I can be
Myself in God’s Presence (None
of us need to be afraid to be ourself with God.) God knows your personality, He
created you.
When God first created Adam and Eve, they had access into the presence of God. And even though we don’t get a lot of details from the account in Genesis, there is every indication that they felt free to be themselves in the presence of God. For instance the Bible records that they were both naked and felt no shame. But when they sinned everything changed. Because of their guilt, Adam and Eve ran and hid from God. And from that time forward, man’s relationship with God was forever changed.
Before Jesus, no one had continuous access to God. From time to time, God chose to appear to leaders like Moses or to His prophets. But God decided when and where and how to do that. But even though no one had unrestricted access to God, God wanted to manifest His presence among His people. He chose to do that in the tabernacle, and later in the Temple.
The tabernacle and the Temple consisted of three different areas. There were the outer courts, where all of His people could go. Then there was the Holy Place where the priests ministered before God on a daily basis. But the cloud of God’s presence was contained within the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place, which contained the Ark of the Covenant. The only person who was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies was the high Priest and even he could only enter there once a year on the Day of Atonement. As we’ve seen previously, when Jesus died on the cross the curtain that separated man from God’s presence in the Holy of Holies was torn in half from the top as a picture that God’s children have now been granted permanent, unrestricted access to Him. The writer of Hebrews explains that concept more fully:
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV)
Not only can we enter into the presence of God because of the work of Jesus, both Paul and the writer of Hebrews tell us that we can enter boldly and with confidence.
I think for many we struggle with being bold before God; like we are going to hurt his feelings or something. In our passage from Ephesians, the term translated “freedom” in the NIV and “boldness” in the NASB and KJV is a word that originally conveyed the idea of freedom of speech. It came to mean confidence in approaching someone in authority.
When God first created Adam and Eve, they had access into the presence of God. And even though we don’t get a lot of details from the account in Genesis, there is every indication that they felt free to be themselves in the presence of God. For instance the Bible records that they were both naked and felt no shame. But when they sinned everything changed. Because of their guilt, Adam and Eve ran and hid from God. And from that time forward, man’s relationship with God was forever changed.
Before Jesus, no one had continuous access to God. From time to time, God chose to appear to leaders like Moses or to His prophets. But God decided when and where and how to do that. But even though no one had unrestricted access to God, God wanted to manifest His presence among His people. He chose to do that in the tabernacle, and later in the Temple.
The tabernacle and the Temple consisted of three different areas. There were the outer courts, where all of His people could go. Then there was the Holy Place where the priests ministered before God on a daily basis. But the cloud of God’s presence was contained within the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place, which contained the Ark of the Covenant. The only person who was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies was the high Priest and even he could only enter there once a year on the Day of Atonement. As we’ve seen previously, when Jesus died on the cross the curtain that separated man from God’s presence in the Holy of Holies was torn in half from the top as a picture that God’s children have now been granted permanent, unrestricted access to Him. The writer of Hebrews explains that concept more fully:
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV)
Not only can we enter into the presence of God because of the work of Jesus, both Paul and the writer of Hebrews tell us that we can enter boldly and with confidence.
I think for many we struggle with being bold before God; like we are going to hurt his feelings or something. In our passage from Ephesians, the term translated “freedom” in the NIV and “boldness” in the NASB and KJV is a word that originally conveyed the idea of freedom of speech. It came to mean confidence in approaching someone in authority.
When Paul uses that
word here, I think it conveys both ideas. We can approach God with confidence
and we also have the freedom to speak openly before Him. I don’t have to
pretend to be something I’m not. I don’t have to use fancy words when I talk to
God.
I
like prayers like, God I need a job please help supply that because your word
says you will. Amen. Jesus used the example of two
men in the temple praying to God. One was telling God how great he was and the
other fell to his feet and told God what a sinner he was and asked for
forgiveness. God
is not going to cut off our access because of something I say or do, or how
long I talk. Some of us like to talk. God knows that. God just desires honest
heartfelt communication. You are Loved!
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