Highest Blessing of Salvation – Eph 2:18

Ephesians 2:14–19

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

Imagine with me a child born into a very wealthy, loving family. One day, this child, wanting freedom, wanders away from his home and becomes utterly lost in a vast, dark city. At first, he feels a thrilling sense of freedom. He runs wherever his eyes take him, rejoicing in his independence. But as the sun goes down, everything changes. The night grows cold. He is starving, exhausted, terrified, and completely exposed to the dangers of the streets. Away from the rich provision and protection of his parents, he struggles in the streets with no identity, his mind consumed with fear and overwhelming tension. He does not know how to go back home.

And then, it gets worse.

Out of the dark shadows, he hears the voices of cruel strangers. They lure him in, and instead of helping him, they fiercely abuse him. They blind his eyes. They deafen his ears. They break his legs, and they force him onto the pavement to beg. They intentionally deform him so that even if his wealthy parents walked right past him on the street, he could never recognize them, hear their cries, or run into their arms. He is permanently trapped. Can you imagine his miseries and sorrows?

The Turn: Brothers and sisters, look closely at that tragic picture. This is the story of each of us. We were created for the rich, glorious inheritance of our Heavenly Father. But we wandered away from our original home in our rebellion, thinking we would find freedom. And what did the enemy of our souls do to us in the dark? Satan did not just leave us lost. The Bible says the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). Sin has made us spiritually deaf to the voice of God, and it has crippled our spiritual legs so that we are utterly helpless, unable to take a single step toward our Father. We became slaves to our lusts, begging for half-eaten scraps of temporary satisfaction in a dying world, completely unable to find the way back home.

Have you ever seen that your deepest misery is not primarily your circumstances, but your distance from the Father? All our misery in this life—miseries in families with children, problems between husbands and wives, struggles in jobs, financial hardships, a misery-filled, empty, dying life that finally ends in death—has one root cause: we are cut off from our Father, barred from His presence, and unable to find or enter the way back. We struggle like lonely orphans, overwhelmed by the sorrows of this world.

But the breathtaking glory of the Gospel is this: God did not leave us broken on the streets as beggars. He made a way for us to come back to Him. Today’s verse, verse 18, shows us that way: “For through Him we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18).

Verse 18, though a small verse, is one of the most amazing in Scripture. One commentator noted that this is one of the greatest and most glorious statements to be found in the whole range of Scripture. It is part of the broader passage of verses 14 to 22. To capture the full thought, we will examine this through five key terms. We have already seen the first three:

1. The Person of Peace (v. 14): “For He Himself is our peace.”
2. The Procurement of Peace (vv. 14–16): We saw how He procured marvelous peace, not only between Jews and Gentiles, but between the sinner and God: “who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” The key words—His flesh, His blood, and His cross—tell us that peace was procured, not in some mystical, undefined way, but firmly, permanently, and objectively, once for all on the basis of His sacrificial death on the cross in the place of sinners.
3. The Proclamation of Peace (v. 17): “And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.” Not only did He purchase peace, but He Himself personally, through the means of His preachers, goes and proclaims peace in the gospel message to every sinner. That is how we were saved.

Now, it is as though someone says: “Paul, that all sounds wonderful. It is all right for you to theorize and talk about Christ breaking down middle walls of partition, reconciling us to God, and putting enmity to death. But Paul, when you come down to the practical effects—the nitty-gritty—what proof do you have that this is not just a bunch of religious notions? What proof can you put forward as indisputable evidence that all of this is really true?”

Paul answers: “All right, here is my proof: ‘For through Him we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father.'”

To prove I am not sharing a historical fable or an imaginary story, the experiential reality of this peace is my proof! Just as they asked Christ, “How can You say his sins are forgiven?” and He answered by visibly making the paralyzed man walk, so Paul presents proof in the real experience of every true believer. Those who once fought with one another—Jews and Gentiles, or people from any conflicting cultures—when they hear the gospel of peace and believe, you will always see them becoming one new man, coming to God, and calling Him Father. They experience a divine access to God that was never there before. That happened in the first-century church at Ephesus, and it happens in our church today: people from different backgrounds who were once in conflict now come together in love and worship, calling God our Father!

