One of the songs that has deeply resonated with me over the years is Don Moen’s “God with Us.” The lyrics beautifully capture the heart of His personification of divinity and humanity:

He walked where I walk,

He stood where I stand,

He felt what I feel,

He understands,

He knows my frailty,

Shared my humanity,

Tempted in every way,

Yet without sin.

Whenever I reflect on the words “He felt what I feel,” they bring me profound comfort and reassurance. Paul expressed this same truth with remarkable clarity in Hebrews 4:14-16: “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 a high priest who 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.”

Spirits have neither flesh nor blood. Jesus is considered our High Priest because He entered the Most Holy Place, the very throne room of God, as a living soul, obtaining eternal redemption for us through His own blood. He was the first man to conquer death itself, declaring: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). This triumph established Him as the firstborn from the dead. Unlike others before Him, who passed from death into damnation. He rose from death into unending life. Hallelujah! He opened a portal no one else could, and now He stands as the door. So yes—He is the Mediator.

The throne of grace describes the throne room in heaven. It is often likened to a courtroom, complete with a judge, jury, prosecuting attorney, defence attorney, the defendant, the plaintiff, a bailiff, and witnesses. You can already see how the roles are ordered: God is the Judge of all; Jesus is the Mediator—our defence attorney. Satan and his angels serve as the prosecuting counsel and the accusers of the brethren, and we are the defendants. Not to forget the great cloud of witnesses who observe these proceedings, surrounding the life of faith and testifying to a life of righteousness.

Apostle Paul describes the throne room, “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched… But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:18, 22-24).

God, being both a just Judge and a loving Father, knew that the prosecuting counsel would always present compelling evidence against the defendants. In His wisdom, He created a safe harbour (the law of the Spirit of life) in Christ, which is grace. As Paul declares: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1).     

This is the truth, but it is not a license for indiscipline or the abuse of grace. Scripture warns us: “Wherefore we, receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire”.

The throne of grace, therefore, is not a throne where righteousness is discarded, but where mercy triumphs through the finished work of Christ. We approach a holy God without condemnation, not because sin has become inconsequential, but because Christ has become our righteousness, our Mediator, and our sufficient defence.