Have you ever felt unworthy to approach God because of your failures or struggles? Hebrews 4:16 offers a wonderful reminder that our confidence rests not in our own goodness, but in Jesus Christ. Because of His finished work on the cross, we can approach God’s throne of grace to receive mercy, forgiveness, and the help we need to live faithfully.
Hebrews 4:16 is a verse that becomes even richer when we understand what the writer is teaching us about Jesus, grace, and our relationship with God.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16(NIV)
The Confidence We Have is Rooted in Christ- Not Ourselves
The first thing I notice is the phrase “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.” The writer doesn’t tell us to approach God confidently because we have lived a perfect life, prayed enough, or earned His favour. Our confidence comes from Jesus Christ.
The preceding verses tell us that Jesus is our High Priest. He has entered God’s presence on our behalf, and He understands our weaknesses. He experienced genuine temptation and suffering, yet He remained without sin (Hebrews 4:14-15).
This is a tremendous truth. Our access to God doesn’t depend on how strong our faith feels on a particular day. It depends on the faithfulness and finished work of Jesus. When we stumble, we don’t have to run away from God in shame. We can come to Him honestly, confess our sin, and trust His mercy.
The Gospel changes our relationship with failure. Instead of hiding from God because we have failed, we can turn toward Him because Christ has made a way for us to be restored.
Why Does the Writer Call it a Throne of Grace?
A throne represents authority, holiness, and kingship. We are not approaching someone who is merely sympathetic or powerless to help us. We are approaching the sovereign God who rules over all things.
Yet the writer calls His throne a throne of grace.
That is remarkable. The God who is perfectly holy invites sinful people to draw near through His Son. He does not compromise His holiness to show us grace; He demonstrates His holiness and love through the redemptive work of Jesus.
At the cross, God did not simply overlook sin. Christ bore its penalty so that those who trust in Him could be forgiven and reconciled to God. This is why grace is so much more than God being nice to us. Grace is God’s undeserved favor toward us, made possible through Christ, and it is also His work in us as He transforms our lives.
We come to the throne not to negotiate our acceptance, but to receive what God has graciously provided through Jesus.
Why do we Need both Mercy and Grace?
The verse makes a beautiful distinction: we receive mercy and find grace.
Mercy addresses our guilt and our need for forgiveness. When we recognize that we have sinned, we can confess it without pretending or making excuses, trusting the promise of forgiveness in Christ (1 John 1:9).
Grace addresses our need for God’s help in living the Christian life. We need grace to resist temptation, love difficult people, forgive those who hurt us, endure suffering, and continue walking in obedience when we feel weak.
Think about the difference. When we fail, we need mercy. When we are struggling to move forward, we need grace. Often, we need both at the same time.
And notice that the verse says we are to receive mercy and find grace. These are gifts, not wages. We don’t earn them through spiritual performance.
This is where the finished work of the cross becomes so important. We don’t obey God in order to persuade Him to accept us; we learn to obey because, through Christ, we have received His grace and have been brought into relationship with Him. Our obedience matters deeply, but it grows out of our relationship with God rather than serving as the price of admission.
What Does "In Our Time of Need" mean?
It is easy to think we should come to God only when our problems become overwhelming. But Hebrews gives us a different picture. We are invited to draw near whenever we need His mercy and help.
Sometimes our greatest need is not a change in our circumstances but a change in our hearts. We may need patience when we want to react in anger, humility when pride rises within us, or faith when fear begins to control our thinking.
God’s grace does not always remove the struggle immediately. Sometimes it strengthens us to remain faithful in the middle of it. Paul experienced this in 2 Corinthians 12:9, when the Lord told him, “ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (NIV).
Our weakness does not disqualify us from seeking God. Properly understood, it reminds us how much we need Him.
There is a Deeper Truth About Our Identity in Christ
Here is where I believe this verse reaches into the heart of the Christian life.
Many believers understand that they are saved by grace, yet they continue to live as though God’s acceptance must be earned again each day. When they have a good spiritual day, they feel close to God. When they fail, they feel as though they must keep their distance until they become worthy again.
Hebrews 4:16 challenges that way of thinking. Our standing before God rests on Christ, our great High Priest. We still take sin seriously, pursue holiness, and allow the Holy Spirit to correct and transform us. But we do not have to live in constant fear that every failure has closed the door to God’s presence.
Romans 8:1 declares that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That does not mean we never need correction or repentance. It means that condemnation is no longer our standing before God. We belong to Christ, and we can return to Him in repentance and faith.
As we grow in this assurance, our obedience increasingly flows from love rather than fear. We begin to desire what pleases God, not merely because we fear punishment, but because we are learning to trust Him and love Him.
That is one of the beautiful effects of grace.
God welcomes us as we are, but His grace does not leave us as we are.
He forgives us, sustains us, and continues His transforming work in us.
OUR GOD IS A BIG GOD!!! Blessings! Gerry
