( HEBREWS 4:16 )

LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND HELP IN TIME OF NEED.

Today is the day that we take time to remember the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior; Jesus Christ. I am very thankful continually for his saving grace and, the Holy Spirit he placed within me the day of my salvation. In reality, God, through and by his grace gave us a way to remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus ( according to his will ) and, that apart from how men choose to remember it. Man devised a way to remember it each year. God the Father said it do it ( as often ); that is, when ever you desire to. His way is ( the Lord’s supper ). Many Churches have, what we might call communion, each Sunday, some, every quarter and others, whenever the pastor feels led to do so. In other words, ( communion can be done ) as often as one desires to.

While I’m not anti- Easter in any means; I do believe it has become a ( religious ritual ) and, if it is the only time that a person ever considers the death, burial and resurrection of Chirst then that, in itself becomes a shame! As a matter of fact, if the very act of having communion can become the same way if we do not truly reverence and become closer to Christ because we commit that act.

On any given Sunday, just like this one; I truly seek God’s will for what I teach. In the last few Sundays it’s been in Hebrews. It just so happens that today we are looking at ( Hebrews 4:16 ) which is actually one of the most powerful attributes, other than our salvation we can contribute to Easter; which is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I want you to consider something here. Do you realize that God, by his Holy Spirit, under the writings of the Apostle Paul chose to describe the act of Communion in the book of Corinthians? The Church was the most carnal Church we see in all of the Apostles Paul’s writings. They, in fact were, by their actions, making a mockery of the whole concept of the Lord’s supper. You can read about it in ( 1 Corinthians 11 ).

So, let’s get to what I feel led to teach today. In this verse; look at what he says: ( Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace ). Do you realize that up until the death of Jesus Christ that no person other than the high priest could ever go behind the veil? However, the very moment that Jesus Christ ( gave up the ghost ) that veil was rent from ( top to bottom ). That ( top to bottom ) signifies ( God coming down to man!

( Matthew 27:51-53 )

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; ( 52 ) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, ( 53 ) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

In the Old Testament if any man went behind that veil, he would die instantly. As a matter of fact, even the High Priest had to make sure he followed ever ordinance given by God the Father precisely or, he would die as well.

We commerate Easter, not to remember his death necessarily but rather, the resurrection, althouth it all goes together. When Jesus Christ was raised from the dead it was proof that God the Father had excepted his sacrifice for the sins of this world. He, Jesus Christ became our high priest. While we see that in the previous verses here, we can also study it further in ( Hebrews 5 ) and possibly we will get to that.

What might be significant about that fact? In the Old Testament, God the Father looked at Israel, typlically theough a veil. He could see them but, they couldn’t see him. In the New Testament, the ( Blood of Christ ) became that veil. Now God the Father looks at us, sees us through the Blood of Christ once we are born again. His blood blocks out everything about us that is not Jesus Christ, therfore, God the Father see us as perfect through Christ. Our sins are filtered by his blood. His blood is that veil!

Therefore, we can boldly come before God the Father just like Jesus Christ. However, it is actually through him we can see God the Father.

Now, let’s look at something here and you see if you agree with me. The next part of ( Hebrews 4: 16 ) says this: ( that we may obtain mercy ). Once we are born again, I, for one will have to admit that I am not perfect! We go back to ( verse 12 ) we see that he, God the Father knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. There is nothing hid from him. Therefore, as a born again believer, when I know that I fall short, I can obtain mercy! In: ( 1 John 1:9 ) It says this: ( If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Can you see how God’s will is for each of us to be like Christ? Although we will never reach that perfection in this life; it’s still God’s will for us to be just that sensitive to the sin that easily besets us, having a desire, by the Holy Spirit to overcome every sinfil weakness we have. This has nothing to do with salvation but, our desire to walk circumspectly in Christ, to be obedient to his will. God’s mercy, through the Blood of Christ allows us not to be perfect but, his mercy will always be there, continually.

I love my wife! does that fact make me a perfect husband to her? Take my word for it, no it doesn’t but, although I cannot reach perfection as her husband, my desire is still to be pleasing to her. Therefore, I don’t live in a way that is displeasing to her and, if I do something that is upsetting to her, I confess; honey, I was wrong. If I fall short as her husband, are we not still just as married?

It’s the ame picture with each born again believer and God the Father. We are still just as much his child even when we are less than perfect but, if we truly desire to be pleasing to him, we will confess before him and continue to move foward toward being like Christ.

Now, look at the last part of this verse:

( Hebrews 4:16 )

and find ( grace to help ) in ( time of need ).

There is a very important question we must ask ourselves here. Just how willing are you to overcome the sinful weakness in your life? We often seek to tie our physical bodies to this verse of scripture. I suppose that there are times that God helps us in a physical sense however, God’s true desire is to have us walk with him in a very healthy spiritual life, and that; far beyond any problem we might face in our flesh.

Many people that say they are born again are very content living in the sin they live in. They are simply looking at Christ as a way to stay out of hell; never even considering changing anything about their lives. Most people that say they are born again are not even sensitive to the little things that might be displeasing to God the Father. They look at it as ( God saved me ) here I am. If that is your mindset, maybe you should actually consider whether you are truly born again or not.

I’m going to insert something here about a husband and his wife. In either case, whether you are ( a husband ) or ( a wife ) if you are not at least seeking to be pleasing, are you truly married? If marriage hasn’t taken place within the heart of a man and a woman then, the paper work that comes with marriage is worthless!

It’s actually the same way with being born again. If God; by his Holy Spirit hasn’t moved into your heart then, Church membership and baptism is completely worthless. It’s a terrible thing to die, to wait to late to find out you are actually not born again. The very same way with marriage; once the paper work is done, by law you are maried but, if it’s not in your heart, you can look for problems!

The spiritual needs we have are real! God didn’t say he would take anything away from you just by asking. He said you could ( obtain mercy ) and ( find help ) in time of need. God’s grace can help you overcome anything, however it must be your desire to overcome those things in your life. One of my favorite pharses in scripture is this: ( and Jesus said: and it came to pass ). No matter what you might be facing in your life, it will come to pass.

I’ll share this story in closing. I come home from work one afternoon; my wife was standing at the pation door and a young man was sitting on the patio. As I walked up, my wife told me that the young man wanted to talk to me. I sit down and, he begin to talk. He said: he didn’t have a job, he had one offered to him but he didn’t have gas money to go to it. He also said, he had a speading ticket that he had to pay. I could have been more but it’s been so long I’ve forgotten. What he wanted from me was to borrow some money, I didn’t know this young man, had never seen him before.

As I looked at him, I felt impressed by God’s Spirit to help him. This is what I said. Son, I’ll loan you the money you ask for. You know, I have never seen you before, I don’t know you. However, this is what I want you to know. Everything you just told me will shortly come to pass, you’ll get a job, you’ll pay the speeding ticket, life will move foward. At the same time, what you do from this day foward is completely up to you, even whether you repay this money or not. If you are not careful, you will continue to make the same mistakes over and over again but, that’s completely up to the choices you make from this day foward.

This young man did give me the money back in about a month, what else he did from that day foward, I don’t know, I have never seen him again.

My point is that, you have the very same choices to make! We either make a choice to be pleasing to God or remain like we are. His desire is to help but, are you willing to allow that help to change your life?

Marshall Clayton

2 Timpthy 1:7