“Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 RV).
While Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to approach God with boldness, we should never equate boldness with the qualities of presumption, arrogance, or disrespect. Instead, this passage tells us that the characteristics of freedom, confidence, and assurance should mark our interaction with God in Christ. To illustrate these differences, let’s consider the example of two Old Testament leaders named Nadab and Abihu.
Although Nadab and Abihu served as spiritual leaders, Leviticus 10:1-5 tells us that these men chose to approach God in an inappropriate manner. A closer look at that incident yields an insight that helps explain their underlying attitude and the reason behind God’s subsequent response…
“And Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified…’'” (Leviticus 10:3).
This indicates that Nadab and Abihu did not respect God’s holiness. That element of disrespect led them to approach God in an inappropriate manner at the cost of their lives.
Therefore, we should take advantage of the access that God has given us in Christ with an attitude of love and respect. Since Jesus understands from personal experience how the world can often be a cruel, painful, and dangerous place, we can be secure in knowing that He perfectly understands us and is ready with a supply of grace to help in our time of need.
In the encouraging words of one source…
“That grace will empower us to rest in God and stand firm in the face of whatever suffering or temptation the world can muster, in the face of whatever fear that has come true (1 Cor. 10:13). His presence assures us that we will ‘receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need’ (Heb. 4:16). All we have to do is ask.
Promised grace renders our fearful forecasts obsolete. Even if we are right in our predictions, which we usually are not, we cannot predict the grace that will be poured out on us on that future day. Instead, we envision the future with the grace we have for today’s hardships, and that grace is sufficient only for today, not tomorrow. Tomorrow will show up with a new stockpile of grace.” (1)
(1) Edward T. Welch, “Fear Of The Future” Tabletalk magazine, October, 2013 [pg. 23]