Tag: access

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John Devotionals

Our right to draw near

Praying at the foot of the cross

I was thinking this morning about our right to draw near to Jesus. How often do we take that for granted?

In today’s passage, there were some Greek men that didn’t feel they had that privilege, probably because they were Gentiles, outsiders to the Jewish community, and Jesus was a famous rabbi.

But Jesus was lifted up on a cross so that all of us could draw near to him. (John 12:32)

It made me think of an old hymn.

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.

O what peace we often forfeit.
O what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

— Joseph Medlicott Scriven

Categories
Ephesians

Freedom and confidence

Ephesians

I wonder how often we take for granted what we have in Christ.

I look at this whole passage in Ephesians 3, and it talks about this mystery that even the Old Testament prophets and priests never really understood, at least, not fully.

What would Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel have thought if they saw the church today. If they saw people coming before God with boldness and confidence.

For that’s what Paul says we have now.

In verse 12, he tells us,

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)

One has to think, did even these prophets have that absolute boldness and confidence to approach God as we do. To call him “Abba, Father. Daddy.” Did they feel that freedom?

Somehow, I don’t think so. There was probably always some fear as they came before him. They were only too aware of their own failings and sin, even when they weren’t face to face with God.

The priests too knew they had to be very careful when entering the Holy Place and Most Holy Place in the tabernacle and temple. To not do so, meant death.

How would they have felt, knowing that we now have open access to God without restrictions?

But because of Jesus, not only have we been cleansed from our sin, Jesus has put his robes of righteousness upon us. Now through him, we can come before God with boldness and have free access to him.

And through us, the angels and demons themselves see something that must make them wonder and fear (3:10). A people who are God’s own, clothed in a righteousness not their own, fully accepted, and confidently, joyfully coming into his presence.

How the Old Testament prophets and priests would have wondered at such a sight.

Do you?