By Dave Breese

One of the things being noticed by many these days is that we live in a time of tired and discouraged Christians. Many wonder if God is not preoccupied with other things. They wonder also if God is not considering their sins and, therefore, is saying no to our many requests. We are happy to announce that all of these are mistaken ideas. From whence then comes capability?

Perhaps an unexpected answer to that question can be found in a clear statement in the Word of God. The Bible says, “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. 4:15-16). What promises are here found in the Word of God? What good results could come to our lives? When we see what Jesus Christ has promised, we will pay breathless attention. What can we learn from these Words from God?

We learn and should never forget that God truly cares for us. He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Imagine, the God who made the universe is profoundly moved with our weakness, with the feelings of our infirmities. No Christian, therefore, will ever weep in vain. No believer who understands the Word of God will ever abandon himself in a sorrowful corner of a dark room. The One who has said, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20) will prove beyond all doubt His love and care for us.

With a little thought, we all must agree that the certainty of the love of God for us is a great truth and a precious treasure. Within it is a promise from God to us of strength from heaven, personal provision for everything and the certainty of supreme divine capability in every circumstance of life. God publicly announces His love for all of us who have come to be His children. Here is the promise of strength for every hour and tender care in ever circumstance of life—without exception. The Bible teaches that nothing, nothing in heaven or earth, will ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Here that astonishing provision is announced again, teaching us that we are never to doubt the love that is always and ever extended to us.

This passage reminds us also that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted. This is, of course, very hard to believe, yet it is true. No Christian, therefore, should ever say about God that, “He doesn’t know what I have been through.” The answer is immediately available to every doubting Christian and is clearly stated to us. He understands each of us because he has faced every one of our temptations.

This marvelous truth becomes immensely important when we remember the day in which we live. In our time, the culture has been inundated by a tidal wave of iniquity. There is no form of sin that is not practiced openly in our time. The Scripture teaches that every nation that forgets God will come under the judgment of the Lord. The Scripture says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Ps. 9:17). This fearful judgment is in our time coming close to the immediate future of all who live. The present condition reminds us of the fearful contradiction between the moral rules of the world and the purity and quality of Jesus Christ and our relationship to Him. There are few who have taken the time to properly appreciate, with a grateful heart, what Jesus Christ did for us. Imagine the meaning of the statement about Jesus Christ which notes that “For he has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21).

The core of Christianity centers around the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ and how that perfect righteousness becomes ours when we believe the Gospel. It is the willingness of Jesus Christ to bear all of our sins in His own body on the tree that makes this beautiful reality of Christianity possible. By living a perfect life and never sinning, Jesus Christ, by His deity and His sacrificial atonement, purchases forever the path of redemption for each of us. So the hymnwriter said, “Stay, let me weep while you whisper, Love paid the ransom for me.” We can also restate with confidence that Jesus never sinned, never failed, never was disobedient to the law of God. So He became our eternal Savior.

Living, therefore, in a way that will please God is possible. Jesus does not ask us to do anything as the basis for our salvation. This was already done by His substitutionary atonement on the cross. Because He sacrificed His life for the sins of the world, we are set free from sin by believing in Him.

This marvelous fact of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our place instead is a wonderful provision beyond description. We need, then, to say once more that there is nothing left to do, to change, to fight for, in order to produce salvation. Salvation is “the gift of God” which is eternal life. How sad that such a high percentage of the Christians of our time do not truly see this. They believe that there is something heroic of giving Jesus one’s life and doing it in exchange for the gift of everlasting life. It needs to be said again and again that our sacrifice is totally meaningless as a purchase price for our salvation. It is, rather, the sacrifice of the life of Jesus Christ that becomes that ever-sufficient sacrifice of Christ. Through faith in Christ, therefore, the Christian has security for eternity with a life that will never pass away. The Christian is, therefore, always confident with a salvation that will never pass away. Our High Priest was, therefore, perfect in moral understanding. He asks us to believe in Him and promises that we will make no mistake by placing our trust in Him.

Following this analysis, we have a most exciting structure given to us. It comes in the form of the response to an invitation, “come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16). This is a time of your need and, therefore, it is your moment with God. We know that Jesus Christ will never reprimand us for our failure. Rather, He will remind us that the throne is the throne of grace and we are invited to come boldly. Who would ever dream that the eternal God would invite us into His presence with anything but a humble petitional attitude? But He does, Christ does. We are invited to come boldly. Every young person, every adult, every person who believes the Gospel should remember this. We are not called upon to become a part of a weeping church. Rather, we are called to be a major part of a great spiritual expedition. Christ is calling for brave associates in the battle for truth.

Yes, He will furnish the instructions, the associates, the weapons—everything that it takes to be a victorious officer in the army of the Lord. We have real battles to face, one is called Armageddon. It is the great final struggle between good and evil and the issue is the ownership of the universe. To lose at Armageddon would be to lose everything. To win is to escalate Christians to be masters of the universe and worthy of the Captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ. There is no excuse, no reason to run from the field. To run before the Devil’s army would be pitiful, cowardice—it would be betrayal of our great Captain. Let us march boldly to the battle and to the victory rally which is promised us. Tents of ease must now be left behind. The battle and the victory are before us.

“...come boldly unto the throne of grace...”