Notice that verse 18 begins with the word “For.” Paul’s proof is not a theory, but a reality: people who once hated one another now come together through Christ and cry out to God as Father. This is the indisputable proof that everything Paul tells us in verses 14 to 17 is true. That is not a human achievement; it is undeniable gospel proof that Christ has truly removed the enmity between God and man and purchased peace. There is only one way to bring sinners and God together, and only one way to bring bitterly hostile people into a loving, peaceful relationship: it is by the gospel of peace.

Our focus today is the Participation or Experience of Peace in verse 18: “For through Him we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father.” Let us understand this under three headings:

1. The Glory of True Salvation

This verse shows that the nature of true biblical salvation is fully Trinitarian. Verse 18 says “we both”—both groups, Jews and Gentiles, representing the whole world divided into these two categories. The only way anyone in this world can be saved is through the true Trinity. Notice who is saved and how: “For through Him we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father.”

This verse is saturated with the Trinity:

• “Through Him”: The pronoun refers directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, as established in the preceding verses.
• “In one Spirit”: The capital S refers to God the Holy Spirit.
• “Unto the Father”: Referring to God the Father. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has become the Father of all who believe in Him.

Paul is not writing a systematic textbook on the Trinity here; his focus is on how the gospel actually saves people. Yet Trinitarianism bursts from the text; it oozes from every pore of the passage. Why? Because there cannot be true biblical salvation without the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In chapter 1, Paul clearly reveals the distinct work of each Person of the Trinity and praises them:

• The Father (vv. 3–5): He chose us before the foundation of the world and predestined us for adoption.
• The Son (v. 7): He comes and accomplishes the finished work: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
• The Holy Spirit (vv. 13–14): He applies that redemption to us: “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.”

Here in chapter 2, though Paul addresses another facet of truth, the reality of the Trinity is so central and fundamental that it confronts us again in an inescapable way. Whenever we think of our salvation, we must think of the work of the Triune Persons.

This is not a cold theory that we learn and forget. When we forget this, we lose the wonder of our salvation; we forget how glorious our salvation truly is, and we lose our gratitude and joy. It is only when we constantly remember that God the Father chose me before the foundation of the world—that across all eons of past eternity He saw me in His Son and loved me just as He loved His Son—that our hearts are moved. He was so committed to that love that an eternal covenant of redemption was established between the Persons of the Triune Godhead to save me. From eternity past to eternity future, the one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—committed Himself to my salvation with eternal love. All three Persons, as it were, bound Themselves to use all Their wisdom, almighty power, and grace to infallibly save me and bring me safely to my eternal inheritance!

It is the Trinity that makes our salvation so supremely glorious:

• In all past eternity, you and I, pathetic sinners, were the objects of the eternal love of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
• In history, you and I are the objects of the redemptive acts of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
• In all future eternity, we are the vessels that display the exceeding riches of His grace to the entire universe for all coming ages!
• From now until we reach heaven, whatever temptations, sins, or trials this life brings, we are kept by the saving power and efficacy of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Do you see how the doctrine of the Trinity makes our salvation so wonderful? The primary reason salvation becomes a boring subject to some is because people ignore the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is a saving doctrine; it was revealed as part of our salvation. When we fell, the second Person of the Godhead became man to save us, and it was then that the distinction of the second Person in the Godhead became fully clear. When the Word made flesh returned to heaven, He promised to send the Comforter, who is essentially one with the Father and the Son, making the third Person of the Trinity—the Holy Spirit—and His work fully clear. The revelation and activity of the Trinity were necessary to save you and me from our miserable, depraved condition.

