Welcomed
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
Ephesians 3:11-12
We have little understanding of what it means to be welcomed. And I mean truly welcomed somewhere. Yes, we are welcomed into restaurants, but that comes with a transaction and an expectation that you will eventually give them money in exchange for the food you’re about to eat. You might be welcomed into a school building as a student, but there is an expectation that you’re going to be serious about learning and if not, expulsion! If you go into a business, they may be friendly, but they also desire a business deal or a product purchase.
When we are welcomed into someone’s home, we are welcomed into their space, their lives, where they walk, where they eat, where they love, and where they have their most private moments. Now, imagine being welcomed into a stranger’s house. But it’s not just your neighbor down the street who invited you in.
Picture this: You are the most filthy, smelly, reckless individual in your city. And not to mention, you’ve done some of the most heinous crimes one could ever think of. You feel shameful and guilty, but you’re welcomed by the stranger all the more. You are put at the finest table that could be ever put at and given the finest food.
This analogy actually pails in comparison to how we are welcomed into the kingdom of God. We are not told to stay on the doorstep or serve the food, but we are welcomed right in with full access to the finest goods from the Father’s table. Best of all, He delights in giving this to us knowing full well that we came from the dump outside with no ability to clean ourselves up. And not only that, but we are we given access to Him with confidence. Through Him, we have boldness and a full reassurance of His forgiveness and of His access. Rejoice in this, beloved! Rejoice not in the food at the table or the access itself but in Him alone, the giver of good things.