This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." [John 14:6 NASB]
When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, everything changed.
Prior to this, all the world's religions had one thing in common, whether it was Judaism or idolatry. That one thing was sacrifice.
The book of Leviticus gives detailed instructions for the sacrifice required before the high priest could enter the Holy Place and approach God.
"The LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. ...Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. ...Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. ...Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times." [Leviticus 16:2-14 NASB]
This is only a part of the ritual involved in approaching God.
The pagan world was similar with the requirement of animal sacrifices and rituals.
But when Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, everything changed. "For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever." [Hebrews 7:26-28 NASB]
We have bold, confident, direct access to God the Father. We don't need a priest to intercede for us, or to offer sacrifice for us. We don't need to perform acts of penance before we come to Him, because Jesus' sacrifice paid it all.
We call Him God the Father because we are his children. "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." [Galatians 4:4-7 NASB]
As a child approaches his father without fear or groveling, so we approach our Heavenly Father without fear.
How can we not avail ourselves of this opportunity to approach God in prayer, who is there for us day and night.
We are always welcome in the presence of God our Father.
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