Gospel-Centered Encouragement: Embracing Our Father’s Welcome Home
The Big Idea: We must build our mutual encouragement upon the gospel encouragement we already have in Christ.
Yesterday I began this two-part blog mini-series discussing Gospel-Centered Encouragement: Embracing Our Forgiveness in Christ. You can read it here.
Embracing Our Father’s Welcome through Christ: Hebrews 10:20
It truly is amazing grace that we have forgiveness in Christ. But Hebrews gets even more amazing.
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body” (10:19-20).
Christ is the new and living pathway, the doorway, that tears open the veil that separated us from God. Because Christ opened the new way home, we not only have forgiveness, we also have access to our Father who welcomes us into His forever family.
For me, for a long time—even after I was an associate pastor and a senior pastor—I only applied half the picture of my salvation. Here’s how I pictured it. God is a holy and righteous Judge. I’m on trial before Him because of my sins. God is about to pronounce me guilty when Christ steps up and says, “Charge me instead. Put Bob’s sins on Me, and put my righteousness on Bob.” God the Judge accepts His holy Son’s payment on my behalf and declares me “Not guilty. Pardoned. Forgiven.”
That’s pretty amazing, right? But my picture used to stop there. God is the Judge; He forgives me; then He sends me away on my own and says, “Next case.”
But that’s not at all the full picture of our salvation. That’s not the picture painted by Hebrews 10:20. In the biblical picture, Christ takes me from the courtroom by the hand and leads me into the Father’s house, walking me into God’s presence. When we enter the living room, the Father, my Father, is not in His judge’s robes. He’s in His family attire. When He sees me, it is just like Luke 15 and the prodigal son. My Father runs to me, throws His arms around me, and kisses me. He puts the family ring on my finger and ushers me back home!
Through Christ, God is not only the Judge who forgives you. He is your Father who welcomes you. He has always loved you. That’s why He sent His only begotten Son to die for you. And now with the barrier of sin demolished, nothing stands between you and your loving Heavenly Father. You can meet God person-to-Person, son or daughter to loving Father. It’s not simply, “Come on in, the water’s fine!” It’s, “Come on home, everything is fine between us!”
A few years ago Shirley and I heard the father of Rachel Scott at a banquet. Rachel was one of the victims killed during the Columbine High School shooting. A committed Christian, the morning of that horrific shooting, she was in her car driving her friends to school. They were listening to a Christian song on the radio. Rachel was so in love with God and she so knew that He loved her, that she pulled the car over, got out, and starting dancing. Her friends were staring at her. When she got in, they asked, “What in the world were you doing?” She said, “I was dancing with my heavenly Father.”
Rachel’s dad, fighting tears, told the audience, “That’s what my baby is doing right now. She’s dancing for all eternity with her heavenly Father.”
A Prayer for Dancing with Our Heavenly Father Every Day
“Father, thank You that You are not just the holy Judge who forgives us and then sends us away. Thank You that because of Christ we have 24/7/eternal access to You. Please help us all to know that You are not the cosmic Killjoy who wants to stomp us and crush us in your holy wrath. Help us to know that You are our loving Father who already spent Your wrath on Your Son. There’s nothing left but love and mercy. Help us to freely and confidently cry out to You, “Abba, Father, Daddy!” Help us to dance with You Jesus, to dance with You Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the eternal dance of family love. Father, please encourage us to encourage one another daily with the loving reminder that you welcome us home! In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Encourage one another daily—with gospel encouragement that we are forgiven and welcomed home in Christ!
Join the Conversation
How could you encourage others today/this week with the gospel-centered encouragement of our welcome home in Christ?
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