Freedom In Worship

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Tuesday March 3, 2009

In these New Testament times, we can come boldly before God's throne of grace:

Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

When Jesus died, He opened the way into His presence for us! There is no longer a thick curtain keeping us from the Holy of Holies, because we as believers now ARE the Holy of Holies:

Matthew 27:50,51 (NIV)
50. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

The curtain that split was the curtain that kept people in old testament times out of God's presence (the Holy Of Holies). They were kept out because they didn't have God's righteousness, and nothing unrighteous can stand in God's Presence.

But in New Testament times, we HAVE God's righteousness!

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God's presence is right inside us now, and He is INSIDE us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by His Holy Spirit!

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

The obstacle that blocks most believers from realizing these things is FEELINGS! Many Christians live their entire lives on earth by feelings; never trusting that what God says is true, whether it looks like it or not. You'll hear them say things like, "God only lets me into His presence sometimes, when it's His will." They say that because they are not walking by faith in the area of worship.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

God has made it clear that the spiritual, eternal things are UNSEEN! When dealing with the unseen spiritual things, we are required to walk by faith:

2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
7. For we walk by faith, not by sight

I've mentioned before how there are all kinds of crazy teachings about how to get to the outer court, and then the inner court for worship. But that idea is perpetrated by those who walk by SIGHT and FEELINGS rather than FAITH!

The Bible tells us that we are the very temple of the Living God; HE lives IN US! God's presence is right inside us now, and He is INSIDE us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by His Holy Spirit!

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

It's time that we, as New Testament believers, get a revelation of who and WHERE we are in the spiritual realm, and then start acting like it's true! The good feelings and sense awareness of being in God's presence come AFTER you know that that's REALLY where you ALREADY ARE!

We don't have to go through any religious exercises to "get into" God's Presence... WE'RE ALREADY THERE! We can just close our eyes and pray, KNOWING that God our Father HEARS us! We can worship God at any time, without any "preparation"!

God has torn away the barriers that separated Him from us so that we can have fellowship with Him! Let's take advantage of what He has done for us like He wants us to, by spending time in prayer and fellowship with Him; walking by faith, NOT by sight!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your life-giving Word. Thank You for breaking down the barriers between us through Christ. Help me understand the blessings You have poured out on me and my position in You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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