Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 2709 Rock Springs Road in Kingsport, Tennessee,
would like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. For information and service times,
visit www.ksgc.church. And now, Gabe Stoniker. Our text
today will be three verses of scripture from Hebrews chapter
four. If you would like to read along
with me, we will be in Hebrews chapter four and we'll begin
reading in verse 14. It says, seeing then that we
have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus,
the son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not
an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. Let us therefore come boldly,
boldly to the throne." That is an amazing statement. If you
really think about that, that is an amazing statement. God
has said in his word to his people, God has a people. He has a particular
people. And he has said in his word to
his people, you can come to the throne of my glory. Boldly. Boldly. That is such an amazing statement.
And what makes that such an amazing statement is. Naturally, the
throne of God, standing before the throne of God, people talk
about going and standing before the throne of God. That is the
last place that sinful flesh naturally wants to be. That is
what man naturally tries to put off as long as he can. That's
why men and women try to live as long as they can. Naturally
speaking, sinful flesh does not want to stand before the throne
of God. Over in Psalm 9, verse 7, it
says that the throne of God is a throne of judgment. It's a
throne of judgment. Right here in Hebrews 4, verse
12 says, the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing sunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart." That's what God is,
a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Verse 13
says, "'Neither is there any creature that is not manifest
in his sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the
eyes of him with whom we have to do.'" God's throne is a throne
of strict justice. Therefore it's a throne that
will by no means clear the guilty. Seize everything. It's a throne
of justice. Psalm 47 verse eight says his
throne is a throne of holiness. Holiness. God reigneth over the
heathen. God sitteth upon the throne of
his holiness. That's what it says. Isaiah saw
the throne of God. He solved God's holiness in that
throne. If you look with me, if you're
turning and want to follow me to Isaiah 6, it says in Isaiah
6 verse 1, in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord
sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and his train filled
the temple. Above it stood the seraphims.
Each one had six wings. With twain he covered his face,
and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and
said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth
is full of his glory. Holy, holy, holy. It's a throne
of holiness. It's a throne of glory. a throne
of God's glory. Our Lord said in Matthew 25,
you are going to see me sitting on the throne of my glory. I've thought so many times, you
think about this, I've thought so many times about Pilate, the
man Pilate. The Lord had to stand before
the judgment throne of Pilate just before he was crucified.
Can you imagine right after that, when Pilate had to stand before
the judgment throne of Christ. Can you imagine that? Pilate
judged him, judged the Lord for his deeds here on this earth.
Can you imagine him having to stand before the judgment seat
of Christ, seeing the glory of Christ, seeing his holiness,
knowing I now have to be judged of this man who I sinned against. I gave the command to kill him.
Isaiah 6 verse 3, it says, one cried unto another and said,
holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is
full of his glory. And the post of the door moved
at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with
smoke. Then said I, woe is me, for I'm undone. Because I am
a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts,
the King, the Lord of hosts, the King who sits on the throne,
Jesus Christ, the King. That's what happens when sinners
see the glory and the holiness and the judgment of the throne
of Jesus Christ. They see the throne of God. That's
what they see. The throne of God. They see the
king and they cry, woe is me. Solomon being a picture of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Solomon is a glorious picture
and type of Christ. When the queen of Sheba came
to see Solomon, to inquire of him, when she saw him in all
of his judgment, all of his glory that God had given to him, it
says there was no more spirit in her. That means she was just
emptied before him. Seeing his glory, she was emptied. There was no more spirit in her. And that's what happened to Isaiah
right here. And that's what happens to every
soul who sees the holiness and the judgment of God. It's a fearful
thing. It's a fearful thing. Men and
women truly are afraid, naturally, to stand before the judgment
throne when they see him as he is. When they truly see him as
he is. But our God has said to his people,
he has said to us, if we are his people, this is the amazing
thing about it. This is the glory of the gospel.
If we belong to him, then he said we can come boldly right
up to that throne. And it's all because of this
right here. If you look with me back at our text, which is
Hebrews 4. Hebrews 4 verse 16 says, let
us therefore come boldly. Therefore, let us therefore,
that means because of that, let us come boldly. Therefore, let
us come boldly. What is it? What is the reason? Why can we come? Why? Verse 14,
seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into
the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Why can God's people boldly approach
the throne of God? It's because God's people have
a great high priest. This is the only reason. It's
because God's people have a great high priest. In the Old Testament,
The children of Israel knew something of God's judgment. They really
did. They knew something of his judgment. When they would sin against him,
their comfort was in knowing that they had a high priest. That was their comfort. They
had someone who would go appease God for them. The high priest
was a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ. The high priest was a
picture and a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. That high priest
would go into the Holy of Holies with blood. He had to go with
blood. That's why they were slaying
animals, killing animals. He had to go with blood. And
he would make intercession for the people with that blood. Without
the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sins. And in
picture, in type, the blood of bulls and goats cannot put away
sins. It wasn't their actual blood, that was a picture, that
was a type. But in that type, that blood
was an atonement that appeased God and covered the sin of the
people. And their comfort was in knowing
that someone has gone to God on our behalf before we have
to go to God. God has dealt with someone first
on our behalf before he deals with us. That high priest was
their forerunner. That's what the scripture says.
