When the life of grace first stirs in the soul, we do draw near to God—but with great fear and trembling! The soul, conscious of its guilt and crushed by shame, is overwhelmed by the solemnity of where it stands. The sheer grandeur of Jehovah casts us to the earth. With genuine bashfulness, we take the lowest room.

But watch what happens as the Christian grows in grace. We never forget the solemnity of our position. We never lose that holy awe that must surround us in the presence of the God who can create or destroy. Yet the terror drains out of our fear. What was once overshadowing dread becomes holy reverence. God calls us up higher—to greater access through Christ Jesus.

Now the man of God walks amid the splendors of Deity itself, veiling his face like the glorious cherubim. But his twin wings? The blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ! With these covering him, reverent and bowed in spirit, he approaches the throne. And there he sees not just power, but a God of love, of goodness, of mercy. He comes to know God's covenant character more than His absolute Deity. He sees in God more goodness than greatness, more love than majesty.

And so the soul, bowing just as humbly as before, discovers a sacred liberty in prayer. Yes, we are still prostrate before the glory of the Infinite God. But now we are sustained by the refreshing consciousness of boundless mercy, infinite love, and the stunning realization that we are accepted "in the Beloved."

This is what it means when the believer is bidden to come up higher. We are enabled to exercise the privilege of rejoicing in God, drawing near with holy confidence, saying what once would have been unthinkable: "Abba, Father."

"So may we go from strength to strength, And daily grow in grace, Till in thine image raised at length, We see thee face to face."