“Everyone who had sinned in the Old Testament came to the Lord in this manner when bringing a sacrifice (Lev. 4).
The sinner who was desirous for reconciliation had to go to the priest with a sacrifice, and before the countenance of God had to lay his hand upon the head of the animal to be sacrificed in his place.
In this manner he indicated that he cast his sin upon the sacrifice, and thus, by faith, upon the typified Messiah yet to come.
Likewise, everyone who is exercised with his sin as described above, must come to Christ, acknowledging Him to be the perfect ransom, the only sin-offering, and perfect High Priest who sacrificed Himself for sin.
He must acknowledge Him to be the compassionate and merciful High Priest who calls all apprehensive and timid sinners to come to Him, annexing to this the promise that He will in no wise cast them out, but will reconcile them with God and grant them rest, peace, and salvation.
In coming to Him, while acknowledging all this, one must lay his sin upon the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
As the sinner in the Old Testament would stay near the sacrifice to witness the sacrifice of that animal on his behalf, such a sinner must likewise focus upon Christ and behold Him in His suffering and death, considering His sacrifice to have been offered on his behalf.
As the sinner in the Old Testament on the basis of the sacrifice obtained ceremonial reconciliation, and true reconciliation if he believed in the Messiah, one must likewise apply Christ to himself as his atoning sacrifice for reconciliation and peace.
Since the Lord Jesus is High Priest, one must (as was done by way of the priest in the Old Testament), go to God by Him. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him” (Heb. 7:25). One must not end in the Lord Jesus as Mediator, but through Him must go to the Father.
Question: How does one go to God through Christ?
Answer: (1) By receiving this offered ransom as his own sufficient and perfect satisfaction, as well as His perfect fulfillment of the law as his own righteousness.
(2) By presenting this to the Father, asking Him, “ ‘By the resurrection of Jesus Christ’ (1 Pet. 3:21) have not all my sins been paid for by His suffering and death? Has not Thy justice been satisfied? Am not I reconciled with Thee? Am not I at peace with Thee?”
(3) On the basis of that sacrifice one receives all the promises which in Christ are yea and amen, as being made to himself, so that God is therefore our Father and we His children, by faith thus calling God, “Abba Father!”
(4) Thus one proceeds, requesting in the name of Christ all that which the soul desires: illumination, comfort, sanctification, and preservation—as well as that which one desires for the body such as deliverance from crosses, health, and prosperity.
We do so, believing that God, our merciful Father, hears us and will give us as much as is commensurate with our need. Here we rest and are satisfied, thanking God for everything, as all this does and will proceed from our Father in love and to our advantage.
The intercession of Christ renders much support in prayer. If one considers and believes that every prayer, every sigh, and the lifting up of the soul heavenward for God’s Spirit and grace is a fruit of His intercession, whereby each believer receives the Holy Spirit (John 14:16); that He brings every motion of the soul and the expression of one’s desires before the throne, presents it to His Father, and that all this transpires in His Name, in reference to His merits and by His Spirit; that on the basis of His merits these prayers can rightfully be heard, and furthermore that He makes their desires His own, adding His incense to them, thus making their prayer pleasing to Him; if all this is considered and believed, this will greatly stimulate prayer.
It will cause us to pray attentively, fervently, and boldly. It yields confidence that our prayer, however feeble, is pleasing, is received, and will be heard.
Yes, when we are not able to pray, be it due to a negative spiritual frame, or in the hour of death, and contemplate and believe that the Lord Jesus prays for us even then and remains active as the faithful Intercessor who will not neglect our affairs, but will bring them to a certain conclusion, not resting until He has brought us to Himself— this yields much strength, causing us to surrender ourselves in quiet confidence into His hands.
Due to His intercession we will be able to say calmly and confidently, ‘The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me‘ (Psa. 138:8).”
–Wilhelmus à Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, Volume 1 (God, Man, and Christ), Ed. Joel Beeke, Trans. Bartel Elshout (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 1700/1992), 1: 554-556.
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