The Throne of Grace

I've been learning about the difference between my spirit and my soul with this book.  I picked it up probably a year or so ago, and then, after reading maybe three chapters, moved on.  Six months ago I picked it up again, and it has shaken me to the core.  At the risk of sounding dramatic, and I like to think I am not, I told Kris that as I began to see and understand the truth in this book, I could see that it was like I had been standing in a jail cell my entire Christian life, never seeing that the cell door had been open the entire time.

The length of all that I've seen and understood through this study is too much for one blog post (and Judah's attention span - as I type he is launching himself off the furniture), but I had a revelation the other day.  I know I've heard this before, but when I "saw" it the other day, it grabbed me and broke off yet one more misconception about how God sees me (and they have been plentiful, but praise God, I am being set free and healed by His truth!).

In Hebrews 4:16, we are urged to "come boldly before the throne of grace to find mercy and grace in our time of need."  At Bible study two weeks ago, one of our points encouraged us to envision ourselves approaching the throne of grace.  Then the question was posed, "How did you look?"  I knew by the expression on most of our faces that we looked pitiful.  I knew that wasn't right, that's not what the Bible says, but that was how I felt when I thought about me approaching God.  Pitiful, unworthy, broken, hoping for acceptance...like a beat dog.  Not at all bold.

Then I heard the words coming out of my mouth, "Now, let's envision Jesus approaching God's throne.  What does that picture look like?"  Joyful reunion, arms opened wide, God moving off the throne to embrace His Beloved, friends reunited and celebrating their love for one another.

If freedom had a sound, I can only imagine what it sounded like in that room that night.

First Corinthians 5:21 says, "He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus."  I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  So, when God looks at me, he doesn't see my brokenness, my willfulness, my selfishness, my imperfection, my sin.  Because He is eternal, He looks at the eternal part of me, my spirit, and sees the perfection of Jesus.  He sees the blood Jesus shed.  He sees His demands of righteousness and true holiness satisfied.

Now when I envision myself approaching His throne, I see joyful reunion, arms opened wide, God moving off the throne to embrace His Beloved, friends reunited and celebrating their love for one another.  I see Him loving and accepting me because when He looks at me, He sees Jesus.

¹⁶ 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. Hebrews 4:16