December 29


But you have come to Mount Zion… Hebrews 12.22


How wonderful that, by the work of Christ in our hearts, we have already attained the goal. It is like someone who starts a degree course, and is granted the certificate at the beginning of the course, not at the end. It is the difference between taking the lift up the Empire State Building and taking the stairs. God has done it! We have attained the blessed Presence of God with all the saints of old, and the holy angels. When we pray, we should not think of struggling up a steep mountain to come into God’s Presence; no – we only need to think of a curtain being swung back to reveal that we have been brought into His Presence with Christ, in the power of His resurrection. There are mountains to climb and rivers to cross during our lives, but the purpose of these is not so that we might merit heaven or the Presence of God. The Christian life is one of gift, not merit, and the grace is unspeakably great – so much so that it does not really seem ‘fair’. This is so that all the merit goes to Jesus. It also ensures that even the weakest believer is accepted. Thank God for His gift of grace.