Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace
Jesus said to His disciples,
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Matthew 5:14
Does this mean His disciples were perfect? Not by any means.
Does this mean His disciples never made mistakes? Not by any means.
Does it mean the disciples sometimes got it wrong, had arguments or competed against one another? Absolutely! But in the end they sought reconciliation with one another, just as they had already become reconciled to Christ through the cross. — See Colossians 1:19 - 23
For God has said,
“Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5 NIV, Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5
This also means, even when we make mistakes. When we come under any form of condemnation, we need to remember that condemnation comes from the enemy, not from the Lord. We also need to remember that whenever the Lord corrects us, He has already made a way for our redemption, cleansing and Salvation.
The writer of 1 John reminds us,
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
1 John 2:1 - 2
Concerning God’s desire to see us redeemed and the part God's holy word in the Bible has to play in this, the writer of Hebrews says,
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that 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 cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:12-16.
God’s Understanding is Limitless
God understands our hearts and He also understands our needs. When we soil our garments, but then repent and receive His forgiveness and free gift of Salvation, He gives us brand new clothes! In the book of Revelation in the Bible, Jesus Christ also describes the white robes of the saints, as the righteous acts of the saints. This means, when there is genuine repentance from all known sin, there must also be a corresponding change in our behaviour. The Lamb mentioned in the following Scriptures, speaks of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. (See John 1:29 and Revelation 5:6). The wife in the following Scriptures, speaks of His Church or the Body of Christ.
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Revelation 19:7 - 8
Foretelling of the coming Messiah, the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah,
“’Come now, and let us reason together.’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18
Scripture also tells us, that without genuine Salvation and these white robes or wedding garments, we will not be allowed to enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ explained using this parable,
“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:2 - 14
We Must Be a Doer of His Word - Not a Hearer Only
Similarly, James also tells us, that it is not good enough simply to hear God’s word, but that we must also obey it. For until we start obeying God’s word, we won’t change, and will end up deceiving ourselves instead - even into thinking we have obeyed when we haven’t.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
James 1:22
Instead, we show by our actions, the level of faith that we have in His word. James also said,
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
James 2:17 - 18
The Apostle Paul also tells us, that God has prepared in advance, the good works which He wants us to do. If we don’t do them, it may be, that no one else will - for that person or in that particular situation.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10 NIV
Similarly, in the gospel according to Luke, when Jesus’s disciples saw someone who was not with them casting out demons in Jesus’ name, John said to Him,
“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us. But Jesus said to him, ‘Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.’”
Luke 9:49 - 50
Keep Your Heart Open to the Truth
This same hardness of heart was not just confined to the New Testament disciples in Jesus’ day, or even to New Testament followers or disciples of Christ today, but to the people of Israel in the Old Testament also. Moses too, was faced with a difficult situation in the Israelite camp, when the Israelites began to grumble against the Lord. Unsatisfied with the miraculous provision in the daily manna that they had already received, they actually began to weep!
“Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. So Moses said to the LORD, ‘Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favour in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,” to the land which You swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, “Give us meat, that we may eat.”’”
Numbers 11:10 - 13
Moses was so vexed by the situation with the people of Israel, he wanted to die, saying to the Lord,
“I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favour in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”
Numbers 11:14-15
Just like the Israelites, we can ask the Lord for something, not understanding that He has already met that need. If we are not thankful for what He has already given us, God may respond, but not in the way we expect. Being greatly displeased with their hardness of heart, the Lord gave them meat, but instead of it being a blessing, His judgement came upon them instead.
“So the LORD said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. Then you shall say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.’ Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?’”
Numbers 11:16 – 20
The Lord also reminded Moses,
“Has the LORD’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”
Numbers 11:23
Don’t Undermine the Purposes of Christ in Another
Reading now from the King James version of the Bible, the word of the Lord says,
“And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.”
Numbers 11:24 - 25
This phrase ‘and did not cease’ is translated ‘yacaph’ in the Hebrew, meaning, ‘more’; ‘again’; ‘add’; ‘increase’; ‘also’; ‘exceed’; ‘put’; ‘further’; ‘henceforth’; ‘can’; ‘continued’; ‘give’. This Biblical translation is taken from the Qal or the simplest formation of the word, meaning, ‘to add’; ‘increase’; ‘to do more’ or ‘do again.’
