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When Going Boldly to the Throne of Grace
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[This essay is 4,450 words; please print out for study.]

The writer of the Hebrews letter says, come boldly to the throne of grace. [Heb.5] This is the will of God concerning his people, and it certainly means that we are not to be timid when coming to God; He is our father, and we have certain rights as children of God, even as natural-born children in a family believe, know, and behave as if they have rights in their families.

The boldness God is directing us to come to him with is really a demonstration of our faith.  But because of the timidity of many Christians’ faith, they often underestimate the greatness of their God and the rightful expectation they should have when coming to God. And so it is often with natural-born children: they do not know the status of their father until someone from afar says, "Your father is a great man." And they are often, but not always, uncertain about their rightful status in the family.

There are some Christians who are simply untutored in their attempts to exercise the faith that they have, and untutored faith normally goes nowhere. [Rom. 12:3] James wrote that we have not because we ask not. Asking God amiss or of our lust receives no answer from God, and, consequently, that person may even go so far as to think that God is not there. But He is always there. [James 4]

Many times in our walk with God it seems as if God is not present or He may even be hiding his face from us, but that may not be because of God; sometimes it may be our defective approach to God, our timid faith, or our flawed asking that may be based upon personal lust or some other flawed condition/behavior. We may be asking vainly—not for any good reason or purpose. The many money-lusts that many Christians have been stirred to have by Gospel of wealth Preachers and Satan are a type of vain-asking.

Asking God for riches is never a good approach to receiving from the Lord—such requests are usually  vain. God has said we are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all other things God will add unto you. [Mat. 6:33] Sadly, however, many people who call themselves Christians and are petitioning God for worldly riches are not yet washed from their sins—have not received the kingdom of God and his righteousness—and still go to God for worldly riches; let not, James said, that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord. [James 1:6-7] Isaiah was more definitive, when he said that, “Line must be upon line, precept must be upon precept….” [Isa. 28:10-11] 

First, one must allow God’s word to become his/her identity and his way of life--take up residence in him, one line at a time; one precept at a time.  [John 15:7] Yet, so many have simply overlooked that aspect of God’s word and attempted to challenge the word of God into doing what is promised in it, although they have not done what God has commanded--that is a false balance, and a false balance is an abomination to God. Yet they hope against hope and against the word of God. [Prov.11] 

Jonah came to realize that a person who observes lying vanities will forsake his own mercies. [Jonah 2:8] And to attempt to secure the things of God without obeying God's word that says how, thinking that one can have some mental formation he or she calls faith is a self induced vanity that takes you away from the truth of God, your own mercy. We must become obedient to his word to ask of God and receive of him. Once one is obedient to his word, one purges himself of carnality, and vain requests will then subside. James wrote for the sinner to cleanse his hands and purify his heart. [James 4:8] The idea that we can receive of the Lord while in absolute defiance of his word must be a notion we rid ourselves of. Let no one deceive you into thinking that sin and God have a co-existence. They do not; sin separates us from God, and once we are dead with him and we rise again unto sin, we simply crucify the Lord afresh. There are small pockets of ministers who are teaching the damnable notion that you can continue in sin and still have a relationship with God because Christ has died for all your sins. [Isa. 59; Gal. 2:18; Heb. 6:6]

While it is truth that Christ has died for all your sins, you cannot go back into sin because Christ has died for all your sins. Once you have come to the light and then go back to darkness, as sin is darkness, you are not in harmony with God--God says that we should walk in the light. So, once we come to the light, we must walk in the light; Christ died for our sins and called us out of that sin to live unto righteousness/light/him; only when living unto righteousness will we ever think about the notion, the command, the goal of perfection in God. A teaching that says that one can dabble in and out of sin and still have a fellowship with God makes perfection of the saints an impossibility. One dabbling in and out of sin is merely a sinner who needs salvation from sin. For, until there is salvation from sin, you can never go to the next level God has planned for his saints while on this earth--perfection of the saints. [Eph. 4:11-6]

I have heard any number of supposed faith-preachers who have no understanding of faith at all, yet they run as if they have been sent of God. They preach faith without the supposition of a prerequisite of obedience to his word. That is flawed teaching. They simply repeat scriptures of faith, yet they have no understanding of them. How they argue that "...faith comes by hearing..." and never suppose that obedience to God's word is anywhere in the mixture. That is much like telling a Christian to wait on God and never explain what wait means; so one waits and is downtrodden, one complains, one is everything God doesn't want his to be, as he waits--but God says to wait and be of good courage. It is much like telling one to believe God's word and assume that belief/faith is some mental formation--but to believe God's word is to do God's word.

