Christ's Heavenly Ministry

The phrase "Jesus while He walked the earth" could be used to subtly convey that Christ did not rise from the dead. In other words some think death was the termination of His work.

But the New Testament teaches that Christ is still working, still available, and still has a ministry. His ascension was to the inauguration and initiation of His heavenly ministry.

An early gospel message from the Apostle Peter said:

" The God of our fathers has raised Jesus, whom you slew by hanging Him on a tree. This One God has exalted to His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. " (Acts 5:30,31)

Christ's death was not a termination of His working. And Christ's ascension was neither the cessation of His activity. Rather His arriving to the right hand of God in heaven was the inauguration initiating into a new phase of His work.

So emphatic is the Bible to convey He is still a working High Priest that John was given a vision of Him walking and serving as a Priest in the midst of local churches on the surface of the earth.

"I was in spirit on the Lord's Day and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying,

What you see write in a scroll and send it to the seven churches:
to Ephesus and
to Smyrna and
to Pergamos and
to Thyatira and
to Sardis and
to Philadelphia and
to Laodicea.

And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me: and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and girded about at the breasts with a golden girdle ... etc." (Rev.1:10-13)

God reveals to John Christ is the High Priest girded for service and ministering to the needs of local churches on earth. He is carrying out still His heavenly ministry.

Hebrews chapter seven is just incredible.
Have you seen that Jesus Christ is the Great High Priest according to the order of Melchisedek ?

I was on the edge of my seat this weekend with every single verse of Hebrews chapter 7 as the writer shows Christ is High Priest with an indestructible life who ever lives to intercede for His people. He has a priesthood perpetually for eternity.

While He walked on earth was ONLY THE BEGINNING.

Christ's heavenly ministry is going on right now.

" Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Who is he who condemns? Is is Christ Jesus who died and, rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." (Rom. 8:33,34)

" Lord Jesus, You are interceding for Your people right now. God justifies, Who can condemn? Who can bring a charge against Your people. Your intercession will save us to the uttermost."

It is so powerful to have Jesus Christ praying, interceding, petitioning on our behalf as His believers. This perpetual High Priest ever lives to intercede. He appears before the face of God on behalf of those who come forward to God through Him.

" For Christ did not enter into a holy place made by hands, a figure of the tre, but into heaven itself, to appear now before the face of God for us." (Hebrews 9:24)

You don't know what will happen in your life if you acknowledge and thank Jesus Christ for appearing before the face of God on your behalf and interceding for you.

His mighty intercession will save us from the guttermost to the uttermost.

"Hence also He is able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him,

since He lives always to intercede for them." (Heb. 7:25)

He lives always to intercede for them.
He lives always to intercede for them.

You see when ToO speaks of "Jesus while He walked on earth" what is meant is that there is no Heavenly Ministry of Christ today. It means "He walked on earth" verses Him being always living today to intercede for believers.

Do you see the subtlety ?

But the author of Hebrews writes:

"Now in the things which are being said the chief point is this: We have such a High Priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

A Minister of the holy places, even the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. " (Heb. 7:1,2)

Jesus Christ today is somewhere in the highest peak of the universe or the most preeminent place in all reality ministering God's life into people and also bringing them before the face of God to intercede perpetually for them.

The expression "save to the uttermost" in Hebrews 7:25 means

save completely,
save entirely,
save perfectly

The Bible says that Jesus Christ is able to save us to the fullest extent, - save in every kind of situation. He can save in every kind of condition. We must come forward to Him in faith.

Sometimes He will remove the rock from the middle of the stream so our boat of life can pass. At other times He raises the level of the water so that our boat sales OVER the obstacle.

In more than one way - He is able to SAVE. And has been appointed by God on our behalf to care for our respective cases.

God-man can do this.

It is a personal salvation. Yet it is also a salvation for millions simultaneously.
The God-man Jesus Christ is able to handled all these cases.
He is amazing.

Originally posted by @sonship
The expression [b]"save to the uttermost" in Hebrews 7:25 means

save completely,
save entirely,
save perfectly

The Bible says that Jesus Christ is able to save us to the fullest extent, - save in every kind of situation. He can save in every kind of condition. We must come forward to Him in faith.

Sometimes He will remove the rock f ...[text shortened]... simultaneously.
The God-man Jesus Christ is able to handled all these cases.
He is amazing.[/b]

Perhaps you will address the below in this thread (seeing as you are avoiding it in the other). It is apt after all:

"Take for example a devout Christian who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and has reached a stage of mental deterioration where he simply doesn't want to go on and progress into the final stages of dementia where he was lose all memory of himself and his family and end up being spoon fed in a care home. - How will Jesus save this man from dementia and make his wish to kill himself obsolete? Will Jesus take away his dementia, make his descent in to mental oblivion any less destructive? In what way will he be saved?" (To the uttermost!)

Go on, give it a shot man.

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
Perhaps you will address the below in this thread (seeing as you are avoiding it in the other). It is apt after all:

"Take for example a devout Christian who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and has reached a stage of mental deterioration where he simply doesn't want to go on and progress into the final stages of dementia where he was ...[text shortened]... ss destructive? In what way will he be saved?" (To the uttermost!)

Go on, give it a shot man.

"Take for example a devout Christian who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and has reached a stage of mental deterioration where he simply doesn't want to go on and progress into the final stages of dementia where he was lose all memory of himself and his family and end up being spoon fed in a care home. - How will Jesus save this man from dementia and make his wish to kill himself obsolete? Will Jesus take away his dementia, make his descent in to mental oblivion any less destructive? In what way will he be saved?" (To the uttermost!)

When you are regenerated you learn that there is an area of your being deeper than your mind. It is deeper than the soul. And though you may not be exempt from any of the maladies that people may have in old age, still that deeper realm is real and a great comfort.

I am a Christian who loves the Lord. But I do not know whether or not I may develop dementia when I am very old. If I do I know that there will still be an untouchable chamber in my being where God is real and gives peace at His presence.

I may forget my own name. I may forget the faces of my loved ones. But I have deep within something supernatural which the world did not give me. And old age cannot take it away. The Lord Jesus will still be with my spirit.

In the resurrection and rapture when I receive my glorified body, Alzheimer's or not, Dementia or not, I will exalt and rejoice with Hallelujahs at the sheer faithfulness of my Savior.

But the Atheist, who banked on God being too small, too incapable, too perplexed at human difficulty, will have the SHAME, But we who have entrusted our lives to Christ somewhere along the way, will exalt, rejoice, and praise Him EVEN if need be that we AWAKEN from dementia in the resurrection.

Now read Paul's word AGAIN and insert the word "Dementia" or "Alzheimer's Disease" if you wish.

"But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any OTHER CREATURE [ including Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease ] will be ABLE to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)

If He has given to us eternal life we know and can be assured that NOTHING of the temporal life will prevent Him from working ALL things together for our ultimate salvation.

"And we know that all things [ including possible Dementia in old age or Alzheimer's Disease ] work together for God to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. " (Rom. 8:28)

ALL THINGS ...
ALL ... THINGS ...

God is able to engineer the entire universe so that "ALL THINGS" work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His eternal purpose.

The GOSPEL remains the Good News in spite of anything that can come against us, even old age and dementia.