During the days of the U.S. Civil War, there was a soldier in the Union army who had lost his older brother and his father. The young man naturally began to think about his mother and sister back home. With no one to help them with the spring planting on the farm, he felt he was more needed there than in the military. Finally, he decided that he would travel to Washington, D.C., to plead his case to President Lincoln. When he arrived in the nation’s capital, he went to the White House, approached the doors, and asked to see the president. However, he was told, "You can’t see the president! Don’t you know there’s a war on? The president’s a very busy man. Now go away, son! Get back out there and fight like you’re supposed to." So he left, very discouraged. He was sitting on a little park bench not far from the White House when a little boy came up to him. The lad said, "Soldier, you look unhappy. What’s wrong?" The soldier looked at this young boy and began to tell him everything about his situation.
Then something amazing happened. The little boy took the soldier by the hand and led him around to the back of the White House. They went through the back door, past the guards, past all the generals and the high ranking government officials until they reached the president’s office itself. The little boy didn’t even knock on the door but just opened it and walked in. There was President Lincoln with his secretary of state, looking over battle plans on the desk. President Lincoln looked up and asked, "What can I do for you, Todd?" Todd replied, "Daddy, this soldier needs to talk to you." And right then and there the soldier had a chance to plead his case to the President, and his request was granted.
"FOR THROUGH HIM WE BOTH HAVE ACCESS BY ONE SPIRIT UNTO THE FATHER."
The Christian has access to the Father through the Son. It is the Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who takes us by the hand and brings us to the Father’s throne and says, "Father, here is someone who wants to talk to you" (Illustrations Unlimited, 72-73).
This verse brings us face to face with the mystery of the holy Trinity.
"For through HIM we both have access by one SPIRIT unto the FATHER."
You cannot possibly understand the Christian faith unless you believe in the Trinity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee.
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
The three Persons in the Trinity are interested in us and have worked together to save us.
The problem of sin, your sin and mine, was as serious as that—that it necessitated the action of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to deal with it.
I. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE BLESSING OF KNOWING GOD AS OUR FATHER.
A. We have ACCESS unto the Father.
"In whom we have boldness and ACCESS with confidence by the faith of him" (Eph. 2:12).
"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS RENT IN TWAIN FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM" (Matt. 27:50-51).
Access to God is really what eternal life is all about. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).
B. We have access UNTO THE FATHER.
Look back at verse 16: "And that he might reconcile both unto GOD in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Now look at the change in verse 18: "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto THE FATHER." Why doesn’t Paul say "unto God"? Because through Christ and by the Spirit God has become our Father. We have access to the One who is not only God, but is also our Father.
Jesus taught us to begin our prayers by addressing God as "Our FATHER which art in heaven" (Matt. 6:9).
The apostle John writes, "Truly our fellowship is with the FATHER, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). He does not say that our fellowship is with "God"; he says that our fellowship is with "the Father."
After fleeing Hitler’s Germany in the late 1930s, Albert Einstein found refuge in America. He purchased a quaint, old two-story house on a tree-lined street within walking distance of Princeton University. There the world’s foremost mathematician entertained some of the most distinguished scientific and political personalities of the age. He discussed with his noted guests the issues which intrigued his celebrated mind—from physics to religion to human rights. Many of the greatest ideas which have shaped our modern world were conceived behind the green shutters of that modest little house.
But Einstein had another frequent visitor in his home. She was not a physicist or a world leader. She was a ten-year-old girl named Emmy.
Emmy heard that a very kind man who knew a lot about mathematics had moved into her neighborhood. Since Emmy was have some difficulty with her fifth-grace arithmetic, she decided to visit the man down the block and see if he would help her with her problems. Einstein was very willing and he explained everything to her so that she could easily understand it. He also told her she was welcome to come and knock on his front door whenever she encountered a problem that was too difficult.
A few weeks later, Emmy’s mother learned from one of her neighbors that Emmy was often seen entering the house of the world-famous physicist. When she asked Emmy about it, the girl admitted it was so. "Why Emmy!" the mother exclaimed, "Professor Einstein is a very important man! His time is very valuable! He can’t be bothered with the problems of a little schoolgirl."
Then Emmy’s mother rushed over to Einstein’s house and knocked on the door. When Einstein answered the door, she was so flustered at the sight of the famous lined face, the kindly eyes, and the familiar mane of unruly white hair, that she could only stammer incoherently.
After a few moments, understanding dawned on Einstein’s face. "Ah! I think I understand. You’re Emmy’s mother, aren’t you?"
