God and mankind are fully reconciled in Jesus Christ by not having their trespasses imputed to them. The completed work of Jesus on the cross offers to everyone who will believe in Him forgiveness and righteousness. This finished work releases to every believer the blessing of Abraham whom God called a friend. The gospel gets better still.
"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; "
MATTHEW 6:6 (NKJV)
Elder Paul Yee begins by connecting the previous worship song's central message—"all I want is You"—to the heart of the sermon, emphasizing that God's people should cultivate a deep desire for more of His presence above everything else.
Drawing from Matthew 6:6 and Psalm 91, Elder Paul explains that the "secret place" is a place of intimate fellowship with God where believers experience His manifest presence, protection, peace, and power, rather than merely knowing about His omnipresence. The message stresses that dwelling in the secret place requires a deliberate response from believers. Psalm 91 repeatedly shows that it is our responsibility to make God our dwelling place, set our love upon Him, and remain in continual communion with Him if we desire to experience His supernatural guidance and protection. Without this ongoing intimacy, Christianity risks becoming a lifeless religion that lacks God's love, power, and transforming presence.
Jesus is presented as the perfect model of this intimate relationship with the Father. Referring to John 5:19–21, Elder Paul explains that Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing because He ministered in partnership with the Father, who revealed His works to Him out of love. In the same way, believers are called to spend time with the Father so that He can reveal the greater works they are commissioned to do, rather than attempting to serve God in their own strength.
He then explains that Christ's work on the cross reconciled humanity to the Father, restoring a loving relationship rather than merely providing forgiveness of sins. However, many believers fail to enter this intimacy: some remain in the "outer court," treating prayer as a religious duty to earn God's approval, while others stay in the "holy place," enjoying salvation's benefits but refusing to mature spiritually, continuing in unforgiveness, rebellion, and immaturity.
Elder Paul also warns against turning the message of grace into another form of legalism, where believers become more interested in debating what constitutes "grace" than in cultivating love for the Father and spending time in His presence.
