Have you ever had someone challenge your confidence? I know I have. As believers, there is a confidence that we can have that is not built on our accomplishments. It isn’t arrogance or pride. It is confidence that we have because of what Jesus did for us. The writer of Hebrews writes this in Hebrews 4:14–16, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The writer of Hebrews is telling us that we can have confidence to enter the throne of grace. What is this confidence? This confidence is not like our human confidence based entirely on our accomplishments or status. This confidence is based solely on what Jesus has done for us. Jesus, the great priest or the one who intercedes for us, has passed through the heavens, and has come to earth. Because of that, we have the confidence to hold on to our confession.
The Greek word for confession that is used here is homologia. It literally means to speak the same thing or to agree. As believers, we have come to an agreement with God that Jesus came to earth. The Great High Priest was not sitting in heaven looking down on us. As a child, I thought that God was waiting to knock me in the head for the sins I had committed. That was not the truth. The truth was Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth to live and die for those sins.
Because He came to earth as a man, He experienced temptation of all sorts. He knows what it is like to live in a place where Satan comes to you and tempts you not to trust God. Jesus experienced that here and because He did, He sympathizes with our weaknesses. The word sympathize means that Jesus has felt the same things we feel now. Think about that. He felt pain. He felt that pain of rejection. He felt the physical pain of the cross. He had his closest friends desert Him in His greatest time of need. He knows what it is like to be misunderstood. He was ridiculed and laughed at. He knows what it feels like. Because of that, we have confidence. Jesus experienced all that without losing His temper, without fighting back, and without hatred. He did not sin!
We have the confidence to draw near to the throne of grace. When the writer of Hebrews says to draw near, what he sees is a person who had a covenant with another person. Instead of being fearful, that person comes knowing everything has already been settled. We come to the throne of grace, knowing that everything has already been settled between God and us. The throne we enter is the throne of grace. It isn’t the white throne judgment hall. It is the throne of the divine favor of God.
In this throne of grace, we receive mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting what we desire. Every person deserves judgment. We have all sinned and fallen short of what God expects of us. Because of the covenant He has made with us, and we have accepted it by faith, we receive the mercy of God. We also receive grace at the throne of grace. What is grace? It is receiving what we don’t deserve. Grace is a gift given to us. So, enter in!
Have you ever had someone challenge your confidence? I know I have. As believers, there is a confidence that we can have that is not built on our accomplishments. It isn’t arrogance or pride. It is confidence that we have because of what Jesus did for us. The writer of Hebrews writes this in Hebrews 4:14–16, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The writer of Hebrews is telling us that we can have confidence to enter the throne of grace. What is this confidence? This confidence is not like our human confidence based entirely on our accomplishments or status. This confidence is based solely on what Jesus has done for us. Jesus, the great priest or the one who intercedes for us, has passed through the heavens, and has come to earth. Because of that, we have the confidence to hold on to our confession.
The Greek word for confession that is used here is homologia. It literally means to speak the same thing or to agree. As believers, we have come to an agreement with God that Jesus came to earth. The Great High Priest was not sitting in heaven looking down on us. As a child, I thought that God was waiting to knock me in the head for the sins I had committed. That was not the truth. The truth was Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth to live and die for those sins.
Because He came to earth as a man, He experienced temptation of all sorts. He knows what it is like to live in a place where Satan comes to you and tempts you not to trust God. Jesus experienced that here and because He did, He sympathizes with our weaknesses. The word sympathize means that Jesus has felt the same things we feel now. Think about that. He felt pain. He felt that pain of rejection. He felt the physical pain of the cross. He had his closest friends desert Him in His greatest time of need. He knows what it is like to be misunderstood. He was ridiculed and laughed at. He knows what it feels like. Because of that, we have confidence. Jesus experienced all that without losing His temper, without fighting back, and without hatred. He did not sin!
We have the confidence to draw near to the throne of grace. When the writer of Hebrews says to draw near, what he sees is a person who had a covenant with another person. Instead of being fearful, that person comes knowing everything has already been settled. We come to the throne of grace, knowing that everything has already been settled between us and God. The throne we enter is the throne of grace. It isn’t the white throne judgment hall. It is the throne of the divine favor of God.
In this throne of grace, we receive mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting what we desire. Every person deserves judgment. We have all sinned and fallen short of what God expects of us. Because of the covenant He has made with us, and we have accepted it by faith, we receive the mercy of God. We also receive grace at the throne of grace. What is grace? It is receiving what we don’t deserve. Grace is a gift given to us. So, enter in!