inside of ourselves, our conscience, and we use our conscience simply to excuse our behavior rather than to teach us the right path. I’ve travelled quite a bit over the past years, and on occasion had the opportunity to ask people, have you always done right? Do you feel that your life has been perfect? I remember asking a question like that to a cowboy down in Texas. I remember asking a question like that to an skimo up in Alaska. I’ve asked that question innumerable times of people in the Princeton area. And there has always been one constant response to that question. The answer. They laugh. People simply say, excuse me, do you think that I have lived the perfect life? Are you kidding? No, of course not. Everyone knows that they haven’t lived a perfect life.

Well, it is part of that knowledge that is this great obstacle between this holy God and our sin. All of mankind, according to the scripture, is in need of this middle man, a mediator who will stand between our sin and the holiness of God, Jesus Christ. The scriptures declare is that mediator. If we look at scripture, we find that there are three ways in which Jesus is the mediator. The first is that his mediator is a prophet. A prophet is a person who speaks for God. He is also a priest. As the work of a mediator, Jesus speaks for the people, to God. The scriptures also declare that Jesus Christ, in his work as a mediator, stands as a king in total dominance over his creation.

It’s interesting, if you look at the scripture, to find that Adam, our federal head, that first creation of God, was in fact also prophet, priest and a king. If we look at the life of Adam, we find that he spoke as a prophet in that he spoke the words of God to creation. Adam was also a priest in that he spoke for man to God. And he was also a king in that he had dominion over all of God’s creation. But as you look at the fall of Adam, we find that act of disobedience of Adam in the garden, that what occurred was the passing on of sin to all generations. And so Adam, who was at one point a true prophet, became a false prophet, and he became the father of all of those systems that would deny Jesus Christ.

Adam became a false priest in that he erected a system of belief that has passed on from generation to generation of those who would think that they can receive salvation through some other means other than Jesus Christ. And Adam also became a false king in that he set up that kingdom, having been driven out of the garden, and Adam, having fallen, became a false king. And today, you and I are the result of that fall in our own ways, as we sit back in our lazy boys and we take that little wand in our hand, our sceptre, and we aim it at our television, and we command it to turn whatever station that we choose. We sit as our own king in our own little empires. And that should remind us of the false kingdom that Christ came to redeem us from.

For when Jesus Christ came, he spoke against that threefold power of evil that had come into the world. For in Jesus Christ we find that he was, in fact, a true prophet, a true priest. He was the true king as a mediator. He came as a prophet in union negotiations, whenever there’s a dispute, one side sits labour, and on the other side sits management. And everyone is hoping that the problems will be straightened out and there will be no strike. And so they call into that room a mediator, one who hopefully is concerned with both labour and management. Well, God looked at his creation and he saw that were on strike and that we had sinned. And we said, we will not. I join you, and God sits in his holiness.

And it was God who declared that, I will send a mediator, my son, Jesus Christ, who will work for the good of both, to bring reconciliation, to draw you together. And so, unlike that human mediator, Jesus came as a godly mediator. And the words of Christ were perfect words. They were truthful words. And Jesus declared in John 1424, the word which you hear is not mine, but the father’s who sent me. And so Luke would declare in the 24th chapter, 19th verse, that Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet, mighty in deed and word, and the word, that word which mediated the great disagreement between man and God. The scriptures say that word became flesh and lived among us, Jesus Christ. And so Christ is perfect in his work as a mediator. His discernment is perfect.

As he looks at the judgments that need to be made, he is always correct. His work as a mediator, as that prophet bringing the word of God, is perfect. But he also comes as a priest. And in his work as a priest, he has the responsibility of presenting the case of man to God. And the work of the priest was to bring all of the sin of man to God. We find after the fall that as Adam and Eve leave that garden, they are afraid. They’re ashamed, they’re guilty. And the question that has been on their mind and our mind ever since is if we are so guilty, if we are already condemned, then who among us will stand as the mediator?