Any gospel that is not fully Trinitarian is not the gospel of Ephesians 2:18. If you truly want to be saved, you must reject the false gods of groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, because the nature of true salvation is Trinitarian to the core. The reason I emphasize this is that today this truth is severely attacked by many groups. We must stand with our forefather Athanasius and declare: “If the world is against Athanasius, then Athanasius is against the world!” He stood and suffered as a lone man for the truth of the Trinity. Only if you understand that the glory of salvation is rooted in the Trinity will you have the conviction to stand like him, and even die for this truth. We must reject any thinking that is not pervasively Trinitarian to the core.

If the Father planned it, the Son purchased it, and the Spirit applies it, then your salvation is no small thing. When was the last time you thanked all three Persons for your salvation? This truth should be reflected in our personal prayers and in our corporate worship, praising and honoring all three Persons of the Trinity. That is the nature of our salvation.

2. The Path of True Salvation

Secondly, this verse speaks of two indispensable necessities of biblical salvation: Christ’s mediation ministry and the Spirit’s experiential ministry.

Look at the verse again: “For through Him we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father.”

First, Christ’s Mediation Ministry

If we are to approach God and experience His love, it can only happen through the mediation of Christ. We must realize the absolute necessity of Christ’s mediation.

The emphasis in the original text falls fully on “Through Him”—it is through Him that we have access to the Father. In ancient times, no one could directly approach a king. The king appointed an introducer or mediator—someone who alone could take a newcomer by the hand, bring them into the presence of the king, introduce them, and give them right of entrance and access. That is the exact word used here: access. If anyone has access to the Father—if anyone experiences family affection, acceptance, love, and confidence—it is exclusively through the mediation of Christ, the Son.

He is the only appointed mediator. Jesus Himself clearly stated in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Whether an idol-worshiping Gentile or an outwardly religious Jew, no one comes to the Father except through Him. 1 Timothy 2:5 confirms: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” He is the exclusive mediator between God and men—one mediator, and one mediator alone.

Why only through Him? As we saw in the previous verses, He alone put to death the enmity and reconciled us sinners to God through the cross. He bore the punishment for sins and satisfied divine justice on behalf of sinners. It is only when you trust Christ’s sin-atoning work on the cross—which removed all holy wrath from God’s heart—and come to God through Him, that the doors of heaven open, allowing you to experience heavenly love and peace that you have never known anywhere else in the world. Through Him you have access; without Him, the door to heaven remains forever closed. God demonstrated this even in the Old Testament through the Levitical sacrifices: it was only through the burnt offering that a sinner could approach God, for the very entrance of the tabernacle was positioned right by the altar of burnt offering.

We know this truth well: no one comes to the Father except through Christ. But Paul’s emphasis here is not merely that Christ opens the door once; it is that believers continually enjoy access through Him even now.

Let me ask you: Do you know God? Do you approach God as your Father? When you prayed this morning, or when you last prayed, did you say, “Our Father,” or “My Father,” or “O God, my Father”? Do you claim to have access to the Father? Is it a mere formal word, or is it an intimate, familial cry—“Abba, Father”?

If you say, “Yes, I know my Father, and I have access to Him,” then let me ask: Is that access consciously secured by the mediation of Christ? Not just in the past, but right now?

The Apostle uses a present-tense verb: through Him we are having—we continue to have—access. Every time we come to God, we can only come through Him. It is through Him that we have access to the Father. Christ takes us by the hand and leads us to the Father. He does not merely introduce us like an ancient royal court official and walk away; He remains at the right hand of the Father, ever present to satisfy every claim that could rise up against us. As Scripture says: “He always lives to make intercession for us.” It is through Him that we have access to the Father; when you try to come any other way, access is denied!

Is not much of our dull prayer life—where we fail to experience God’s presence, love, and peace—due to the fact that we approach God in our own name and strength, without a conscious reliance on Christ’s mediation? We tack on “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers as a mere closing formula to show we are finished. When you pray, do you consciously come through Christ? Or have you reduced “in Jesus’ name” to a mere habit?

