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Hebrews
4:14-16 (NIV)
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we
profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just
as we are--yet was without sin.
16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
How many times have I heard the voice of
the accuser this past week? The accusations fly fast and furious every time I
seek to draw near to God. Perhaps you have heard this voice as well this past
week. Listen to his speech and see if possibly you have been under his attack
as well.
"Who are you to draw close to God?
What right do you think you have to receive anything from God? You cannot
even keep the basic disciplines of grace for long? What about all those
thoughts that have been lodging in your mind this past week, certainly you do
not deserve to receive anything from God by the way your thought life has
been?"
Have you heard this voice? What happened as
a result of listening to this voice? Did you just throw your hands up and
quit in your pursuit of God? Did you begin to speak to yourself in agreement
with this voice? As you listened to this voice did you find your despair
growing of ever getting anything right? Did you find yourself trying to
promise one more time you would get it right the next time only to be
defeated by another barrage of the enemy's voice?
If this has been your experience as of late
I have great news for you. The Word of the Gospel applied to your ears will
bring you great relief from this nagging accuser in your soul. I want you to
consider with me what the message of Hebrews tells us.
"Therefore, since we have a great high
priest . . ." We do not have just a high priest like those of old under
Moses; we have a high priest who is great. He has not only faced the full
fury of God's wrath against us in his body but he has forever accomplished
our redemption by his blood. He not just accomplished our redemption but he
has now passed through the heavens, he has ascended to the very highest
throne and is at this moment interceding on our behalf. His sacrifice is a
permanent fixture in the throne room of God's grace.
Every time we draw near to God the blood
will always avail for us. It has once and for all forever removed the stain
of sin and guilt from us. The writer of Hebrews says it is for this reason
that we can hold on to the faith we profess. It is not because we have been
good or because we have done our best it is because of Jesus that we can draw
near. It is because of Jesus that we can hold firmly to the faith.
Do you understand it yet? Our holding on to
the faith has nothing to do with our ability to hold on but it has everything
to do with the sufficiency of our high priest. When you fall or when you hear
the voice of the accuser bringing up once again the sins you have committed,
or when you feel condemned because of your inability to walk straight, take a
good look at your high priest standing in your place before the throne of
God. He himself has made the way for you to come to God. Remind yourself
daily and if need be moment by moment that you have a faithful high priest
how is standing before the Father for you.
Because of his sacrifice he now bids you
along with the Father to come boldly before his throne so that you may
receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need. O child of God
do not hesitate to come to your Father, he has paved the way for you to come
through His Son. To not come before your Father because you feel unworthy or
inadequate is to say to God that his way is not sufficient.
If you see what I see as I write this you
would run to Him. O how we need to remind each other of what Christ has done
for us. He did not die so that we would have more stuff; he died so we could
be brought back home to God. Allow the cross to bring you home before your
God so he may give you the grace you need at this moment.
Overwhelmed by His Mercy Finding Grace once
again,
Pastor Phil
Take some time today to sit before your God
and marvel at his grace displayed for you in the cross of our Savior and
Lord. He not only saves but he keeps those he saves. Hallelujah what a savior!
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