BOLD ACCESS
Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.
Ephesians 3:12 (NLT)
Can you imagine trying to walk into the Oval Office, Buckingham Palace, the Pentagon, or any other highly restricted place around the world? We wouldn't get very far. Those buildings are protected for a reason, and it's appropriate that only a designated group has access. The people of the Bible understood restricted access. They knew that sin kept humanity at a distance from God's holy presence. Access came only through the sacrificial system God had established, and even then, it was limited.
Imagine what it was like in Old Testament times—the crowds, the dust, the constant bleating of goats and sheep, the smell of the burnt offerings, the sight of splattered blood around the altar. Depending on the offense—even if it was committed unintentionally—sin offerings included unblemished bulls, rams, male or female goats, lambs, or, for those with limited means, a pair of turtledoves or pigeons. These animals represented something valuable and pure—a costly reminder of sin's consequences. Yet the sacrifices continued day after day and year after year because they could never fully remove sin. The worshippers knew that sin carried the penalty of death and that atonement required the shedding of blood, and another sacrifice would soon be needed.
But through Jesus, everything changed. On this side of Jesus' resurrection, it's easy to miss how dramatic our bold and confident access to God is because it's familiar in our theology. We've never had to participate in the sacrificial system. We've never known what it is to be disqualified or restricted from God's presence.
Jesus' life and death give us confident access to God, so that we can approach His throne of grace and mercy without fear or a sacrifice of our own. This truth protects us from these opposing dangers: entitlement and shame. We fight entitlement by remembering that access to God was never something we earned. We fight shame by remembering that Jesus has already made the way. Our bold access rests on Him alone.
Jesus made the way. We don't enter because we're worthy—We enter because He is.
APPLICATION: How would our relationship with God change if we truly lived every day remembering that we've been invited into His presence through Jesus?
PRAYER: Jesus, thank You for the gift of presence. Teach me how to approach You boldly and confidently. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?