God has a way, and his way must become our way to receive the things of God. Years ago, I bought a sophisticated computer program and read the book on how to develop professional websites. I was using Dreamweaver. As I worked the program, in accord to what I thought was the correct instructions, I ran into some difficulty making the program do what I wanted it to do and what it promised it would do. I kept trying, but the program would not respond as I supposed it should. After a while, I reread the instructions even more carefully than I had and got technical assistance. After that I saw that there was a flaw in my behavior and that the program would not respond as it promised until I fulfilled the demands of the program. 

Those who teach that a Christian can dibble and dabble in sin can neither guide nor edify God's people, because they are untutored themselves and unwilling to be tutored by the ministers of the Living God who have a word from God. Do not fail to remember that Jim Jones deceived many, claiming faith and the gift of miracles, but his miracles were little more than slight of hand gimmickry that used chicken hearts, and other stuns. And some who wanted to believe God, instead, believed Jim Jones’s deception. 

During the Jim Jones era, a sister became quite hostile with me, when I, as a very young minister at that time, questioned his credibility as a minister of God. She thought I was a bit bold and even arrogant because I questioned his credentials, when she, an older person in the faith, did not question them. She had let her spiritual guard down and had been overthrown in believing his fake miracles; so compromised in the faith was she that she justified acts she acknowledged were fallacious. She argued that the use of some gimmicks was to build up the people’s faith. But God’s people’s faith in him is built up through their hearing and understanding of his word; Jim Jones’s people’s faith in him (Jim Jones) was built up through tricks and deceptions. [Phil. 5:20]

I assure you, miracles are a part of the ministry, but they are not for purposes of needless exhibitions of God’s power, and certainly never for the exhibition of man’s flesh. Many want God to do what He has given them the power to do for themselves; God is not our handmaid; He is our creator, and He knows what power He has created in us. Furthermore, many Christians often cater to those glorious aspects of the ministry when they should be working in those more needful ministries that have less glory but require more grit. To cater to glory ministries is to consume what we ask of God upon our own lust. Again, James said, let not that person think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

We must come to God boldly as sons of his. And as sons, we should have an idea of our father’s nature, his strengths, his desires for us, etc.* Intelligently coming to God in the time of need to secure those things which we cannot do for ourselves should be done with stoutness and assurance that God will respond, knowing that nothing is impossible with God. Intelligently and boldly coming to God, we should know that we must abide in him and let his word abide in us. That simply means that we must do all that God has said his saints should do. We cannot live like the devil and think that God will positively respond to our requests.** Saints/Christians behave as saints are called. If a saint/Christian cannot or will not live holy (free of sin) that Christian cannot ever go to the level of perfection God is demanding of all Christians—living free of sin is just the first step. [Mat. 5:48; Heb.6:1-5] Perfection assumes that you have mastered the art of living the life of God. 

Note that after three years of walking with Christ, his disciples had learned to live as he lived, to talk as he talked, to behave as Christ behaved. Then Jesus said, I no longer call you servants, but friends if you obey all that I bid you obey. [John 15:15] There is a level Christians can and must get to in God, where they won’t fall—God, Paul said, is able to make you stand; [Rom. 14:4] that level should not take forever to reach if we are, in fact, walking with him. Remember that Jeremiah the prophet said, “…walk ye in it.” [Jer. 6:16] Indeed, that may, and probably is, the major fault in our inability to grow into Christ—we are not walking with him correctly from the start.*** 

Jesus himself delineated the distinction between servants and friends. For as Abraham was a friend of God, we are the children of Abraham through faith, and also friends of Christ, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, and sons of God. This shows us that Christians are to grow from servants (those who come to Christ and do all he tells them to do, as children are tutored into obedience by their natural parents) to friends, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, and unto maturity in him. Once we understand and walk in this light, the word of God has come to us, and as we see and accept who we are, we can accept this greater truth: “…Ye are gods to whom the word of God came.” [John 10:34-36]

In the Old and New Testaments, God showed us this elevated state we would have in him. In Moses’ encounter with Pharaoh, God told Moses that He would make Moses a God to Pharaoh and Aaron would be his prophet. He modeled Moses after himself that sent his prophets to speak his word, and he said that He would make a man a god. [Exodus 7] David, being a prophet himself, moved further still, as he said, “Ye are gods and all are the children of the most high.” [Psa. 82] When coming to the New Testament, we see that Jesus develops this concept further.  [John 10:34; Acts 2]

The Pharisees wanted to stone Jesus because they thought he was blaspheming, for they had no real understanding of who Jesus was. But Jesus engaged them in dialogue, then said, “Is it not written in your law, ‘Ye are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of the Lord came and the scripture cannot be broken, say ye…”  He spoke of himself, and it is the command of God that we be even as Jesus was. In looking at him, we see that Jesus was the first begotten of God--Adam was the first son of God, but he was not a begotten son but a made son of God--Jesus was the first begotten of many, for God overshadowed Mary and begot Jesus. [Luke 1:35] We are begotten as the Spirit of God comes into us and we cry out Abba father. [Mat. 5:48; Rom. 8:14-15; Heb.6:1-3; 1John 5:18]

