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Tuesday, May 6,
2008
A
Bold Confidence
Hebrews 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. (KJV)
Williams New Testament
translation for Hebrews 4:16
16. So let us continue coming with courage to
the throne of God's unmerited favor to obtain His mercy and to find His
spiritual strength to help us when we need it.
Have you ever seen in a show on
TV where someone is walking towards the office of an important person and
along the way someone tries to stop them from entering? And rather than
heed the warnings the person marching through the hallway walks right in
despite being told not to? This somewhat illustrates the boldness we should
be walking in as well; a confidence that despite the principalities and
powers in heavenly places that would try to keep you from going unto God’s
throne of grace, especially in a time of need. You have every right as a
child of God to go before His throne of grace with your requests, not only
for yourself but for other members of the body and receive His answer to
them as well. So despite the opposition you will encounter, especially the
closer you get to God, the more determined and bold you should be to anyone
or anything that would try and impede your progress. So continue operating
in the manifold wisdom of God, and remind any principality or any prince of
the power of the air who you are in Christ and to step aside, as you are
going to obtain the mercy and grace you are looking for. Fight that good
fight of faith and don’t give in so easily or take a fall, but rather keep
moving forward and don’t let anyone talk you out of the answer to your need
this day.
Hebrews 10:19-24 Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of
Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (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. (23) Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (24) And
let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (KJV)
Strong’s definition for
boldness:
3954 parrhesia (par-rhay-see'-ah); from 3956
and a derivative of 4483; all out-spokenness, i.e. frankness, bluntness,
publicity; by implication, assurance:
KJV-- bold (X -ly, -ness,
-ness of speech), confidence, X freely, X openly, X plainly (-ness).
You know that if you had a
legal bought and paid for ticket to the theatre and the usher tried to stop
you from entering, I would imagine you would be quick to point out your
right and authority to enter in. Are you as confident, bold, and assured of
your right to come before God’s throne of grace through His Son Jesus
Christ or are just hoping that maybe your requests will get through? Your
right to the throne of grace has been bought and paid for in blood by the
sacrifice of His Son; so now you have every right to draw near to God with
a true heart in full of assurance of faith in what His Son accomplished on
our behalf. However, if you are not sure and are not holding fast to this
profession of faith without wavering, then you will have doubts and fears that
your requests are not being heard or responded to. You know this confidence
you are building and demonstrating, it can definitely be an inspiration to
the brethren also, provoking them unto a love for God and being a doer of
His good work. This access, this plan of salvation is yours for the taking,
today, right now, so don’t let anything or anyone stop you or your prayers
from being heard and responded to by our heavenly Father.
Romans 8:35-39 Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is
written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as
sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. (KJV)
Paul knew His rights and
authority in Christ and was bold and confident in the fact that no one or
no circumstance was going to separate him from the love of God and His
eternal reward of inheritance. While some people wallow in pity parties
thinking we are just sheep being led to a slaughter, Paul was quick to
remind and provoke the brethren unto love and goods works, that in all
things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us, that love
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So while others may struggle at times
and forget the rights and authority we have by the name of Jesus Christ, we
are reminded one of the ways to provoke unto love and good works is to
remind and encourage one another of the victory we have by His name. I can
tell you boldly, that the people of this world who engage in lotteries and
end up with a winning ticket will stop at nothing when it comes time to
cash it in and collect on what is theirs. God’s desire for His people is
that they would be just as bold and confident to come before His throne of
grace as well and receive the spiritual blessings He has for His people
which are rightfully theirs, those that call upon His name and respond in
faith.
1 John 2:28-29 And now,
little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have
confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. (29) If ye know
that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is
born of him. (KJV)
Again we see that being a
doer of the word accompanies our confidence we have in the Lord. You won’t
have one without the other; so the more you practice what you preach the
more proficient you become at it. Practice makes perfect, a perfect love
which casts out all fear and allows one to continue in a confident
relationship with the Father based on a love and trust in His word. So what
are you holding fast to today, and what are you confident in, your own
works or the good work your Father has begun and would like to continue to
perform in you?
Philippians 1:6 Being
confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (KJV)
Your love and good works that
you are building a confidence in, is what Jesus Christ has begun and I pray
is continuing to perform within in you, enduring to the end. So today if
you sense that confidence is waning, or maybe you are not quite as sure of
what you should be doing, maybe you need to let go and let someone else be
in control, letting Him increase and your own thoughts and ways decrease.
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