Here is the secret of blessing in prayer: we must approach the Father with a deep consciousness of the mediation of Christ. You are coming to a God of infinite glory, holiness, majesty, and power. Unless you stand before Him clothed in the righteousness of His Son and washed in the blood of His Son, you could not stand in His presence at all! Were you conscious of that? That is biblical prayer. If you have not learned to pray like this, you have not yet prayed biblically.

Just like the guilty Old Testament worshiper who recognized: “O God, I cannot come in my own guilt and sinfulness. I come transferring my guilt to this innocent sacrifice, trusting in the offering of the priest,” and as he did, heaven’s blessing was poured out—in the same way, only when we come through Christ, trusting in His merits, His work for us on the cross, and His righteousness, does heaven open and allow us to experience His divine presence and fellowship! Do not merely hear this and walk away; practice this in faith. Even at this moment, though the door may feel closed to you, come through Christ, and see heaven’s door open! It is through Him that we have access to the Father; come any other way, and access is denied.

Even when we sin, Scripture assures us: “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” So as we look at the necessities of true salvation, the first is the mediation of Jesus Christ.

3. The Highest Blessing of Salvation

Secondly, the verse reveals the Spirit’s experiential ministry.

“For through Him we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father.”

We must also be deeply conscious of the absolute necessity of the Spirit’s experiential ministry. Christ has truly removed all enmity from God’s heart by His once-for-all objective work on the cross. But it is the Holy Spirit who takes all that Christ purchased for us and transforms it into an experiential reality! The Spirit, by His internal work, removes enmity and guilt from our hearts, pouring the love and peace of God like a river into our souls. We have access to God in one Spirit.

Christ objectively removed the hindrance, and the Spirit makes real to our hearts what Christ has purchased. The door is now wide open! But here is the problem: an open door is useless to a paralyzed man. He still cannot crawl through it on his own strength. That is where “in one Spirit” comes in! The Holy Spirit is the One who steps out through the door, comes to the broken beggar, picks him up in His arms, and carries him through the open door to the Father.

Jesus Christ is the Bridge. The Father is the Destination. But the Holy Spirit is the Engine that moves us across the bridge!

To pray “in the Spirit” means we come to the Father in the atmosphere of the Spirit, in the strength of the Spirit. It means our access is surrounded, animated, and penetrated by the Holy Spirit as we draw near to the Father. This wonderful, experiential access produced by the Spirit draws our hearts to God in deep love and enjoyment.

Is your prayer life merely correct, or is it alive?

Do you see how crucial the Spirit’s work is? Without the experiential work of the Spirit, prayer becomes an empty, dead ritual void of genuine devotion. In fact, that is how most prayers are offered. Do you see what we are missing? The second indispensable necessity of biblical salvation is the Spirit’s experiential ministry. As much as we are dependent upon the mediation of Christ, we are equally dependent upon the ministration of the Spirit to come to the Father and enjoy His presence!

Why? Because He is the One who takes Christ’s blessings and makes them a lived experience for us. A child may legally belong to a family, yet still feel distant in his heart. In salvation, the Spirit does not merely inform us legally that we belong to God—He warms the cold heart, casts out fear, imparts a true family atmosphere, and seals an intimate assurance within us that we are indeed the children of God, causing us to spontaneously cry out: “Abba, Father!”

He is the One who brings all the blessings of access, such as love, peace, and joy. These are all the fruits of the Spirit, and it is by these fruits that we are able to live a witnessing Christian life.

That is why in Ephesians 4, before moving into any practical applications, Paul gives this primary warning in Ephesians 4:30: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

You cannot experience a joyful, bold access to the Father while you are simultaneously grieving the Holy Spirit who is trying to carry you there.

If you grieve Him regularly by sinning and failing to repent, you will lose all the rich blessings that come from access to the Father. Your prayer life will suddenly feel cold, dead, and empty. You kneel down to pray, but the room feels dark. You do not feel the warmth of the Father’s acceptance. Why? Because in some way, you have grieved the Holy Spirit. You must confess your sins and seek His forgiveness. Many believers know the doctrine of adoption in their minds, yet they still pray like orphans. It is the Spirit who teaches the heart to cry, “Abba, Father!”