"Yes," she said, sighing with embarrassment, "and I’m so sorry she’s been coming over here and bothering you—"
Bothering me! No!" he laughed. "Why, when a child finds such joy in learning, then it is my joy to help her learn! Please don’t stop Emmy from coming to me with her school problems. She is welcome in this house anytime." (bible.org/illus, "prayer")
A greater One than Einstein has invited us into His house. He is not bothered by us. He is our Father. We wants us to take our problems to Him. He longs for us to spend time with Him.
C. We HAVE access unto the Father.
We have access to our Heavenly Father right now. Are you enjoying this access? Do you know what it is to be in the presence of God? This enjoyment beings now.
II. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER.
PRAYER IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS WE WILL EVER TRY TO DO.
• There is the problem of realizing the presence of God.
• There is the problem of concentration.
• There is the problem of our sense of unworthiness.
PRAYER MUST BE BASED UPON KNOWLEDGE.
"And it came to pass, that, as [Jesus] was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). The disciples had observed the Lord in prayer many times. He would often for hours. They must have wondered, "How does He do that? Praying for five minutes seems like an eternity to us, but He sometimes spends the entire night in prayer." And so one of them asked, "Lord, teach us to pray." Have you ever felt like that? If you have never felt the need of being taught how to pray, it is because you have never truly prayed. We need to be taught how to pray.
In John 4 we read that Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. She perceived Jesus to be a prophet, so she presented Him with a theological issue. She said, "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship" (v. 20). She wanted to know where the proper place to worship really was. Who was right? The Jews or the Samaritans? Here is how Jesus answered this question: "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (vv. 21-24).
The trouble with the worship of the Samaritans, as well as the worship of many of the Jews, was that their whole understanding of God was wrong. The Samaritans confined God to a particular mountain; the Jews confined Him to the temple in Jerusalem. But God’s presence can’t be confined to one place. God is an everywhere-present Spirit. Our Lord said that God cannot be worshiped if He is not properly understood. He declared, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit AND IN TRUTH."
Ephesians 2:18 says that prayer is "THROUGH HIM . . . BY ONE SPIRIT." For real prayer to exist, it must be through Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit. Both Christ and the Spirit are needed if we are to engage in true prayer.
A. Real prayer is through Jesus Christ.
"For THROUGH HIM we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."
There is no access to God except through the Lord Jesus Christ.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, BUT BY ME" (John 14:6).
"There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS; who gave himself a ransom for all" (1 Tim. 2:5-6).
We have "boldness to enter into the holiest BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS" (Hebrews 10:19).
How can Jesus admit us into the presence of God?
1. He is our SIN-BEARER.
2. He is our HIGH PRIEST.
"Seeing then that WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 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. LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:14-16).
a. Because of Christ, God’s throne has become to us a throne of grace.
a. Because of Christ, we can boldly enter God’s presence.
3. He is our RIGHTEOUSNESS.
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
4. He is our LIFE.
"Even when we were dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and MADE US TO SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS" (Eph. 2:5-6).
When you pray, you should always remember that without Jesus Christ you could have no access at all.
B. Real prayer is by the Holy Spirit.
"For through him we both have access BY ONE SPIRIT unto the Father."
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication IN THE SPIRIT" (Eph. 6:18).
"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying IN THE HOLY GHOST" (Jude 20).
We "worship God IN THE SPIRIT" (Phil. 3:3).
"God is a SPIRIT, and they that worship him must worship him in SPIRIT and in truth" (John 4:24).
How is prayer by the Spirit or in the Spirit?
1. Prayer would not be possible without the Holy Spirit.
2. Prayer is real, not be mechanical.
a. It is not a matter of place.
b. It is not a matter of posture.
c. It is not a matter of form.
d. It is not a matter of time.
3. Prayer becomes sweet by the working of the Holy Spirit.
I’m sure you know what it’s like to go through difficult times. It is at those times that the Holy Spirit reminds you of the precious promises of God. He causes you to remember that you have been "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). And at that moment your outlook is changed. You say to yourself, Yes, times are tough, but God tells me in His Word that He has numbered the very hairs of my head. The One who sees every fall of the sparrow is infinitely more concerned about me. He is my Father. He has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5).
This is what the Spirit does. Though you may be almost overwhelmed with the cares of this life, you feel, because you are a child of God, a sense of joy that overrules everything.
"The Spirit . . . helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26).
If the Spirit helps us pray when we don’t ask Him, He certainly help us if we do ask Him.
