“And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” John 17:5
Dear Ones:
One of the hardest concepts to truly grasp, and live by, is that of the preeminence of Christ, laying hold of the fact that He was not only existing “before the world was,” but was in fact THE very beginning, the Alpha and Omega. At one point, in addressing the Jews, He said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” And in this prayer in John 17, twice He refers to His existence, His experience of the glory and love of the Father, “…before the foundation of the world.” (v.17) The absolute truth of the eternity of Christ carries with it great weight with regard to being able to pray effectively, and powerfully. It means that, not only is He able to teach US to pray according to the mind of God, but also, to give us the grace and strength to come “boldly” into the presence of God the Father. What specifically are Christ’s credentials to pray, which apply to our approach to God?
They are very simple, and yet infinitely worthy and supremely powerful. The first is His existence as the eternal Son, that immaculate, immeasurable, infallible, and unalterable Member of the Godhead. He is the eternal Creator and Redeemer. Secondly, the weight and and worth of His precious blood which He presented to the Father in heaven, is that most powerful and profound reason for which He has infinite access to the Father, and has opened heaven’s door FOR US, that we should have audience with the Father. He alone has inaugurated the way for us to come to a holy God. In the picture of the “slain Lamb of God,” which John describes to us in Revelation 5, we see Him singularly standing as the One who did overcome every enemy of man and of God, to finish the incomparable and perfect work, by which fallen man is redeemed, and saved. These are His credentials, His Eternal Deity and position, and the eternal, finished and perfect work of Calvary. How then are we to come to God? What are OUR credentials?
The first is what we ARE positionally in Christ. Scripture tells us that we are “accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6) At the moment when we came to God in our helplessness, lostness, and cried out to Him for mercy, He “stooped down” (figure of speech) to give us grace, to receive from Christ the forgiveness that God alone can give. He also, by the Spirit brought us to the new birth, becoming a new creation IN Christ. Being IN Christ, God the Father in looking at us, sees the Son, His beloved Son, and His perfect righteousness. Hence we are accepted, for Jesus’ sake, and only because of Him.
The second credential has to do with faith, for “…he that comes to God must believe that He IS, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6) The Lord Jesus has, by His sacrifice, opened heaven itself, for us to come before the very throne of grace, that same throne where He stands ever making intercession for us. Our grasp by faith of this reality, that we are not only accepted in the Beloved, but complete in Him, can only be realized as we are strengthened to believe what God has declared to be true.
Thirdly, being associated with coming to the Father, in Jesus’ name, is the fact and reality being equipped to come, BY THE SPIRIT. Ever since Christ by His Spirit came to dwell in the heart of the believer, his life to be lived by the Spirit, walking with the Spirit. It is thus, only by the power of the Spirit, that we can come to God in faith, without doubting, with clean hands and a pure heart.
Dear Father, we thank Thee for the Lord Jesus to whom we belong. Open our eyes to see who He truly IS, has done, and what He has provided for us, that we should come to Thee with a good conscience, and in full assurance of faith. We praise and thank Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad