The Throne of Amazing Grace

​He is seated upon His throne.  In both the book of Hebrews and Revelation, we see Jesus depicted as a King seated upon His throne.  Sitting upon a throne does not make a king enthroned.  He is king whether He is in bed sleeping or mounted upon a horse ready for battle.  A king is a king.  Jesus is always THE King of Kings.  The throne, however, is where a king gives audience to his subjects.  It is upon his throne that a king will dispense both reward and punishment by his power and wisdom.  Subjects will come to him in need and should he decide, he provides.  Subjects will come to him bringing gifts in gratitude for what he has done.  At his throne, the king receives these.  Subjects come with contention and the king judges between the parties.  The throne is the place where the power and authority of the king changes lives.

We are invited to come into the Throne Room of God where Christ, the King, gives audience to those in need of power, strength, and provision.  He gives audience as we give praise and honor from grateful hearts.  He give wisdom for our dilemmas.  Calling us to the Throne Room, God invites us, implores us, to receive power from Him.  A throne is in a specific place and room.  So it is with the spiritual Throne of God.  It is in a specific place and room.  We must open the door to enter.  We are not being kept out.  There is no lock on the door.  The handle is our to open. We must open the door, walk in, and bow before the King.  But where is this door and how do we enter?

Our King is also our priest.  A priest has the ministry of reconciliation.  He reconciles man back to God.  He closes the gap for communion between God and His creation.  Our King is also our high priest.  The High Priest, in the Old Testament, once a year, would go behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies where the presence of God hovered above the Ark of the Covenant.  Once the priest entered the Holy of Holies, a sacrifice of atonement would be made to satisfy the wrath of God protecting the people from the ultimate consequence of their sin.  In doing this, the high priest restored communion.  It was a reconciliation through one man, the high priest.  He represented all the people.  And the presence of God was limited to this one man and to him, but one day a year.

Old Testament priests could only offer innocent animals for sacrifice.  Lambs are not cognitive of temptation or sin.  They live by instinct alone not with choices between good and evil as man faces daily.  Jesus was tempted in every way but denied sin, thus proving His perfection.  He was not simply innocent as the lambs of the field. He was perfect.  This perfect sacrifice, more effectual than that of lambs and goats moved God to tear the curtain before the Holy of Holies in two, from top to bottom.  Now, the presence of God was no longer limited to one man, once a year.  By the Holy Spirit, the Presence of God moved out and into the world.  Scripture teaches us that our body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, the Throne Room of Heaven has been replicated in our hearts. It exists within me, but that does not mean that I reside there. 

There are many rooms in my heart along with the Throne Room.  There is the Fear Room where I go to stress, fear, and generally freak out about something.  There is the recreational room where I go to hang out with the family, play golf, or watch Tom and Jerry (Parents and Grandparents, please explain Tom and Jerry to the younger generation who missed out on such quality programming.).  For me, there is also the Blue Bell Room where I go to….well, you know what that room is all about.  The point is that God is always with me, but I am not always near Him.  The Throne Room is in me, but I may not visit very often. 

The Lord is calling us into the Throne Room that we might receive mercy and grace in our time of need.  It is the Throne of Grace, the Throne of Amazing Grace.  When we enter this room, not because we deserve it, but because of grace, we receive power and help in our distress.  So many Christians live without the power of God because they never enter the Throne Room where the power is released.  We cannot even comprehend the degree of which God wants to release power into your life.  He says, “Come boldly."  So many Christians have faith in Christ.  They go to church.  They read the Bible.  They obey its principles, but they never open the door of the Throne Room within their own spirit and walk in.  The door of the Throne Room in our spirit is covered in cobwebs.

Tomorrow, we will begin to talk about how to open the door, but today, I simply want to focus on the fact that God so much wants to pour power into your life. So great was His desire that He replicated the Throne Room in Heaven on Earth behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies.  This was as close as He could come to humanity without a mediator, but it was not enough for Him.  He wanted to be even closer so He sent His Son, Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins. God tore the curtain of the Holy of Holies and extended the Throne Room of Heaven to the soul of every believer, to make it His mercy, grace, and power even more available to you and I.

Well, what about sin? Ok, so you have sinned.  Me, too.  But it is the Throne of Grace.  Your sins are covered. There is no condemnation at this Throne.  It is encompassed in mercy, grace, love, power, miracles, hope, goodness, gifts, wisdom, opportunity, and so much more to a level we could never have dreamed.  He is calling you to the Throne Room.  Come boldly.
 
Scripture Reading: 
Hebrews 4:12-16
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (NIV)
 
Prayer:
Thank you Jesus for doing all that You had to do, even dying on a cross, just to be near me.  I love your grace that never sees my faults, but always sees my faith.  I love your amazing grace that frees me from my sin and covers me with favor.  Teach me to live in this grace that falls from the Throne Room of Heaven.  Let me walk in this freedom always giving you praise and honor for grace beyond comprehension.  Thank you for being a God who wants to give me abundant life, and not to condemn me for iniquity.  Let your grace fall on me today.  Let your grace pour out of me every day.  To God be the Glory!  -Amen.