used for anything except for God. They are a set apart people; they are vessels of mercy, they are not for the devil’s use, not for their own use, not for the world’s use, but for their Master’s use. He has made them on purpose to be used entirely, solely and wholly for him. Now, that is what is meant in this text by “sanctified.” We are sanctified people, set apart for God’s use, consecrated, just as the vessels, the cups, the lampstands, and the tables, and the altars of the sanctuary, were sanctified for God and set apart for his service; and I said, we who are priests are sanctified people, not because of any holiness in our character, seeing there were some of those who were not holy in their character. My text does not deal with character — it deals with position in the sight of God. We are not perfect in character, any one of us — we are only perfect in position. There were two men who officiated as priests before God, namely the sons of Eli, who committed sin and iniquity before God; and yet they were set apart for God’s service, note; and when they offered the sacrifices as priests, because they had been washed with water and sprinkled with blood, they were officially accepted as being sanctified people. Now, brethren, the children of God are sanctified people, to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ, and we have no right to do anything else except serve God. “What!” you say, “am I not to attend to my business?” Yes, and serve God in your business. “Am I not to look after my family?” Assuredly you are, and serve God in your family; but still you are to be a set apart person; you are not to wear the white robe nor the breastplate, but still you are to think of yourself as being as much a priest as if the breastplate were on your breast, and the white robe about your loins; for you are priests for God and his Father. He has made you a peculiar generation, a royal priesthood, and has set you apart for himself.
5. Now, I think that this first point of my sermon gives you an inkling of what the rest must mean. I have already hinted at what I think is the sense of the text. I have explained, I suppose, clearly enough in what sense God’s people are a sanctified people, as understood in this verse. They are chosen and set apart and reserved to be God’s instruments and God’s servants, and thus they are sanctified.
6. II. Now comes the second thing: IN WHAT SENSE ARE WE TO UNDERSTAND THAT CHRIST HAS PERFECTED THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED? Why, just this. When the golden vessels were brought into the temple or into the sanctuary, they were sanctified the very first moment that they were dedicated to God. No one dared to employ them for anything but holy uses. But they were not perfect. What did they need, then, to make them perfect? Why, to have blood sprinkled on them; and, as soon as the blood was sprinkled on them, those golden vessels were perfect vessels, officially perfect. God accepted them as being holy and perfect things, and they stood in his sight as instruments of an acceptable worship. It was just the same way with the Levites and the priests. Just as soon as they were set apart to their office; just as soon as they were born, in fact, they were consecrated, they belonged to God; they were his peculiar priesthood. But they were not perfect until they had passed through various washings, and had the blood sprinkled upon them. Then God looked upon them in their official priestly character, as being perfect people. They were not perfect in character, I repeat, they were only perfect officially; perfect in the sight of God; and they stood before him to offer sacrifice as acceptably, as if they had been pure as Adam himself. Now, then, how does this refer to us, and what is the meaning of this text, that “by one offering he has perfected for ever those who are sanctified?” Go back to the previous chapter in Hebrews and you will find this: “Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.” {Hebrews 9:6} Note here, the first meaning of my text is this. The child of God is a priest, and as a priest he is sanctified to enter within the veil. He is now permitted to go into the place which was once within the veil, but which is not so now, because the veil is torn in two; but the high priest could not go within the veil, because he was not perfect; he had to be sprinkled with the blood, and that made him officially perfect. It would not make him perfect merely to put on the breastplate, or to wear the ephod; he was not perfect until the blood had been sprinkled upon him, and then he went within the veil. But when next year came around, he was not fit to go within the veil until blood was sprinkled on him again; and the next year, though he was always a sanctified man, he was not always, officially, a perfect man. He had to be sprinkled with blood again. And so, year after year, the high priest who went within the veil, needed to be made perfect afresh, in order that he might obtain access to God.
7. Here is one sense of the text. The apostle says that we who are the priests of God have a right as priests to go to God’s mercy seat that is within the veil; but it would be fatal for us to go there unless we were perfect. But we are perfect, for the blood of Christ has been sprinkled on us, and, therefore, our standing before God is the standing of perfection. Our standing, in our own conscience, is imperfection, just as the character of the priest might be imperfect. But that has nothing to do with it. Our standing in the sight of God is a standing of perfection; and when he sees the blood, as of old the destroying angel passed over Israel, so this day, when he sees the blood, God passes over our sins, and accepts us at the throne of his mercy, as if we were perfect. Therefore, brethren, let us come boldly; let us “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” In Hebrews 10:22 the apostle brings in one inference which I have just drawn from my text. To have access to God, perfection is absolutely necessary. God cannot talk with an imperfect being. He could talk with Adam in the garden, but he could not talk with you or with me even in paradise itself, as imperfect creatures. How, then, am I to have fellowship with God, and access to his throne? Why, simply thus: — “The blood of Christ has perfected for ever those who are sanctified,” and consequently we have access with boldness to the throne of the heavenly grace, and may come boldly in all our time of need. And what is better still, we are always perfect, always fit to come to the throne, whatever our doubts, whatever our sins. I do not say this of the priest’s character. We have nothing to do with that at present. We come before God in our office, not in our character and therefore, we may come as perfect men at all times, knowing that God sees no sin in Jacob and no iniquity in Israel; for in this sense Christ has perfected for ever, every consecrated vessel of his mercy. Oh! is not this a delightful thought, that when I come before the throne of God, I feel myself a sinner, but God does not look upon me as one? When I approach him to offer my thanksgivings, I feel that I am unworthy in myself; but I am not unworthy in that official standing in which he has placed me. As a sanctified and perfected thing in Christ, I have the blood upon me; God regards me in my sacrifice, in my worship, indeed, and in myself too, as being perfect.
8. Oh how joyful this is! And there is no need to repeat this perfecting a second time. It is an everlasting perfection; it allows a constant access to the throne of the heavenly grace. That is one meaning of the text.
9. Again, a little further on, our apostle, in Hebrews 9:21 says, “He sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.” They were all sanctified vessels, you know, but they were not perfect vessels until they were sprinkled with the blood. “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Therefore it was necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these,” {Hebrews 9:22,23} and so forth. Now, beloved, the vessels of the sanctuary, as I have said, were sanctified the moment they were put there, but they were not perfect; therefore God could not accept any sacrifice that was touched with the golden tongs or that lay upon the brazen altar, as long as those golden tongs and the brazen altar were imperfect. What was done to make them perfect? Why, they were sprinkled with blood; but they had to be sprinkled with blood ever so many times — once, twice, thrice, multitudes of times, because continually they needed making perfect. Now you and I are this day, if we are consecrated people, like the vessels of the sanctuary. Sometimes we are like the censer — God fills us with joy, and then the smoke of incense ascends from us; sometimes we are like the slaughter knife that the priest used; we are enabled to deny our lusts, to deny ourselves, and put the knife to the neck of the victim, and sometimes we are like the altar, and