Ephesians 3:11-12 says, “This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He [God] carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”
Pastor Herk points out the obvious, that we live in a world today that is confusing sometimes which tell us that either there is no God or that there are many different paths to paradise, Heaven or God. Just pick the path that you want or no path at all. This atheistic, secular humanistic, agnostic or polytheistic Theology can even be found today in many so-called Christian churches (both denominationally and non-denominationally affiliated) with different roads with different morals and standards to follow found other gods that you now have access to. But, the Truth of the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, the very Word of God is clear that there is only one true way to get access to the One True God, Creator of the Cosmos, Heaven and Hell, and everything within it. That access is through His Son, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who He sent in His only plan of Salvation of creation. The Apostle Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:21, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Christ is the only road that we can choose to take and follow to get access to God, forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation unto eternal life.
Habakkuk 1:13a “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.”
The second principle implied is that we can be “ourselves” in God’s presence. Being in God’s presence is a serious matter and we do not enter into that vainly or half-heartedly. Repentant Believers need to approach our Maker in reverence and awe. But, as a brother or sister in Christ and a child of God, we do not need to be afraid to be ourselves when we are in His presence. Our original parents Adam and Eve were in communion relationship with Father God in the Garden of Eden until they sinned. Because of their sin they knew evil and because of their guilt, there was shame in His presence. From the point of “original sin” onward, the spirit of man died and the personal relationship access with God broken for all mankind. There was a Plan of Salvation and God would appear to patriarchs, prophets and priests, in the wilderness, tabernacle and temple in the process, but God decided when and where. When Jesus, the promised Messiah, died on the Cross at Calvary, the final and eternal payment for sin was paid in full, granting and allowing unrestricted access for repentant Believers to God again.
Hebrews 10:19-22 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Not only have the repentant Believers been granted access to God by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, but we are told to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith; in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” The Greek for boldness is “parrēsia”, meaning freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech; openly, frankly before God; without ambiguity or circumlocution; without the use of figures and comparisons; free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, and boldness with assurance in the presence of God. Not to say that we don’t need to approach Almighty God with reverence and awe, but have confidence in approaching Sovereign God, who sits on the throne in Heaven. Talk openly and sincerely with your Heavenly “Abba” Father about hard subjects, disturbing injustices and troubling circumstances with Him. We can be ourselves before God.
Let's conclude Pastor Herk's message on our access into God's presence in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment