Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God; let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.(Heb 4:14-16)
Hebrews chapter 4 talks about how the Christian, by belief in the finished work of Christ, has been ushered into a place of rest in God where he has ceased from all his works. One thing that many believers find difficult to do is to still access the blessings and provisions of God for them when they have committed an ‘abominable’ sin or messed up their lives badly in certain ways. They feel that then, they have not worked for God’s blessings as they should. The problem is often rooted in one’s socializing process. Many of such people have been given the wrong information and so the true picture of God’s love is not well painted to them. Consequently, they do not abide in the Lord’s rest as they ought to.
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A lot of the times, these people are coming from environments familiar with strict penal codes: where the errant are ostracized and denied all the good stuff. For example, some parents deny their children food for a time when the children commit an offence. But is that how God deals with us? Most certainly not.
But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me (Isa 49:14-16).
My God! What a statement! Every Christian should hear this. Great men and women of God who could be used by God knew this. They knew the Love of God. They understood it well [well]. I am certain that this was also their secret to fulfilling their God-given purposes. David understood this and said, ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up’ (Ps 27:0). This is the gospel.
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Nu 23:19)
Has God said you are blessed and will He not do it? Beloved of God, let me point to you that God’s commitment to ensure that you have the best and your life is in the best shape is not only unlimited in time but not conditioned on works of the law. That is to say that you actually have no part to play in order to merit anything from God. In the New Creation, even though the Lord does not give us laws to obey in order to receive His blessings, that is exactly where the devil wants us: thinking that God blesses us when we do not make mistakes. We would actually be right to say that God’s warranty over your New Life is both everlasting and unconditional. His warranty for you is based on only one condition: your faith in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work for you. This condition has already been fulfilled by the believer in Christ; who has become a New Creation in God.
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1Jo 5:11, 12).
God has made a rich supply of eternal life available to you; free of charge; unconditionally; purely on the merit of Jesus Christ. Eternal life is not just existence in endless duration. No, it is much more than that. Eternal life means life of the best quality, perfect in all areas. It is the God kind of love. Beloved, this is the kind of life that God has given unto you and is committed to maintaining for you all the time, unconditionally. Indeed you could not merit such a commitment from God by any natural effort.
In our opening scripture, the word translated “we may obtain” is lambano, which in its primary sense means “to take”. Putting “to take” in the sentence, the scripture now reads: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, to take mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. I believe now the scripture makes more sense to the reader. Replacing “that we may obtain” with “to take” gives more reason to the bold coming to the throne. We approach the throne of grace to take mercy. This gives the idea that mercy is an already prepared package waiting for you, if only you will come to the throne. The word “mercy” indicates that the person being asked to boldly come to the throne has faulted. Yet God asks that you come with all boldness for mercy. Yes, boldly; because he has already made mercy richly available. God is merciful to you, accept it as your reality and grace will supply to you the help that you need: restoration to health from sickness, restoration of joy, restoration of your messed up financial situation, any situation that has gone bad.
Even if through your own recklessness, you’ve messed up your life before, guess what? God has given out a warranty that still covers you. Think about it. Why would God make a New Creation that is liable to punishment for sin in the same manner as the old man that was crucified with Christ? What would God be seeking to achieve? Then why did Christ have to die? And if He died only for the remission of past sins, why is His sacrifice an eternal offering? Why did He have to die once? Hasn’t the Scripture said vividly that: For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified(Heb 10:14).
Is your health deteriorating due to unhealthy living conditions? Don’t accept the ill-health as a normal thing to be. Go to God for a restoration of your health; even divine health which cannot be affected by earthly conditions. Have you contracted HIV due to reckless living? I daresay that if you would turn to the Lord with your heart with faith in His love for you, He will restore you a perfect clean bill of health; He will clear the virus from your system because He is responsible for you and according to His standards, all those He is responsible for shall never have cause to say “I am sick”. He will not only forgive your sins, He will also heal you of the HIV (cf. Isaiah 33:24). I speak to the lady who has lost her womb due to an abortion. I daresay that if only you will turn to the Lord, He will restore your womb. Because once you turn to Him, He gladly receives you and makes you His responsibility. Take a look at the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-24) and see a classical case of God’s unconditional warranty. God is indeed a good God.
This may sound a little difficult for the mind of the natural man or the carnal Christian. Yet even when you have messed up as a believer, He takes the responsibility of restoring you to the best. Yes, that is the truth. That is God’s commitment to all who are in Christ.
Beloved in Christ, God is so committed to His responsibility for you that He will not allow anything to stand in His way of fulfilling it. Yes, He will not allow anything- not even your flirtation with sin- to stand in His way. So He has made His warranty over the life He has given you unconditional. You have been qualified for an unconditional warranty through faith in the work of your eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ. God has fulfilled every condition to make the warranty unconditional to you. He has done this out of His abundant love for you. God is indeed a good God!
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