So far, we have seen two major truths:

1. The Nature of Our Salvation: It is fully Trinitarian.
2. The Necessities of True Salvation: The mediation of Christ and the experiential ministry of the Holy Spirit.

There can be no true salvation—nor any ongoing experience of the joy of salvation in the Christian life—apart from the mediation of the Son and the ministration of the Holy Spirit.

3. The Highest Blessing of Salvation: Access to the Father

Now we arrive at the third truth: the highest blessing of salvation is access to the Father.

This is the ultimate goal of Christ’s mediation, and it is the ultimate goal of the Spirit’s experiential ministry: that we may have access to the Father, joyfully coming to Him continuously. This is the absolute summit of redemptive blessing. The greatest blessing of salvation is not merely forgiveness, peace, heaven, or escape from hell—it is access to the Father Himself.

Remember this fundamental formula: Through Christ, In One Spirit, To the Father.

Let me explain why this is the greatest blessing of all. Its grandeur shines clearly when we understand four key realities:

1. Who we were
2. Who the Father is
3. What cost was paid for this access
4. What blessings flow from this access

1. Who We Were

Remember Ephesians 2:1–3: we were at our absolute worst—spiritually dead, governed by the world, ensnared by Satan, slaves to our lusts, and by nature children of wrath.

Verses 11–13 remind us of our former state: Gentiles, uncircumcised, Christless, aliens, strangers to the covenants, hopeless, and without God in the world. We harbored hostility against God and wanted to live as far away from Him as possible, just like our fallen forefather Adam.

2. Who the Father Is

The Father is not a careless, indulgent grandfather who overlooks sin and accepts us regardless of our rebellion. As Ephesians 1:3 declares, He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—the head of the Triune Godhead.

Ephesians 1:17 calls Him “the Father of glory.” He is full of glory, radiating all the perfections of the Godhead. He is the most pure Spirit, who alone possesses immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light. Even the most powerful, sinless heavenly beings—the archangels, Cherubim, and Seraphim—veil their faces and feet in His presence, crying to one another unceasingly throughout eternity: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!”

He hates sin and sinners with a holy hatred; His absolute justice will never leave a single sin unpunished. In our fallen state, every breath we drew apart from Christ only stored up wrath. An infinite moral distance and enmity separated us from Him.

When you grasp how holy and high God is, and how deeply depraved we were, putting those two realities together causes the wonder of this verse to shine: sinners like us now have access to the Father! Do you feel the awe of that? Not merely access to a spiritual blessing, but access to the thrice-holy God as our Father! When you grasp this, you realize that access to God as our loving Father is indeed the highest blessing of salvation.

3. What Cost Was Paid

How was this access purchased? God is so inaccessible in Himself because of our sin that nothing short of the second Person of the Trinity entering the profound mystery of the Incarnation could bridge the divide. Without ceasing to be God, the infinite God condescended to be formed in a virgin’s womb—two distinct natures, fully God and fully man, united in one Person.

Why? God was demonstrating that the barriers keeping sinful man from Fatherly access were so vast, the chasm so deep, and the alienation so profound, that nothing less than the mystery of the Incarnation, the sinless life of Christ, and the staggering realities of Gethsemane and Golgotha could remove them. Think of the bloody sweat and the agonizing cry of the Son as He bore divine abandonment on the cross! Who can fully explain such mysteries?

God was not playing games. For sinful man to gain access to the Father, the Son had to suffer infinite pain, bear the weight of hell on the cross, die, rise again, ascend into heaven, and maintain an unceasing ministry of intercession. The infinite cost paid to purchase this access demonstrates how supreme a blessing it truly is!

Then, as the crowning gift of His ascension, Christ sent the Holy Spirit into the hearts of believers. The experiential ministry of the Spirit gives lost sinners a true, filial confidence and access to God as Father.

