Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  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.

Hebrews 4:14-16

‘Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace.’  The writer of Hebrews calls upon believers to pray with boldness.  Before he does so, he lays the foundation which will remove our fears by pointing us to Christ.  In the first part of the passage above, he says that ‘we have a great High Priest.’ Christ, our High Priest deals with all the things which would rob us of boldness.  We have sin, and Christ has, as the perfect High Priest offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice to atone for all our sins.  We have weaknesses, and Christ is the utterly sympathetic Savior who sympathizes with our lack of strength.  We have temptations and Christ understands because He ‘was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.’  We could not have a better, more fitting, more appropriate intercessor than this One.  He has dealt with, and does deal with everything that would hinder us from coming to the throne of grace with boldness.  Having alluded to all these things with which Christ has dealt, the writer says, ‘Let us therefore come boldly, to the throne of grace.’  Here is the best of arguments to remove all the hindrances.  This enables us to pray with boldness we could otherwise never have. 

Our Wise and Wonderful God,
we rejoice that You have ordained Christ as our High Priest.
We praise you that He has both dealt with our sin
and sympathizes with us in our weakness.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Mercy and Grace

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

What is the end result of our bold approach to the Throne of Grace? What are the things of Which we stand in need? Our text indicates them clearly. They are Mercy and Grace. These are the grand and glorious gifts that flow, like clear streams from the Throne of God. There is no day that passes in which we do not stand in need of deep draughts from both of those clear steams. We need mercy, because we fail often and are in need of the loving touch of our merciful Savior to pick us up. We need grace, because we will be utterly graceless without it. Flowing from the Throne of Grace there is this inexhaustible supply of Mercy and Grace that is abundant for all the needs, of all of the people of God, in all cases, under all conditions, for all time. That is the end result of coming boldly to the Throne of Grace. We have the overwhelming privilege of coming to Our Most Gracious and Merciful God everyday upon the Merits of Christ, our Great High Priest. Here is grounds for real confidence. Here is abundant encouragement to pray and pray with expectation. Here is your hope today, Child of Grace. There is Mercy and Grace for you today at the Throne of the Almighty God, where Christ, Your Great High Priest, ‘ever lives to make intercession for you.’  Here is Mercy. Here is Grace.  ‘Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.’

Our Gracious and Loving God,
We rejoice today in Your abundant mercy,
and in Your never-failing grace.
Pour them out like water upon us today, and floods upon our dry ground.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice

A Bold Approach

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

How shall I go to God? Here am I, a poor, weak, breaker of the law of God. I am utterly worthy of wrath and of condemnation. My best and most holy efforts are fraught with unworthy motives, and self-interest. Being utterly aware of all these frailties, how can my approach to God be anything else other than cringing and timid? The answer to this quandary is Christ. Reasoning from what he has already established, the writer of Hebrews declares, ‘Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’  Christ is Our Great High Priest. He not only speaks to God for us, He is the Perfect High Priest, Who has offered Himself as the Perfect, Atoning Sacrifice. Moreover, He is utterly sympathetic and empathetic to us, having ‘been tempted in all points, as we are.’ It is because of Christ, His Person, His Position, His Power, and His Presence at the Throne of Grace, that I can approach that Throne boldly. Where is there a greater argument for the acceptance of the Body than in Christ, the Living Head? Where is there a greater argument for the acceptance of the Bride, than in the Presence of the Spotless Bridegroom? Christ is the overwhelming argument for my reception at the Throne of Grace. ‘Bold I approach the Eternal Throne.’ There is no presumption where there is Christ, my High Priest. Look not to yourself today, Child of God. Look to Christ. He is the unanswerable Argument as to why you should come boldly to the Throne of Grace.

O, God of Truth,
Hear us today, for Jesus’ sake.
We come Boldly, because He is our High Priest,
in Him we find all our acceptance with You.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice

Christ, Tempted…Without Sin

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

Does Christ really know what I face every day? That is a worthwhile question, is it not? We see the triumphant life of Christ, how He prevails over all adversities; conquers all temptations, overcomes all obstacles, and we think, ‘of course He does, He is God.’ What we perhaps do not as carefully consider, is that Christ is also truly man, and that as man, He ‘was in all points tempted as we are.’ Yes, tempted Child of God, Christ has been where you are. ‘What? Christ was tempted to lust, to pride, to lack of compassion, to hatred, to evil-speaking, to backbiting, to self-righteousness and to hardness of heart?’ Yes, Child, Christ was tempted to all those things, and more. He was ‘in all points tempted as we are.’ The following words are critical; ‘yet without sin.’ Here we see Christ’s victory over those temptations. Of what practical value is that to us? Simply this: if Christ was victorious in the face of temptation, and we are united to Him, then He can give us victory over temptation as well. Where the Head goes, the Body follows. If sanctification means anything, it means that the Holy Spirit ‘renews as in the whole person after the image of Christ, and enables us to die, more and more, unto sin.’ This means that Christ, Who has been tempted ‘in all points…like as we are,’ is able to give us victory today over our temptations. All Glory, Laud and Honor to You, O, Upholding Christ.

Our Most Powerful Conquering Christ,
We glory in You, and in Your Victorious Life,
Enable us, today, to be victorious, by Your Almighty, Upholding Power.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice

Christ, Our Sympathetic High Priest

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

‘I feel your pain.’ We often hear this remark in conversation. It is an expression of sympathy for others. We say it to let them know that we are not merely aware that they are suffering but that we identify with them, are sympathetic to them, and perhaps even empathetic with them. Then it means not just, ‘I understand that you hurt, but, I have been where you are.’ This really more closely approaches the meaning of our text today. Christ, Who is Our High Priest, is not an ‘arm-chair’ sufferer. He does not merely speak about our trials and temptations without any personal experience. Our text declares, ‘For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.’ Christ has been where we are. He has endured what we endure. He has faced what we face. The difference is, that He has not sinned in the midst of those temptations. What He has done, is provide His Own Self, as the Perfect Sacrifice, and ‘the Blood of Jesus Christ…cleanses us from all sin.’ Our Great High Priest has offered Himself. His Sacrifice has satisfied the Law of God. Therefore, even when we do fail in those temptations, we still have the resort of the cleansing Blood of Christ. Are you tempted today, Child of God? Christ feels your pain. Have you failed? Christ is Your Great High Priest. Come and confess to Him.  He will hear you, and cleanse you by the Power of His Blood. He is an utterly Sympathetic High Priest. He has the remedy for all your failures.  He understands. He understands.

Our most Gracious, Sympathetic Savior,
we praise Your Holy Name,
and thank You that You so thoroughly sympathize with us in our weakness,
and cleanse us from every earth-gathered stain.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice