In the sermon 'The Intercession of Christ' by Steve Hopkins, the focus is on the pivotal role of Christ's intercession for believers. Drawing on Romans 8:34, the sermon emphasizes the assurance believers have because Christ, who died and was resurrected, continually intercedes for them at the right hand of God. This ongoing intercession guarantees that believers' faith will endure despite trials. By comparing Christ to the Old Testament high priests, the speaker explains that just as the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, Christ entered heaven by His own blood, securing eternal redemption. The sermon highlights that Christ's resurrection is crucial for our justification, and His intercession ensures that believers will never face condemnation. Using the example of Peter's denial, the sermon illustrates that although believers may falter, Christ's intercession prevents their faith from ultimately failing. The sermon concludes with encouragement for believers to rest in the assurance of Christ's work and intercession, which secures their salvation and compels them to live in gratitude and obedience.

Romans chapter 8 verse 34. Let's stand together for the reading of the infallible, inerrant, all-sufficient Word of God. Read with me. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Let's pray. Father, high above all, We come before you, merciful God, to offer our praise and thanksgiving for the grace given us in Christ Jesus our Lord, for the forgiveness of sins purchased for us by the blood of his cross, for life everlasting in your presence. Oh God your mercies endure forever. Great, great is your faithfulness. Father we ask that as we prepare to feast on your word and glory and the captain of our salvation.

We humbly ask that you might give the Holy Spirit once again in power to give us understanding and to lift our spiritual eyes to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne on high. Give us the spirit now, God, we pray. For we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. Let's be seated. No preacher, no pastor should ever step into the pulpit of a church or stand before any people anywhere intending to lay open the word of God without a deep sense of responsibility, the awesome responsibility that is before him and without a deep sense of his weakness and need.

The Apostle Paul asked for prayer again and again in his epistles. In 1st Thessalonians 525 he said simply, brethren, pray for us, brethren pray for us, and I ask for your prayers also. In the time we have together this afternoon we're going to be looking at the intercession of Christ. I preached a sermon a couple of years ago on this vital doctrine and it's my earnest prayer that every brother and sister in Christ here today will walk away from this place with a firm conviction of the invincible power of Christ's divine intercession for them personally. Brothers and sisters, we have a great high priest and an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who pleads our case before the Father on the basis of his finished work on the cross, ensuring our final salvation.

And we can be absolutely assured that because of Christ's ongoing intercession, our faith, though it may be tried as with fire and assailed will never ultimately fail and will endure to the end. When we speak of Christ's finished work on the cross, We're speaking of the finished work of the atonement. That Christ died for our sins and made full satisfaction to the justice of God on our behalf. But when we consider the atonement, we also understand that Christ had to be raised for our justification. Okay, follow with me here.

Romans 425 says, Christ was delivered for our offenses, he was raised again for our justification. In Christ's resurrection, all his claims are vindicated as to who he is, what His mission is, he's the God man, he is I am, and irrefutable proof furnished that the atonement he made on our behalf was accepted of God. But that's not all that he did. Forty days after Christ rose from the dead, he ascended to the right hand of God where he is right now presently interceding in heaven for every believer on the face of the earth. In the Old Testament The high priest's work was not finished after the sacrifice was made.

He also had to enter into the Holy of Holies beyond the veil in the temple that separated the holy place from the most holy place and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat. We read of this in Leviticus chapter 16. Aaron was commanded to quote, kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, to make atonement or satisfaction for the sins of the people, and bring his blood, the blood of the sacrifice slain, within the veil and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. Aaron is a type of Christ. Our Lord Jesus after he rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and entered the Holy of Holies of which the earthly Holy of Holies was but a copy, he entered in by his own blood.

Hebrews 9 12 says us tells us not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood Christ entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Christ died for our sins, he was raised for our justification, He ascended to heaven, He entered the holy of holies by His own blood, and there ever lives to make intercession for us. Hebrews 725 says, He ever lives to make intercession for us. The intercession of Christ in heaven is ongoing. He's interceding for all believers right now.

Our text this afternoon says, who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. The reason that not a one of us who have laid hold on Christ by faith will ever come into condemnation is because Jesus died for us. He rose again for us. He ascended and exalted to the right hand of God, and he's interceding for us continually by his own blood as our advocate in the presence of God the Father.

The reason that none of us who are in Christ will ever experience a total or final fall from grace. Your faith is never going to completely, totally, ever fail. It's because Jesus died for our sins. He was raised for us, and having ascended to the Father, he's seated at the right hand of the throne of God, interceding for us until all those for whom he died and was raised are brought to glory and the full fruit of his redemptive work is fully and finally realized for every one of us who are in Christ. From the scriptures, Jesus is, quote, our great high priest who has passed into the heavens.

