THE THRONE OF GRACE (2024) Hebrews 4:16
`“THE THRONE OF GRACE”
Hebrews 4:16
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Tuesday Bible Study March 11. 2024; Sunday, November 6, 2011
After finishing chapter 4, we decided to do a special session on “The Throne of Grace.” It is much too large a subject to cover in one session, but let us go there. I live there, and extend it to all to whom I am sent.
Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
What then is this divine grace?
Strong’s Concordance---Grace – (In the N.T. the word for Grace is “charis”) “That which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, grace of speech, good will, loving-kindness, favor---of the merciful kindness by which God exerting his holy influence upon souls turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. Then what is due to grace? The spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace. It is a gift, a benefit, a bounty. It is favor. It is thankfulness for benefits, services, favors, recompense, and rewards.
At this throne of Christ, where He is seated at the right-hand of the Father, we are exhorted to come boldly that we may obtain mercy.
What then is this divine mercy?
Strong’s Concordance ---Mercy---“eleos” “That of God towards sinners, kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them. It is mercy of men toward men; to exercise the virtue of mercy and show one-self merciful. It is the mercy and clemency of God providing and offering to men salvation by Christ. It is the mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life.
The blessing of Grace closes the words of the Holy Bible.
The state of grace and the state of glory are identical in their nature – although widely different in degree.
Grace is glory commenced – and glory is grace completed.
Grace is the opening bud – and glory is the full-blown flower.
Grace is the infant – and glory is the mature and perfect man.
Grace is the early dawn – and glory is the cloudless meridian.
“Heaven must enter us before we can enter into Heaven! The Christian has, within Heaven begun below which is a foretaste of the Heaven which awaits us above. Unless the kingdom of God is in us here (born again) we have yet to enter into His everlasting kingdom now and hereafter” (MacDuff).
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” There are passages, it is true, which speak of perfection upon earth – but clearly not of sinless perfection. Those who are called perfect are the sincere – as opposed to the hypocritical. By grace, there must be a continued growth in every Christian virtue. We cannot but feel that we yet require much hewing and hammering, before we shall be prepared, as living stones.
Rev. 22: 21: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”
The first mention of Grace is in Genesis, chapter 6: Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. In the Old Testament the word for grace is “chen”. It is the same word used for favor. It means to find favor in the eyes of someone, to be accepted, and to be pleasing.
At the Throne of Grace which we are so freely invited to come, we receive the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4: 15-16: For we do not have a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we obtain mercy and find help in time of need.
Since we are God’s sons, born-again of His Spirit, it is Jesus’ primary task, as our high priest to make us comfortable in the presence of our Holy Father. It is His finished work on the cross to give us access into joyous fellowship with God. Now that is Amazing Grace considering that we still sin. Sinner’s naturally shy away from the majesty of holiness. The throne of Grace is indeed called, “the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1)
We wish we didn’t sin, but we do---continually. We give in to our old natures all the time. Therefore, we need a full-time high priest and Jesus is our high priest ever interceding for us. Because He knows by experience how we feel and what is needed to make us one with the Father, He established the Throne of Grace. What throne is that? It is God’s throne, with a sympathetic Savior seated on it, rather than a Judge. It is because Christ is on that throne, that we’re invited to come boldly. What is there to fear? No one is going to judge us, only help us. When we come, we receive two things:
1. Mercy. We need that first.
2. Then after we have sought Him for our forgiveness, He showers us with God’s grace.
If we will only come, with no merits of our own, and humbly accept the fact that God loves us---as we are. The realization of this should strip away all pride and make us run into His arms! Even if we sin 100 times a day, we can still come with boldness to this throne because of Jesus.
However, we are warned that we can grieve the Holy Spirit of Grace by deliberately sinning:
Hebrews 10:29: How much greater punishment will happen to that man who despises the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of Grace.
Hebrews 12:15: Looking diligently lest any man fall of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up troubles you and thereby many are defiled.
Hebrews 12:28: Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear.
The Bible speaks of two thrones for the Christian, “The Throne of Grace” and the “Judgment Seat of Christ.”
Cor. 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to what he has done, whether it is good or bad.
Romans 14:10-12: Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you set at nothing your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ…for every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
All during our lives on earth, no matter how many times we sin, we have access to the throne of Grace. However, according to Hebrews 9:27, It is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment. (K.J.V.)
Although our sins are covered with the blood, there are many who believe what we will give account for at the judgment seat of Christ is what we have done or have not done in the Kingdom to serve the Lord. Will we hear, “well done good and faithful servant?