- When the Spirit of the Lord rested upon these men they did not cease to prophesy! He added more to their words and gave them increase!
He Went on to Receive Them Well
“But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, ‘Moses my lord, forbid them!’ Then Moses said to him, ‘Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!’ And Moses returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Israel.”
Numbers 11:26 - 30
Perhaps Joshua, though fervent for the Lord, instead of trying to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying, could have sought the Lord to become more like those who were earnestly (with sincere and intense conviction) prophesying before the Lord. Yet this was the same Joshua, the son of Nun, whom God then chose to raise up a second generation of leaders. (See Numbers 27:12 – 23). So the Lord gave the people meat, but not in the amount and way the people had wanted, for whilst the meat was still between their teeth His judgement came upon them and many died that day.
“Now a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was aroused against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.”
Numbers 11:31 - 34
They Fought Over who Should be First
Going back now to the New Testament believers, Jesus said to His disciples,
“’Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.’ But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.”
Luke 9:44 - 46
While in the midst of this dispute, Jesus’ thoughts were on what He was about to undergo and suffer on the cross at Calvary, so that He could meet the people’s needs for Salvation. On the way to Jerusalem, where He would suffer betrayal at the hands of men, the gospel according to Luke says,
“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. His disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?’ But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.’ And they went to another village.”
Luke 9:51- 56
- We must remember, it is not our story, it is His! It is not about our life, but about His!
These very disciples who made these mistakes are the very same disciples, who after a revelation of the power of the cross and the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, took this very same message of the gospel of Salvation to the world. And many lost their lives in doing so, being martyred for their faith. The writer of Acts, believed to be Luke, also said of Christ Jesus,
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
The Apostle John also said of Christ,
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 1:12 - 13
Believe and Receive
When we first become new believers in Christ Jesus, the Apostle Peter tells us, we are to crave the pure milk of His word, so that we can begin to grow as Christian believers.
“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”
1 Peter 2:2
But there is a time when we need to move on to maturity. Sometimes, like children, we fight and argue over the smallest of things, but here too the Lord is able to bring us into maturity. Paul said,
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
1 Corinthians 13:11
We must all learn to move on to maturity in the things of the Lord, so that we do not keep repeating the same mistakes over and over. Paul described many of the early believers, as not yet ready for the meat of the word, because they were still carnal. He said,
“I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?”
1 Corinthians 3:2 - 3
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”
Hebrews 5: 12 - 6: 2
How frustrating this must have been for the Apostle Paul, who desired so much for them to be ready to move on to the meat of God’s word. Speaking of those who were mature, Paul said it was by reason of use they had their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. In saying this, it means they had already repented from dead works, never to go back to them again. They understood their lives were His.
Are you one, as part of the bride and Body of Christ, prepared to make yourself ready? God gives us through His Spirit and the resurrection power of the cross, all the help that we need. But it is our responsibility, and has to be our willingness, to come to Christ in obedience, to allow Him to work in our lives to make ourselves ready.
His Heart is Pure
God’s heart and intent toward us is always pure. The Apostle Paul also said to the Corinthian church,
“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
2 Corinthians 11: 2 - 3
Let us be ever mindful of anything that would try to corrupt God’s purposes and draw us away from the message of the one, true, gospel as found in God’s word; for it is the power of God to salvation.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
Romans 1:16
It was for this very reason that Paul also said,
“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:2
We need to not take these words lightly. Let us keep the message of the gospel simple and pure – so that all may hear, believe and be saved.
As I began completing this article, two choruses began running through my mind over and over, both written and sung by the group Elevation Rhythm. Specifically the phrases, "I've been washed in the water, washed in the blood" and "I have decided to follow Jesus." The songs are titled 'washed' and 'Goodbye yesterday' respectively. (links below).
If you can see yourself in one of these stories; perhaps with the early disciples, or with Joshua the son of Nun, please go back and read the very first section again. For it is in Christ you will find your freedom.
Amen, amen, amen.
