Hebrews: Draw Near with Confidence to the Throne of Grace
Hebrews 4:14-16 - Our high priest sympathizes with our temptations and weaknesses and is seated on the throne of grace and mercy.
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 NASB1995
The writer of Hebrews gives his readers great consolation in these next three verses in chapter 4. We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens who is Jesus, the Son of God, so we should hold fast our confession. Jesus has been described earlier in Hebrews as a great high priest, but this passage is where the argument begins in earnest. Let’s look at one aspect of this in verse 14: Jesus has passed through the heavens. What does this mean? Is there more than one heaven? Let’s see what gotquestions.org says about this:
The closest thing Scripture says to there being different levels of heaven is found in 2 Corinthians 12:2, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.” Some interpret this as indicating that there are three different levels of heaven: a level for “super-committed Christians” or Christians who have obtained a high level of spirituality, a level for “ordinary” Christians, and a level for Christians who did not serve God faithfully. This view has no basis in Scripture.
Paul is not saying that there are three heavens or even three levels of heaven. In many ancient cultures, people used the term heaven to describe three different “realms”—the sky, outer space, and then a spiritual heaven. Paul was saying that God took him to the “spiritual” heaven—the realm beyond the physical universe where God dwells. The concept of different levels of heaven may have come in part from Dante’s The Divine Comedy in which the poet describes both heaven and hell as having nine different levels. The Divine Comedy, however, is a fictional work. The idea of different levels of heaven is foreign to Scripture.
That seems like a logical explanation. Personally, I feel that the spiritual realms are as close as the air that surrounds us, but on a completely different plane of existence and outside the physical universe that contains our sky and the vast realm of space. People who have had near-death experiences (NDEs) have described being in an afterlife very shortly or almost instantly after physically dying. Some of these stories are probably apocryphal and are used to support universalism (everyone goes to heaven), but there are some recorded stories of people descending into a place of horror (perhaps those experiences are a wake-up call).
But don’t take my opinion as Gospel; humans are naturally curious about what follows after death but it is probably unwise to spend too much time reading and researching NDEs. Our stubborn brains also want proof of what we believe, hence the frenzy about relics and spiritual contacts. Instead, our confidence must come from believing in Jesus and not on the bones of saints or dangerous seances.
We hold fast to our confession in Him. Let’s do a word study!
Let us hold fast comes from the Greek verb κρατέω or kratéō (Strong’s G2902), with the following Biblical usages:
to have power, be powerful
to be chief, be master of, to rule
to get possession of
to become master of, to obtain
to take hold of
to take hold of, take, seize
to lay hands on one in order to get him into one’s power
to hold
to hold in the hand
to hold fast, i.e. not discard or let go
to keep carefully and faithfully
to continue to hold, to retain
of death continuing to hold one
to hold in check, restrain
We seize on our confession, we keep it carefully and faithfully, we allow our confession to master our lives of belief!
Our high priest sympathizes with our weaknesses, for He was tempted in all things but did not give in to sin. Charles Spurgeon is quoted on Precept Austin in a couple of sermons about temptations and weaknesses and why we can rely on our sympathetic high priest:
Our Lord could never have fallen the victim of temptation, but through life He was the object of it. He could never have been so tempted as that the sin of a temptation could spot his soul. Far from it. Yet remember that in the wilderness He was tempted to unbelief. The evil one said, “If you are the Son of God” (Luke 4:3+). Most of us know how he can hiss that “if” into our ear. Upon our Lord that “if” fell painfully but harmlessly.
Then came the temptation to help Himself and anticipate the providence of God by selfish action: “Order that these stones become bread” (Matt 4:3+). We, too, have had this rash act suggested to us. The tempter has said, “You could get out of your difficulties by doing a wrong thing—do it. It is not a very wrong thing either; indeed, it is questionable whether it might not be justifiable under the circumstances. In vain will you wait for the Lord; put out your own hand and provide for yourself. The way of faith in God is slow, and you are in pressing need.” Our Lord came just there. When no bread in the house is made the background of a great temptation, remember that our Lord has undergone the counterpart of that temptation.
Next, the Lord Jesus was tempted to presumption. Set on the pinnacle of the temple, He heard a voice saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you” (Luke 4:9–10+). Are you haunted by a similar suggestion to presume? Is it suggested that you quit your old standing and try the new notions, or that you speculate in business, or that you profess to understand what God has never taught you? Resist earnestly.
