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BOLDLY APPROACHING THE THRONE

If we are ever to get on our feet we need to get on our knees. Prayer allows us to come boldly to the throne of grace. This is quite a statement! You could not do this in the Old Testament. You had to worship God from afar. You had to bring a sacrifice to a Priest who put it on an altar. A High Priest could go further into the Holy of Holies one a year. He would not hang around lest he be struck down! Today we have open access through the blood of Jesus Christ. We can enter boldly into the Holy of Holies. We do not need a Priest because a Christian is a Priest. We still need a High Priest. Jesus is our Great High Priest. He intercedes for us with God the Father. Why is it we can come boldly to the throne of Grace? There are three reasons:-

1. His identity (vs 14)

He is Jesus the Son of God, our Great High Priest. Jesus has the office of a Priest, King and Prophet. While on this earth he exercised the office of a Prophet. When he returns he will exercise the office of a King. Today he exercises the office of a Priest.

He is our High Priest in Heaven - "He has passed into the Heavens". Many of the Priests in the Old Testament were crooked. Jesus is simply the best. The High Priest had to continually offer sacrifices each year. Jesus made one sacrifice and then sat down. The High Priest in the Old Testament had to pass through the outer and inner veils to God. Jesus passed through the heavens to the Father. He went through the first and second heavens to the third heaven. Jesus took his own blood and presented it on the mercy seat of the Father. See Hebrews 9:12-13
He is our High Priest in our hearts - In his humanity Jesus knows what we need. In his deity he can meet our needs. We are to take our burdens to the throne. We are to hold fast to our profession not to our salvation. Salvation is not you holding onto Jesus. Salvation is Jesus holding onto you! Jesus can hold onto me and onto you. See 1 Peter 1:5 & Jude 24-25. Jesus is able to keep us from falling.

2. His infirmity (vs 15)

Jesus has human limitations and liabilities while on the Earth. He cried and was hungry.

His victory - "He was tempted as we are yet without sin" - Jesus was tempted at all points. You get more of the Devil's blows if you strongly resist him. Imagine then what temptation Jesus had to undergo. Jesus got in the ring with the Devil. He took all of the Devil's blows and he was still standing at the end. He became sin for us on the cross yet he did no sin.
His sympathy. Jesus is touched by what we go through. He shows sympathy. He suffers with us. God is capable of knowing how we feel because Jesus was God come in the flesh. It is like a sympathetic hug from a mother. You are not alone in your difficulty or trial. We have a heavenly Father he cares. He has faced what we have faced so he sympathises. We are to take our pain to the throne of God in prayer because He cares.

3. His invitation (vs 16)

"Let us therefore come". We are to continually draw near. We are to keep on coming! The word "boldly" means to come freely. We are to come without fear but with respect. If you come to the throne God will give you mercy. God will not give you what you deserve. You also get grace for the present. Grace is where God gives you what you do not deserve. Mercy is where God does not give you what you do deserve. Mercy and Grace are our two companions. I am not going to worry. I am going to bring it boldly to the throne of grace. Why? God does care.