The righteous demands of God’s holy law were an insurmountable barrier to sinful men ever entering into delightful communion with Him. The entire Triune Godhead—each Person executing His distinct role—accomplished the greatest work and made the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I could have access to the Father!

This access is the doorway to every eternal blessing. Access to God as Father, along with the conscious enjoyment of that relationship, is the absolute height of redemptive privilege. All that the Father planned, all that Christ accomplished, and all that the Spirit applies in our hearts culminates in this truth, as Galatians 4:6 declares: “God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!'” You will never fully appreciate the grandeur of biblical salvation until you understand who you were, who the Father is, and the infinite lengths to which God went to grant you this access.

4. What Blessings Flow From This Access

While a full study of these blessings could span an entire series, let us highlight three primary provisions:

• Unconditional Acceptance
• Present Care and Provision
• Future Security

All our internal struggles with loneliness, sorrow, and guilt, along with our external earthly cares and future fears, are met in this access. Human suffering fundamentally stems from lost access to God. But because we now have access to the Father, we possess unconditional acceptance in His presence, care and provision in our daily lives, and complete security for our eternal future.

First: Unconditional Acceptance

If you were to visit the President of the United States in the Oval Office, you would have to pass through extensive security protocols, clearances, and appointments. Imagine a high-level meeting taking place with world leaders discussing global crises. Suddenly, one of the doors opens, and a little child walks right in holding a toy, running straight up to the man sitting at the main desk. Security checks and protocols do not cross the child’s mind. Why? Because the man behind that desk is his father! He knows that whenever he enters his father’s presence, he receives an unreserved, loving welcome.

God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” Because of this access, you can go to the Father at any time with whatever needs you have. Since God sacrificed His own Son to grant us this access, imagine how it grieves Him when we stand outside hesitant, allowing unbelief to hold us back instead of drawing near with bold confidence!

You might say: “But God is so holy, and I am a struggling sinner!” That is precisely why He ordained the mediation of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit—to give you this continuous access. Hebrews 10:19 exhorts us to draw near with boldness and full assurance of faith. Cast yourself upon Christ and draw near to God; doubting His unreserved acceptance dishonors Him.

Many believers pray as though they are speaking to a distant official rather than a loving Father. They recite correct words, but there is no liberty, warmth, or confidence. This text calls us out of cold formality into filial access. Stop standing outside in unbelief when Christ has opened the way and the Spirit is ready to lead you into the Father’s presence!

When you draw near, as the historic catechisms observe, you receive rich spiritual blessings:

1. Assurance of God’s love
2. Peace of conscience
3. Joy in the Holy Spirit
4. Growth in grace and perseverance to the end

What about our daily physical needs and earthly trials? They are fully encompassed in this Fatherly care! As the Apostle reasons: He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not with Him also freely give us all things?

As a child of God, your Father governs all things by His providence, offering two sweet assurances:

1. Provision: The Father promises to supply all your genuine needs in this life.
2. Sanctification: Every suffering, pain, or trial allowed in your life comes from your Father’s loving hand as a gentle chastening to mortify sin and conform you to His holiness, that we might be partakers of His righteousness.

Our Lord taught in the Sermon on the Mount that the ultimate cure for anxiety is to grow in our confidence of God’s Fatherhood. Repeatedly, Jesus says: “Do not worry… your heavenly Father knows what you need.” He is so intimately involved in your life that even the hairs of your head are numbered. If earthly parents, being evil, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him?

In the Gospel of John alone, Jesus refers to God as His Father over 120 times. He was expressing the supreme delight He experienced as the eternal Son in relationship with the Father, seeking to impress upon His people that the true glory of redemption is entering into that very enjoyment! If the Father has done so much to open His presence to you, will He not also care for your daily life?

