Who Is Your Testator

Short Study By Gary Patton

Hebrews 9:15-17
In order for the Christian to obtain a morally purified conscience, it is important that the works that Christ does as “High Priest, Mediator, Testator,” be acknowledged as the influence in the life of His people. As High Priest, Christ dwelled in Heaven (the most holy place) and was sent to offer Himself for man’s sins. As Mediator, because He is “Son of God and Son of Man,” He is the “Go Between Relationship Initiator,” and only access between God and man. As Testator, He is the Maker and Enforcer of the New Testament (covenant), better known as the “Covenanting One.” What is His purpose? An eternally active relationship with them that would obey and heed His law, (Mark 14:23-25; Luke 22:20. How does He accomplish this?
  1. Fix His law in their new intellect (made spiritual) so that it cannot be removed.
  2. He engraved His precepts in our hearts through the Spirit so that we would cleave to Him, but also, live our lives to become like written letters as a message from Christ Himself to the world, 2 Cor. 3:2-3.
  3. God would be deliverer and gatherer of His covenant-keeping believers and they would acknowledge and devote themselves to Him, Hebrews 8:10; Zechariah 8:8.
  4. All of those of whom the Lord engraved on their hearts His precepts, will actively have the precepts of God and Christ no matter what their human status be.
  5. As the Christian cleaves to God in keeping His precepts, God’s mercy will not allow Him to remember our temporary lawless ways.
Questions
Who’s minds and hearts does God put His precepts on? Look at (Ezekiel 11:1-19; 36:16-29).
Answer: Those who through the Lord God received physical and spiritual deliverance from the power and influence of corrupt political-religious leaderships. From idolatrous influence. From sin and the flesh.
Political resolutions vs. Covenant resolutions
Application Questions:
  • Did the Lord deliver us from sin and the flesh in order to side with political parties or platforms of a particular designation or person ultimately, or to be identified as His people? Exodus 24:3; 20:3-22:33
  • Does your political support willfully promote “idolatry, misrepresent the Lord’s holy name, take authority away from parents, violate God’s institution of marriage between male and female, promote murder, false witness, stealing, envying, etc.?
  • Does the attitude that you display in your political stance as a covenant person in fellowship, hurt or damage opportunities, that are helpful to the wholesome quality of life for your brother, sister, or anyone else who seeks to do well in life?
  • Because of how politics and elections are set up, is it possible for the children of God to vote at the polls for every matter that God has deemed righteous and good on man’s ballots?
  • Is it possible that if as the body of Christ, if each of us votes for a good solution to improve problem situations for our society and continually pray against the sinful things that we can’t vote against in the polls, that God, our “Delivering One,” can supersede man’s power for the health of the nation?
  • As covenant people of God, while it is important to vote for the best possible candidates and policies that fit God’s interests, should we fully look towards officials for answers or should we be out there working a difference according to the means of wisdom and power that He bestows to us in Christ?
  • How does the Lord God fix and inscribe His precepts in the hearts of His people? Look at Ezekiel 11:13-21; Romans 2:4-5. Answer: Looking at the action of the remnant of Israel, listening to the Lord’s instructions unto obedience. Through listening and obeying inconstancy, a fixed spiritual mind and inscribed heart is developed by the Lord.

 

Application Questions:

  • If God has fixed and inscribed His precepts in our hearts, then, what idolatrous attitudes, behaviors, decisions, in us or our society are we aware of that must be torn down? (Look at Ezekiel 8:5-18). For example, anything that is a rival against God for our life devotion. “Love of wealth, power, intelligence, fame, above God and people.”
  • Since God causes us to cleave to Himself through the covenant relationship and precepts that He inscribed on our hearts, should this lead us to regard “America, the Flag, the National Anthem, the way that the Constitution and its amendments are applied, above the holy constitution that Christ’s sacrifice represents?”
  • Do God’s precepts inscribe in our hearts lead our conscience to be partial to one morally wrong ideal or behavior above others or cause us to see all wrongs as wrong? (Example: “Abortion” (murder) vs. “unfair taxation between socioeconomic classes.” God’s word for both issues: Gen. 9:6; Deut. 5:17, “murder “ and “being partial,” Proverbs 11:1; Leviticus 19:11-15).
  • Beyond voting in elections, in what ways are we actively promoting God’s righteousness against these idols?
  • If idolatry promotes murder, abortion, partiality of goods and services for or against particular ethnic groups, socioeconomic classes, the working poor, gender, or other, knowing that Jesus offered Himself for the eternal salvation of everyone, should God’s people do their best to vote and pray for persons and policies that benefit the welfare of all people in their circumstances?