We read that in Hebrews 414. Who appears for us in the presence of God, Hebrews 924. Who is our advocate with the Father, 1 John 2, 1, who also makes intercession for us, Romans 8, 34, and whoever lives to make intercession for us, Hebrews 7, 25. Isaac Watts' powerful hymn, my great high priest, Jesus, begins, Jesus, my great high priest, offered his blood and died. My guilty conscience seeks no sacrifice beside.

His powerful blood did once atone and now it pleads before the throne. Our blessed Lord Jesus will continue with his intercession until every one of us who trusts in him are with him. A note in my Reformation heritage Bible says, there could be no condemnation for us, for our enthroned sin bearer intercedes for us in heaven. He does not merely stand before the throne as a friend who speaks well on behalf of his people, but stands there as surety, who has taken upon himself to fully execute the salvation of his own. Calvin writes, Christ suffered the punishment do us in order to deliver us, came forth by a resurrection as the conqueror of death and triumphed over all its power and in his ascension and exaltation to the right hand of the Father, he possesses dominion over heaven and earth and full power and rule over all things that he may be a perpetual advocate and intercessor in securing our salvation.

He's talking about our final salvation. You heard we're saved, we're being saved, and we shall be saved. And so the apostle here asks in our text this afternoon before us, who is he who condemns? And it's like he's saying, who does he think he is who condemns someone who is in Christ? Who do you think you are to condemn someone who is in Christ?

It is Christ who died, yea rather who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, and who also makes intercession for us. That's what we just read from the Apostle Paul in our opening sentence, or opening passage. Who is he who condemns? When anyone seeks to condemn us, this is this is Calvin, he's not only seeking to render void the death of Christ, but he's also contending with that unequal power with which the Father has honored him. In other words, it's serious business.

In other words, watch out. Who do you think you are who condemns one who is in Christ? Paul says in Romans, God commended or showed his love towards us. Follow along with me here, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But listen to what he says.

Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Saved by his life? What do you mean? What's he talking about? We understand that in his life he lived a perfect life of obedience.

We understand that he died an atoning sacrifice once for all for our sins. What's he talking about being saved by his life after this? He's saying, look, he's talking about the intercession of Christ. If when we were enemies of God, Christ died for us to save us from wrath and reconcile us to God. How much more now that we are friends of God, having been reconciled to God by the death of the Son, how much more now is our future secure because of our living Savior's ongoing intercession for us in heaven.

We're saved, we're being saved, we shall be saved. Christ Jesus, our blessed Savior, having been given all authority in heaven and earth and exercising universal dominion over all things, pleads the merits of his blood. We sang it earlier in the hymn, Pleads the merits of his blood before the throne of God, as the old hymn says. And because he lives and intercedes, ever intercedes for his people, all who are in Christ will be with Christ beyond any shadow of a doubt. Praise God.

Rejoice, blood-bought children of the adoption. Jesus died for you. He rose for you. He is enthroned at the right hand of the majesty on high, interceding for you. The Lamb of God was slain for you.

He bore your shame. He bore the curse, the curse that was due you and due me. He was condemned in your place and in my place. He suffered the wrath you merited and I merited. God has canceled your guilt, declared you just in His sight, clothed you in His perfect righteousness, and reconciled you to himself.

And his resurrection proves it, and his intercession at the right hand of the power on high guarantees it. Christ is your surety. Christ your guarantor that you will be carried safely through to glory. Amen? This is the unalterable reality of every true believer's position in Christ.

Because of what Christ did for us in his life and in his death and what he is doing for us right now in his intercession, our salvation is absolutely secure. Those who are in Christ will never come into condemnation. His enthronement at the right hand of God, in his enthronement at the right hand of God, he rules with unrivaled power and authority over all things, wherein his intercession, he secures for every believer all the promises of God, everything that God promised to those who believe. Rest in Jesus and what He has done and is continuing to do for you in His priestly work as your advocate. Now you may say, that sounds great, but I feel like it just can't be for me.

I still sin. Guess what we all do? And sometimes the sense of my sin overwhelms me. I found this helpful article, an old Ligonier article. Listen to this, kind of deals with this.

When we first trust Jesus, His righteousness is imputed to us. Everyone understands this. Giving us a righteous status, right, before God that can't be lost, can't be lost. Yet even though there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, we continue to sin until we are glorified, until we actually enter the presence of God and of Christ. We continually need God's forgiveness to encourage us to walk in holiness.