Jesus explains the scripture in Psalms, by saying that God calls them gods to whom the word of God has come (and presumably continued with them--Jesus said if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth and the truth shall make you free.) One who has the word of God come unto him, and he abides in God's word, that one will move from a servant to a son [yes, we are born sons, but as we are born natural sons, we must become mature sons made into the image of our fathers; that is done through nurturing and tutoring in the ways of polite society until those ways become who we are, not just commands we obey] and on to perfection, with the associated freedom in God that status has to exercise the life and behavior of Christ--and they will be called gods because the word of God has come to them and they exercise the powers of God. [John 8:31-32]

Dear readers, I am fully aware that this type of teaching has not been given to a many of you, but I can only say that I am responsible for teaching the truth as God has given that truth unto me. If ministers do not have the light of God sufficiently to preach this truth, that is a fact that you should evaluate and respond appropriately to. I will freely teach anyone who will hear the truth of God’s word. But a major problem is that many in the ministry do not want the truth of God’s word. And we know that many in the ministry should not be there--they are neither called of God nor even saved by God. 

Furthermore, many have bastardized the church and the teachings of the church to conform to their truth. But their truth is not God’s truth; it is really little more than worldliness disguised as Christianity. [Isa.58] And since their churches teach their truth and not God’s truth, their churches and they are without proper parenting; that is what I mean when I say, they have bastardized the church--a bastard is one without a father. Of course, they have a father, but the rightful father of the church is God; instead, they have made Satan the father of their churches, whether they know it or not!

Jesus said, “…if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” That is a clear distinction between servants and disciples indeed. Once you are at the level of disciples indeed, you are at that level in God where you are no more a servant, but a friend. You are at the stage in God where the word of God has come unto you, and it is abiding in you and you are abiding in it as the very character of who you are. It is no longer an outside behavior that you are imposing on this carnal body, this carnal mind, this carnal perspective to accept. God's word has become a mindset, an internal philosophy that guides you in all aspects of your being. And once you have internalized the word of God as the method of operation for your life and as your lifestyle,  you then have Christ as a friend. You see, two people cannot walk together unless they agree. [Amos 3:3] And as you walk in agreement with God, you will have an abundance of adventures with him so that those adventures will propel you to the stage where Moses was: you will be called gods, because the word of God has come and abides with you and you can call unto him and he will show great and mighty things that you have not known.

The apostles' adventures allow us to observe a clearer application of this Psalm of David: Paul and Barnabas were thought to be gods by those unaware that God had given heavenly powers to earthly men; [Acts 14] indeed, God has given such powers to men and told us that we should control them—for the spirit of a prophet is subject to the prophet; if there be no interpreter of tongues, let him keep silent in the church; let prophets prophesy in order.  So we see that these gifts of God have earthly controls over them, and these heavenly gifts are to be exercised by mortal men. [1Cor. 14]  But no one can think himself to be of that lofty level who is still frequenting in sin. Not only can one not think of himself at this lofty level, if he will not live above sin, he needs to do the first principles of the doctrine of Christ—get saved correctly and start at the servant level and grow into Christ.  [Heb. 5:12]

Some go so far to justify sin remaining in their lives by arguing that the scripture that says that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance actually means that you can have the holy gifts and calling of God without ever repenting and repudiating sin in their lives. [Rom. 11:29] That is mere wishing thinking of a carnal mind, not sound analysis of God's word. The gift of salvation has been granted to man in God's sovereign will, not as a factor of our repentance. And certainly not as an operating gift before and beyond repentance. For, you see, it is God who works in human beings both the will and to do his good pleasure--that is God's  sovereignty. Furthermore, the best analysis of this scripture, I think, is based on the gifts that God has given us cannot be simply abandoned because we want to. That was tried by Jeremiah the Prophet, and God showed him that he was not about to cast away the gift of prophecy given to him; hence he had to abide in his calling. [Jer.20; 1 Cor. 72-24]

You cannot be a friend of Christ until you have developed the mindset and behavior of Christ as your operating system and philosophy for your life. And when that has been done, you have moved from servant to friend, and you are moving to disciple indeed, friend of God, heir and joint heir with Christ—god to whom the word of God has come! You know the truth and are freed by that truth.**** Freed from the foolishness of this world; freed from the deception of men and from Satan's deception; freed to understand and live in the higher levels of God’s word and spiritual matters. [2 Cor. 2:11]

Luke 15 is a most interesting scripture that tends to show us who we are in God and how we should behave in the light of our familial relationship to God. Paul and other apostles have clearly stated our position in Christ: We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; we are a part of this royal family; we have put on Christ; we are to grow into him. Now we need to see how to get there and actualize the word of God in our lives. 

