Come with Boldness for Grace
and Mercy
The main argument
of the Epistle of Hebrews is that “we have a great
High Priest” (Heb. 4:14; 1:3; 2:17f; 3:1;
4:14-12:3). Jesus has passed through the upper
heavens to the throne of God (1:3). The writer of
Hebrews makes it clear that Aaron was a “high
priest,” but Jesus Christ is “the great High
Priest.” No Old Testament priest could ever assume
that awesome title.
Jesus is great because He is
both God and man. He is “Jesus, the Son of God.” He
is the Savior who became flesh, and He is “the Son
of God.” Jesus affirmed His humanity and His deity.
As a great High Priest Jesus has “passed through the
heavens” and ascended to the Father. He is
enthroned. It is His “throne of grace” to which we
go as believers.
On the Day of Atonement the
high priest of Israel would go behind the veil and
sprinkle blood on the “mercy seat” (Lev. 16).
However, every believer in Jesus Christ is
encouraged to “come boldly unto the throne of grace”
where He ministers grace and mercy. We are invited
to go to our High Priest at any time, in any
circumstance, indeed daily, and find help in our
need. There is no trial too great, or temptation too
strong that our great High Priest cannot give us His
grace and strength.
“Let us draw near” to our great
High Priest “that we may receive mercy.” Where do
you turn when you have a sense of sin and guilt and
unworthiness? When we go to Jesus we receive mercy.
Jesus did not give us what we deserve, but what we
do not deserve. At the throne we experience and
learn that God pardons, loves and accepts us in His
grace.
Grace is the power of God
working in us. At the throne of grace He gives us
strength in the inner life to conquer temptation.
The grace of God is always well-timed. It comes just
when we need it. We find the infinite mercy of God's
love and grace working in us when we come to His
throne.
Moreover, we are not just
encouraged to go to the throne when we are in need.
We are to “draw near with boldness.” We have
“confidence to enter.” The blood of Jesus gives us
perfect confidence in drawing near to our righteous
Father. We enter in with boldness and confidence
because we enter covered with the perfect
righteousness of Christ.
Jesus encourages us to enter in
with the highest level of confidence, and the
unhesitating assurance that there is nothing that
can hinder us. The writer of Hebrews has in mind our
drawing near to God’s throne without fear, without
doubt, with no other feeling but that which a child
feels in going to his loving father.
The Scriptures admonish us to
draw near with boldness. Jesus the Son of God is our
High Priest. We do not have to work ourselves up
emotionally or psych ourselves up to enter into his
presence. No, the living, loving High Priest, who is
able to sympathize and give grace for timely help,
breathes and works this boldness in the soul that is
willing to lose itself in Him. All that He asks of
us is to make ourselves available to Him. This
boldness is natural when we are gazing with our eyes
fixed upon Him! Jesus, found and experienced within
our heart by faith, is our boldness. As the Son,
whose house we are will dwell within us, and by His
Spirit’s working, He will be our boldness and our
entrance to the Father.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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