The Comfort of Jesus’ Prayers

As an ordained minister, I’ve had experience going to the Scriptures with a number of people in order to help them see what God has to say about many diƒfferent subjects. Over the years, one of the most common questions that I’ve been asked has to do with the meaning of Christ’s work for the security of the believer’s salvation. The New Testament gives us many categories for understanding that those who are truly saved will persevere. There is the category of justification, which tells us that we have received the imputation of Christ’s righteousness through faith in Him alone and that we are at peace with God—not a cease-fire that can be broken at the slightest provocation, but an everlasting peace wherein the Lord never takes up arms against us again (Rom. 5:1). There is also the category of sanctification, which says God always finishes the work of salvation that He starts: “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

In the Philippians passage, we typically understand that it is God, by the Holy Spirit, who is working out our salvation in us, bringing us into conformity to Christ. That, of course, is true, but we should not miss that Jesus is at work as well. Our greatest consolation regarding our perseverance comes from what the New Testament reveals about the present work of Christ. We often speak of the “finished work of Christ,” which is simply shorthand to indicate the completion of Christ’s atonement—the finalization of His purchase of redemption for us, His taking upon Himself the curse of God. However, Christ’s work of salvation did not end there. He had more to do after the cross. He was raised for our justification, and then He ascended into heaven, where He is seated at God’s right hand, where He reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords, governing creation and ruling His church (Acts 2:33; Rom. 4:23–25; 1 Cor. 15:25).

That is not all. One of the chief emphases of the New Testament in terms of His present work for His people is His intercession. Christ’s priestly work did not end on the cross. Every day, in the presence of the Father, Christ intercedes for His people. If, as James says, the fervent prayer of a righteous person “has great power as it is working” (James 5:16), how much more do Jesus’ prayers avail for His people? Keep reading