It's what the scripture calls him, their forerunner, the one
who went in first on their behalf to appease God for their sin
against God. And when a sinner sees the holiness
of God and the justice of God, that's what a sinner will want.
I want someone to go in on my behalf first and appease him
before he deals with me. Well, our God has said to his
people in his word, you can come boldly to my throne because you
have a forerunner. That's the good news of the gospel.
That's my good news to us today. In Christ, we have a forerunner. a forerunner. If you look at
Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1, it says, Wherefore, holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling, consider The Apostle, capital
A, and High Priest, capital H, capital P, High Priest of our
profession, who is it? Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus, the
Lord Jesus Christ. He is our forerunner. He's our forerunner. Look with
me at chapter six, right here in Hebrews chapter six, verse
19. It says, which hope we have. This is our hope, which hope
we have. And as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within
the veil." This hope has entered within the veil. Verse 20 says,
wither, that means where the forerunner is for us entered. The forerunner has already entered.
Even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The forerunner. Jesus Christ,
our Lord, this is our hope. We have a forerunner. If you
look at chapter nine, Hebrews nine, verse 11, it says, but
Christ being come and high priest of good things to come by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands. That is
to say, not of this building, Neither by the blood of goats
and calves. All of that was a picture pointing
us to Christ. The tabernacle was a picture,
the sacrifices were all pictures. Verse 12 says, neither by the
blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. God the Father has said to his
people, You are welcome to come right on up to me, boldly, right
on up to my throne, all because of the fact that you have a forerunner. You have a forerunner. Someone
has already been here on your behalf. That's what God says
to his people. That's the good news of the gospel.
Someone has already been here on your behalf. Isn't that wonderful? Someone has already stood here
as your representative and made an atonement for the sin of your
soul. Someone has already done that. If you look back at chapter four,
Hebrews four, our text here, verse 14, it says, seeing then
that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus, the son of God, Let us hold fast our profession. Let us hold fast our profession.
That word profession means confession. What we confess. Let's hold fast
to what we confess. Our confession. What is it? What
is a believer's confession? What is our confession? Here
it is. Verse 15. We have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in
all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. That's our confession. That is
our hope. It can be said in one word, Christ. Christ. It's in the fact that
our high priest, Jesus Christ, our Lord, He was touched with
the feeling of our infirmities, all of our infirmities, the infirmities
of sin in every way, shape and form. He was tempted in everything
that we were tempted with. And he prevailed against it.
Do we understand that fact? He prevailed against it. That's
our confession. That's our glorious confession. It's not in what we did. It's
in what he did. It's in the fact that every sin
that we could ever be tempted by came to him. All of them came
to him and he didn't fall into them. We fell into them. Adam fell into them. In Adam,
we all fell into them. In ourselves, we fall into them.
We fall into sin. We fall into sin. We're tempted
by sin and we fall into it. He was tempted by everything
we are tempted with and he did not fall into it. It's good news,
isn't it? He prevailed against all of it. He was not taken by any of it.
None of it. Now, why is that such a glorious
confession? Look at chapter 7. This is one
of my favorite verses in all the scripture. Hebrews 7, look
at verse 26. It says, For such an high priest
became us. That's a transaction that took
place. That's a transaction of substitution
that took place. If you look at verse 24, it says,
This man, speaking of Christ, because he continueth ever because
he continues forever. He has an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. Why is it so glorious that he
was touched with the feeling of all of our infirmities and
never fell into the sin of one temptation? Why is that so glorious?
It's because he, in all of his glory and all of his perfection
and sinlessness, he made himself to be his people. He became us. He traded places with us. He went to God as us, not as
himself. He went to God as us. He stood there not only for us,
but as us. Why did Christ die on the cross?
Why did God judge him, condemn him, and kill him? It's because
he was standing there as us, not as himself. God is holy. His throne is a throne of justice.