Ah, dear friends! Your Lord knows all about this, and as He escaped that temptation, you shall do the same. Then the fiend—how often I have wondered at him!—dared to say to Christ, “I will give to you all these things, if you will fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:9+). Picture the Lord of angels, with all the royalty of heaven shining on His brow, and the black fiend daring to say, “Fall down and worship me.” It may be that a like temptation is coming home to you: live for gold, live for fame, live for pleasure: in some form or other, worship the devil and renounce faith in God. But even though the fiend could fulfill his promise, and all the world should be ours, we are bound to resist unto the death, and we are encouraged to do so by the fact that we are upon the old ground where our Redeemer fought and conquered. He can enter into the distress that this temptation is causing you; for He has felt the same. (See the Tenderness of Jesus. And here is the original sermon)
I wrote in a previous devotional that I heard a voice in my head during the years of wandering in a secular wilderness telling me that I was wrong and that was the right voice to listen to. Jesus was tempted by the enemy, but had the right answers from the sharp and penetrating sword of the Word of God. But we also ALL hear the voice in our heads that starts with “If”. Here are some examples that I can think of (not necessarily from real experience):
If I cheat a little on my expense report or my time that I worked, no one will be the wiser.
If I drink to the point of drunkenness with friends, well that means that I am a good friend, doesn’t it?
If I cut a few corners in my business reporting and taxes, then I can save money and still keep the business operating.
If I exchange a harmless kiss with that good-looking co-worker, then what’s the harm (it’s just a kiss). Our spouses will never know.
If I steal some cosmetics off the shelf of this store, well, it is only because I deserve better things.
If I lie about (or embellish) my “good” habits to the Doctor how will he know the difference, as long as the blood tests come out ok?
Jesus, as our high priest and confessor, will help us avoid temptations from the “ifs” that surround us in this fallen world.
Here’s the other great Spurgeon sermon excerpt (same link to Precept Austin), about how sin hardens the sinner but we don’t have to succumb (and Christ is more tender and sympathetic because He did not succumb):
This does not make Christ less tender, but more so. Anything that is sinful hardens, and inasmuch as He was without sin, He was without the hardening influence that sin would bring to bear on a man. Temptation does not necessitate sinning. It did not in the case of our Lord, for He “has been tempted in all things in the same way, without sin.” And that which was possible to Him, in His life on earth, can also be made possible to you by Him with whom all things are possible.
A man need not fall into avarice because he is tempted to covetousness. A man need not become unchaste because he is tempted to lewdness. Remember the case of Joseph; he was nonetheless pure because he was so foully tempted. A man need not be false to his convictions because someone tries to bribe him to be so; rather, he may prove the honesty and uprightness of his heart by recoiling from the very touch of the briber. He who is tempted need not therefore sin, for that God who permits the temptation to come will, with the temptation, make a way of escape for him that he may be able to bear it (1Cor 10:13+). A man may walk in the midst of a furnace of temptation, yet not even the smell of fire shall be upon him (Dan 3:27). He may be “protected by the power of God through faith” unto salvation (1Pet 1:5), and kept as well amid the most furious temptations as if he lived in a region that was most helpful to his graces. A child of God may be specially, peculiarly, singularly, emphatically tempted, and yet he may be preserved from sin. (Our Compassionate High Priest)
The final verse of Chapter four is another one that probably gets on memorization lists or is highlighter.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Because of our perfect high priest Jesus, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence (some translations use boldness), so that we may find mercy and grace in our time of need. As a reminder, grace is getting what we do not deserve, justice is getting what we deserve, and mercy is not getting what we do deserve.
Enduring Word has good commentary on verse 16:
a. Let us therefore come boldly: Because we have a High Priest who is both omnipotent and compassionate, we can come boldly to His throne. Discouraging us from this access is a central strategy of Satan. The devil sometimes wants us to consider Jesus as unapproachable – perhaps encouraging us to come by Mary or by the saints instead of Jesus. Sometimes the devil wants us to think of Jesus as being powerless to help, not as one who sits on a throne in heaven.
i. Boldly does not mean proudly, arrogantly, or with presumption.
· Boldly means we may come constantly.
· Boldly means we may come without reservation.
· Boldly means we can come freely, without fancy words.
· Boldly means we can come with confidence.
