"What are the Keys to Get into God’s Presence?"

Scripture: “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” –Ephesians 3:12, NLT

Many of the games we watch on TV, whether it be football, basketball, baseball, hockey, or soccer, usually has commentary done by at least one to two people. As this commentary is done, they usually provide keys to victory before the game and after the game. For example, if you are watching a football game with the Dallas Cowboys, the keys to beating the Cowboys would include stopping the run, attack the secondary with long bombs, and consistently blitz Tony Romo. Within the Playoffs this year, the Minnesota Vikings executed this plan and beat the Boys pretty bad! On the spiritual side, we also have keys to victory over the enemy and over our life’s circumstances. Today’s message deals with the keys to get into God’s presence. Paul ministered to us these keys within our main scripture.

Within this chapter, Chapter 3, the New Living Translation indicates from verses 1 – 13 that Paul was revealing God’s mysterious plans to the church at Ephesus. As previously stated in the introduction, he mentions to them and in turn, us, the keys necessary to enter into God’s presence. He begins the text with the answers. He lets us know that “Because of Christ and our faith in Him”, we have entrance into God’s presence. Doesn’t having Christ sacrifice His life and shedding His blood for your sins and mine much better than you or me going out hunting in order to receive forgiveness for sins? Doesn’t feel good to know that through Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection that the veil in the Temple rent in two that we may have access to God for ourselves? If these things feel good to you, you ought to give God a praise for Jesus! Not only because of Christ we have entrance into God’s presence, we also must exercise faith in Him! Brothers and sisters, it’s one thing to get into the face of God about stuff, but it’s another thing to get into His face and not be certain that He is going to answer your prayer! I was sharing with a brother of mine in Ministry how God would work on his behalf if he stopped focusing on his fatigue. If you do not get weary in well doing, God has a blessing with your name on it (Galatians 6:9)! You have to put your faith into action, in concert with works! You cannot be faithful and not do works and in turn, you cannot be full of works and not have faith! You must work your work and exercise your faith!

Once you recognize that Christ and your faith in Christ are the keys, then Paul finishes the text by saying, “we can now come boldly and confidently in God’s presence”. Isn’t it a blessing to know that not only you get into God’s presence, but you can come BOLDLY and CONFIDENTLY! In other words, God wants you to dialogue with Him like He was one of your friends. He wants you to make your requests known unto Him (Philippians 4). He wants you to stop being shy and run your mouth with confidence to Him! Many of us get afraid when it comes to talking to God, but if you have faith in Jesus and know that Jesus stepped up for you, you are free to talk to God, you are free to allow your feelings to be felt to God, and you are free to be in His presence! When you are in the presence of God, oh my Father! There’s liberty! There’s power! There’s anointing! There’s restoration! There’s overflow! There’s love! There’s everything you desire and everything you need in the presence of God!

In closing on today, we all have keys that will ignite our success(es) in life! We all have seen games where we say if a team does x or y, then they can win the game! If you want to get into God’s presence, the keys are simple: 1) Jesus (already done, already lived, still lives today) and 2) Your faith in Him! With those keys, you have free reign to feast on God and get ready for the days of your lives!