Find Grace in the Sight of God
By Pastor Nick Bibile
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Finding grace is finding favorable acceptance with God. This is the foundation of all grace that we can find. Today, the word grace has turned into a cheap grace. Roman Catholics and Arminians have down played the word grace, the general person who goes to church is not taught by their pastors the richness of God’s grace.
However, in the Old Testament people were earnestly desiring God’s grace. The word grace is finding acceptance and favor with God.
Jacob said in Ge 32:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
Moses said to the Lord, Ex 33:13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
Ruth said to Naomi, Ru 2:2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
Hannah said, 1Sa 1:18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight.
God elected Noah to build the ark and saved only Noah and his family from the flood as in Ge 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with his fiery judgment but saved Lot and his children, Lot said to the angels, Ge 19:19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die.
Why did God elect Moses out of all the people of Israel, even when Moses killed an Egyptian? God said to Moses, Ex 33:17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
Beloved, you will not understand the word grace until you see God’s judgment, his awesome power against sin. The book of Hebrews was written to the Jewish Christians who understood the Old Covenant, the law of God, judgment of God by breaking it. They stood far from God through fear coming close to him; grace was not near to them but was separated from them.
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Let us expose Heb 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
The word therefore has to do with the previous verse.
Heb 4:15 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.
The high priest is the mediator between God and man. However, in the New Testament under the gospel we are not left without a high priest. Jesus is our High Priest and he was also the victim. The Son of God became a man, in the likeness of the flesh. He was fully God and fully man. He was tempted in all points in every direction, in every way as we are; he was called a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Yet, he was holy, undefiled and without sin. Our Lord Jesus is the perfect High Priest.
Heb 4:16 the word let us come means to draw near to him, approach him. How to approach him?
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
It is important our attitude and our heart should be sincere, honest and open before God, trusting not in ourselves but in faith. Not coming to him with the wrong motives, a double minded heart. However, with a new heart sprinkled with water by the sanctifying Spirit of God.
The wicked cannot approach God unless God first bring them from darkness to the light first, God is the author of regeneration and sinners cannot approach the Holy God.
Ps 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
Ps 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
What manner do we approach God? We approach God in a sacred manner for sacred purposes. God is to be approached in the spirit of holiness and not in the flesh. Those that are in the flesh cannot please God. We are to be praying at all times in the Spirit, (Eph 6:18)
We are to come ‘boldly’. We are to come in boldness. The
Greek word is parrhsia parrhesia par-rhay-see'-ah,
which means in confidence without fear.
The Old Testament saints were under the spirit of bondage unto
fear. God gave them the law and the ordinances of worship in obedience and reverence
to him. They were obligated to follow these laws and they had no escape.
Disobedience would bring fire and the terror of God. This made them stand afar
from God, they would be frightened if God would approach them but stay far away
at a distance from God.
Ex 20:18 And all the
people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet,
and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood
afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear:
but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
But Christ was made under the law to deliver us to deliver us from
the fear and the bondage of it.
Ga 4:4 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth
his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father.
Because of Christ Jesus, now we can come to the God in boldness
and in confidence.
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
In the Old Testament they were kept under the bondage of the law but liberty, freedom is given to the New Testament believers.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
This was in opposition to the Old Testament Jews, there was veil that separated them, there was darkness and fear but we are given freedom from fear. There was a spirit of bondage unto fear.
Ro 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
The second reason why they were separated from a distance from God is that, because of the law they sensed their own unworthiness. They saw God’s awesome greatness and at the same time, they saw God’s terror against disobedience due to sin. This caused more fear as they saw they were wicked, sinful and they did not have any hope, They thought they were unworthy before God and God would not accept them.
But the author Hebrews writing to the Christian Jews, we have a High Priest who was tempted in all points but yet without sin and he understands of our situation. There is liberty in Christ; this freedom is internal and spiritual freedom. Now there is a holy confidence in approaching God.
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Boldness and access with confidence are inseparable. We are to come to the throne of grace.
Throne of grace
A throne is a seat of majesty and power.
Isa 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
God’s throne is not on this earth but in heaven and he manifests his glory and majesty.
Ps 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven:
A throne is a place where judgment is exercised. Look at Hebrews 4:16, the last part which reads, “throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
This is a good picture of the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies over which Shekinah God’s very presence upon it. This was God’s solemn presence among his people, but people were at distance and they could never enter the Holy of Holies, only the high priest can enter once a year. God’s throne is the place of judgment but "mercy-seat," at which the incense was burned by the high priest on the great day of atonement, and upon or toward which the blood of the goat was sprinkled (Lev. 16:11-16; comp. Num. 7:89 and Ex. 25:22) so instead of judgment God’s mercy would come upon the people as God would forgive their sins.
But now we have a High Priest, Jesus and he was also the pure undefiled Lamb, which became the victim, it was his blood, which was shed before God. How much more we can come boldly and confidently because of Jesus.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
Throne belongs to Jesus and he sits on the throne.
Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
Atonement was made on the mercy seat in the Old Testament and atonement made by Jesus. Atonement took our guilt away and the Father was satisfied by Christ’s work on the cross.
Now instead of Judgment throne, it is a throne of grace that we may obtain mercy. We can approach God boldly because what Christ did on the cross and also he is the High Priest, also the perfect victim. We have spiritual confidence in approaching God as his throne is a throne of grace, we will receive mercy instead of judgment. Mercy is God’s pardoning grace.
Application.
Beloved, the throne of grace is a diamond in the golden setting. All prayers are lost in the air without our great High Priest, Jesus. We were shut from the living God but now we have an open access to God through our Lord. Prayer brings us to the very entrance of heaven. Prayer comes to the very throne of God. We need to approach the King on the throne in honor and respectful fear. God is sovereign and he has the power to answer our prayers or not. He has the power to create or to crush. We need to kill the pride, as we need to humble in our souls before the king. We need to come in the lowliest position of humility not in our action but in our motives and our hearts. Realize you are a worm in the dust, the dust of the earth before the majesty of God.
Approach the throne of God with a holy joy! If you have found favor of God’s grace, you should be glad. If you are permitted to come to the Royal palace, to the very throne of the King, you should be glad, as your thankfulness will ascend to heaven. If the throne of justice had pardoned your sins, instead of justice God found favor, you should be joyful in coming to his presence, exceeding glad singing praises and thanking him for the rest of your life in prayer.
There is complete submission at the throne of grace. We do not order the king on the throne what to do as many people come to prayer and they have an order for God, they become like kings and God becomes like the servant. We need to come in full submission to God and pray as thy servant pleading in help and not dictating God, as you will find grace in time of need. (Read last part of Heb 4:16)
Give all your petitions to God, do not give a summary but give the details. If your pet sins in detail and do not hide anything from God, do not be ashamed but come boldly to his throne so you will find grace in time of need.
Come to the throne in prayer with deepest sincerity. Do not please the ears of the your fellows Christians but you are talking to God himself. Do not repeat the same words morning and evening and every day but speak from the very bottom of your souls in sincerity not as a tradition. God is Spirit and you must worship him in spirit and truth. The sacrifices of the hypocrites are an abomination to the Lord but he delights in sincere prayers.
Oh! Let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is our God and we are his people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, fear before him all the earth.