Young People's Group

Boldness and Access

by Mitchell Tan
February 19, 2020

IN CHRIST

One of the things that we should be thankful for is the access we have in Christ. There was a time when the mystery of Christ was not yet revealed to all men. But now it has been through the grace of God given to Paul that the Gentiles would be saved by faith in Him. Both Jew and Gentile have now access in Him. Romans 5:2 speaks of this access succinctly.

“In whom we have boldness and access”
Ephesians 3:12

What is this access?

1. IT IS AN ACCESS TO THE FATHER

“For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”
Ephesians 2:18

Paul had written earlier of how both Jews and Gentiles can now have access through Christ to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). They can be in the presence of the Father.

2. IT IS AN ACCESS TO THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS OF THE CHURCH

“That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel”
Ephesians 3:6

The Gentiles have also become fellow heirs with the Jewish believers. This is the access that they have in Christ. They have an inheritance in heaven that cannot be taken away (1 Peter 1:4). The Gentiles have become part of the same body of Christ as the Jewish believers. They can be joint partakers of the wonderful covenants of promise and of eternal life in Christ.

3. IT IS AN ACCESS THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN CHRIST

“According to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access …”
Ephesians 3:11-12

The Lord God had a grand plan for the Church. Part of the idea is for the Church to have access to God and His blessings. This was achieved through the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are to have boldness in this access to the Father and being part of the fellowship of the Church. There is no need for us to feel that we are lesser in any way to others. In Christ, we can have this boldness as fellow believers.

THROUGH THE FAITH OF CHRIST

“… With confidence through faith in Him.”
Ephesians 3:12

The phrase “through faith in Him” in the Greek is better understood as “through faith of Him”. This boldness and access with confidence come through the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a reference to all that He is in terms as Lord and Saviour. With reference to all that He said and all that He had done, He had shown to us the kind of faith that He had. We have access with confidence through the faith that stems from Him. This is something that we should have absolute confidence in. It is not in what we have achieved or done for the Lord. It is purely by the faith of the Lord Jesus. This is something we can be thankful and have confidence in.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

1. Be deeply encouraged that we have this access to God and His blessings in Christ.

2. Having gratitude to be part of the fellowship of the Church.

3. Have a deep sense of boldness in this access in Christ.

4. Have full confidence through the faith that stems from Christ.

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