What do you think of when you hear the word access? I first think of an opening or point of entrance or even approval to continue. The dictionary says access is a means of approaching or entering a place. Other words or descriptions include admission, right of entry, opportunity, and permission.

Often when I pray, this phrase rolls around in my spirit: “we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…” It’s from Romans, chapter five. In context, it’s 100% talking about salvation in Christ and how we have been justified by faith and not by works (or earning it). “We have obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2).

Other translations say: “Because of faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand…” (NLT). “By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with Him, make us fit for Him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise” (MSG).

Access granted!

There’s so much to chew on here– but if we just break it down and really consider the truth revealed in these verses, it should make us smile from the inside out.

We (that’s you and me, all of us who have put our faith in Christ Jesus) have access (right of entry, opportunity, and permission) into this grace (undeserved, unmerited favor) in which we stand (a posture of stability, security, and strength).

The access God has given us was first an invitation to something much greater than we ourselves could obtain without Him. In the Old Testament, access to God was limited because it required a priestly intermediary. But when the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom at Christ’s crucifixion, everything changed!

Instead of denial, we stood at the point of entry and Jesus Himself said, “Come in!”

A Threshold

But that’s not all– the access was a threshold to much, much more! We now stand in GRACE. We walked through a door to a wide open space of grace! It was first by faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In other words, by faith, we accepted the invitation, not fully knowing what all we’d encounter on the other side of that step of faith.

When you think about a threshold, it’s naturally just the strip on the floor under a doorway leading inside or outside of a space. Spiritually, it’s the same. It’s a tiny step that opens up so many possibilities. A step of faith. Into more grace.

And that’s why it rolls around in my prayers so often.

Lord, show us the steps of faith that lead us to more of You and your gracious favor. Open the eyes of our heart so we can see all that You have prepared for us in advance. Remind us Holy Spirit to set our eyes on things above (beyond) and not just on the things right before us (2 Corinthians 5:7, Ephesians 1:18, Romans 8:28-30, Colossians 3:1-2).

I hope this encourages you today. Your step of faith opens so much grace!