The Golden Chain - Robert J. Wieland

the Ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, picking
up the pieces after we fall, promising us a pie-inthe-sky
salvation after we die or after we are
translated. His High Priestly ministry consists of
forgiving us continually after we continually sin—
which is wonderful indeed. But Hebrews says He
can and must do more than that!
In fact, the bottom-of-the-cliff ambulance is the
Roman Catholic view of Christ's (and Mary's!)
"intercession." Only after we get rid of this sinful
flesh and enter into a fleshless realm known as
Purgatory will it be possible for selfish, sensual sin
to be "purged" from us. And the conclusion is that
if Christ had truly "taken" upon Himself "the
likeness of [our] sinful flesh" with our hot blood,
then He too would either have been forced to give
in or be "exempt" from our temptations. In other
words, Satan wins the controversy— he has
invented something that even Christ could not have
"overcome" if He had taken our fallen nature and
been tempted as we are.
What kind of triumph would it be to declare
42