How To Draw Near To The Throne of Grace
Last week I spent an unexpectedly long time in small-town Alaska—in a town that revolves around commercial fishing. If you’ve seen shows like Deadliest Catch, you’ve seen Amaknak Island which forms part of the sprawling Aleutian chain. You’ve seen the town of Unalaska and its harbor, Dutch Harbor. You’ve seen the fleet that heads into the dangerous Bering Sea to fish for crab. You’ve seen the outsized characters who captain these boats and who man them.
We had the interesting experience of spending a couple of afternoons on one of these boats to see how crab is hauled up from the depths (and, later, how it is cleaned, cut, cooked, and devoured). The owners of the boat, a delightful Christian couple, were eager to show us their trade and to answer all of our questions. On Sunday we worshipped with their church as part of our Worship Round the World project. On Monday morning we prepared to head home. And then everything started to get strange.
As morning broke we saw that a deep, low fog had settled in and we learned that every flight to the mainland had been canceled. No ferries run this time of year and there is no other way off the island except to fly, so we would need to wait it out. The fog remained on Tuesday and flights were canceled again. On Wednesday a volcano that had erupted in Russia blew volcanic ash east over the Aleutians and flights were grounded for that reason. On Thursday a volcano in western Alaska erupted and spewed ash west over the Aleutians, once again grounding flights. How the same wind can blow ash both east and west I’ll never know! On Friday the bad weather returned, until finally Saturday was clear enough that planes could once again come and go.
The entire time we were in Unalaska we were the glad recipients of the very highest of Christian hospitality. We were well cared for and never lacked for anything. We had access to a beautiful house with stunning views out over Captain’s Bay. When the weather cooperated we drove around the island, enjoying and admiring its stark beauty. Yet even while we were content enough, we did spend a good bit of time praying that the weather would clear, that the volcanos would stop, and that we would be able to return to our own place and our own people. This was to be the final journey of many this year and we were all ready to be home.
In that nautical environment, I found myself thinking about an old illustration related to prayer in general and to Hebrews 4:16 in particular: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” A theologian pondered how we can draw near to the throne of grace and what role prayer plays in this. He thought of a boat that was attached to the shore with a long rope. Once that boat was far out into the sea, the crew began to pull on the line. As the distance closed between land and boat, the sailors might have been tempted to think that they were drawing the land toward themselves. But, of course, the land did not move one inch. Rather, it was the boat that moved as it was steadily pulled toward the land.
And just like that, we are to attach our desires to God’s throne with prayer. We and our desires are the boat and prayer is the rope. And as we pull on the rope, which is to say, as we pray, we do not expect to move the throne toward ourselves. Rather, we expect that we will be drawn closer to the throne. We will not compel God to become more like us—our desires will not overwhelm God’s and our will will not supersede his. Rather, as we draw near, we will become more like him—our desires will become submitted to his and our will will yield to his. We will find ourselves in harmony with God and delight ourselves in his answer to our prayer, no matter what it is.
As we draw closer to God through prayer, as we come into closer conformity to God through earnest prayer, we will find ourselves satisfied with plenty or want, joy or sorrow, peace or turmoil. We will desire for ourselves what God desires for us. We will be at harmony with his will, at harmony with his purposes, and at harmony with his providence. We will have drawn near to his throne—we will have drawn near to him—and we will be content.
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Free Stuff Fridays (DBTS)
This week’s giveaway is sponsored by DBTS and they are going to give away ten copies of For the Sake of His Name by David Doran.
Christ gave his disciples a monumental, yet simple task: make disciples of all nations. But what exactly does that command mean? How are we supposed carry it out? How does the local church figure in? And what’s the ultimate goal? The Scriptures provide answers. David Doran has written a collection of articles to ground us in the truth, providing a solid theological and practical missions foundation for pastors, missionaries, students, or church members. He carefully works through key texts and contemporary approaches to missions, challenging us to develop biblical foundations for our missions efforts. Filled with Scripture, this book points to the ultimate purpose of missions and the God-given methods for reaching the nations—For the Sake of His Name.
