Mark 15. 37-39 observes, Jesus, with a loud cry, gave His last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of Him saw that He had quit breathing, he said, This has to be the Son of God!

Christians recognize the significance of the temple curtain being torn down the middle. The curtain was used to separate the holy of Holies from the holy place. The priests went daily to the holy place but only annually into the holy of Holies. It was in the holy of Holies that God ‘dwelt’ being present in the ark of the covenant that existed there as the reminder of God’s law and God’s judgement.

Christians have extrapolated this ‘tear’ as opening the presence of God to all, to making Him closer to us and more available for us. Indeed God invites us to Him, reminding us of His desire for nearness to us in His letter to us, known in the Bible as Hebrews. Here we are instructed to come to God through Jesus the Savior boldly and unafraid. Yet even here this invitation is not without qualification.

The temple veil being torn made access for the priests to come near to God daily, like they did the holy place, rather than annually and only by the high priest, like they did the holy of Holies. Hebrews makes mention of Jesus being our high priest and we now are priests of God through Jesus the Savior.

What is most important for us to recognize is that God did not destroy the temple so that the gentiles could enter the holy of Holies. God did not lower His standards so that more men could approach Him. God did change His allowance for approach, daily, and all priests, rather than annually by only the high priest.

Still, one must be holy, a priest, to approach God daily. God is not making Himself less holy by making Himself more approachable. Initially, all of us come to God unclean and in need of a holy Savior. In this state God lovingly welcomes us. After our adoption through Jesus He declares us holy. This holiness comes through the blood of Jesus, appropriated as a gift to all who humble themselves in repentance before Jesus as Savior.

Men must still be holy to come to God daily and consistently. Repeatedly the Bible demands we must be holy as He is holy. The Christian is made holy by Jesus but it is only through Jesus that we are able to approach God freely, boldly, in peace and without condemnation.

We may not approach God any way we wish, we must approach Him as He commands,  broken then holy through His holy One, Jesus the Lord.