What man or woman is there here who will stand up and say, I would like to stand and give the case for all of mankind in front of this holy God? Who will be our mediator? And so from the beginning, God called out a people. The Jewish people. And from that nation he called out a tribe. The tribe of Levi. And from that tribe he called out a family. The family of Aaron. And that tribe of Levi were to be the priests. It was their responsibility to corporately stand in the gap between man and God. And finally, there was chosen from that family of Aaron one person who once a year would stand in the holiest place of the temple. And that was the high priest. For the Lord had declared that he would have a temple built.

And in Jerusalem, that temple was made. It was in the form of three rooms. The outer court of the temple was for Jewish people alone. No uncircumcised person was allowed in that court. And in that court, all of the nation of the Jews came. And they gave offerings. And there the priests met them. And in that outer courtyard, they would bring their lambs. And the priests would take the lamb. And he would sacrifice the lamb. As they would confess their sin into the head of that lamb. And then he would take that blood and he would sprinkle it over the confessing person. That their sins might be forgiven. But there was a second room in the temple. That room was for the priests only. And in that room, the holy place, there was a table of showbread and a golden candlestick.

An altar of incense. The people could not go there. Only the priests. And at the end of that room was a veil. And behind that veil was a room. The third room called the Holy of Holies. It was a cube. And as you entered that room, it was dark. And there were cherubim that sat high above the majesty of God. For it was believed that in that holy room was God himself. In all of his Shekinah glory. And only once a year, the high priest would go into that holy of holies and pray and give offering for the people. Jesus Christ, according to the book of Hebrews, came as our high priest.

That when he was crucified upon the cross, and when he had died, and with those bloodied red hands, as it were, he took his hands and he ripped that veil in two. And that which could only be entered once a year by the high priest could now be entered by all of those who would put their faith in Jesus Christ. Christ. Jesus Christ, according to scripture, is our mediator. He’s the mediator of mankind. But the scripture also declares that Jesus Christ will not be a mediator as simply a prophet or a priest alone. But he comes as prophet, priest and king.

And that he would declare his kingship over your life and mine, that all of the thoughts of our mind he calls to be under his control all of the actions of our life he calls that we would be his bondservants, that we would recognize him as our king. For the scriptures declare there is a day coming when Jesus Christ, who came here in another generation as a lamb, is going to return as a mighty king. He will return as the lion of Judah. Jesus Christ is the mediator, the only mediator between sinful man, and a holy God.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and man. The man Christ Jesus. What a blessed truth in this teaching of scripture. Thank you, Ken, for bringing it home to us. You’re listening to a firm foundation with our speaker, the Reverend Ken Smith, minister of the Princeton Presbyterian Church in historic Princeton, New Jersey. Let me remind you that today’s message, Christ our mediator, is available on cassette. Please write or call and mention today’s program. Here’s our address. Affirm foundation, box 3003, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. We’ll be happy to send you the cassette as a gift if you can share with us in the cost of this program. Our continuation depends upon your response. And now, before we close, here’s Ken Smith with a final word.

My friend, a firm foundation is dependent upon hearing from you. We’re glad to come into your home today and would love to know how this program has helped you in your Christian life, or perhaps how you have come to Christ because of this program. Would you simply address your letter to affirm Foundation, Po. Box 3003, Princeton, NJ 08540. And remember that this program is dependent upon your prayerful support and also your financial support. Would you send that letter today? Thank you.

Thank you, Ken. And let me urge you to join us again next week, friend, when we hear about the church in your house. As Pastor Ken Smith helps us all build a firm foundation. Until then, this is Joe Springer thanking you for listening and praying for you, God’s richest blessing.

Thank you for listening to affirm foundation presented by Princeton Ministries. This programming is supported by you, the listener. You may go to our website, princetonministries.org, or send your donation to Princeton Ministries Post Office Box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 08543. That’s Princeton Ministries Post Office Box 2171, Princeton, new jersey 08543. The Lord bless you and Doctor Smith looks forward to hearing from you.