Today's Lesson from Hebrews 4:14,16
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession . . . Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Yesterday somebody at church asked me if Christians would have to stand before the judgement seat. I immediately thought of this image from Hebrews and what it says about the throne of judgement.
The author is speaking of Jesus as our high priest. In ancient Judaism the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and offer a sacrifice of atonement on behalf of the people. Yet, because of the high priest's own sins, this sacrifice was always less than perfect. Because of this, there was always something left I reconciled between the people and God. But no more, the author says. In Christ, he says, the ultimate high priest has entered into the very Holy of Holies of heaven itself to make atonement for the people.
Therefore, the author of Hebrews tells us we ourselves can now walk confidently (not fearfully) into the holy of holies in heaven, toward God's throne with the knowledge that Jesus himself has atoned for our sins and reconciled us with God.
In other words, and this gets at the question I was asked yesterday, we no longer think of God's throne as a seat of judgement. For we know that what we once thought of as the throne of judgement has now become the throne of grace.
Let us then walk confidently toward that throne - not only in heaven, but here on earth. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. We are at peace with God and ought to be at peace in our spirits as well.
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