As we repent, Jesus advocates for us to restore our fellowship with God. Sometimes we misunderstand, we confuse, kind of when we're breaking this fellowship, when we've broken fellowship with, well, my state is no longer, I'm no longer in Christ or I'm in that revolving door and I've been flung out again as the false teachers teach. You can be saved and then not saved, saved and not saved. You can be in the family of God and then be thrown out of his family, No. Even now, Jesus is pleading with the Father on your behalf, interceding for you, for us, that we might be forgiven, purified, and strengthened for holiness.

To be sure, we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but we can do so because our Savior prays for us to guarantee our perseverance. Let us rejoice that Jesus continues to advocate for us and let us always draw near to the throne of grace when we are in need. Do I have your attention? Peter fell, Peter fell. In Luke chapter 22, it's the evening of the Last Supper and the First Supper.

The Last Supper, Jesus is gonna share with his disciples and the institution of the Lord's first supper with his disciples and when the supper is ended, Jesus has sent Judas packing, Jesus turns to Simon Peter and says words that Peter never expected to hear. Simon, Simon, behold, that is, listen to what I'm saying. Listen very closely to what I'm about to say. Satan has desired you to have you that he may sift you as wheat. Satan has desired to have you, to have you in his power in hand, that he may sift you like a farmer sifts grain, to sift you as wheat.

Satan has desired to have you, to have you Peter, to toss you up and down and shake you with violence like wheat in a grain sifter. But I have prayed for you that your faith fail not." That's Christ's intercession. That's his intercession. Peter isn't conscious of his weakness or of his great need of Christ's intercession for him. Peter thinks he's standing.

Remember the passage? He's in his own strength, he is presumptuous. He's saying, Lord, I'm willing to go to prison and even to death. Peter, Peter, before the cock crows this very day, you're gonna deny three times you even know me. Jesus told Peter that he was going to fall and that he was not only going to fall, but that he was going to fall grievously, that he was going to sink so low as to deny his Lord, not just one time, but three times in a single night, that very night.

In an evening of satanic sifting, in a situation of intense temptation and great weakness, Jesus told Peter that he was going to disown him publicly and repeatedly, that he was going to deny that it even knew him. But Jesus also assured Peter that after he had denied him, that after Peter had fallen to a depth that he believed himself incapable of sinking. After he had fallen to a depth he believed himself incapable of sinking that he would also be restored. Christ's intercession. Peter, Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you his wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith fail not.

Bless Jesus. Jesus wanted to show Peter his weakness and his utter inability to hold himself up under the sifting of Satan. God's purpose in permitting the request of Satan to sift Peter was that Peter might abandon all confidence in his flesh and transfer all his confidence to his Lord. And that's what he wants us, every one of us to do as well. All my confidence, no, I transfer it to you, Lord Jesus.

I can't bear up under this. Have you ever come to yourself after sinking to a depth you believed was so far beneath you that you could never go there. That's what happened with Peter. He went somewhere that he thought, is this? No, I couldn't do this.

I'll never deny you, Lord. Every believer experiences various levels of sifting, and we will all fail. We will all fail our Lord at times, but our faith will not totally nor finally fail, because Jesus has prayed for us and continues to pray for us. In John 17 and verse 9, Jesus says, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, right out of the world.

Brothers and sisters, though we fail Jesus at times, He will never fail us. Because of Christ's intercession, a saved soul spiraling downward will be lifted up and restored. His feet set back on the ground. Peter failed, but his faith did not ultimately fail because Jesus prayed for him. The intercession of Christ made the difference.

The intercession of Christ prevailed. In Christ's intercession, intercession will prevail for you too. He died for you and ever lives to make intercession for you. We read that earlier. The intercession of Christ preserved Peter and because of Christ's intercession for you, his dearly beloved child, You will also be preserved.

I will also be preserved who have placed their trust in him. A true believer may fall, but never from grace. Christ has prayed for you and is praying for you. And his prayer will not go unanswered. In John 17, 24, Jesus prays, Father, here's what I would like.

I want all those whom you've given me to be with me where I am. All who belong to Jesus will be with him where he is. His prayer will not go unanswered for you. Christ's intercession will powerfully preserve every believer in Jesus in this meeting house today and in all the world to the end of the world. Your faith may be tried but your faith will not completely nor finally fall because Jesus has prayed for you and Jesus is praying for you.

Because of his intercession for you at the right hand of the majesty on high, your faith, though it be tried as with fire, will not ultimately fail. Christ will not fail to preserve all those for whom He died and was raised. We who are in Christ, united to Christ by faith, are united in a bond that cannot be broken. It can't be broken. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.