 

Personal examination of self condition

Since Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man is the High Priest, the Mediator, and the Testator, from heaven offered Himself as the Scapegoat for our sins, reconciles us to God and enforces the new covenant, writing His law in the faculty of our intellect and our inner man, what moral effect should He have on our conscience towards Him and one another in Him, if He came to offer Himself for many? Look at Hebrews 10:23-26.

Since as High Priest, the blood of Christ has cleansed our hearts and upgraded our moral standards, should our conscience continue to accuse us in the future for past choices and habits if God no longer remembers them? Look at Hebrews 10:16-18. Pray concerning this!

Since the conscience is given the ability to convict or approve based on some moral standard, are we aware of who or what standard is being justified in doing so (Romans 2:15)? (For example, the person and words of Christ vs. someone and their traditions)

Do you truly believe that Jesus as “High Priest, Mediator, and Testator” offering His Body and Blood once, is enough to “cleanse, justify, and sanctify,” you that you may be able to experience a healthy outlook of yourself, your deeds, and fellowship with God? (Look at Hebrews 9:11-14;10:12-18) Pray about this!

Since we are called to confidently approach God through the sacrifice of Christ, the pardon of sin and fellowship with God, dedicated through Christ, do you still approach Him with a “consciousness of sin” or “consciousness of complete atonement,” in entering that fellowship? (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Do you approach your different roles out of a consciousness of sin or a disposition of atonement concerning yourself? In other words, self-shame or condemning disposition or disposition of inner freedom? (For example, marriage, parenting, education, work, etc.).

Since some are in the habit of forsaking, what reason is justified before God, for being discouraged from fellowship with or forsaking God and His chosen people if we are called to hold on to our allegiance to Christ as our High Priest? (Look at Hebrews 10:19-27).

Summary Perspective

It is important to understand that since the conscience discerns that which is morally good or evil through the condition of that which influences the heart of a person. Because of this, whatever condition that the heart is experiencing, the conscience draws from it. The conscience helps the will of a person to act on information from what the human senses eyewitness, hear, smell, feel, taste. It helps us to determine what we believe or not believe. It can also motivate acts related to attitudes of Indifference, partiality, prejudice, oppression. It could lead to conditions such as: belittling one’s self, jealousy, anxiety, depression, lack of self-drive, self-shame, and things like these.

Ultimately, the conscience can make us aware of when, how, and why, our moral standing is right or wrong before God through the commands and precepts of Christ. In other words, our conscience matches our attitudes, desires, choices, and behaviors, with the moral standards that enlighten or convicts our hearts that we meditate on whether it is the words of Christ or the traditions or philosophies of man. Our conscience can even affect our confidence in learning and aptitude, our ability to build successful relationships with others. Jesus our High Priest, Mediator, and Testator claims that His blood purifies our hearts and conscience from evils that hinder the good works in all of these matters.

Proclamations about Christ
  • Jesus as the “High Priest and Scapegoat” (remover) of my entire sin and guilt is, “the Sacrificed One“ for my atonement.
  •  Jesus as Mediator is “the Accessing One between The Father and I”
  •  Jesus as Testator is “the Enforcer of His covenant precepts that He has inscribed within me.”
  • Jesus as the Covenanting One is the “Relationship Initiator!” He communes with me. I belong to Him.
The complete goal of this work
  • To admit that someone or some philosophy or tradition of man had an influence on my heart and conscience
  • To admit when my attitude and behaviors are not according to the new covenant heart and conscience
  • To acknowledge Jesus as the Most Holy One, Who we have blessed relations with the Father through and writing in us that our transformed lives can be a holy message to the lost.
  • To develop out of a purified heart and conscience a purified disposition towards one another in the body of Christ that is not partial against each other on the basis of “party, class, status, rank, nationality, gender, performance, etc. or any man-made condition.
Practical life Application
  • Acknowledge and adhere to all of the teachings of Jesus Christ, your High Priest, Mediator, and Testator, as they apply to the specific areas in your life of falling short of God’s glory
  • Pray for God’s power and wisdom in His word and the word of His Son placed in your heart, to equip and empower your conscience to produce healthy covenant works and behaviors.
  • Through the reception of the word of the Testator, believe that your conscience has been purified, freed from the guilt and shame of the sinful flesh.
  • Conduct your lives, that is, your thoughts, decisions, choices, imagination, desire, and behavior, according to the atoning, redeeming, cleansing, justifying, consecrating, actions, and teachings of Christ that saves you from eternal death.
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