The Church of the Saints - Why Intercession? Doesn’t Christ Intercede for us??
The Church of the Saints (3)
Why
Intercession?
Doesn’t Christ Intercede for us?
Mark: Where are we up to?
Thomas: In our last discussion,
we said that we believe that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and
people. However, there can be more than one intercessor. I was asking you, what
is the significance of intercession if Christ himself intercedes for me? The
Holy Spirit comforts me and prays for me.
Mark: Alright, pay
attention because what's coming next is very important. We will build on this
foundation for all your questions. The basis of education in the New Testament
is:
- "I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)
- "My dear children, for whom I am
again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you."
(Galatians 4:19)
- "so that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith." (Ephesians 3:17)
- "But by the grace of God I am what I
am." (1 Corinthians 15:10)
- "Christ in you, the hope of
glory." (Colossians 1:27)
If we don't start from here, any
explanation or interpretation will be lost on us.
Thomas: Okay, but what
does this have to do with intercession.
Mark: Bear with me. Now, since
Christ lives in me and is formed in me, what does he do?
"Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)
"He remains faithful, for
he cannot disown himself." (2 Timothy 2:13)
So, Christ within me does
everything for Christ because he does not change. We become the mind of Christ
(2 Corinthians 2:16) and the fragrance of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15). As a
result, many things follow. Consider this:
- Because God is love, every Christian is
called not only to love their neighbor but also their enemy.
- Since he is the light of the world, we
too are called to be the light of the world.
- Because Christ goes about doing good, we
are also called to be the salt of the earth.
Take what's coming. Christ, as
the Savior of the world, we are also called to be "saviors"! Like
Paul the Apostle says, "I have become all things to all people so that by
all possible means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22) or Jude the
Apostle says to believers, "save some by snatching them from the
fire." (Jude 1:23). Of course, it is understood that the credit for
salvation belongs to Christ alone, but Christ dwells in the believer and works
in and through him. He sends him to preach, delivers the message of salvation,
speaks through him with words of salvation, and gives understanding to the
listener. Thus, it is permissible, in this sense, for the believer to be called
a savior, but a savior by the agency of Christ and through the use of Christ's
grace, not by redemption and payment for salvation. Simple as that!
Thomas: That's a beautiful
concept. It's the first time I've thought about it this way. But is this still
not connected to intercession?
Mark: Intercession is also not
an exception from the works of Christ. If Christ has a heart, eyes, and
thoughts of an intercessor, and he stops his work as soon as he dwells in the
heart of the believer, how does that happen? John the Beloved recorded in his Gospel
the greatest conversation between Christ and the Father in Chapter 17. It was
all prayers, requests, and intercessions for us. Therefore, since Christ is an
intercessor, every Christian must necessarily become an intercessor.
Thomas: That's a very nice idea.
So, because Christ, the intercessor, is envisioned in me, every Christian
becomes an intercessor. But what are the limits of intercession or prayer? Can
I intercede for someone so that God forgives his sins?
Mark: Of course. Simply put:
Intercession in Christ is when a person's heart is filled with Christ, so he
asks what Christ asks. Therefore, intercession can be for the safety of the
church, our unity in Christ, the unity of the one body, the forgiveness of our
sins, and our eternity (Doesn't this remind you of the prayers in the
liturgy?). But when intercession is limited to pleading for material and
worldly matters, it becomes trivial and useless because it contradicts the
command, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33).
If you understood this talk
well, you'll grasp the concept of intercession in the teachings of Paul the
Apostle, as he consistently mentions others in his prayers. He also requests
the believers to pray for him, praying for his ministry, "praying always
with all prayer and supplication... for all the saints, and for me, that
utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly" (Ephesians
6: 19,18)
What's beautiful is that in his
first letter to Timothy, he directly commands, "that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men" (1
Timothy 2: 1, 2), because it is good and acceptable to God, "who desires
all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy
2: 4).
St Paul immediately emphasizes that the intercession act does not contradict but complements the salvation role of Christ, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus," (1 Timothy 2: 5).
Thomas: I understand your point.
But excuse me, when I ask others for prayers, especially if those people (I'm
sorry) have passed away, doesn't that infringe on the role of Christ? When I
take on the attributes of God, describe myself as an intercessor, or pray for
the forgiveness of someone else's sins, am I not equating myself with the Lord?
We even have a jealous God here who says, "I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another" (Isaiah 42:8)...
Mark: Very interesting. And your question leads us to the third question in the set of questions we began discussing: "What does it mean 'My glory I will not give to another'? Does it mean that since Christ is an intercessor, no one else can be an intercessor?" Let's take another turn and continue.
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