You have direct access to God

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sound doctrine, strong faith”

Our Bible verse for today: “We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You have direct access to God”

As a child I was raised in the Catholic Church, and I was taught that I needed a priest to intercede with God on my behalf. Not only that, but I also had to confess my sins to him. Along the side walls of our church there were little closet-like compartments called “confessionals.” As a repentant sinner you would open the door of the confessional, go inside, close the door, kneel facing a lattice screen on the wall (face high), and wait. In a moment you would hear a little sliding door on the other side of the lattice slide open and the deep voice of the priest would say, “Confess your sins.” It was dark in there and you couldn’t see the face of the priest, but you knew he was there right on the other side of the lattice. Sometimes you could smell his breath.

After you confessed every sin (big and little), the priest would sigh, maybe ask you a question or two to clarify just how bad your sinning was, and then he would assign your penance. The penance usually amounted to a series of memorized prayers you were to say (the “Our Father” and the “Hail Mary”) which you were to recite over-and-over again the specified number of times, depending on how serious and extensive your sinning was. As a teenage boy, I spent a lot of time in that confessional and that priest earned his pay!

Fortunately, I have since learned that I don’t need a priest to intercede with God for me. In Hebrews 4:16 we read, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

Once we have arrived at the place of being at peace with God through Christ (as we learned in yesterday’s devotional), we then have direct access to Him. We do not need an intermediary. I don’t need a priest to speak to God on my behalf. God is on the throne and we, His children, are always welcome into His court. We can walk right up to the throne and speak directly to Him. Not only that but we are told to do it boldly – in other words, with confidence. You do not have to crawl on your belly shaking in fear, because you are welcome. God is pleased that you have come to see Him.

This great truth about this access to God is depicted for us in that scene in Matthew 27:51. In the moment Jesus gave up His spirit as He hung on the cross, our sin debt was paid and in that very moment, the huge curtain in the temple that separated the people from the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies (which represented God’s presence), was instantly and miraculously torn in two right down the center. The symbology of that event was meant to communicate the great truth that from that moment on there was nothing that separated people from God. If we come to Him through faith in His Son Jesus Christ we can confidently come directly to Him, with nothing impeding the way. We are welcome.

Once you are at peace with God you then have direct access to God. You don’t need a priest, a pastor, or anyone else to pave the way for you. Jesus already took care of that.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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