A Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Part 12

Let us move on now starting from verse fourteen.

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let ushold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

This is a comfort to us whenever we are tried by the devil in our faith. I know from personal experience that it is far too easy to lash out and fail the test. But Jesus was also tried by the devil, and He knows what we suffer. So our forgiveness is based not only on God’s eternal, self-giving love, but on the empathy of the Son who also suffered.

The difference between us and our Lord is that we are prone to fail these tests, while He has never failed. Jesus applies His righteousness to us, or we wouldn’t have any to speak of. We can thank His incarnation and His submission to the trials of the human condition for the empathy with which He now judges us.

It is because He holds us in His love with the empathy of One Who has been there and done that, that we can now enter into the very presence of the Father with the boldness of sons and daughters, to ask for unmerited favor of forgiveness of our failures. And it is this empathy that leads God to grant us grace to pull us through the test.

Friends, with support like that, we ought to do all in our power to live up to His standard. It is our own growth that is important to God, not some hide-bound rules and laws. Therefore, He will do all in His power to ensure we grow to the fullness of our potential. That is the definition of love given by M. Scott Peck in his book, The Road Less Traveled. It is now up to us to cooperate with that love so we can grow.

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