"Hushed is each doubt, gone every fear, No circumstance is too trifling; no petitioner too insignificant; no case too hard; no difficulty too great; no seeker too importunate; no beggar too ragged; no bankrupt too penniless; no debtor too insolvent; for Him not to notice and not to relieve. (Word Studies in the New Testament: Vol. Expositor's Bible Commentary: Parrhesia is a favorite word of Paul, meaning frankness and uninhibited openness of speech (TDNT, 5:883). God's grace is available for those who recognize that they cannot help themselves. Verse. … I say, then, that grace is enthroned by conquest, by right, and by power, and, I will add, it is enthroned in glory, for God glorifies his grace. Precious encouragement! Who do you cry out to for help? Spurgeon - It is clear from the connection of our text that the interposition of the Lord Jesus Christ is essential to acceptable prayer. In the quiet of his chamber, or amid the bustle of daily toil--on the bed of sickness, or engaged in the anxieties of business--in the sanctuary, or in the market place--on the Sabbath, or during the week--in his home, or in the street--wherever he may be, he can, at any moment, lift up his heart to the Lord, assured that he shall be heard; and, if good for him, his request shall be granted. Job 27:10, LXX = "confidence before Him"; 1Ti 3:13; Heb 10:19). Thou knowest him not. It is always a time of need with a child of God. Mercy when we are at our worst, yes, and at our best; mercy when the pruning knife cuts deep, yes, and when we are covered with foliage, flower, or fruit; mercy when we are broken and sore vexed, yes, and when we stand on the paved sapphire work upon the mountain summit to talk with God. (Hebrews Commentary online). by Eliza Hewitt, A Bold Entrance - One morning, Scott Long and his wife had just awakened and were lying in bed when suddenly a young fellow entered their bedroom. He turns the eye away from self and sin, to the Lamb of God whose blood is all-sufficient to cleanse and purify. You are a loving child of God, privileged to be a part of a wonderful plan. A vital prayer life is essential to endure trials. I am a man of unclean lips and heart; I dare not face him before whom angels veil their faces; the fire of his awful purity will leap out on me, shriveling and consuming. SO THAT WE MAY RECEIVE MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED: hina labomen (1PAAS) eleos kai charin heuromen (1PAAS) eis eukairon boetheian: In 2Co 12:9-note Paul identifies the "time of need" as the time when we are weak! O God, hasten (hurry and do this quickly) to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help." My soul be thou sure that when thou drawest nigh to the Omnipotent, who is as a consuming fire, thou put thy shoes from off thy feet, and worship him with lowliest humility. It is a deep confidence that shows itself in bold, candid speech, by one being "ready and willing" to make their convictions known in public without fear of repercussions (cp Acts 4:13, 29, 31, 9:31, 28:31 - O, for such a Spirit imbued holy boldness in my heart! - Why are so many people afraid of going to the dentist? The second exhortation helps us to answer, ‘Let us hold fast our profession,’ which being translated into other words, is this: our true way of labour is to cling in faith to Him whom we acknowledge; but knowing the weakness of our own hearts, and how they waywardly fluctuate and pass away from the one confidence and happiest trust, it is with profound wisdom that the ultimate injunction is held out for the foundation of all — ‘Let us come to the throne of grace.’ There we get the strength that will enable our slack and benumbed fingers to grasp again the thing we hold. a propitiatory, the place where God and man are to meet. Rocky Sinai once was the throne of law, when God came to Paran with ten thousand of his holy ones. Well doth our hymn put it: “Thou art coming to a king: 4:16; 7:25; 10:1,22; 11:6). The mercy seat is a throne, and we must not forget this. Aristot., Eth.Nic. I do not believe that it is an easy thing to pray in public so as to conduct the devotions of a large congregation aright. O ye self-righteous ones who hope that you can obey the law, and think that you can be saved by it, look to the flames that Moses saw, and shrink, and tremble, and despair. But this does not exhaust his greatness. To Thee, O Lord, to Thee, 12:15let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. How long shall the name of Jesus be blasphemed by the idolatries of Antichrist? We see scarcely a millionth part of what He, as a King on his throne, is daily doing. Psalm 38:21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! They, too, must have a priest; and so, while six hundred armed warriors stood around the gate, five men stole through the court, broke into the little chapel, carried off its images and other apparatus for worship, bribed the priest, by the offer of higher wage, to accompany them; and, long before the theft was discovered, the whole party had resumed their journey, and were far upon their way. Reprinted by permission. Hebrews 6:4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (NASB: Lockman). Hebrews 4:16 Parallel Commentaries . We are to come to Him freely, constantly, ceaselessly, and persistently. The sentiment in God assumes the character of pitying love. (Ps 62:8), McGee explains our bold access in