To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date sent: Fri, 24 May 2002 15:24:06 -0500
Subject: [HF] Bible Study HF064 - The Right of Access
Hebraics,
It is quite interesting how man attempts to rebuild what God has torn
down. Old Testament Judaism with its temple sacrifices and
mediatorial priesthood had served its purpose. It was replaced by a
much greater covenant at the cross. Yet it wasn't long before man
began to rebuild religious institutions with with mediatorial priesthoods
and ritual and rote. What a sad picture in comparison to what Jesus
really came to give us.
In this study we will take a closer look at true Biblical Christianity
with
regard to the believer's personal access to God.
This is Bible Study HF064 - Rights of Access
Hebrews 10:19-22 says, "Therefore, brethren, since we have
confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and
living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His
flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us
draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water."
When God created Adam, he was created with no consciousness of
sin, or of guilt, of or worthlessness. It never once entered Adam's mind
as to his right to God's presence. Even the angels knew that Adam
was different from them. Adam had divine rights. He was God's son.
You see, Adam is the only man in Scripture other than Jesus Christ to
ever be called 'the son of God.' The Adam race was to be uniquely kin
to God Himself.
There is no question that Adam enjoyed open and direct access to the
Lord God. Of course we know the story. Adam rejected God's Word to
him. Adam's sin was the cause of his being driven from the garden. In
this Adam lost direct spiritual access to God. From that moment on the
Adam race could only approach the Lord through a blood sacrifice.
Such a fall --- From glory to earthliness with all its contaminations.
Where then is the victory? The apostle said it well enough; "For
the
wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord." Eternal life does not merely speak of duration but
rather of quality of life. Eternal life is in God Himself. And this is
what the
writer of Hebrews is telling us.
The sentence of condemnation has been removed in Christ. Every
child of God has open and direct access to the very throne of heaven,
any time, any place, and without need of an earthly religious mediator.
No one believer has more access to God than does another believer.
Paul said that we are all one in Christ Jesus.
Let's look more closely at Hebrews. It says, "We have confidence
to
enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus." The picture background
is
the tabernacle of Moses. The covenant of Law provided limited access
to God. But this access was not for the common man. Only priests
were permitted to enter the holy place, and only the high priest could
enter the holiest of holies. Thus the priests became mediators
between the people and God.
The tabernacle was actually a picture of heavenly things. The Adam
race had been cut off from God. The veil in the tabernacle spoke of
that separation. But behind the veil was another picture. The mercy
seat had two cherubim gazing intently at the center of the lid of the ark
of the covenant. This was a picture of the angels wonderment over the
work of the cross. Both Peter and Paul speak of this wonderment.
What happened when Jesus yielded up His spirit on the cross? It
says, "And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom."
(Mark 15:38) This could only mean one thing. The Adam sin was
accounted for. It meant that the one sin that would preclude any
person from the presence of God, and from direct access to heaven
upon death, was now removed.
Adam's sin has been put away. Condemnation has been removed.
Our first estate is returned. We can now walk with God with no sense
of guilt, worthlessness, or of condemnation. The apostle said, "There
is therefore now no condemnation (katakrima means a sentence of
judgment) for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and
death."
(Rom8:1,2)
Not only is the sin of Adam put away, but we can now walk with the
Lord fully assured of His presence in our lives. In fact a primary work
of the Spirit in any believer's life is to minister the love of God to the
believer, and to place in the believer's heart and mind a consciousness of
righteousness. This is why the apostle could say, "For the kingdom of
God is not
eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit."
(Rom14:17 - Where Paul speaks of eating and drinking, he is addressing
food laws
of the levitical code.)
What did the writer say? Follow closely --- "BRETHREN, we have
confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus." All
believers
share equally in the right of entrance. The word confidence is a strong
word. Parresia speaks of unrestrained freedom to speak openly and
directly and boldly with our God. Here we have a hint of Adam in the
beginning. Adam could speak with confidence. He was not ashamed
of who he was. He was God's son.
How did we gain this direct access to God? "By the blood of
Jesus."
How are we to approach God? "In full assurance of faith." Under
what
conditions do we approach God? It says, "Having our hearts sprinkled
clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure
water."
To the ancient Jewish Church, having our bodies washed with pure
water spoke of faith in our baptism. Having our conscience sprinkled
clean had to do with the blood of Jesus being applied to our lives in
which sin consciousness is removed. The blood of animals could
never touch the conscience. (The conscience is the voice of our spirit,
or the inward man.)
The point is that no believer need ever fear rejection. We have been
accepted fully in the beloved. Not only that, but the apostle says that if
a
believer fears punishment, then God's love has not finished its work in
that
believer's life. God's love is designed to cast out all our fears. And the
one
fear in particular that God's love deals with is the fear of punishment,
or of
judgment.
This brings us to the privilege of direct access to God. Jesus
delivered
us from rituals and forms and religious mediatorial offices. These
things serve no purpose in the new covenant. All believers have been
made one with Jesus! Paul said, "For you have died and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed,
then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."
We have been given the righteousness of God Himself. It is this kid of
righteousness that Jesus displayed in His earthly walk. The one thg
that infuriated the religious leaders, but amazed his own disciples, was
the Lord's familiarity with God. Jesus actually called God His Father.
When He prayed, Jesus didn't revert to religious prayers. A case
example is in John 17. It says, "These things Jesus spoke; and
lifting up
His eyes to heaven, He said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your
Son, that the Son may glorify You."
All through His prayer in John 17, we hear amazing things. Jesus
prayed in the realm of KNOWING. And He prayed 'knowing' things for
believers. In fact, the Lord simply described eternal life this way;
"This is
eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom
You have sent." (John 17:3)
Jesus said that eternal life is a KNOWING realm! Paul stresses this
same point. He said, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the
world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might KNOW the thgs
freely given to us by God." (1Co2:12) This issue of knowing speaks of
being personally acquainted with that which we know. It is a very
personal term.
This point is again stressed in Hebrews, in a quote from the Old
Testament prophet, where the prophet says, "And they shall not teach
everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother, saying, 'Know
the Lord,' for all will know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of
them.
For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins
no
more." (Heb8:11,12)
What does direct access mean to the believer on a personal level? It
means the believer does not have to live in a sense of lack. Adam had
no sense of lack. Why? He had direct access to God. It means a
believer can draw directly from God's power, and His wisdom, and His
presence. Jesus said that He would never leave us.
Jesus said our throne privileges were so wonderful, that, "If you
ask
the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you." (John
16:23)
I'll leave the study off for now, but leave it open for discussion.
Please feel
free to offer suggestions, make comments, or ask questions. There is much
more
to be said.
Shalom in Christ,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace
of God; that no root of bitterness springing up
causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)