Throughout Scripture humans who had an up-close-and-personal encounter with God had the same response. It wasn't adoration or joy or celebration. It was terror. Often abject terror. Isaiah (whose job was to be a mouthpiece for God) saw God (Isa 6:1-4) and came undone. "Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts'" (Isa 6:5). Jesus told Peter where to catch fish and Peter jumped overboard, ran ashore, fell at His feet, and said, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:1-8). We like to think of ourselves as "okay." We're not perfect, but we're not too bad, either. Certainly better than those people. Which, as it turns out, is our problem, isn't it? We're comparing ourselves to the wrong thing -- "those people." Those who encounter the Ultimate find themselves sorely, even terrifyingly lacking.
It is this problem that might cause us to miss the wonder of a text in Hebrews. We think we're doing fine; better than others. God is probably pretty wise to include us in His group. We're not perfect, but we're not so bad. Scripture describes us as enemies of God (Rom 5:10; Rom 8:7). The Bible says the intent of our hearts is evil from our youth (Gen 8:21). We can barely even grasp the idea that our shortcomings deserve eternal damnation, but they do (e.g., John 3:18). One of our primary shortcomings is "no fear of God" (Rom 3:18) whom we should fear greatly. So when Hebrews says, "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:16), we should be surprised -- awed. Approach with confidence? We sinners?? Yes ... by the mercy and grace He gives to those who believe.
One of the primary shortcomings of natural human beings is that we fail to give thanks, especially to God (Rom 1:21). We fail to honor Him. Falling short of His glory (Rom 3:23), we earn His wrath. As such, it should be stunning to us to find that we've been made a part of His family (Heb 2:10; Rom 8:15,29; Eph 1:5), and that we are urged to approach with confidence. That confidence isn't because we're just so good. We're not, in ourselves. It's solely on the basis of Christ (Heb 3:1; Heb 4:14-16). He is our confidence and our humility. He is our access to the Father.
6 comments:
This is why I'm always so shocked when I hear people who think that they are prepared to dace YHWH face to face, and tell Him how wrong He is.
face, not dace. I can't even blame auto correct for this.
I look forward to spending at least my first 10,000 years in heaven on my face before my Lord. I doubt I even know the half of how rotten I am, and yet He still deigned to save me, and not only save me but make me His son. How amazing is that grace?!
It is indeed a true comfort and joy that Hebrews 4:16 encourages me to approach the throne of grace in my “time of need” with confidence. I know that this is only possible because I am “in Christ” and clothed with His righteousness. It is as if Jesus escorts me down the carpet leading to God the Father, assuring the doormen, “It’s OK; she’s with Me.” Otherwise, I could not approach Almighty God without great fear and trepidation, as you point out. (At the risk of being sacrilegious, the scene from the movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” comes to mind too, where the guard barks, “nobody can see the great Oz--not nobody, not no how!”--unless they are “the witch’s Dorothy.”) Since that section of Hebrews highlights Jesus as the perfect High Priest, I know that His finished work on the cross on my behalf gains me this confident entry and access to the Father. (Learning this teaching from Hebrews was a great joy for me upon gaining a biblical faith long ago, after having been taught that only my local Catholic priest could access God on my behalf.)
David,
I'm not sure I buy that. Not that I don't agree that those actions wouldn't be appropriate. I think that once we gain our new bodies, that we become sinless as we were intended to be, and our past is not remembered at all. I'm not criticizing your point, just suggesting that it might not be that way.
You don't think you'll be eternally grateful for salvation? You think we won't remember what we were saved from? I believe knowing that we were saved by grace, while knowing even more clearly by how much, will not bring grief or pain, but that much more praise and glory. I don't anticipate laying at the feet of God out of grief or fear, but in complete praise and worship of my God.
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