plain terms - We can speak freely to the Lord Jesus Christ. The very act of taking it will lighten it, and casting it upon His tenderness and sympathy will make it sweet. and how very easy it is to tell out the whole heart. We can enter the presence of God with confidence because Jesus has opened the way for us through His death on the cross. In prayer we stand where angels bow with veiled faces; there, even there, the cherubim and seraphim adore, before that selfsame throne to which our prayers ascend. There is not a moment, but, if he knows his real state, he is in need of something. "No words can tell what sweet relief Just so with this great word of the writer of this Epistle, descriptive of the temper and disposition with which men are to go to God — with confidence, full, cheerful, and unembarrassed, and which expresses itself in full trust, exactly as one of the old Psalms says — ‘Ye people, pour out your heart before Him.’ (Ps 62:8-note) Yes, let it all flow out, just as you would do to husband or wife, or lover, or friend (Ed: That is what is meant by bold speech!). And so this portion of exhortation interposed between the doctrinal and theological parts of this letter is addressed to every one in the Christian profession. A trip through the book of Psalms can help us pray more openly. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. O ye courtiers in the halls of such a monarch, be ye exceeding glad, and mingle praises with your prayers. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but the power of the blood of Jesus with God can never fail. Why not come too? Wrought in us by the Spirit, presented for us by the Christ of God, prayer becomes power before the Most High, but not else. A throne that was not gracious would not trouble itself to make out our petitions; but God, the infinitely gracious One, will dive into the soul of our desires, and he will read there what we cannot speak with the tongue. Before that we shall all come, and as many uf us as have believed will find it to be a throne of grace as well as of justice; for, he who sits upon that throne shall pronounce no sentence of condemnation against the man who is justified by faith. Acts 2:29 "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. All rights reserved) Faithfulness is adhering unswervingly to God and His covenant. Lev 26:13 [where "erect" is translated with parrhesia], LXX; Acts 4:29; 2Cor 7:4) and to God (e.g. I. But I am free to speak, because He is also a man. This week has been a very memorable one in the history of this church. In secular Greek, this word was used to describe a medical aid or a cure. God is as just when he forgives a believer as when he casts a sinner into hell. And by His grace, Jesus took upon Himself the sin of the world, so that we could be saved by grace. It is a throne set up on purpose for the dispensation of grace; a throne from which every utterance is an utterance of grace; the scepter that is stretched out from it is the silver scepter of grace; the decrees proclaimed from it are purposes of grace; the gifts that are scattered down its golden steps are gifts of grace; and He that sits upon the throne is grace itself. Be merciful to me. 1 John 4:17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. Yes, lofty, far up there, towering above us in its pure completeness, and we poor creatures, being ourselves blinded and dazed, and far away from Him, down amidst the lowlands and materialities, and all that majesty in the heavens — the justice and judgment, the holiness and glory — all that is only the envelope and wrappage, the living centre and heart of it is a pure, lambent glow of tenderness, and the throne is truly the throne of grace. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. A PRIEST.-Deep down in the heart of men there is a strong and instinctive demand for a priest, to be daysman and mediator, to lay one hand on man and the other on God, and to go between them both. This remark was rendered almost necessary by the choice of the word didaskein (didasko = to teach) in Mk 8:31. Is it a time of adversity? May He teach me how to pray, and stir me up to greater earnestness, that, loving You above all things, and relying ever upon Your grace, I may be able to rejoice in the hope of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. When God is not moving as rapidly as we think He should, when our timetables do not coincide, what should we do? It simply adds another dimension to the picture. Adam Clarke adds that parrhesia modifying draw near means to do so "with freedom, confidence, liberty of speech, in opposition to the fear and trembling of the Jewish high priest. 1989. 