Second: Future Security

Just as earthly fathers care for their children’s future, our Heavenly Father holds an immutable purpose for our destiny. Romans 8:29 declares that those whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son; and Hebrews promises that He will bring many sons to glory. We have been bought at too high a price—with the precious blood of His Son—for Him ever to allow us to perish. He will bring every child safely home.

The Father who brought you near will not leave you halfway home! His unchangeable purpose will not rest until you are safely brought to glory.

Application

1. For Believers

If access to the Father is the highest blessing of salvation, how fully are you enjoying it?

Failing to live in the reality of this access is the root cause of much of our spiritual friction, weakness, and fruitlessness. Let us resolve in our hearts to live daily at the summit of this truth: meditating on, practicing, and experiencing continual access.

Live daily in this reality: Through Christ, In the Spirit, To the Father. That is the divine formula. When you walk in this truth, life begins to become what God intended it to be.

We have been climbing step-by-step with Paul up a magnificent mountain, and now we stand at the very summit: “For through Him we both have access in one Spirit unto the Father.” We can go no higher! Life with the Father is the most delightful of all experiences, for everything we need is fully provided by a Father’s heart and a Father’s love.

At the core of the Gospel is the reality that we now possess direct access to God. Christianity is not a religion of cold rituals; it is an intimate, personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.

• Meditate on this: To the extent that we honor Christ as mediator and live in conscious dependence upon the Holy Spirit, to that extent alone will we enjoy liberty of access to the Father. We do not merely rely on Christ at conversion and then approach the Father on our own; the verb is in the continuous present tense. This is why the Book of Hebrews places such strong emphasis on the present intercessory work of Christ, which secures our present boldness and access. Make much of Christ as your present Mediator!
• Depend on the Spirit: Acknowledge your spiritual poverty apart from His quickening grace. The Spirit alone makes Christ and the Father real to our hearts. He shines light upon the face of Christ so that we behold Him in His glory as our Intercessor.
• Practice His Fatherhood: Grow daily in the understanding of His Fatherly care. Recognize that the circumstances, trials, pressures, joys, and sorrows of your life have all been ordered by a wise and loving Father. He invites you to communicate with Him continuously and pour out all your burdens before Him.

There is nothing higher than this. When the full glory of this relationship breaks upon your soul, you will discover that nothing in this world compares to it. As Jesus prayed in John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Beware of Unbalanced Christianity

Keep strictly to the biblically balanced path of access: Through Christ, In the Spirit, To the Father.

• If someone comes teaching a Hyper-Pentecostal view—claiming that true spirituality is entirely about emotional experiences, physical sensations, or sensational manifestations—be on your guard. The true biblical evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is not spinal tingles or ecstatic utterances; as Scripture declares, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” The definitive proof of the Spirit’s indwelling presence is that you approach God with filial confidence as your Father.
• Conversely, if someone approaches you with a Jesus-only or hyper-narrow view that ignores the Father and the Spirit, recognize that as an imbalance as well. The true gospel path remains: Through Christ, In the Spirit, To the Father. Adhering to this biblical model will protect you from countless errors.

A Practical Prayer Habit for the Week: Every day before you pray, pause for a moment and consciously say in your heart: “I come to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit.” Then pray as one who enjoys full access to the King of the universe. Consider what a transformation this will bring to your prayer life!

2. For Unbelievers

Outside of Jesus Christ, there is no access to God. You must come through Him today!

If you are apart from Christ, your heart may have remained cold to everything declared today. Listen to the solemn warning of Scripture: the wrath of God abides on him who does not believe. Psalm 7 reminds us that God is angry with the wicked every day, that He has sharpened His sword, bent His bow, and made ready His arrows of judgment. If a sinner does not turn and repent, judgment will come swiftly.

You are under the canopy of divine wrath at this very moment. May God open your eyes to see your spiritual danger! Do not listen to the lies of the enemy or delay your salvation. The way of access has been clearly declared: come through Jesus Christ, by the Spirit, unto the Father. Place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ today, and heaven’s door will open to you. Blessings you have never tasted will become your reality, and God will truly become your Father!