Hebrews 4: 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (NIV)
As I look forward to celebrating Easter, I'm mindful that the most important work Christ did was to take my sin upon himself and in dying provided me an opportunity to boldly approach God. Prior to His work on the cross, no one could approach God. Sure, God approached Moses on Mount Sinai, but to my knowledge, not since Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden of Eden had man been able to approach God. To me, this is a big deal. Recall that this freedom was symbolized when curtain separating the Holy of Holies in the Temple was torn immediately upon Christ's death providing clear evidence that God accepted this as adequate atonement for the sins of mankind.
How awesome is it that we serve a God who became flesh like us, lived with us, suffered the same frustrations, disappointments, denial, and temptations that we face and yet in spite of his perfection took our sins upon Himself then crushed them with His own sacrifice. We do our ourselves and Him a great disservice when we fail to take advantage of the access He has provided. Rather than seek Him first, we often seek Him last, throwing up what I like to call that 9-1-1 prayer that starts out with "Oh God!" Perhaps we don't want to bother a "busy" God, or we don't think He needs to concern Himself with our little issues. I strongly believe, however, that God wants to prove His faithfulness to us to increase our faith in Him through these little things so that when the big storms of life come, We can remain faithful and avoid sin, further complicating the situation. By abiding in Him constantly, our life becomes a testimony not of our own accomplishments, but of what God does through His faithful, thus bringing Him glory and increasing His kingdom.
As you approach Easter, are you availing yourself to God daily? How about constantly? Are you sitting at the throne of God or are you worshipping at another alter? God is always available to us. This in and of itself is miraculous. There is nothing we can do on our own to approach a Holy God. Yet through His own sacrifice, He has provided a way to do so, not annually as in days of old, but all the time. May we not just be intellectually aware of this, but take advantage of it and live in His presence.
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