7:20, 21, 22). then it is a time of need. And shot devouring flame; Oh, no; the faulty cries of his children are not severely criticized by him. At all times, indeed--even when no words are uttered--when imploring no special blessing from on high--the Christian ought to cherish the spirit of prayer. This was dramatically symbolized by the rending of the temple curtain from top to bottom at the time of the crucifixion, indicating that through an act of divine grace access into the holiest place was now available to all the people of God (Mk. You have begun to pray; God has begun to answer. It is a throne, because God is a Sovereign. Who dares impugn the Imperial word? To you, to you who come to God in prayer, the sovereignty always runs thus: “I will have mercy on that sinner; though he deserves it not, though in him there is no merit, yet because I can do as I will with my own, I will bless him, I will make him my child, I will accept him; he shall be mine in the day when I make up my jewels.” On the mercy seat God never executed sovereignty otherwise than in a way of grace. We are to call for mercy and grace when we need them; and we are to expect to receive them when we call. (Ibid). : Hendrickson), NIDNTT - Since in practice this freedom of speech encountered opposition from time to time, parrhesia acquired the further meaning of fearlessness, frankness. It is expected that the subject in approaching to the king should pay him homage and honour. We do not pray to God to instruct him as to what he ought to do, neither for a moment must we presume to dictate the line of the divine procedure. The idea of free, open speech lies at the bottom of the word: coming before God’s bar with nothing to conceal. Peabody, MA. Hebrews 4:16-note Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The throne of glory — flashing and dazzling, coruscating and blinding, glittering and shimmering — ready to smite the diseased eye. It is possible to grow in Bible knowledge and yet not grow in grace or in one’s personal relationship with God. Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. We need to replace irrational fears with healthy ones. The first two chapters end with a description of the merciful and faithful High Priest, who makes reconciliation for the sins of the people (He 2:17, 18). He doth not in every case measure out his gifts by the degree of our faith, but by the sincerity and trueness of faith. That sympathetic heart is the metropolis to which each afferent nerve carries an immediate thrill from the meanest and remotest members of his body, bringing at once in return the very help and grace which are required. —Anne Cetas (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. If in prayer we come to a throne, it is clear that our spirit should, in the first place, be one of lowly reverence. Hebrews 7:25 (note) - Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. But it is also a throne of grace. 1989. (Spurgeon - Treasury of David), Psalm 60:11 O give us help (Heb = 'ezra) against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain. If he had been a friend, his entrance would’ve been just plain obnoxious. What is it that we want at this moment? Are you feeling helpless today? Forgiveness, access to His throne, and the promises of His Spirit and that no trial will be greater than we can bear—combined with His declaration that He works in us both to will and to do—assure us that faithfulness can be produced in us when we yield as faithful servants. Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (NASB: Lockman). Beloved, do you see the word picture inherent in the Biblical use of (verb - boethéo, noun - boetheia) in other verses? If the poor, the penniless, the disconsolate, the guilty are welcome here- if this throne is crowded by such, why make yourself an exception? 22 Make haste to help (Heb = 'ezra) (boetheia = run to my aid upon hearing my cry for help) me, O Lord, my salvation! The night before in his cell he tested himself with a match and recoiled in pain. If prayer should always be regarded by us as an entrance into the courts of the royalty of heaven; if we are to behave ourselves as courtiers should in the presence of an illustrious majesty, then we are not at a loss to know the right spirit in which to pray. The great theologian Jonathan Edwards said that ". Is it a time of trial with you? There are FIVE things said about God’s Word. (Spurgeon goes on to add that) In prayer we come, not only to our Father’s feet, but we come also to the throne of the Great Monarch of the universe. Blue Letter Bible writes that "Mercy is when that which is deserved is withheld to the benefit of the object of the mercy. No matter who we are or how small we are in comparison with others or how low our station in life, we take a back seat to no one. It gushes from His heart as from a full and overflowing fountain, and flows into the bosom of the poor, the lowly, the humble, and the contrite; enriching, comforting, and sanctifying their souls. The Lord return into their bosoms a thousandfold the good which faithful friends have implored for me, and make me more than ever the means of blessing to them by ministry. Mt 4:3, 11; 5:1; 8:2, 5, 19, 25; 9:14, 20, 28; 13:10, 27, 36; 14:12, 15; 15:1, 12, 23, 30; 16:1; 17:7, 14, 19, 24; 18:1, 21; 19:3, 16; 20:20; 21:14, 23, 28, 30; 22:23; 24:1, 3; 25:20, 22, 24; 26:7, 17, 49f, 60, 69, 73; 27:58; 28:2, 9, 18; Mk 1:31; 6:35; 10:2; 12:28; 14:45; Lk 7:14; 8:24, 44; 9:12, 42; 10:34; 13:31; 20:27; 23:36, 52; Jn 12:21; Acts 7:31; 8:29; 9:1; 10:28; 12:13; 18:2; 22:26, 27; 23:14; 28:9; 1Ti 6:3; Heb 4:16; 7:25; 10:1, 22; 11:6; 12:18, 22; 1Pe 2:4. Enjoys full well the fruits of God toward men captain of the host the. Helped to-morrow, or reserve ” Cor “ the heart of God that! Cower anxiously before his Father his one great sacrifice for sin being by... Your time of temporal distress with you tell us plainly. `` direction-,! Out: `` help me! Lord are upon the prayer, worship, draw near ( ). Again, and my feet from falling man ’ s personal relationship with God,! 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