· Boldly means we should come with persistence.
b. The throne of grace: The throne of God is a throne of grace. When we come, we may obtain mercy (this is not getting what we deserve) and find grace (this is getting what we don’t deserve) in our time of need.
i. Ancient Jewish Rabbis taught that God had two thrones, one of mercy and one of judgment. They said this because they knew that God was both merciful and just, but they could not reconcile these two attributes of God. They thought that perhaps God had two thrones to display the two aspects of His character. On one throne He showed judgment and on the other throne mercy. But here, in light of the finished work of Jesus, we see mercy and judgment reconciled into one throne of grace.
ii. Remember that grace does not ignore God’s justice; it operates in fulfillment of God’s justice, in light of the cross.
c. Find grace to help in time of need: Thankfully, God provides help in our time of need. No request is too small, because He wants us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer… let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6).
The power of prayer brings us confidently to this throne of grace. We can be persistent, plain-spoken (no monotonous and obscure liturgies are required), in th me moment, and constantly seeking that throne. Let’s do a word study on confidence.
Confidence comes from the Greek noun παῤῥησία or parrhēsía (Strong’s G3954), with the following Biblical usages:
freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech
openly, frankly, i.e without concealment
without ambiguity or circumlocution
without the use of figures and comparisons
free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance
the deportment by which one becomes conspicuous or secures publicity
Cheerful courage!! That’s the way to approach the Creator of the Universe on His throne of grace!
I want to share more story from Joe Stowell (a past president at the Moody Bible Institute) found on Precept Austin:
Wake Him Up! – Joe Stowell
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Elouise worked the cash register in the food court at Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute. She was, by far and away, one of my favorite people. I liked a lot of things about Elouise: her happy smile, helpful spirit, and love for everyone. But what I liked best was her down-home, streetwise wisdom that came out in some of the most memorable quips. I could give you a bunch of them, but here’s one that just might be a good word for you.
One morning, as I reached into my pocket to pull out the cash for my breakfast, I asked Elouise how she was doing, to which she replied, “Not all that great.”
“Really?” I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Well,” she quipped, “I had to wake Him up this morning!”
I wasn’t quite getting where she was going with that, so I asked, “What do you mean? Wake who up?”
“Don’t you know your Bible?” she teasingly said with an obvious sense of joy at stumping the Moody president. To save me any further embarrassment, she went on to say, “When the disciples thought they were going to die in the storm at sea, they had to wake up Jesus so He would help them. I had to wake Him up this morning,” she said, “’cause I needed His help!”
See why she’s one of my favorite people?
What she didn’t say, though, was that it seems like Jesus was the last resort for those panicked disciples. Luke tells us that it wasn’t until the boat was nearly swamped, and it was clear that they were in great danger, that someone had the brilliant idea to wake up Jesus.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we are usually pretty slow as well to wake Him up. Well, actually, we don’t need to wake Him up since the God who watches over us neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:3)! In reality, we’re the ones who need to wake up. We need to wake up to the truth that we are not as capable as we think we are to deal with life’s challenges; that our wisdom and instincts are flawed; that trying to manage life by the seat of our pants usually gets us into a heap of trouble.
So, thankfully, the writer to the Hebrews assures us that we can come to Jesus with what the text literally says is “unstaggering confidence”—confidence that He understands our plight and is ready to help us in our time of need. And, in case you’re wondering how He will help you in your time of need, think about His grace that will help you endure, His mercy, His power to overcome, His wisdom to show you the way. And don’t forget His calming presence and His peace that passes understanding in the midst of life’s storms. They are all available for the asking!
So, next time you are overwhelmed with life and don’t know what to do, take a little advice from my friend Elouise: wake Him up! And don’t wait until He is your last resort. You’ll get exhausted and disheartened if you try to bail out your boat all by yourself!
Which reminds me of a wonderful old song that we used to sing in church when I was a boy. It goes, “I need thee, Oh, I need thee! Every hour I need thee! Oh, bless me now my Savior, I come to thee.” You’ll need Him sometime—probably today—so make that the theme song of your life.
What a lovely story! We, of course, cannot “wake up” the Lord with our petitions and prayers, but we can be confident that He wants to hear from us as much as possible and we should go in that direction first before flailing around in the storm.
My next devotional examines Hebrews 5:1-4 - Human priests and their requirements.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - I come to You again, boldly, and ask for healing of the vision in my left eye, through Your supernatural powers or through Your guidance of the hands of the surgeon on December 2. I also come to You with complete confidence that You are leading me in the right direction on my understanding of the book of Hebrews. Amen.
Credits and Citations:
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org
Precept Austin was accessed on 11/13/2025 to review commentary for Hebrews 4:14-16.
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 11/13/2025 to answer the question, “Are there different levels of heaven? Are there three heavens?? © COPYRIGHT 2002-2025 GOT QUESTIONS MINISTRIES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.