"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16
Prayer enjoined with holy boldness will obtain mercy and find grace when needed. We are invited to come boldly to the throne of grace.
Now who sits on a throne? A king! In Romans 1:19-20, we are taught and encouraged that the visible things are given to help us to understand the invisible things.
So let’s look into the Most Holy Place and what do we find? An ark! And within the ark we find the law of God. Which makes sense. That’s how a king rules his subjects, by his laws.
And yet throughout the Bible we find the utter inability for men and women to satisfy the requirements of God’s law. That’s a serious problem. How do we deal with it? Well, often by either ignoring God’s law or deceiving ourselves into thinking that we actually are keeping God’s law.
Jesus has made possible another way. And that makes sense too since what is above the law in the Most Holy Place, the Mercy Seat!
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Romans 8:3-4
So as subjects of the king, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-2).
So through His law, which serves as a mirror, we see our true condition and need. Then through true confession we obtain mercy and find cleansing as we journey towards eternity.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).
So this declaration represents the good news of the kingdom of God. The kingdoms of the earth are temporal, governing their subjects by their human laws. But being temporal, these earthly kingdoms can never be in harmony with heaven. The two principles behind each law, divine and human, are by nature antagonist (Romans 8:7).
The kingdom of Christ must grow. For in the seed of the word of God, there is life, and light, and power, and growth, all because of the merits of Christ Jesus and His sacrifice for us. Becoming a new creation, the beginning of a new life in Christ, the work of grace in the heart, starts small but continues to grow, so others may be encouraged and influenced for good.
The kingdoms of this earth are ruled by men, using physical force and war; they are dependent on human power to conquer. But thanks be to God that He does not need or rely upon human invention, for He is self-sufficient.
Nature of Christ's Kingdom
Christ has also given us other lessons about the nature of His kingdom, such as yeast (Matthew 13:33). This leaven represents His grace mixed with His word, in order to bring about a change in the hearts of men. Silently, as the sunlight shines steadily and abundantly upon the plant life of this world to impart power to live and bring about a transformation that bears fruit — so is His grace in the hearts of men. His purposeful grace is the manifestation of His love, to us and through us. So many will see and call him blessed (Psalm 72:17), indeed the beginning of His spiritual kingdom, manifest and continued through His kingdom of grace.
Loving Father, how great thou art; who is such a great God as thee (Psalm 77:13). Thank You for the invitation and assurance to come boldly to Your throne.
Call to Action
As we see our true condition before God, comparing our selfish lives with Christ’s perfect unselfish life, His word, His law, and His commandments wash us from our sinfulness (John 15:3), so that we can appreciate the great mercies of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST (Psalm 106:1). May we cooperate with His work of redemption in our lives by casting our cares upon HIM, because HE cares! (1 Peter 5:7).