He will not condemn the innocent. God will by no means condemn
the innocent. He must condemn the guilty. He
must damn the guilty. He must slay the guilty. And
Christ stood there, hung there on the cross of Calvary as His
people, in the place of His people. In the transaction of the cross,
He went to God in our place. Therefore, We get to go to God
in his place. Why can we approach the throne
boldly? How boldly do you think Christ
ought to be able to approach the throne of God? As boldly
as he wants to. Well, because he went to God
in our place, we get to go to God in his place. And because
of our sin hanging on him and being pressed into him, he was
rejected. God slew him. And because of
all of his innocence and that perfection, God accepted us. In the cross of the Calvary,
when Christ was rejected, God's people were accepted right then
and there. We are already accepted in the
beloved, already accepted in him. A very old preacher from
many, many, many years ago, John Jasper was the man's name. Someone
asked him one time, John Jasper, If God calls you home and you
find yourself standing at the gates of heaven and the question
is asked to you, what right do you have to enter into, enter
into this place, enter into glory? What will you say? John Jasper
said, I will say, I'm not here on my right. I'm here on the
right of another, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I'm accepted
in the beloved. I'm allowed to walk in because
of him. I'm allowed to walk in because of who he is and what
he did to save my soul. Now back in Hebrews 4, we are
right now already accepted in him, already accepted in him. There's no background checks
that need to be done. That's relieving to God's people. There's no probation period. There's no time of waiting before
everything becomes official. If we are in Christ, we right
now, right now have full access to the throne and glory of God. Right now, we have it. So, verse
16 says, let us therefore come boldly right now, right now in
the heart, right now, knowing that in Christ and because of
Christ, our forerunner and our substitute, we will not be denied
because of what he accomplished for us. We will not be denied
knowing that if we come, it means the father has drawn us to come. And if the Father has drawn us,
the Son will in no wise cast us out. Let us therefore come
boldly. Let us come boldly. And boldness,
boldly, the word boldness, it doesn't mean arrogantly. That's
not arrogance. People think about boldness as
being arrogance. Not at all. This is what the
word means. It means with unreservedness. without hesitation. Let us come
without hesitation, without wondering, well, now, will he really receive
us? With unreservedness, without
hesitation. It means free confidence. It means cheerful courage, happy
courage, happy assurance. Over in Ephesians 3, The end
of verse 11 mentions Christ Jesus our Lord. Speaking of Christ
Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3 verse 12 says, in whom, speaking of
Christ, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by
the faith of Him. Our boldness is in Him. Our boldness is by the faith
of Him, the faith He gives to His people, the faith of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Our unreservedness, our cheerful
courage is in Him, and it is by the faith of Him, and He gets
the glory for it. That's what all that means. If
we come boldly, that's God which works in us, both to will and
do of His pleasure. That's the Father that has drawn
us and that's the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been
given to us and caused us to, in our hearts, come to him. That's
the quickening of the spirit. He gets the glory, he gets the
credit, he gets the honor for everything, all of it. Hebrews
10 verse 15 says, whereof the Holy Ghost also is
a witness to us. For after that he had said before,
this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,
saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their
hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more." Because Christ put them
away, covered them in his blood, they're gone. Verse 18, now where
remission of these is, there's no more offering for sin. If
they're paid for, they're paid for. We're not going to pay for
them again. Verse 19, having therefore brethren boldness to
enter in to the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by new and living
way, which he hath consecrated. That means made new, newly made
for us. through the veil, that is to
say His own flesh, that veil when it was rent in twain, that
symbolized the rending of the Lord Jesus Christ, that was our
way in. That is to say His flesh, verse
21, and having a high priest over the house of God, verse
22 says, let us draw near. with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our
bodies washed with pure water. Let us come in the payment of
his blood. That's how we come. That's how
we come boldly in the payment of his blood and in the washing
of his purity. That's our boldness. Hebrews
13 verse six says, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my
helper. And I will not fear what man
shall do unto me. That's our boldness. The Lord
is my helper. If God be for me, who can be
against me? That's our boldness. Our text
says in chapter four. Hebrews 4 verse 14, seeing then
that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Let
us stay right there. Let's just stay right there.
Our confession of Christ and his life and his death and his
finished work on the cross for his people. Let us hold fast
our profession. Verse 15 says, For we have not
an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin. Thank God. Verse 16 says, let
us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When
is our time of need? Always. always, it is always,
we are always in need. And the comfort of God's word
to us is in Christ we can approach that throne for his mercy and
his grace anytime we need it. If you need the covering of the
Lord Jesus Christ, if you need the robe of his righteousness,
if you need the washing of his blood and the forgiveness of
his blood, you come to the Lord Jesus Christ. You cast your soul
on him, you cast your all on him. and in Him you will be received. I pray the Lord will make that
a blessing to our hearts. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can call
or write to the number and address on your screen or visit www.ksgc.church. Tune in at this same time next
week for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.