Confidence in God's Presence
How in the world can a wretched, sinful, conniving pile of dust such as we humans stand in confidence before a holy, righteous, perfect, and powerful God? This God cannot be fooled! He’s known us from before the foundations of the world were made. He hates sin so much that He will destroy the world, the whole universe in fact, someday because everything is infected by it. There is no saving it or making it better somehow. Is our only recourse to cower before such an all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere present Being? How can we ever stand in confidence before such a God?
There is a way! But there is only ONE way. We must come to this awesome God covered in the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is the height of presumption and arrogance to think we can approach God with our own tainted, no – filthy, self-righteousness. But once we acknowledge our hopeless condition and bow to the Lord Jesus Christ at the foot of the cross, in gratitude believing His sacrifice is enough to pay the price for our sin, then, and only then will we be able to stand before this holy God with confidence. But stand we can!
When we come to God with this attitude, Hebrews 4:16 offers this life-giving invitation, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” What a privilege! What a relief! Fear of disaster is removed. Fear of condemnation is removed. Fear of rejection is removed. We are accepted because we have received the work of our Savior as payment for our sins and God’s wrath against us is satisfied. Jesus Christ took God’s wrath for us. Praise God!
So, brothers, the next time you sin, you don’t need to slink into the throne room of God with your tail between your legs expecting God’s wrath. Because Jesus is your Sacrifice, and Advocate, and High Priest, you can walk into the presence of Almighty God with humility and confidence that Jesus is at the Father’s right hand interceding for you on your behalf. And do you know what He is saying?
Forgive Him Father, he is mine. I paid for his sin. Be at peace, my friend.