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Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
What does it mean, this throne of grace? The term grace has often been reduced to meaning simply undeserved favor. And it certainly is this, for we deserve nothing from God. But when it comes to God's grace on sinful, rebellious man, to not peer into His grace, is to diminish it in our own eyes, and fail to fully appreciate it, or know when we need to ask for it. Even what to ask for. Let's take a peek, and as we do, may the glory and majesty and power and love of God, usward, be apprehended.
There is God's general grace and mercy towards all people, that we do see, but so easily do not acknowledge for what it is. We take it for granted that He lets us continue to live, even though we rebel against our Creator King, on a daily basis. We forget that it is He who feeds and clothes us, gives us shelter and work to do, keeps us breathing and moving forward. That He is ever faithful in our sunrises and sunsets, and spreads His glory and beauty and power over all the earth.
And then there is His throne of grace. In the OT, under the Mosaic covenant with Israel, there was a veil separating the people from the presence of God, so sinful is man and so holy is God, that even if they touched the holy relics they would die. That is the gulf between holy God and sinful man. But He made a way for Him to be their God, and they His people, through the temporary covering of their sins, once a year, and only the high priest entering that most holy of holies, with the blood of rams and bulls. And in the shadows, the Son, God's patience and longsuffering, awaiting the things to come that would turn the world upside down. And in His time, having come, lived a perfect life, gave Himself as the final sacrifice, gave up His life, and when He did, that veil was rent in two. Opened to the Throne of Grace.
In the meantime, we can see what this grace entails in the covenant promises God made with Israel. I will be your God, and you will be my people. He promises to protect them and provide for them. To give all the scriptures is prohibitive, as they are scattered throughout. Many are found in the Psalms of David, in those things that David asks God for---which is everything. He asks for righteousness. A clean heart. To be lead in the ways of God. For healing and protection from enemies. To not let the foot of pride come against him. Most of all he is constantly asking God to lead him in the ways of God's righteousness. He asks for his earthly needs and his spiritual needs. That is what faith in God means. To trust Him for whatever the need is, to trust that He knows what that is even if we think it is something else. It is a heart that knows and sings. "All my fountains are in you." In Psalm 87 it is speaking of pilgrimage to worship God, and is applicable to the very throne of grace.
We come now, not in the old covenant way, but in the new covenant way. Not to the shadows but to the real. And we have access to this throne of grace in Christ alone, for He is the one who rent the veil and entered in with His own blood as High Priest forever. (Hebrews 4:14-16) It is by grace we are placed in Christ, through faith, and even the faith to trust in the person and work of Christ is given (Eph 2:1-9). Ask and you shall receive. In Christ is the fountain of grace from which all the promises of God's grace and mercy flow. Here is where we see God's bountiful, overflowing love for His people. Here is where we find the goodness and love of God. The place where He delights in us, where is wrath is turned away by virtue of the Name we bear in our hearts and minds, giving grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy, faith upon faith. Even if we do not know what our spiritual need is, we can ask Him to show us, that we might even ask for that, and He will withhold no good thing from His children. It is at His throne of grace that we see Him as our Father. And only in the Son and His righteousness credited to us, do we come before this throne.
What does it mean, this throne of grace? The term grace has often been reduced to meaning simply undeserved favor. And it certainly is this, for we deserve nothing from God. But when it comes to God's grace on sinful, rebellious man, to not peer into His grace, is to diminish it in our own eyes, and fail to fully appreciate it, or know when we need to ask for it. Even what to ask for. Let's take a peek, and as we do, may the glory and majesty and power and love of God, usward, be apprehended.
There is God's general grace and mercy towards all people, that we do see, but so easily do not acknowledge for what it is. We take it for granted that He lets us continue to live, even though we rebel against our Creator King, on a daily basis. We forget that it is He who feeds and clothes us, gives us shelter and work to do, keeps us breathing and moving forward. That He is ever faithful in our sunrises and sunsets, and spreads His glory and beauty and power over all the earth.
And then there is His throne of grace. In the OT, under the Mosaic covenant with Israel, there was a veil separating the people from the presence of God, so sinful is man and so holy is God, that even if they touched the holy relics they would die. That is the gulf between holy God and sinful man. But He made a way for Him to be their God, and they His people, through the temporary covering of their sins, once a year, and only the high priest entering that most holy of holies, with the blood of rams and bulls. And in the shadows, the Son, God's patience and longsuffering, awaiting the things to come that would turn the world upside down. And in His time, having come, lived a perfect life, gave Himself as the final sacrifice, gave up His life, and when He did, that veil was rent in two. Opened to the Throne of Grace.
In the meantime, we can see what this grace entails in the covenant promises God made with Israel. I will be your God, and you will be my people. He promises to protect them and provide for them. To give all the scriptures is prohibitive, as they are scattered throughout. Many are found in the Psalms of David, in those things that David asks God for---which is everything. He asks for righteousness. A clean heart. To be lead in the ways of God. For healing and protection from enemies. To not let the foot of pride come against him. Most of all he is constantly asking God to lead him in the ways of God's righteousness. He asks for his earthly needs and his spiritual needs. That is what faith in God means. To trust Him for whatever the need is, to trust that He knows what that is even if we think it is something else. It is a heart that knows and sings. "All my fountains are in you." In Psalm 87 it is speaking of pilgrimage to worship God, and is applicable to the very throne of grace.
We come now, not in the old covenant way, but in the new covenant way. Not to the shadows but to the real. And we have access to this throne of grace in Christ alone, for He is the one who rent the veil and entered in with His own blood as High Priest forever. (Hebrews 4:14-16) It is by grace we are placed in Christ, through faith, and even the faith to trust in the person and work of Christ is given (Eph 2:1-9). Ask and you shall receive. In Christ is the fountain of grace from which all the promises of God's grace and mercy flow. Here is where we see God's bountiful, overflowing love for His people. Here is where we find the goodness and love of God. The place where He delights in us, where is wrath is turned away by virtue of the Name we bear in our hearts and minds, giving grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy, faith upon faith. Even if we do not know what our spiritual need is, we can ask Him to show us, that we might even ask for that, and He will withhold no good thing from His children. It is at His throne of grace that we see Him as our Father. And only in the Son and His righteousness credited to us, do we come before this throne.