Star Trek Insanity

Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need   Hebrews 4:16

Draw Near – No man in his right mind would ever believe this verse!  It is a statement of religious impossibility, a spiritual death wish.  And yet, there it is.  Boldly going where no man has gone before.  Picture it in your mind.  Are you ready to come close to the almighty, holy, omniscient Judge of the world?  Are you crazy?  Can you even imagine that you could be in the presence of a Being Who knows everything about you, every mistake, every sin, every failure to obey?  That is a picture of terror.  Since a holy God will not tolerate even the tiniest of sins, why in the world would I ever want to come near to Him?

But the Greek is quite specific.  Proserchomai.  To approach.  To come to.  And not sheepishly.  To boldly come toward.  Unless you have a death wish, there is no way this verse fits.  Only the insane would boldly approach the living God.  Unless, of course, they have been forgiven. 

The truth is simple:  no man can stand before the holy God clothed in his own sin.  If I am going to draw near to the God Who judges all obedience, I need the protection of forgiveness.  Then, and only then, will I be able to survive this encounter.  Forgiveness changes everything.  Then I can come near because the Judge accepts and welcomes me. 

There is a flip side.  If I am forgiven and I still stand outside the court, afraid to enter His presence because of my past, then I bankrupt myself.  I deny God’s grace and refuse His mercy.  Forgiveness opens the way, but I must approach.  I have to draw near, unafraid.  Yes, God knows all about me.  Yes, my life was a mess.  Yes, my failures are too numerous to mention.  But I am forgiven.  Jesus is my high priest.  The way is open.  So, why do I hesitate?  The whole point of this verse is that in times when I am most likely to falter again, in times when I feel the most pressure to succumb, in those very traumatic times, the door is open to the presence of God.  I am not insane to draw near.  I am insane not to come into His presence because I need, desperately need, mercy and help.

How many of us quake at the court entrance?  Forgiven but afraid, we are haunted by guilt.  So we promise and plead, throwing our prayers against the wailing wall while the door to the temple stands wide open.  Go ahead.  You’ve been invited in.