Accountable2You » Resources » Personal Accountability » Hope in Jesus, Our Great High Priest
Maybe you’ve repented of sexual sin, yet shame still lingers. Though you know Christ has forgiven you, you still feel distant, unclean, and unsure how to live in that forgiveness. You ask: Can I really draw near to God after what I’ve done? Will He still receive me?
Scripture gives a resounding yes, not because of anything you’ve done, but because of Jesus, your Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14–16).
Under the old covenant, the high priest mediated between God and His people. He offered sacrifices, taught the law, and interceded for sins (Leviticus 1–7; 10:11). But, since these priests were sinful men offering temporary sacrifices, it was evident that this system was unsustainable. It was merely a shadow that pointed forward to something better, or more accurately, Someone better (Hebrews 10:1).
That Someone is Jesus.
Being truly God and truly man, Christ is uniquely qualified to mediate between the Holy God and sinful humanity. Unlike all other priests, Christ is sinless. He also didn’t sacrifice animals but rather offered Himself as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). Further, Christ doesn’t just fulfill the High Priestly role historically, but He still mediates for us today (Hebrews 7:25).
For Christians battling sin, Jesus’ role as your Great High Priest is deeply personal. His priesthood offers more than comfort; it provides real, sustaining hope. He gives confident access to the Father (Hebrews 4:16), eternal advocacy (1 John 2:1–2), complete forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 8:12), and transforming grace that teaches us to walk in purity (Titus 2:11–12).
Sexual sin may leave you feeling stained, like you’re too dirty to come near to God, too unworthy to pray, too broken to worship. But, as the Prince of Preachers, C.H. Spurgeon, wrote, “Satan tells me I am unworthy; but I always was unworthy, and yet You have long loved me.”
Though unworthy and once alienated from God, deserving only wrath (Ephesians 2:1–3), our High Priest silences the whispers of shame and the lies of Satan, inviting us to confidently “draw near to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16).
If you are battling sexual sin, understand that your standing is not dependent on your effort, but on Christ’s righteousness. We receive what only He deserves. By Christ’s merits, we can approach God in prayer, confession, repentance, and worship despite our failures or shortcomings.
Are you trusting in Christ’s finished work or relying on your wavering devotion for access to God?
Beyond providing access, Christ also eternally advocates for His people (1 John 2:1–2). While Satan accuses us of being sinners who deserve God’s wrath, Christ defends those who are His.
Like a defense lawyer, Christ stands in our corner and advocates in our favor. Though He acknowledges our sin and guilt, He declares that He’s already paid the debt we owe. Christ so loves us that though He is without sin, He stood in our place and suffered the punishment for our sin in order to redeem us (Isaiah 53:5–11).
Even now, Christ intercedes and advocates for us (Hebrews 7:25). So, we can stand before the Father and against the accuser as those whom Christ has set free in His work as our High Priest.
Have you let Satan’s accusations stop you from growing and being fruitful in your faith?
Christ’s priestly work is thorough. He gives us access and advocacy, but doesn’t stop there. Christ also forgives us and remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12).
When we confess our sins, sexual or otherwise, He is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). Christ serves as both the offerer and the offering that covers our sin. His sacrifice provides once-and-for-all atonement for every sin, past, present, and future (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 10:11–14).
When you sin, do you run to Christ for forgiveness, or try to make up for it by doing good things until you feel “worthy” again?
Though Christ mediates for sinners, He does not leave us in our sin. His grace, which secures our forgiveness, also transforms us into new creatures and empowers us to live like Christ. The apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This doesn’t mean that we’re instantly immune to temptation or sinful desires (Galatians 5:17), but it does mean that we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6).
By grace, we’re called to put off our old self, renew our minds with Scripture, and put on Christ daily (Ephesians 4:22–24). His grace not only teaches us but also empowers us to walk in purity (Titus 2:11–12).
When sexual temptation and sin have discouraged you, this is a wonderful truth to meditate on. You aren’t fighting sin and pursuing righteousness on your own. By the grace of God, given to you in Christ, you can walk in freedom.
Are you depending on God’s grace to empower your transformation, or trying to “fix yourself” in your own strength?
If you've confessed your sexual sin but still feel burdened by guilt, you’re not alone. When shame clings, memories linger, and the enemy whispers lies that your sin is too great, it can be hard to believe that you’re truly forgiven.
Only Jesus, your Great High Priest, offers real and lasting hope. Through Christ, you don’t have to carry around shame; He bore it for you. You don’t have to try to prove yourself worthy of grace; He secured it for you.
By His priesthood, you’re given access to a holy God. You have an Advocate who stands in your defense. You’re offered complete forgiveness of every sin, past, present, and future. You’re given grace that transforms and empowers you to walk in purity.