Boldly I Approach

What This Song Teaches Us About God

This song is built on one of the most staggering gifts the gospel gives us: the ability to approach God directly, without fear, confident we will be welcomed. That was not always possible. The High Priest could enter the innermost part of the temple only once a year, after extensive preparation. The barrier between sinful people and a holy God was real and serious. When Jesus died, the thick curtain separating the people from God’s presence was torn in two — not because God lowered His standards, but because Jesus fully satisfied them. We now have what Hebrews calls “boldness to enter the holy places” — not our own boldness, but the boldness that comes from Christ’s merit applied to us.

The boldness this song describes is not the boldness of someone who feels impressive. It’s the boldness of someone whose standing is secure in someone else. On the days when failure is fresh and shame is loud, we can still approach — because our access was never based on our performance. It was always, only, Christ.

Scripture Connections

• Hebrews 4:16 — “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” — the direct invitation the song is built on
• Hebrews 10:19-22 — Because of the blood of Jesus we have confidence to enter the holy places — the theological foundation for the boldness the song declares
• Matthew 27:51 — The temple curtain was torn in two at the moment of Jesus’ death — the historical event that opened the way the song celebrates