(January 28, 2024) Brian Bell shares…

I’ve been reading my way through the book (letter) to the Hebrews, and in my previous article shared some encouraging thoughts from chapter 12 to take us into 2024.

While Hebrews’ author is not identified, many believe it originates with Paul (a view I hold myself) while Bible teacher and author Robert M. Solomon (without suggesting a name) proposes it is very likely written by a Jewish Christian believer possibly before the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem in AD70.

The context of the book was to help those Jewish believers in the face of persecution, because while Jews were exempted from worship of the Roman emperor (who saw themselves as being a god), this exemption did not apply to Christians.

I am sure you’re familiar with the type and measure of persecution faced by Christian believers living in the days of the Roman Empire. Many were cruelly and brutally treated, tortured and killed in places such as the Colosseum in Rome.

Hebrews was – and still is today – an encouraging book for every Christian whatever our circumstances! My favourite verse is Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) from which I share these encouraging thoughts. Subheadingsare partly my own and some I heard a pastor relative share many years ago. The verse proclaims, ‘So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it.’

1) Way to Come – ‘let us come boldly’
The sense of coming boldly here is not to do with any rashness, irreverence, nor a lack of respect on our part.

Rather it is an indication that as Christian believers we can come to God with confidence, believing who He is – that our standing before Him is not based on our own merits, but in Christ, whom Hebrews describes as our ‘great High Priest’ (Hebrews 4:14NLT).

Jesus was sinless in His nature, superior to those high priests who descended from the line of Aaron, men who first needed to make sacrifice for their own sins as much as it was their duty to do for the people they served.

2) Where to Come – ‘the throne of our gracious God’
These words remind me I am coming to a sovereign God. He sits on a throne, the place of authority.

I think of Isaiah who said, ‘I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne’ (Isaiah 6:1). The nature of God is revealed here: He is gracious! This is an unchanging attribute of God, as is His love. Now in order for God to be gracious towards sinful people does not make Him less holy – He is still a faithful God who is without injustice.

3) Why to Come – ‘we will receive His mercy’
Mercy is usually defined as we do not get what we do deserve.

Each one of us is guilty before God! We are all born with a sinful nature… and whether that nature reveals itself through us in a self-righteous manner so that no matter how sincere we may be, we mistakenly feel we are good enough, or shows itself through us in some committed gross sin, we are alienated from God.

However, scripture teaches us that God reconciled us to Himself, so that even while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Although I deserve to pay the penalty for my sin (death of body and spirit) ‘the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Romans 6:23NLT). This gift shows God’s mercy to me (and you!) is absolutely certain.

• In Jesus I am saved from the sin’s penalty.
• With the help of the Holy Spirit each day I can be kept from sin’s power.
• And one day I will be called home to heaven and be free from sin’s presence.

4) When to Come – ‘we will find grace to help us when we need it’
I love those words ‘when we need it’ which for me makes it much more definite rather than it were to say, ‘If we need it.’

I think of hymn writer Annie Sherwood Hawks who wrote those lovely words ‘I need Thee every hour most gracious Lord.’ That word ‘grace’ is defined as ‘when we get what we don’t deserve’ and in the context of this verse, what we get is help when we need it. This is true even if we’ve messed up in some way, not so that we may avoid the consequences of poor choices, but knowing that God will be there for us.

As we think of coming to God for help, we may also be inclined to do so only with the ‘big’ situations of life, perhaps a major health matter of our own or someone close to us. However, for me it means I can come even with all those little things which trouble me or cause me some measure of distress.

Those ‘fiery darts’ as Paul described them (Ephesians 6:16) which the enemy of souls shoots into our minds are arrows of…

• Doubt.
• Selfishness.
• Insecurity.

When I come to the Lord for help I very often find the Lord will say to me, ‘Brian, I know you are really worried about this, but trust me, it will not have the consequences you fear.’

A Hebrew 4:16-based Thankyou Prayer…
The Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett, is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. Here are some words of one prayer –
‘Help me to be in reality before Thee as in appearance I am before men, to be religious before I profess religion, to leave the world before I enter the church, to set my affections on things above, to shun forbidden follies and vanities, to be a dispenser as well as a partaker of grace, to be prepared to bear evil as well as to do good.’

I close these few thoughts with a prayer in which I invite you to join with me…

• Thank you, Lord, you who sit on a lofty throne, in these often perplexing and challenging days in which we are living, we find many situations which may cause us to struggle with matters of life or faith.
• Thank you that our standing before you is not dependent on our performance as Christian believers because our trust is placed on a perfect Saviour. Thank you that even though you know the worst about me, things I would not wish others to know, you love me and desire the best for me.
• Thank you for the encouragement we find in your word, reminding us we can come with confidence before your throne of grace, in Jesus name and there you tell us we will receive mercy and find grace to help us when we need it.
• Thank you, gracious Lord, that this has been true in my life in the decades now gone. I confess that I too will continue to need you every hour for as many days as you may have appointed for me. In Jesus name, help me to live my days in a God honouring and Christ exalting manner.

_________________________________________________
Brian Bell is a diaconate member, Christ Church (Congregational) Abbots Cross, Northern Ireland, and a volunteer with Disabled Christians Fellowship Ireland. Brian describes himself as ‘grateful for the privilege and opportunity given me to serve my Lord.’
__________________________________________________