To Enter
Giveaway Rules: Enter for a chance to win one of ten copies of For the Sake of His Name. You may enter one time. When you enter, you agree to be placed on DBTS’s email list. The winner will be notified by email and a book shipped to the address given at no cost to the winner. The giveaway closes on December 15, 2023. -
New and Notable Christian Books for April 2022
There are lots of new Christian resources being published these days and, as is so often the case, many of them landed in my mailbox. I spent some time going through them and arrived at a list of the ones I thought might be most interesting to you. Here, then, are this month’s new and notable books (including the editorial description for each).
Gospel People: A Call for Evangelical Integrity by Michael Reeves. “A biblical case for the importance and goodness of being evangelical. The term evangelical is often poorly defined and frequently comes with cultural and political baggage. As the label has become more controversial, many Christians have begun to wonder if they should abandon it altogether. Michael Reeves argues from a global, scriptural, and historical perspective that, while it’s not necessary to discard the label altogether, Christians must return to the root of the term—the evangel, or “gospel”—in order to understand what it truly means. He identifies the theology of evangelicalism and its essential doctrine, calling believers to stand with integrity as people of the gospel.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Bible Doctrine, Second Edition: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem. “How do we know the Bible is God’s Word? What is sin and where did it come from? How is Jesus fully God and fully man? What are spiritual gifts? When and how will Christ return? If you’ve asked questions like these, then systematic theology is no abstract term. It’s an approach to finding answers every Christian needs to know. The second edition of Bible Doctrine takes a widely used upper-level textbook on systematic theology and makes it accessible. Abridged from the second edition of Wayne Grudem’s award-winning Systematic Theology, Bible Doctrine covers the same essentials of the faith, giving you a firm grasp on seven key topics: The Doctrine of the Word of God, The Doctrine of God, The Doctrine of Man, The Doctrine of Christ, The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption, The Doctrine of the Church, The Doctrine of the Future. You don’t need to have had several years of Bible college or seminary training to reap the benefits of Bible Doctrine. It’s easy to understand and packed with biblical answers to your most pressing theological questions.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Overcoming Apathy: Gospel Hope for Those Who Struggle to Care by Uche Anizor. “For many Christians, apathy can feel inescapable. They experience a lack of motivation and a growing indifference to important things, with some even struggling to care about anything at all. In Overcoming Apathy, theology professor Uche Anizor explains what apathy is and gives practical, biblical advice to break the cycle. Inspired by his conversations with young Christians as well as his own experiences with apathy, Anizor takes a fresh look at this widespread problem and its effect on spiritual maturity. This short book is an excellent resource for those struggling with apathy as well as parents, mentors, and friends who want to support someone in need.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Calls to Worship, Invocations, and Benedictions by Ryan Kelly. “Highly organized and practical, this resource for worship leaders provides hundreds of calls to worship, invocations, and benedictions and over one hundred optional congregational responses, along with seasonal and topical suggestions for worship planning. Each liturgical element is sourced or adapted directly from the Bible and indexed by topic. Quickly find appropriate passages, and draw on a broader range of Scripture in your worship services. This useful handbook also includes an overview of how churches have historically incorporated these elements into worship, with particular attention paid to early Reformation liturgies. Whether you are new to this pattern of worship or have made it a part of your services for years, you will be helped and encouraged.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
A Biblical Case against Theistic Evolution by Wayne Grudem, General Editor. “Even Christians strongly debate Scripture’s account of creation, with some declaring that major events in the book of Genesis—from the origin of Adam and Eve to God’s curse on the world—were purely symbolic. Several respected scholars endorse this theory, but is it consistent with the Bible’s teaching? In A Biblical Case against Theistic Evolution, condensed and adapted from Theistic Evolution, Wayne Grudem and other leading scholars challenge the belief that Genesis is mostly symbolic, rather than a true, historical narrative.” (Buy it at Amazon)
The God Who Hears: How the Story of the Bible Shapes Our Prayers by Sarah Ivill. “Author Sarah Ivill contends, “As we study prayer through the lens of the unfolding story of Scripture, it will teach us how to pray, but more importantly it will reveal the Covenant God to whom we pray.” And just such an endeavor provides the foundation and motivation necessary to enrich our prayer life. See how Old Testament prayers find their fulfillment and transformation in Christ. Discover boldness and joy in prayer because Christ is the high priest who gives us access to the throne of grace. Moreover, look forward to an eternity in which our prayers will consist of unhindered praise.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