When Jesus commenced His public ministry, it is said that all wondered at the gracious words which proceeded from His lips, and so it will we be amazed and wonder, should it be our happy lot to hear those gracious words proclaimed over us. The next words are “enter into the joy of the Lord.” It is His joy we will enter into. We have streams of joy here on earth which refresh and gladden us, but we will have the over-flowing fountain there.
Or could it be like Belshazzar, “you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.”
What will be the measure? Paul spoke in Acts 20:24: None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify of the gospel of the grace of God.
We are invited to the Throne of Grace and there experience the Parousia of Christ to reveal Himself through us to the world around us. We are invited to be seated with Him on his throne of Glory.
1 Co. 6:2: Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?
To the apostles is given the judgment of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Luke 22: 29-30: I appoint you a kingdom, as my Father has appointed unto me. That you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The throne of Grace is also Christ’s throne of glory. Matt. 25:31: When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.
When Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary via the cross, He wore only the “white linen” of his personal righteousness. Yet when he reappears to those who are eagerly waiting for and expecting Him, He will be clothed in His royal Glory! We shall then see Him as He is, the triumphant King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Rev. 3:20: To him that overcomes I will grant him to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and have sat down with My Father in His throne.
Daniel 7:27: The kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
Rev. 1:7: He has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev. 5:10: He has made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.
Hebrews 9:28: Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon Himself and bear as a burden the sins of many once and for all, will appear, a second time, not to carry any burden of sin, not to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation those who are eagerly, constantly, and patiently waiting for and expecting Him (Amplified). I believe the promise here that Christ will appear to those who are eagerly, constantly, and patiently waiting for Him are the overcomers. This visitation described in Heb. 9:28 does not indicate that everyone will see him.
Mt. 14:62: And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
According to what was spoken by the angels in Acts 1:11, he will appear to the human eye. Also, He said He would in Matt. 24:30.
Acts 1:11: You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.
Mt. 24:30: Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn. They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Jesus’ Parousia (His presence) has appeared to His people in the Spirit throughout Bible history (Ex. 16:10, Lev. 16:2). He appeared as the fire on the mountain and a cloud on the tabernacle. He appeared as a pillar of smoke and a burning bush.
He appeared in His Glory to Peter, James and John: There appeared unto Elias with Moses and they were talking with Jesus (Mark. 9:4).
“Eye,” “seeing,” “sight” and “appearing” throughout the Bible metaphorically means mental and spiritual faculties. It also means a spring or fountain.
There is another throne for the unsaved; it is the Great White Throne. During the White Throne Judgment, those who have never received Christ will enter into everlasting punishment.
Rev. 20:11: I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Books are plural. There is the book of life; however, there are the books of works that judge the dead. These books establish the weight of Glory for the righteous.
Rev. 20:13: The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.
Again, they are being judged according to their works.
10: 14-15: Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This is the judgment of the damned; short and simple. He who has Christ has life… (He, who does not, does not!) Notice that the lake is no longer referred to as fire and brimstone, now it just burns.
Chapter One of revelation tells us that those who have eyes to see will see Christ in a deeper way. The Old Testament repeatedly identifies grace with sight and eyes. “That I may have grace in your sight.” It will take the eyes of grace for His people to be able to see Him in His Parousia. They will be allowed to see His plan for His people and will become kings and priests who will be prepared to reign and rule with Him.
Rev. 1:7: Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” The word for eye here means the eyes of the mind, faculty of knowing.
We must be in the “Spirit” to “see.” Christ must be our focus to see His “Parousia.” The more we grow in relationship with Christ, the more things of this world begin to dim and the more we are able to “see” with the eyes of the Spirit.
Acts 20:32: Now brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all of them which are sanctified.
Tit. 3:7: being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
What is Heaven? It is the habitation of God’s holiness. Whatever is related to the Diving Being is represented as holy, even here. The temple where He graciously revealed Himself was called His holy temple. The ground on which He condescended to admit Moses to an audience with Him was called holy ground. The mountain on which the Savior was transfigured is called the holy mount. The day set apart for the worship of Hod is called a holy day; and the people of God are called, in a far higher sense, a holy people. The Kingdom of Heaven is where He dwells and is Holy. The Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven tells us who runs it.
Rev. 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX.
Scripture from K.J.V. and Amplified as indicated. C. S. Lovett’s Lights on Hebrews; Roger MacDuff – The Promised Land. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I have gleaned.