”Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16New International Version (NIV)
Hebrews 4:16 Devotional
Approach God’s Throne with Confidence
Hebrews 4:16 tells you and me that through prayer, we can approach God’s throne with confidence. Why? Because through Jesus Christ, God our Father (Matthew 6:9), friend (John 15:13 and Matthew 11:28-30), and King (Matthew 6:10) can be confidently (freely or openly or fearlessly) accessed (2 Corinthians 5:21 and Hebrews 10:19-22). That is, Jesus is alive and in the presence of God.
Consequently, God’s throne is also referred to as the mercy seat. That is the meeting point of God and man. This is where you will be helped by:
- receiving mercy
Pardoning (forgiveness) of sin, and being brought into the favor of God – not getting what you do deserve. - finding grace
Undeserved favour, that is, getting what you do not deserve. This is a need-or-problem-specific grace that helps you to face and overcome trials and temptations.
Let’s be real: Every one of us needs help. We are not God, thus, have needs, weaknesses, confusion, and limitations of all kinds. Therefore, we are always in need of help from God.
But every one of us has sin. Therefore, at the bottom of our hearts, we know that we do not deserve the help we need.
Consequently, you and I can deny that we need any help. Or we can try to suffocate this reality using worldly pleasures. Alternatively, we can simply give in to our desperate situation.
However, God provided an effective solution to this hopeless conclusion. He made Jesus Christ become a High Priest. Consequently, His throne became the throne of grace because Jesus is described as a merciful and faithful high priest in Hebrews 2:17. He was able to accomplish propitiation for sin (or the satisfaction of God’s wrath because of our sin).
The Old Testament (OT) High Priest
In the Mosaic Law, the high priest would intercede on behalf of the people (Numbers 25, and 28). Therefore, the priest would bring sacrifices to God on behalf of the people of Israel and would do so repeatedly, as the law prescribed.
The New Testament High Priest
While the OT high priest would bring the sacrifice, Jesus Himself was the sacrifice. And God resurrected and ascended Him into heaven (Hebrews 4:14).
Therefore, you can approach God’s throne with confidence because, in His eyes and in Him, you are complete and righteous. You can go to God without worry, without regret, and without feeling like you’re hopeless or inadequate. And all this is because of what Jesus did on the cross.
Jesus is a high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. This is because He became like us when He became a man. In fact, He was even tempted in all things as we are tempted, yet He remained sinless (Hebrews 4:15). And He intercedes on our behalf even today (Romans 8:34).
This is the reason why we, God’s priests (1 Peter 2:9), can approach God’s throne with confidence.
Prayer/Blessing
Lord, I praise You for Your mercy that is always new each morning. You are full of unending mercy towards us. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Lamentations 1-2 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
