Approaching Grace
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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.”
The Way Back to Grace
Faith can start with an explosion of energy and passion, or it can take the path of slow heart transformation. Working through the complexities of trusting in God is no simple task—much less persisting in faith throughout all the blessings and hardships of life.
Blessings bring opportunities for self-dependence. That is the kind of subtle erosion of trust where God slowly fades into the background, and material hopes move to the forefront. It’s a simple pattern of replacement where, piece by piece, the places we used to rely on God (or even look to him, for that matter) get filled up with anything else that captivates our attention.
Hardships bring opportunities to reject God. After all, it’s hard to think that God is good when surrounded by pain and injustice. The promises of God’s faithfulness can seem dim and distant from the lowest of lows.
Both places can lead back to vivid recognition of God’s grace.
Whether sinking from freedom into hardship or drifting from contentment to self-sufficiency, the way back to grace is through Jesus, the High Priest.
Jesus, The High Priest
All priests exist to minister to God’s people and to intercede on their behalf, but Jesus does it best. His ministry as High Priest surpasses every other human priest, even the greatest ones recorded in the Bible.
Jesus is like the priests throughout the Bible, but he is far greater.
His priestly line is not from earthly families. Because he is God’s son, his right to the role of high priest is based on his nature.
His sacrifice is not temporary. Jesus doesn’t offer sacrifices of animals and offerings from the Old Covenant. He offers himself as the perfect offering for sin and ushers in the New Covenant.
His ministry is never to be passed on to another. Jesus is raised from the dead, lives forever, and ministers before the throne of God even now.
It might be tempting to see Jesus in comparison to the biblical description of Israel’s worship, but it’s better to see the worship described in the Bible as an imitation or shadow of the ministry of Jesus.
This is great news for us today because it means in Jesus we are privileged to bypass any barrier to God. We get to access God through God.
Application: The Posture of Grace
We wander from God toward the pride of self-sufficiency or the grief of hardship when we lose sight of the throne of grace. That throne is the source of all mercy, forgiveness, healing, and hope. We can abide in God’s love at his throne becasue his ministry liberates us from the weight of sin.
We can take our sins and sorrows directly to the Savior. God has not only purchased our freedom. He has invited us to the seat of reconciliation and peace. If faith for you feels like a rush of excitement, don’t wait to run to the throne room. If your heart is slowly turning to the Shepherd, look again to the seat of grace.
How long has it been since you approached the throne of grace?
Grace is not meant to be a one-time transaction, so the fuel of encountering God needs to be sustained through constant engagement with his word and his presence. God knows that we need daily grace to overcome sin and live in the knowledge of God, so even the most hesitant believers are invited to experience grace again by approaching the throne of mercy. Confidence in the approach begins with a timid trust until with assurance we realize we belong to the God of grace.
Reflect
Where in your life are you allowing blessings or hardships to keep you from the throne of grace? Ask God to search your heart and open your eyes.
What does it look like to live close to the throne of grace? Reflect on how you can respond to Jesus as your High Priest.
Pray
Jesus, teach me how to respond to you as the High Priest. I trust you to lead me into freedom through your grace. I give you my burdens, and I lay down anything that keeps me proud. I know that I am safe in your presence and confident before your throne—not because of what I deserve, but becasue of what you have done. I open my heart for you to work in me by your Spirit.
