“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Ro 5:2 AV)
Last night, I was awoken in the middle of sleep to pray for someone very special to me. To say this person is facing a battle is an understatement. The situation was a bit dicey last night so I was extra passionate for the LORD’s intervention. As I lay there on my bed, a fresh remembrance of the privilege of prayer came to mind. The Holy Spirit had to remind me that any access to the Father is not by our own merit. Rather, it is by the blood of Jesus Christ. Let me explain.
The Bible correctly teaches that if we harbor sin in our hearts, the LORD will not hear our prayer. Nor should He. If we are living in open rebellion against His law, then why would a Creator who deserves our obedience and worship entertain anything we say? So, we naturally go to God, and the first thing we do is confess our sins. Then, we check our request against the known will of God. If it passes the muster, we have confidence to enter the throne room of heaven knowing our petition is heard. The problem comes when we forget that access is by the blood of Christ. Not by our confession. Not by our verification. Even if we were completely right with God, we would be denied access without the blood of Christ covering our sin. If you are like me, then our minds go back to all that we have done or failed to do, realizing there is no merit to be offered. We are completely and hopelessly wicked. We then offer our prayer in limited faith. Somehow we forget that we have access by the blood of Christ and not by our success as a Christlike believer. I used to joke that we needed to find that righteous man because the prayer of a righteous man avails much. We are that righteous man or woman. Not because we have made ourselves so. Rather, the grace of God and the blood of Christ have.
After this fresh reminder, I was more emboldened and confident as prayers went up for this person. No longer did I doubt the LORD’s ear. I know He heard me, and if it would be His will, He would answer me. And He did! Our pride keeps us from a life with the LORD we could otherwise have. We have no merit. We have no worth. God loves us in spite of who and what we are. By our own efforts, we never will be perfect. When we shed this body of sin and are translated into the image of Jesus Christ, it will be by the hand of God. Therefore, when we come boldly into the throne of grace, the only way to do that is faith in the blood of Christ. While praying last night, I used that defense quite a bit. When condemnation flooded my soul, I simply confessed my sin and named the blood of Christ as my key to the door of the throne room. It is all on Him! Praise be to God!
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