What Does 'Come Boldly Before the Throne of Grace' Mean?

　　When you think of God’s throne, you can’t help but think of his majesty and glory. For some, God’s throne represents a place of judgment where an angry God stands ready to punish sin. As a believer in Jesus, what should your perspective of God’s throne be? Thankfully, God’s throne is not a place of judgment or fear. It is a place of grace.

　　The Bible invites us to come boldly before the throne of grace, but what does that mean?

　　

Where Does the Bible Say, 'Come Boldly Before the Throne of 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 NKJV)

　　The writer of Hebrews is the one the Holy Spirit inspired to pen these magnificent words. For this reason, it makes sense to understand what the throne of grace is and what it represents. We know that grace is God’s unmerited favor that he shows toward us. It is God giving us what we don’t deserve.

　　The greatest gift of grace we have received is salvation. However, the throne of grace is not about receiving salvation in this context. It is about receiving help in your time of need. Whatever your need is, you don’t have to turn elsewhere. The first place you should run to is the very throne of God because he has promised to help you when you are in need.

　　

Why Does the Passage Specify that We Can Come Boldly?

To come boldly means we can confidently and without fear before God’s throne. No, we do not come before God with prideful arrogance as if we belong there. It means we come before God with humble confidence, knowing he welcomes us there. God has invited his people to sit at his feet in his presence. This is a privilege reserved only for those who truly belong to him.

　　People often get excited when they meet famous people. I guess, in some ways, that is to be expected. Yet meeting the greatest or most famous person in the world is not even worth comparing to the opportunity we have to come boldly before the throne of grace.

　　

How Are We Able to Come Boldly Before the Throne of Grace?

As wonderful as this truth is, you must understand why you have this access. You find the answer in the preceding verses.

　　“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 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 4:14-15 NKJV)

　　We can come boldly before the throne of grace because we have a High Priest in Jesus who has gone before us. He made the way and has created access, allowing us to enter God’s presence. That’s why we don’t come arrogantly: we are only there because of what Christ has done and for no other reason.

　　

What Lessons Can We Learn from This Passage?

I want to give you three particular lessons you can learn from this passage.

　　1. Jesus understands how you feel. I don’t know if there is a greater comfort in life than knowing that Jesus knows how you feel. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is convey exactly how you feel to someone else. However, with Jesus, because he has walked in your shoes, you don’t have to. This is one thing that makes your salvation and your walk with Jesus so special.

　　It is easy to forget some challenges Jesus went through as he walked this earth, so let me remind you of just a few.

　　- He was born into poverty

　　- There were times in his life when he did not have a place to lay his head

　　- His life was threatened even from a young age

　　- He was rejected and mocked by his family

　　- It’s likely his father died when he was young, so a single mother raised him

　　- He was falsely accused

　　- His close friend betrayed him

　　- In his time of great need, all his friends deserted him

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　　In his humanity, Jesus experienced every challenge and difficulty you would ever experience in this life. This should bring you comfort, knowing you have a Savior who knows how you feel and wants to help you. To receive the help you need, he extends the invitation for you to come boldly before the throne of grace. Every hurt, every rejection, every disappointment, every temptation, every fear, and every concern you have, he has felt them all. Since he knows your feelings, he invites you to find answers in his presence.

　　2. God will never reject you because of your weakness. We often run away from God when we experience weaknesses, temptations, and failures. We have it backward. Your temptations and weaknesses in life should not drive you away from the throne of grace but towards it. God will not reject you because of your weaknesses because he already knows they exist. He will strengthen you in your weaknesses so you will stand despite them. That is why he wants you to come to his throne so you can get his help.

　　Our church culture has created this idea of false bravado where you must be bold and strong. We assume that something must be wrong with people if they face weakness or temptation. That is just not true. Any strength we get from the Lord comes when we acknowledge our weaknesses and limitations. Remember, the throne of grace is not for those who think they can make it alone. The throne of grace is for those who realize they can’t. When you come before God in that posture, he is ready and willing to help you.

　　3. You need to make a habit of depending on God’s grace. We often think of grace as God’s unmerited favor. While that is true, grace also represents God’s strength to help us. In 2 Corinthians 12, God made this statement about his grace.

　　“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

　　This highlights the importance of depending on God’s grace. The fact is, you were never meant to walk through this Christian journey in your own strength. Any attempt to do that is futile. The strongest believers recognize this, and the weakest ones don’t. It is one of those oxymorons of the Christian faith. The stronger you think you are, the weaker you become. The weaker you realize you are, stronger you become because you learn to depend on God’s grace to help you. This invitation to come boldly before the throne of grace is so important. God is inviting you to the only place where you will find empathy, compassion, and help to assist you in your time of need. It makes me wonder why we don’t just run there and stay there all the time. We certainly would be better off if we did.

　　

A Final Thought on Coming Boldly Before the Throne of Grace

I implore you today with all sincerity to live at the throne of grace. Stop believing you are beyond God’s ability or desire to help you. God wants to help you. It does not matter how often you have failed or how weak you feel; your answer will be at the throne of grace. God is still inviting you, so before you turn elsewhere, why not come boldly before the throne of grace? I can guarantee you will find all the help you need, regardless of what you are going through.