Coming Boldly

When other people aren't watching, how often do I slip away like the Lord did, to the solitary place to bring my praise and problems to God? For many like me, prayer can become an afterthought, but I've been encouraged by what the Hebrew writer has to say about this. Twice in the book the writer tells us to be "bold" in relation to communion with God:

The Invitation to come boldly

"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

In Hebrews 4:14-16, the writer doesn’t just suggest that we approach God. He commands us to come boldly. Why? Because the work of Christ demands nothing less.

This boldness is not the puffed up, arrogant boldness, but the kind that should take us to our knees before God. In Hebrews 4, we’re invited to come boldly because of Christ’s understanding and sympathy for our weaknesses. This is for the weary, for the burdened, for those who feel like they’re hanging on by a thread. Being able to Come boldly to the throne of grace is our resource in Christ!

But how tragic it is when  I treat this divine invitation like a mere formality. When I rush through prayer like it’s a checkbox task. But this is no mere task, it’s divine access to where grace is seated! This is undeserved divine access, the access deserved only by The Son but shared by him with sons like us.  

The high priests were very limited in Old Testament times when offering sacrifices. The process of bringing the animal, preparing it, inspecting it and then carrying out the ritual of sacrificing it could've taken hours. For someone to have instantaneous communication with God was impossible and unheard of. However, there are no limitations to the high priesthood of Christ. Through him we have immediate access to God, and he brings us to the very Throne of Grace. This is something the Israelites never had. What a privilege!

The Exhortation to come boldly

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus…” Hebrews 10:19

The writer shows us now that this access is the kind of access that cost Christ His life! In Hebrews 10, the tone shifts. The invitation becomes an exhortation. Christ's death should drive us to our knees.

The imagery given in Hebrews 10 is "The Day of Atonement," when the high priest entered the veil of the tabernacle once a year to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people. This day was not a joyful day for the high priest. If he entered without blood or failed to observe even the smallest detail of God’s instructions, he would die as soon as he went through the veil. The high priest would tremble at the thought of going through the veil into the Holy of Holies, before The Almighty God. Praise The Lord that Christ is our "forerunner," our "trailblazer," who, as our great high priest, has gone through the veil with his own blood. Because of him we now have "an anchor within the veil" that means we can have access to God. We do not have to tremble like the high priests of old, worrying whether we're fit to come into God's presence. No. We can come boldly like sons, on Christ's behalf, presenting our prayers, perfectly, to a satisfied Father.

This verse tells us that when we come before God, we are literally in the Holy of Holies! Do we pray like we’re standing in the Holy of Holies? Christ tore through the veil with His own body, opening the path to God Himself. He bled and died to bring us to the Father. "To treat prayer as an obligation rather than an honor is to cheapen the sacrifice that opened the way."

Do we pray like we're speaking to the Creator of the Universe who calls us His son? Or have we reduced prayer to a ritual, a duty, something we “should” do rather than something we get to do?

When we hesitate to pray, remember the cross. When we treat prayer as a chore, remember the blood that was spilled for us to have this access.

We have no need to call out for God hoping that he will hear us. We don’t have to attract his attention. Christ has brought us nigh unto God.  

We have a Great High Priest who knows our weaknesses. We have a throne of grace waiting for us. We have the blood of Christ giving us access to the Father. Let's come boldly!