Through The Veil

In rending the massive veil in the temple which kept everyone but the high priest from going into the Holy of Holies where the Shekinah—the visible presence of God—dwelt, the Father declared, ‘Open House! You can come boldly into My presence anytime you want because the price has been paid once and for all.’

This grace is free, but it’s not cheap. It cost Jesus everything to open the way to the Father. Therefore, don’t sew the veil back up, gang, with legalism, rules, regulations, or expectations. Don’t feel as though you must prove something to God before you can come into His presence to present your petitions or to enjoy His fellowship.

Believers do this in subtle ways, like saying, ‘Before we can enter into the glory of God, we must spend time praising Him.’ Not true. The way is open. Nothing else remains to be done. Am I discounting the importance of praise? Of course not. Praise allows us to be refreshed in our knowledge of who the Lord is and what He’s done. While the Lord is indeed enthroned upon the praises of His people, praise is not a prerequisite to fellowship. Neither is confession.

As valid as both of these elements are, we can come boldly into the presence of God not because of our ability to articulate confession or express praise, but solely because of what Jesus did on Calvary.

YOU will remember that when the children of Israel were settled in Canaan, God ordained that they should set apart certain cities to be called the Cities of Refuge, that to these the man-slayer might flee for security. If he killed another unawares, and had no malice aforethought, he might flee at once to the City of Refuge; and if he could enter its gates before the avenger of blood should overtake him, he would be secure. We are told by the rabbis that once in the year, or oftener, the magistrates of the district were accustomed to survey the high roads which led to these cities: they carefully gathered up all the stones, and took the greatest possible precautions that there should be no stumbling-blocks in the way which might cause the poor fugitive to fall, or might by any means impede him in his hasty course. We hear, moreover, and we believe the tradition to be grounded in fact, that all along the road there were hand-posts with the word “Refuge” written very legibly upon them; so that when the fugitive came to a cross-road, he might not need to question for a single moment which was the way of escape; but seeing the well-known word “Refuge,” he kept on his breathless and headlong course until he had entered the suburb of the City of Refuge, and he was then at once completely safe.

Now, my brothers and sisters, God has prepared for the sons of men a City of Refuge, and the way to it is by FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. It is needful, however, that very often the ministers of Christ should survey this road, lest there should be any stumbling-blocks in the path of the poor sinner. I propose this morning to go along it, and, by God’s grace, to remove any impediment which Satan may have laid upon the path; and may God so help me, that this survey may be of spiritual benefit to all your souls, that any of you who have been made to stumble in the path of faith may now pluck up courage, and run joyfully forward; hoping yet to escape from the fierce avenger of your sins.

The road to heaven, my brethren, is BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. It is not by well-doing that you can be saved, though it is by ill-doing that you will be damned if you put not trust in Christ. Nothing that you can do can save you. Albeit that after you are saved it will be your delightful privilege to walk in the ways of God and to keep his commandments, yet all your own attempts to keep the commandments previous to faith, will but sink you deeper into the mire, and will by no means contribute to your salvation. The one road to heaven is BY FAITH IN CHRIST.