Daily Devotionals

Music For the Soul

Devotional: February 23rd

THE CHRISTIAN’S DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD

Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in the time of need. - Hebrews 4:16

CHRIST, the great High Priest, gives those whom He has redeemed priestly access to God. For them the veil of the temple is rent, and the holiest place is patent to their reverent entrance. He has done it by His revelation of God, whereby He has brought the whole depth and tenderness of the Father’s heart close to our hearts. He has done it by His death, which removes all obstacles to a sinful man’s entrance into the presence of that awful holiness, and brings us near through His blood. He does it by putting within our hearts the Spirit which cries Father, the new life which sets towards God as water rises to the level of its source. Thus every soul of man, however ignorant, guilty, and weak, may come into the presence-chamber of God, needing no priest, no hand to lead, no introducer to be present at the interview. Trusting to Christ our Forerunner, who is for us entered within the veil, we may come boldly to the Throne, which we shall find, when so approached, a throne of grace, and, standing close beneath it, may hold direct fellowship with the Father and with the Son. We may dwell in the secret place of the Most High, and depart not from the temple day nor night, if we will go with our hands in Christ’s to the God whom Christ reveals, by the path which Christ has opened for us.

It is needful that every priest should have somewhat to offer. And this great High Priest makes it possible that we should come, not empty-handed, but bringing the one sacrifice acceptable to God - the offering of hearts set on fire by His love. Christ has offered the one all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. And on the footing of that sole and perpetual expiatory sacrifice, we, weak and sinful as we are, can draw near with our thank-offerings, the only sacrifices which we need or can render. Our offerings can never purge away sin: that has been done once for all by the "one sacrifice for sins for ever." And whosoever is thereby loosed from his sins by the blood of Christ is thereby made himself a priest, to offer up spiritual sacrifices of joyful thanksgiving. The sacrifices we have to offer are ourselves - yielding ourselves up in the blessed self-surrender of love, and placing ourselves unreservedly in God’s hands, to live to His praise, and be disposed of by His supreme will. With such sacrifices God is well pleased.