HEBREWS IV. 16.
THE inspired Apostle, in his remarkable Epistle to the Hebrew professors of Christianity, frequently exhorts them to “hold fast their profession.” It would appear that many of them were tempted to relinquish that profession, through the subtlety of unbelief in their own hearts, and the force of the persecution which they had to encounter at the hands of their unbelieving brethren. Unbelief within and without seems to have been the powerful adversary with which they had to contend. The Apostle warns them against the danger of apostasy from “the faith,” and encourages them to come to God at a throne of grace with all their trials and temptations, looking unto the great High Priest who had passed into the heavens, who was touched with the feeling of their infirmities, and who, as intercessor with the Father, was able to succour all such as were tempted. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,” he declares, “that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We shall consider these words as containing matter of direction and encouragement to sinful men in all circumstances of trial and need. Let us notice—first, the throne of grace; secondly, the exhortation to come to it with boldness; and, thirdly, the promises of blessing to those who come.
I.—Observe, first, “the throne of grace.”
The word “throne” suggests the King who sits upon it, and, in fact, includes Him. It is not a throne without a King to which sinners are directed to come, but a throne with a King, and that none other than the King of kings and Lord of lords. This glorious King is now seated upon a “throne of grace.” Such a circumstance should be matter of wonder to sinful men. It is this very King against whom we have sinned, and whose displeasure we have grievously provoked, and we might have justly expected that He would have set up a throne of judgment and nothing else, when we consider the guilt of man’s foolish disobedience and rebellion. But He has been pleased, in the riches of His sovereign mercy and love, to set up a throne of grace, from which He deals in a compassionate and righteous manner with penitent rebels against His infinite majesty. From this throne He dispenses the blessings of the new covenant, through Jesus Christ, to needy souls upon earth.
II.—Let us next notice the exhortation “to come boldly” to this throne.
What is the nature of this coming? It consists, for one thing, in addressing a gracious God through Christ in the exercise of prayer. The praying ones, who call upon the name of the Lord in sincerity and truth, are comers to the throne of grace. Such confess their sins and make known all their wants to Him with the desire and expectation of being heard and answered. They do not require to ascend up to heaven, as He is everywhere present, and hears the cry of the destitute, no matter in what part of the world they may be. Believing prayer is necessary. The suppliants who are enabled to believe the truth concerning themselves as needy, lost sinners, and the truth concerning the Most High as a just God and a Saviour, and leave themselves and their needs at His feet, relying upon His word and promise for an answer, in peace are successful comers to the throne, and will have occasion to praise His name for His wondrous works. Here then is the direction in which effectual help is to be found. The King eternal receives sinners through His son Jesus Christ, and is able to deliver when all human help is utterly unavailing.
But it is further to be observed that there is a call to come “boldly” to the throne. There is an unholy boldness common among the sons of men, springing from a spirit of self-sufficiency and self-righteousness—the sinner calls upon the Most High as if he had a perfect right to be heard on account of his own personal goodness and worth—but this is not the boldness which the Apostle encourages. The gracious boldness, to which the Apostle refers, is only found among those who have been brought by the Spirit of truth to see their own complete sinfulness and unworthiness, to feel that in their own persons they deserve nothing but displeasure and rejection at the hands of God, and to realise that it is through Christ’s merit and advocacy alone that they can obtain acceptance.
The Apostle makes use of “therefore” to press home this coming with boldness, and the word refers us back to what he previously says concerning the presence of the great High Priest in the heavens, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. “Let us come,” he says in effect, “with boldness, seeing that the Son of God, as the High Priest who offered one sacrifice for sins for ever upon earth, has now entered as advocate within the veil, and intercedes for transgressors before the throne. Looking to ourselves alone we may well tremble with hopeless fear, but looking to the infinite merits of His obedience unto death, and trusting in the prevailing efficacy of His intercession, we may cherish a humble, holy confidence that the great King will receive and bless us. This great High Priest had a personal experience of temptation upon earth, though without sin, and He can understand sympathetically our trials, so that we may freely make known all our miseries to Him, and expect Him to present our case with success before the Father.” Slavish fear as well as unhallowed presumption must be resisted and overcome. Both are dishonouring to the Most High and ruinous to the sinner. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart”—given by Himself—”in full assurance of faith.” The Lord welcomes the importunate, confiding, persevering seeker who will not take a denial. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence; and the violent take it by force” (Matt. xi.)
III.—Let us observe lastly the blessings that are promised to the comers, “mercy, and grace to help in time of need.”
The Apostle uses the first personal pronouns, “us” and “we” in connection with the exhortation and promises. He includes himself and all God’s people in his divinely inspired words. Let it be carefully noted that all need “mercy, and grace to help.”
Poor sinners, who for the first time are brought in soul sincerity to the foot-stool of God’s throne, feel in a very pungent way their need of mercy: they cry with the publican, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” And they realise to some extent their need of grace to help them to resist temptation, and to overcome the prince of darkness. Such comers shall not be cast out. The Lord is rich in mercy to forgive all their iniquities for the sake of His Son Jesus Christ, and to give them new life and strength to obtain the victory over all their spiritual foes.
Again, such as have been for years endeavouring to run the gospel race, and to fight the good fight of faith, require to obtain “mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” They are conscious of daily sins and shortcomings, and they feel need of mercy in a way of forgiveness to be extended to them at every step in the conflict. They feel also their constant need of grace to help them to resist temptation, to endure trial, and to follow after “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.” Deeply sensible of their own weakness, they desire to be supported and strengthened by divine power, so as to triumph over all the difficulties they have to meet with and to “glorify God in their bodies and their spirits which are his.”
Here then they are fully encouraged and warranted to expect the blessings they require. Let their time of need be as great and overwhelming as it may, He, who sits upon “the throne,” has infinite resources of mercy and grace, which He freely dispenses “without money and without price” unto those who come.
Sometimes He may keep them waiting for a while, for wise and gracious reasons—not to their loss, but to their ultimate gain—“for the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever” (Psalms ix. 18). Their song of praise will be all the more real and cordial when the Lord deals graciously with them from off the mercy-seat.
May all, whose eyes fall upon these lines, learn to “come boldly to the throne of grace,” so as to “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need!” No other King but the God of all grace can bestow the forgiveness of sins, strength for duty and trial, and the sure hope of eternal life.