Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.
Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God's gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].
Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
Hebrews 4:16 (AMPC)Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.
Hebrews 4:16 (MSG)Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
New Covenant Meaning
You Have an Invitation to Come Boldly, Not Cautiously
The Greek word for boldly, parresia, means freedom of speech, openness, confidence. In the ancient world, parresia was the right of a citizen to speak freely in a public assembly, without fear of punishment. The writer of Hebrews says this is the posture you are invited to take when you approach God's throne. Not timidity. Not the shuffling approach of someone who is not sure they are welcome. Not the careful measurement of whether your sin record is good enough today to get an audience. Boldly. Confidently. With full freedom to speak whatever is on your heart. The invitation is given by the one who sits on the throne, and the throne itself is described as a throne of grace, not of judgment.
The Throne Gives What You Need, Not What You Earned
Hebrews 4:16 names two things you receive when you come to the throne: mercy and grace. Mercy is what you receive for your failures: it covers what you did wrong. Grace is what you receive for your need: it supplies what you are missing. Neither mercy nor grace are things you earn. They are received. You come to this throne not because your track record qualifies you but because the invitation has been given and the High Priest who makes you welcome has already been through everything you are facing (v. 15). He knows what you need, and the throne He sits at is designed to give it.
Hebrews 4:16 flows from verses 14-15, which describe Jesus as the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens and who was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. The Old Covenant high priest entered the holy of holies once a year with fear and careful preparation. In the New Covenant, the believer enters the throne of grace directly and boldly, because the great High Priest has opened the way permanently. The curtain was torn (Matthew 27:51). Access is not periodic or conditional on annual sacrifice. It is permanent and constant. Every moment of every day, the throne of grace is open to you, the mercy is available to you, and the grace to help in your time of need is waiting.
Application for Your Life
Stop Approaching God Like Someone Who Is Not Welcome
One of the most common experiences among believers who are struggling is the instinct to pull away from God rather than toward Him. The logic goes: I have been failing, so I need to get myself together before I come to God. Hebrews 4:16 directly reverses that logic. The mercy you need for the failure is at the throne. The grace you need for the need is at the throne. The instruction is to come boldly, not after you have improved but in your current state. The throne of grace is not for people who have gotten it right. It is for people who need mercy and grace, which means it is for everyone.
Make Prayer Your First Move, Not Your Last Resort
The instruction is to come to the throne in the time of need. Not after the need has become a crisis. Not after every other option has failed. In the time of need. This means prayer is the first response, not the fallback position. The boldness Hebrews 4:16 describes is a posture of ongoing, confident communication with a Father who is always available and always giving. Build the habit of bringing needs to the throne early, specifically, and with the confidence that you are welcome and that the throne gives what it promises: mercy and grace.
Prayer Based on This Verse
Father, I come boldly to Your throne of grace. Not because I have earned the right to come, but because You have given me the invitation and Jesus is my High Priest who has opened the way. I receive mercy for every place I have fallen short. I am not going to list my failures as reasons to stay away. I am going to bring them to the throne and receive the mercy that covers them. And I receive grace to help in my time of need. You know what I need. I come to You for it. Your throne is a throne of grace, not of condemnation. I walk right up to You and receive what You are so ready to give. In Jesus name. Amen.