R.C. Sproul: Defender of the Reformed Faith by Nate Pickowicz. “R.C. Sproul: Defender of the Reformed Faith traces the five decades of R.C.’s public ministry, observing a thematic connection to the five solas of the Reformation. While much has already been written, with much more to come, this book takes a unique look at R.C. Sproul as doctrinal defender. In a cultural climate where doctrinal disagreements can easily descend into personal attacks and division, R.C. models the utmost care for doctrinal precision without sacrificing the love and grace needed to be kind to those with whom we disagree. Even after his passing, R.C. still has much to teach us about what it means to contend earnestly for the faith.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
I also wanted to mention a new series from P&R and Third Millennium Ministries called Christian Essentials. “Produced by Third Millennium Ministries for a global, multilingual, evangelical audience, the books in the Christian Essentials series make highly vetted, master’s-level theology clear, personal, and accessible to a broad spectrum of readers.” The series has begun with three volumes: -
It’s Better To Suffer Wrong
It’s a verse every Christian believes in until he suffers some great wrong. It’s a verse every Christian affirms until he is called to implement it in his own life. And it’s just then that the words seem to transform from clear to opaque, the application from simple to obscure. In 1 Corinthians 6:7 Paul speaks of lawsuits between believers and says “Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?” It’s better to suffer injustice within the church, he says, than to harm Christ’s cause before the world. It’s better to suffer harm quietly than to express outrage publicly. If you sue a brother and win, the church has already lost.
This is just one application of a much wider principle that is repeated throughout the New Testament, a principle that calls Christians to behave with humility and meekness, even in the face of grave injustice. Christians are not to retaliate when wronged, nor to repay evil with evil, nor to curse those who harm them. Rather, we are to bear patiently through suffering and persecution, we are to endure hardship, we are to entrust ourselves to God. We are to do all of this even—and perhaps especially—when our trials come at the hands of those who profess Christ.
None of this is easy. It is no small thing to suppress our natural instinct for vengeance or to set aside our natural longing for retaliation. It is no small thing to allow ourselves to be wronged and then to meekly suffer the consequences. It may be one of the greatest challenges we are ever called to face. Yet we can be equal to the challenge if we take hold of the grace God offers us.
To be equal to that challenge, we will need to look back, look up, and look forward.
We will need to look back to Jesus Christ who serves as our perfect example and who calls us to do no more than he has already done. As unjust as our persecutors may be, his were certainly worse. As grievous as our losses may be, his were certainly far greater. Yet he endured his suffering meekly and now “to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). He entrusted himself to God and obeyed God to the very end, and so may we. So must we.
Then we will need to look up to see God as sovereign, God as reigning over this world and all its affairs. We have to believe and understand that our suffering falls under the sovereignty of God. Whatever we have suffered has not taken place outside of his will, beyond his providence, or past the jurisdiction of his sovereignty. This injustice was not unforeseen by God and did not catch him by surprise. Rather, he in some way willed it and permitted it. And he now expects us to respond in a way that is consistent with his Word, even when to do so pushes us beyond all our natural capacities.
And we will need to look forward to the day when all suffering will be soothed, all injustices will be righted, and all rewards will be dispensed. By suffering meekly today, we are preparing ourselves to be rewarded later. When we refuse to demand satisfaction in this moment, we are expressing faith that a time will come when God will make all things right. When faith becomes sight we will have not the least doubt that God has done all things well. Even this.
It may be God’s will that the most difficult thing he ever calls you to do is to endure being wronged, and to do so in a way that displays Christian character. It may be that the greatest challenge of your life will be to endure injustice with meekness and patience. It may be that God’s specific calling upon you is to suffer wrong and to do so without taking vengeance and without losing the joy of your salvation. But by looking back and looking up and looking forward, you can suffer well, and you can suffer long, and you can suffer in such a way that you display the beauties of the gospel of grace, the beauties of Jesus Christ himself.
(There will inevitably be many “what about” questions that follow an article like this and, indeed, that follow any consideration of 1 Corinthians 6:7. Those would be a subject for a different day but for now let me challenge you with this: with this passage, as with certain others (e.g. submission to government, honor toward parents), our first instinct often seems to be how to avoid its plain teaching rather than how to implement it. So today let’s keep our focus on its plainest teaching: “To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?”)
