Access to the Father

Romans 3 -- In Christ Jesus we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Pastor loves to refer to this picture of President Kennedy. He uses it to illustrate our privileged status as the sons of God. You and I cannot go visit the President whenever we want. We don't have the right to do that. But John John? He could crawl around under his daddy's desk, climb into his daddy's lap, or whatever. He had special privilege because he was his daddy's son. He had access that reporters and politicians didn't have.

Once upon a time, when I still didn't know very many pastors, we were at a district pastors' conference. The featured speaker for the conference was Robert Preus. Gary and I were at dinner at a restaurant. At a table not far from our booth were all the bigwigs: Dr Preus and our district president and some other men. There was one young whippersnapper, not much older than us, in there with the gang of revered men. I didn't know who he was or why he "rated." Later, Gary introduced me to Rolf. Oh, I get it. He "rated" because he was at supper with his daddy and his daddy's cohorts. He had access to that dinner table that not everyone had. He was a son.

We have access to God. Yes, He is the King of the Universe. Yes, we respect Him. But we have boldness of access as His sons.

When the car was in the shop recently and I had to figure out ways to get around, our mechanic let me have his loaner car for a day. I had access to a vehicle without figuring out whether I was going to walk, bike-ride, or hitch a ride from a friend. It made everything so much simpler.

When our friend Leah is visiting our house and needs to use the computer, she doesn't sit down and start web-surfing. She asks first. She needs to have us input the password to open the computer to her. But Maggie and Andrew? They pretty much have free access to my computer.

I have access to my mother's house in a way that I wouldn't have if she had moved away from the home where I grew up. I feel comfortable there and know where a lot of things are stored, even decades later.

When I finally got the car back, all nice and repaired, I was struck by how much freedom it gives me to have full & free access to that vehicle. I don't have to ask anybody to use it. I don't have to borrow keys. I don't have to worry about whether somebody is going to be upset because I put too many miles on it. I have free access to that hunk o' metal.

Because of baptism, because we have the status as sons of God, we have free access to speak to the King of the Universe, that He will hear us, that He will give us an abundance of good gifts. That throne room of heaven is ours and we have every right to be there bending His ear.


Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, 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. (Hebrews 10:19-22)