IN CHRIST AND THROUGH FAITH IN HIM

Christ Jesus brought us the privileges of grace and truth, which we fully enjoy today as Christians. John 1:17 (NLT) reads, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." We receive grace upon grace in Christ and by faith, this grace grants us direct access to our heavenly Father.

Reference: Ephesians 3:12 New King James Version (NKJV) "in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him."

If you study Ephesians chapter three, you'll begin to grasp Paul's mind about the mystery of Christ as revealed to him. Christ is God's mystery. In other words, the full details about Christ was veiled in secret or behind the scenes all along, until the fullness of time, when God was pleased to reveal Christ. Part of those details is today's Scripture reference, which Paul says of Christ, "in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him." That means, because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can boldly and confidently access God's presence. However its important to note the phrase: "In him and through faith in him."

Beloved, we can approach God with freedom and confidence by two means of divine intelligence, namely: 1. In Christ. 2. Through faith in Christ.

This is God's extraordinary secret plan now revealed in Christ and this very plan is continually discussed and talked about even among the angels! Its a mystery planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. It wasn't so before. In fact, in the Old Testament times, apart from the Priest, no one could enter the Holy of Holies, also called "the Holy Place" (see Exodus 28:35). He usually went into the Holy of Holies alone since everyone wasn't qualified to do so.

The Holy place was the most sacred room within the tabernacle or the Temple. So the High Priest had to wear his specifically designed clothes according to God's instruction. Strikingly, in the event of misconduct, where the High Priest had uttered or done something wrong, it was commonly believed that he would be struck dead for his offense right away. Since no one else was qualified to enter the Holy of Holies, the rope around his waist enabled his assistants to pull His corpse out of the inner-sanctum, without being struck dead themselves.

Now lets examine the mystery of Christ, in terms of our approach and access to God - In Christ: The Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ..."(2 Corinthians 5:17-18). Did you notice that in Christ, the old pattern is no more in operation? Yes, God has brought us back to Himself through this mystery called "Christ". No more High priest protocols or their official procedure. If you are a new creature in Christ, you are fully qualified to approach God with freedom and confidence.

Through faith in Christ: It's one thing to be in Christ, and its another thing to function or live by faith in Him. Through faith in Christ means, without doubt. A Scripture says, "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:23-24 KJV). When we trust in Him, we can approach God with freedom - which means, we're free to say it the way we want, in terms of whatever we have in mind according to His will, and also with confidence - which means, we are bold enough to go directly to God as we are, whenever we need to, and even dressed as we desire. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Romans 5:1-2; Hebrews 4:16; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 10:19-22; Ephesians 2:18.

Guided Prayer: Thank you Father for your bountiful grace that grants me direct and unlimited access to you, through faith in Christ Jesus. I'm awed and ever constantly amazed by this truth. I put my entire trust in Christ, knowing that my union with Him positions me to obtain mercy, divine favour and help from the throne of grace at will. I'm forever grateful for the eternal life in me, awakening my approach in response to your unconditional love in Jesus' Name, Amen!