no other way. There are no other means of access to the
Father. Only through and by the priesthood can God be worshiped. Hence
the worshiper must become a priest, and then worship through Christ as
high priest. All pretensions to approach God in worship, without
recognizing Christ as our high priest and mediator, is only an
exhibition of an infidel farce. It is an insult to God, because a
rejection of His Son. Hence those who do not accept Christ as their
high priest cut themselves off from access to the Father. Christ
Himself says, "No man cometh unto the Father but by me."

Paul makes it a matter of rejoicing that we have a great high priest
who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; one that has
been tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. Such a high
priest knows how to sympathize with us, and to make for us all just
excuses.

The earthly high priest went once a year, on the great day of
atonement, into the most holy place, with the blood of others, to make
atonement for the sins of Israel; but Christ, as the high priest of the
good things to come, has entered the holy place on high, with His own
blood, to make atonement for the sins of the whole world. The offerings
made by the priests under the law pertained only to the cleansing of
the flesh; but the blood offered by our high priest "cleanses the
conscience from dead works to serve the living God."

NEW TESTAMENT VIEWS OF CHRIST.

XII.--CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom
from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:
that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord" (I. Cor. i. 30, 31).

In this language Paul affirms that Christ is our righteousness. This is
a momentous thought. It goes to the heart of the scheme of redemption.
How is Christ our righteousness? What does Paul mean by the
affirmation? The very life of Christianity is involved in the answer.
By one's answer we know just where to place him in regard to the vital
principles of Christianity.

That one must be righteous in order to be prepared for heaven, must be
conceded by those who accept the Bible as authority. "Know ye not that
the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God." And this must be
a positive, not simply a relative, righteousness. Men may be
comparatively righteous, and yet be wholly unprepared for the presence
of God. T