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“Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” — Hebrews 4:14-16 (The Message)

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers.

A Wasted Opportunity

The story is told of a poor man who knew a governor of a state in Nigeria. Governors are powerful political office holders who wield a lot of influence and control a lot of resources. For a long time, this poor man longed for access to the governor and one day, his wish was granted. When he met the governor, he went on a long tale about the governor’s enemies – people who opposed him and the unkind things they said against him behind his back. When he was done, the governor gave him a paltry sum of money, and he left. The governor later expressed to his aides how disappointed he was with the poor man, that instead of asking for something that would change his fortunes permanently, he chose to use his access for gossip. He had access, but he let it slip through his fingers.

Like that poor man, many believers have direct access to the King of Kings yet waste it on trivial pursuits — complaints, gossip, or worry instead of bold requests and worship.

Many believers have access to the King of kings yet waste it on trivial pursuits.

Others have used theirs wisely. When Queen Esther approached King Xerxes, she knew how to maximize her access and save the Jewish race. King Solomon knew what to do with his access on the night that God appeared to him, such that even the Almighty was impressed.

In Old Testament times, access to God was at a premium. Priests served as mediators between God and man, and the Holy Spirit was given to only a few select office-holders. Access to the holy of holies was reserved for only the High Priest, and even that was once yearly, while not sure of his own safety. Thankfully, Jesus fixed that.

The Veil is Rent

On the night that Jesus died, everything changed. “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). The rending of this veil signified the opening of the access to God through the wounded body of Christ, as we read in Hebrews 10:19-20: “Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.”

It is this access, secured by the broken body of Jesus, that the writer of Hebrews counsels that we not let slip through our fingers.

To let slip through the fingers is to let something important or worthwhile be lost, especially as a result of carelessness or lack of effort; it is to allow an opportunity or something (anything) to pass without being taken advantage of.

You may laugh at the folly of the poor man who met the governor but wasted his opportunity, and say how better you would fare, but a greater than the governor is here. What will you do with your access to him? Or what have you done with the access to the King of kings he has secured for you?

A greater than the governor is here. What will you do with your access to Him?

That the bible has to issue the warning means that we have the tendency to let this access slip through our fingers.

Our Access is the Great High Priest

He has himself declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). No one comes to the Father for salvation except through him. There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). It is in his name that whatever you ask is done to the Father’s glory in the Son (John 14:13).

Have you sought salvation for your soul or salvation from anything anywhere other than through him? When you have faced life’s troubles, have you fretted and worried instead of utilizing your access to table your issues before him, with whom nothing is impossible? When you indulge anxiety instead of coming to him, you are letting this blood-bought access slip through your fingers; you are not taking advantage of it. Beloved, take advantage of Jesus!

Our Access is Not Super Human

Our access is not a super-human, unknown to frailty and out of touch with our reality. Quite the opposite. Hebrews says, “We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all.” Our access has worn our flesh and has been through weakness and testing and has experienced it all. Hebrews 5:1 says “every high priest is chosen from among men,” and our access ticks this box too. He had no other reason for the incarnation: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity … For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” (Hebrews 2:14, 17). Our access became human so that he can experience humanness and be able to help you. If he remained a Spirit, perhaps he would not understand experientially some of our human weaknesses. To fully understand that and help us relevantly, he took on our form. How will you respond to the humanity of your High Priest — the one who understands your every weakness? Come to him, hold nothing back, knowing that he’s in touch with your reality; he understands; he knows your weaknesses.  Don’t let this ministry of his slip through your fingers.

Our High Priest became human so He could experience humanness and help us.

All But The Sin

Our access has “experienced it all—all but the sin.” This is huge. Those descendants of Aaron couldn’t just stroll into the holy of holies – death (the wages of sin) wasn’t far away. They were stopped from continuing in office because of death, resulting from sin. The whole order that they served in was set aside “because it was weak and useless” (Hebrews 7:18). Our access is a priest forever, “on the basis of the power of an indestructible life” (Hebrews 7:16). “Unlike the other priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself” (Hebrews 7:27). Because he has a permanent priesthood, not truncated by sin and death, “he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). What will you do with this access to God that this High Priest has secured? He says to you, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Walk Right Up to Him

“So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give” is the apostle’s call. The word ‘so’ is replaced with the words “Let us therefore” in the Authorized Version. It means consequent upon, as a result of, what our access has done, let us walk right up to him. That is the only appropriate response to the access we have been given. No one comes except the Father draws them, and that he has done in Jesus. At Mount Sinai, the people were warned not to come close or even touch the foot of the mountain. The command was that, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death” (Hebrews 12:20). But the veil has been torn by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus. What to do with this access is to come to the Father through him.

Come Confidently

The state of mind that should be had as you approach is confidence: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence.” What is the basis of this confidence? Is it bravado? That will be met with death. Even Uzzah, who touched the ark because it stumbled, was killed right there (2 Samuel 6:6-7). He had boldness but no access. The basis of our boldness is that we have a merciful and faithful High Priest who has made atonement for our sins (Hebrews 2:17). His sacrifice has satisfied the wrath of God for our sins and the Father has counted him faithful (Hebrews 3:2). This High Priest “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). We are no longer enemies, but children of God and we can cry out “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6; Hebrews 7:25).

Come confidently. Receive mercy for your sins and find grace for your needs. The basis of our boldness is not bravado—it is our merciful and faithful High Priest.

Receive Mercy, Find Grace

The Governor’s poor friend got access but didn’t maximize it. There were great things to ask for, but he wasted the opportunity on gossip. Now that Christ has secured access to God on our behalf, what will you do with it? The apostle says two things are of primal importance: mercy and grace.

Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. God is more than able to punish. Jesus said he is the one we should fear, as he can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). But he chooses to be merciful to us. No matter how atrocious your sin is, take advantage of this access and come to him. Receive mercy for your sins and wretchedness. Though they “be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

Grace is free favour. The list of these favours is endless. Every good and perfect gift is an extension of grace. The Bible commentator Alexander Maclaren says of grace:

Grace is the New Testament word for the undeserved favour and loving regard of God to man considered as weak, sinful, and unworthy; it is love which has its own motive, apart from any regard to worthiness in the object upon which it falls. Grace is its own real impulse and motive, and grace is set in Scripture as the opposite of desert; it is of grace, not of works, and so forth. It is set as the antagonist of sin and unrighteousness and all evil, and so runs up to the idea that it expresses the unmerited, self-originated, loving regard of God to us poor, miserable creatures, who, if dealt with on the ground of right and retribution, would receive something very different indeed.

Don’t Waste Your Access

Are you aware that you have a High Priest? I’m not talking about a once-upon-a-time or once-in-a-while piece of information. I’m talking about a revelation that sticks and is at the forefront of your consciousness in every situation and season of life. This knowledge makes you say, “In all this, I have access.” How often do you take advantage of your access to God through Christ in prayer? Don’t be like the governor’s poor friend. The next time life presses you, remember — you have access. The veil is torn. Mercy and grace await. Don’t let it slip through your fingers.

Take advantage of Jesus.

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