Access is vital when a shut door, a landslide or an army blocks your way. We want to get to the other side. There is something there that we desperately want. But we cannot and are prevented from doing so because of an obstacle, and because we have zero access. Whether it is a key, a password, an excavator or a bomber aircraft – whatever it is that will open the way or remove the obstacle, we would be willing to pay a tycoon’s ransom to get it.

I know of those who have shut their doors with the keys still in their house. They had to call a professional locksmith to open them and change the locks too. It costs $65 to unlock and another $300 or more to install a new lock. We will pay the price because we want access to the home, and to feel safe. There is no other way. The price simply has to be paid for peace.

Spiritual Access At A Price

If physical access is so important, even more vital is spiritual access. Human access to God was shut because of wrongdoing and wrong being. Sin blocked our access to God and his abundant blessings. Can we ever pay the price for our sins? It is beyond our ability. The penalty for sin is spiritual, physical and eternal death. We cannot pay the price; someone else has to pay for it. Someone sinless. 

What we could not do Christ, the sinless one, did for us! “But God demonstrates His love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He paid on our behalf what we could not pay: through His death on the cross. This and only this could give us access to God and His kingdom, to salvation, to eternal life. Good works and philanthropy and religious observance could not give us this access. Only Christ’s substitutionary death. “For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). 

In every nation, access to its top leader is almost impossible. You need to be a very important person with a proposal that serves the country’s interests, or a cabinet colleague, or a very close friend to make an appointment. Often you have to wait, or you may be turned down, or given very little time with the head of state. Access to power and influence is rare or costly.

But this is not so if you are in his family – if you are his or her son or daughter or husband or wife. For example, Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Wei Ling, and Lee Hsien Yang had that kind of access to the Prime Minister of Singapore, because he is their father, PM Lee Kuan Yew. 

Beauty of Access

Access to God is beautiful and has many advantages. You have Father God’s love and favour. You can draw close and intimate with Him. You have His ears to listen to your prayers. You have His mind to impart wisdom to you. You have His company to comfort and fill you with peace and joy. You have His hand to empower you and give you His authority to do His assignments.  All He has is yours. Access is that important. And it came to us who put our faith in Jesus Christ as a sheer gift of grace. Unearned. Undeserved. Christ suffered and died to make this access to the Father forever ours. We have the password: J-E-S-U-S.

This privilege of access must never be taken for granted. Remember the apt lyrics of that classic hymn , “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”: 

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer

Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Access leads us to a beautiful friendship with Almighty God our Heavenly Father, and to have Him is enough.

Prayer

Father in heaven, thank you for sending Jesus to suffer and die on the cross so I can reach you. I can boldly approach you whenever I need your grace and help confident that you delight in hearing my prayers. Amen.

(This is part one of a series: “A to Z of Christ’s Finished Work”).