He will preserve us to the end. Because Jesus triumphed over sin and death and hell for us, we also will come off victorious who belong to him. The faith of God's elect will not ultimately fail because Jesus will not fail to intercede for us. And his intercession guarantees our final victory. Calvin, you're gonna have a contest with Satan, so he says.

But God has promised you the victory. That is the final victory. As with Peter, Satan's desire is to destroy your faith, but every true believer in every age will persevere to the end and be saved because of the intercession of Christ. I think it was Charles Spurgeon that said, if you knew that Christ was in the other room there praying for you, would you be afraid? No.

What if you were right now really, really seated already with Christ in heaven right now? Would you fear? God's word says believers are. We are seated with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2.6. It is a done deal, Ephesians 2.6.

He is there interceding for us, and we are in a spiritual sense already seated with him there and are going there at the resurrection. Maybe someone here is battling with a temptation that seems overwhelming. Maybe someone here is tempted to despair. Remember, everyone gets sifted, so to speak, at some point. It's a part of our sanctification, a process of growing in Christ-likeness.

Maybe someone here is tempted to despair. That's it for me. The Puritan Thomas Watson writes, though Satan tempts, Christ prays, and Satan shall be vanquished. He says you may lose a single battle but not the victory. Christ prays that your faith fail not therefore Christian say along with the psalmist why art thou cast down oh my soul hope in God why art thou cast down oh my soul why art thou cast down?

He goes on, Christ intercedes. It is man that sins. It is the God-man who prays. The issue with Peter is many times our issue as well. Self-confidence rather than Christ confidence, right?

Self-reliance rather than Christ reliance. Peter was confident, I'm ready to go with you to death, all everybody else denies you, I'm not gonna do it, I can't go there. Though all men are offended because of you, I'll never be offended. If all these others abandon you, I'll never abandon you. I could never do what I heard that other brother in Christ did.

Through what happened to Peter, we learned not to boast in our own selves. Oh yeah, through what happened to Peter, we learned not to boast in our own selves. Oh yeah, through what happened to Peter we learn not to boast in our own selves. But that our boast is only in Christ. Scroll, there wasn't any doubt in Jesus' mind about two things.

The one thing that was certain to Christ was that Peter was going to fall, and his fall was going to be abysmal, a really bad one. The second thing he was certain of is that Peter would be restored. The testimony of history is that Peter, in spite of his radical and serious fall, nevertheless endured to the end. He recovered, he was recovered. He was restored.

He repented, he was forgiven, and then he endured to the end. As a Final note, brothers and sisters, when you're facing temptation, know that Jesus is interceding for you in heaven. The captain of your salvation is for you, not against you. And as Thomas Watson said, you may lose a battle here and there, right? But not the victory.

Christ has won the victory. Christ is interceded for you. And our Lord Jesus told Peter, this is very encouraging to guys like me, our Lord told Peter, when you have turned, When you have been restored, go and strengthen the brethren." In other words, I'm throwing you away. Peter is not set aside and neither are any of God's children who experience failure and are brought to repentance and are restored. His grace is greater than all our sin.

The remembrance of our sin and failure can have a paralyzing effect on us. Yeah, we may think, how could God ever use me now? The history of Christianity is a history of sinners saved by grace, whose greatest desire is to live for their wonderful, beautiful Savior who shed His blood to redeem them from all iniquity. It's the history of a people who long to serve Jesus, not to obtain their salvation, but because of it, in gratitude for it, for the free gift of it. The love of Christ propels them and compels them to loving obedience out of appreciation.

Christ's dying love makes obedience sweet. Blessed are the eyes that see Him, blessed the ears that hear His voice, blessed are the souls that trust Him, and in Him alone rejoice. His commandments then become their happy choice because Christ died for you, was resurrected for you, and ascended for you, and is ever interceding for you because Jesus is praying for you, you can rest assured that your faith will never ultimately fail. He's so good. Rest your weary head on the pillow of Christ's grace and love.

And when you get up, go and strengthen the brethren. Go serve him. And spread abroad the praises of the glory of his amazing grace. Let's pray. Father, we thank you that the promise of Christ's intercession doesn't belong to just Peter, but to all for whom Christ died.

And we thank you Lord that we can have full assurance of hope to the end that our faith will not ultimately, totally nor completely fail and that you will one day usher every one of your blood-bought children into your presence with unspeakable, unspeakable joy, Joy unspeakable and full of glory. Amen.