The older brother in this parable, given by Jesus, had not seen the evolution that was a great part of this life. He had obeyed his father’s rules and commands; he had mingled and commingled his fortune with his father’s and abided in his father’s house in harmony with the rules of that house so much so that the behavior and mindset of the house was his mindset and behavior. But he had not seen and understood the result of his behavior, but the occasion of the prodigal son’s return prompted his recognition of his evolution. His father entreated him kindly, in saying, “Son, all I have is thine….” This son, albeit obedient to God, had not seen that we grow into our fathers, which life itself teaches us. We move from servant, which was his mindset, to friends/sons/perfection/gods. And once at that level in God, we come boldly to the throne of grace with full confidence that it is our father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom and we have whatever we say! We are at the level of literally speaking things into existence, even as our father does--thou shall decree a thing and establish it unto thee; whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; you shall have whatever you say. We literally, by the power of God, whose we are, can speak and God will hold our words firm, even as his word is firm. [Job 22:28;Mat. 18:18; Mark 11:24]

Often we focus our attention on the prodigal son and not on the elder son. But the elder son gives us vital information about how we are to be bold in Christ. When the young, foolish, and depleted son had returned, the father gave him a party, and the elder son was angry. His anger was because he did not understand his place in his father’s house. He knew that he had obeyed his father’s wishes and commands, but he did not understand what that obedience had done for him and how it had positioned him in that family. 

Sometimes, our children grow up right before us and we cannot see that growth, nor can they, until we step aside or someone else helps us see. To the older son, it seemed as if the father was favoring the foolish and rebellious son. Hence, his anger was kindled and burned against his brother. And the father, sensing his anger and his failure to understand his lofty place in the family, went out to that son, as that son said, “All these years I do serve you, yet you never gave me a kid to make marry with my friends. And this your son….” His was still at the servant level in his mind; he did not appreciate his status and growth. 

Paul argued that the spiritual things of God can be seen by the visible things that God has made. So we see this truth through the natural emergence of a young person into adulthood. The parent must guide that child into his new status by telling him of that new status, by trusting him to go beyond youth to exercise those powers and rights of an adult, by allowing him to make his own decisions, by tutoring him where appropriate, and allowing him to come back for advice when needed, by picking him up when he falls, and launching him again back into adulthood. The elder son, was an obedient son and had not recognized and guided into his new status. The father gently guided him into that new status, as the father said, "Son, you are ever with me and all I have is yours…!”

This son was a type of the saint/Christian, who has gone to perfection: who has cast his lots totally with the Lord; he has obeyed God totally and moved from servant to son of God who is heir and joint heir with Christ; he is no longer called a servant but a friend of Christ; he exercises the power of the Living God. He knows his position in God. He knows that all the father has is his to access at will. 

In closing, one of my sons who was so marvelously and miraculously delivered from the hands of death and harm's way in Iraq is often used by me as an example of how to exercise the powers and privileges of our sonship in God. Before going to Iraq, and now after returning, he would go to the refrigerator, open the doors, and inventory the contents, as to say, "Let me see what these parents have bought for me." And without fear or hesitation (boldly), he would select what he wanted and sit down and eat unto his heart's content. He knew that he was in this family and that the riches of the family were his riches to be used at his discretion. And he used them. This is the way God wants us to approach him. 

It is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, if we have met the criteria God has set--continuing in his word--then we should go boldly to the throne of grace and obtain whatever we need.

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*Be clear this, I am not talking about a gospel of wealth scheme, which is little more than a Ponzi Scheme that makes preachers wealthy.

** Sin separates man from God so that he will not hear us. [Isa.59:2]

***There are certain truths of God’s word and the life of God that unless you live them, you can never attain. As an example of this, I offer this real situation: Some years ago, I went to a certain city to start a church ministry and preach to sinners. I had started a work with my brother that was up and ongoing in another city already. As I preached in that city, the sinners were very slowly turning to God, and I went to God about that slow turn, asking Him a question. I asked whether I was preaching His word correctly and why these sinners were not repenting at the hearing of his word. God responded to me by asking me a question: “You did not see the time element in my word, did you?” I had asked him about the scripture in Jeremiah that said his word was like a fire and a hammer that would break rocks into pieces. 

Had I not engaged that scripture by practice, and it is true for much of God’s word, I would have never seen the depth of that scripture; I would have never known that there was a time level in his word—that time level was not explicit, but implicit. This truth also supports my contention that a sinner, regardless of how educated he/she is in the word of God, can never teach God’s people into holiness and certainly not into perfection because he/she has no depth of the truth needed to live the life and go on to perfection.