January 26

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, — 1 Tim 2:5 BSB

As soon as living faith embraces the Person of Jesus (which is the first object faith takes hold of), it also embraces Him as the divinely-appointed Mediator. How precious and suitable is such a Mediator to a poor, sinful soul, a wretch defiled day and night with everything filthy and foul, who has broken God’s law countless times and cannot keep it for a moment! The soul cries, “How can someone so full of sin and depravity ever approach the great, glorious, and holy Jehovah? I cannot, I dare not!”

But when faith sees a divinely-appointed Mediator—a glorious Intercessor, a great High Priest over the house of God—One who shed His blood to put away sin, who has righteousness to justify, and who has a fullness of grace and glory to give to the poor, needy, and naked—then faith comes to God through this Mediator. As the Apostle says, “Through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” We believe in God through Him, who raised Christ from the dead and gave Him glory, so that our faith and hope might be in God.

Our only access to God is through the appointed Mediator. All your prayers, tears, sighs, and religious acts are utterly worthless unless they are perfumed by the intercession of the only-begotten Son of God. Examine yourself carefully on this point. When you approach the Father, do you come through the Son? Do you truly believe in His atoning blood as the only sacrifice that can purge sin, and in His righteousness as the only covering that makes you acceptable to God? Be sure of this, for it is of utmost importance. If you approach God in any other way, you are merely presuming. There is no holy fire burning on the altar of your soul, and no answer will come down except through this divinely-appointed way.