Now that we have a great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus, God’s Son, let us cling to what we confess. We have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way just as we are, only without sin. So let us come boldly to God’s throne of grace to get mercy and find grace to help us when we need it. Heb 4:14-16 AAT
Those magnificent, God inspired, words of grace teach, comfort and encourage us. By helping us soak them up in our hearts, minds and spirits and applying them in our lives, the Holy Spirit helps us walk in the way God sets before us.
God’s grace has many meanings. Primarily, our being is God’s doing. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8 AAT). Here, we will focus on the power of God’s grace working to, in and through us. With that perspective, let’s begin by exploring the throne of grace.
Jesus our High Priest
Jesus was “named of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” Melchizedek was a man, a priest and a king. Jesus came to earth as a man born of a woman. After He was resurrected, He ascended into heaven and became our high priest and our king.
Every high priest taken from among men can bear gently with man.
For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity; and by reason thereof is bound, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh the honor unto himself, but when he is called of God, even as was Aaron.
So Christ also glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he that spake unto him, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee: as he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek. Heb 5:1-6 ASV
“Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.”
Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear, though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation; named of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Heb 5:7-10 ASV
“He became unto all them that obey Him the author of eternal salvation.”
God put Jesus forth as the place of mercy, through faithfulness, by means of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his covenant justice, because of the passing over (in divine forbearance) of sins committed beforehand. This was to demonstrate his covenant justice in the present time: that is, that he himself is in the right, and that he declares to be in the right everyone who trusts in the faithfulness of Jesus. Romans 3:25-26 THE KINGDOM NEW TESTAMENT, N.T. Wright
God put Jesus as our King and transferred us to His kingdom
But to the Son He says:
Your throne, O God, is forever, and you rule your kingdom with a scepter of righteousness.
You have loved right and hated wrong
That is why God, Your God, has put You above your companions by anointing You with the oil of joy. Hebrews 1:8-9 AAT (See Psalm 45:6-7)
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 NASB See Jesus our Shepherd King
The throne of grace
The throne of grace is located in the heavenly Jerusalem at Mount Zion. We are there by the Spirit. God has made us new creatures created in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:10) seated us in Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6) and sent the Holy Spirit so we can walk after the Spirit (Ro 8:1). God relates with us as His children, who live by the spiritual nature (Ro 8:5). Thus, we can picture the heavenly Jerusalem with eyes of faith, even though “we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face” (1 Cor 13:12 ISV).
Preceding the following, Paul describes the physical Mount Sinai. Then tells us:
No, you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Here are tens of thousands of angels, the whole festival gathering and church of God’s firstborn people with their names written in heaven. Here is the God and Judge of all. Here are the spirits of the righteous who have been perfected. And here is Jesus, who gave us a new covenant with God, and the sprinkled blood that has better things to tell than Abel. Heb 12:22-24 AAT
In this glorious setting, we see God the Judge of all and Jesus, who gave us a new covenant with God, and the sprinkled blood that has better things to tell than Abel. Jesus who intercedes for us. “Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Rom 8:34 NASB).
Jesus knew He was to suffer death. Yet He endured. “For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, thinking nothing of its shame, and sat down at the right of God’s throne” (Heb 12:1-2). The immediate joy set before Jesus was the heavenly Jerusalem functioning as our high priest and King. Even then, I think Jesus was looking to the end of His reign when He has put all enemies under His feet, conquering even death at the resurrection, when He turns over His kingdom to His Father (1 Cor 15:20-28). Jesus was surely looking far forward to the new Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth of the kingdom that is to come (Rev 21-22).
Let us come boldly to God’s throne of grace
By the sacrifice of our High Priest, we can come come boldly to God’s throne of grace with confidence and the full assurance that faith provides. For through Jesus both those of us who are gentiles and those of us who are Jews have access to the Father by one Spirit (Eph 2:18).
Therefore, my brothers, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great high priest over the household of God, let us continue to come near with sincere hearts in the full assurance that faith provides, because our hearts have been sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful. And let us continue to consider how to motivate one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another even more as you see the day of the Lord coming nearer. Heb 10:19-22 ISV CF: Heb 9:14; Heb 13:12
In Him [Christ Jesus], by believing in Him, we have confidence and can boldly come to God. So I ask you not to get discouraged by what I suffer for you. It is an honor to you. Eph 3:13 AAT
Let us come boldly to God’s throne of grace to get mercy
We get mercy. Through the merit of Jesus, we know we are pardoned of all our sins and God has made us His children and heir of the kingdom.
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. Jude 1:1-2 ISV
So let us come boldly to God’s throne of grace to get mercy and find grace to help us when we need it.
In order to understand grace is both God’s unmerited favor and His power working to, in, upon and through us, we need to comprehend how the power of His grace comes to us. God is the God of grace (1Pe 5:10). Jesus brought grace and truth (Jn 1:17) and reigns His kingdom by the Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29), for the kingdom of God is in the Spirit (Ro 14:17).
Paul asks God to give the Holy Spirit will make us wise and reveal the truth, including “The vast resources of His power working in us who believe.”
That is why, since I heard how you believe in the Lord Jesus and love all the holy people, I never stop thanking God for you as I remember you in my prayers. I ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, to give you His Spirit to make you wise and reveal the truth to you as you learn to know Him better and to enlighten the eyes of your minds/hearts so that you know the hope He called you to, the riches of the glory of the inheritance He gives to His holy people, and the vast resources of His power working in us who believe. It is the same mighty power with which He worked in Christ, raised Him from the dead, and made Him sit at His right in heaven, above all rulers, authorities, powers, lords, and any name that can be mentioned, not only in this world but also in the next. And He put everything under His feet, and gave Him as the Head of everything to the church, which is His body, having all that is in Him who fills everything in every way. Eph 1:15-23 AAT .
Paul prays that the Spirit will strengthen us in the inward man.
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen. Eph 3:4-21 ASV
Paul
through the gospel, whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power. Eph 3:6b-7 ASV
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Eph 4:7 KJV
So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. Phl 2:12-13 ASV
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Co 12:9 KJV
Gifts of the Spirit
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Cor 12:4-11 NASB
Conclusion
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. Heb 12:28-29 KJV
Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. Heb 13:20-21 ASV
Blessing
May our God “make you worthy of His calling and by His power accomplish every good thing you decide to do and every work of faith, so as to glorify the name of our Lord Jesus among you, and you in Him, according to the love of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 AAT
Bill Bremer
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