Access
And He [Jesus] 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 (Ephesians 2:17,18 emphasis added).
…this grace was given that I [we] should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery…to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him (Ephesians 3:8-12 emphasis added).
I’ve journaled for decades, and there are times when the Lord will lead me to review things I’ve written. The exercise refreshes me. I’m reminded of the love He’s always pouring out, and the intimacy we share. As I peruse the pages, His whispers always bring encouragement that I have indeed been listening, and that His desire is that I know the secrets of His heart and mysteries of His kingdom. In addition, there have been many times when I realize that over the course of months, He’s been unveiling a particular truth He wants me to assimilate.
One such instance happened during a time when my husband and I served as elders in our church. Holy Spirit had revealed that He wanted us to take the time to dig into all that Jesus had accomplished on the Cross and ratified in the Resurrection. What an adventure. Time after time, as a facet was revealed, the expansion and sensory overload could hardly be contained. A palpable feeling would rise in me causing a sensation of being “born again” - again. The panoramas were astounding. The vastness beautiful. There were even moments when it felt that any attempt at articulation would cheapen it, and/or the capacity and desire to speak just wasn’t available.
An extraordinary aspect He repeatedly emphasized was that the Cross and Resurrection fully authorized every child of God wide-open access to Him and all of His promises; that we, right now, have admission to every aspect of His kingdom. Not someday. What’s more, He began releasing this truth during a difficult time with some intimate relationships.
One particular morning, quite discouraged about the conflict in the relationships, and desperate for hope of resolution, I started reading Romans 5:1-5. Needing more context, I backed up to chapter four, beginning with verse twenty, where Paul was speaking of Abraham’s faith:
He [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform (Romans 4:20,21 emphasis added).
Snap. These verses immediately begged the question: Am I “fully convinced” that regardless of the turmoil in these relationships; regardless of me not seeing the promises and prophecies manifested concerning the body of believers - whom I have been added to and dearly love - am I truly and fully convinced that what He has promised, He is able to perform?
I kept reading.
Therefore [because of what was just written], having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:1-5 emphasis added).
His words washed over me. In that moment I knew that my faith, like Abraham’s, gave me full access into the grace that God lavished upon me through Jesus’ death and resurrection - not only for the situation at hand - but for all time. The hope released was once again palpable. Relief and peace were immediate, replacing all the tension and stress in the conflict.
Access.
Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross and ratified in the Resurrection, we have full access to the King, Creator and Lord of everything. We have unequivocal, limitless admission into the kingdom of our God and all His promises. We, the children of the Most High God, have access… by faith… into this grace… in which we stand… and rejoice… in hope… of the glory of God - regarding every facet of life - now!
What’s even more exhilarating is that our access was “according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:11).” Think of it. This wasn’t just an afterthought. God the Father eternally purposed and accomplished in Christ Jesus, that we, always and forever, would have the capacity and means to approach Him - for anything - at anytime. He never wanted an iota of separation between us. That’s what gave Jesus the joy to endure whatever He had to, and why He willingly came.
But it doesn’t stop there. Along with the access, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit also purposed that through our faith in Christ, we would be endowed with the boldness and confidence to freely come to Him (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:16). Why?
…that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7 emphasis added).
To the intent that now, the manifold wisdom of God [regardless of the mess sin, disease and death have made] might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10 emphasis added).
Because of the Father’s great love, kindness, and eternal purpose that Christ Jesus willingly accomplished, we in this present world, “have access by one Spirit” to the God of the universe and His kingdom. We are in possession of the boldness and confidence to lay hold of what is our redemptive right to access now - regardless of the need at hand. In order that, the “exceeding riches (the surpassing abundance) of His grace” and His “manifold (multifaceted) wisdom might be made known” by us.
Let the depth of this soak into your heart, mind, soul, and body. Let it take root in every fiber of your being. The reality is, because of Jesus, we will never get to the end of this one truth we are in possession of, let alone the vast eternity of all the salvation He brought to us to discover, explore, and walk in. The glory and magnitude of the Cross of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection are solid and reverberating evidence of this.
Access.
What a beautiful word. Packed with life, authority, and power. Rife with eternal possibility. Ready to be released and delved into. Our God and King…more understanding, please.
© 2025 Tawna Wilkinson