and through faith in Him
Faith is the means by which believers access the grace and promises of God. It is not merely intellectual assent but a trust and reliance on Christ's finished work on the cross. This faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9) and is essential for justification and sanctification. The phrase underscores the exclusivity of Christ as the mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).

we may enter God’s presence
The ability to enter God's presence was once restricted to the high priest under the Old Covenant, who could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year (Hebrews 9:7). Through Christ's atoning sacrifice, the veil was torn (Matthew 27:51), granting all believers direct access to God. This access is a fulfillment of the promise of a new covenant relationship (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

with boldness and confidence
Boldness and confidence reflect the assurance believers have in approaching God, not based on their own merit but on Christ's righteousness. This is a radical departure from the fear and trepidation associated with approaching a holy God under the Old Covenant. Hebrews 4:16 echoes this sentiment, encouraging believers to approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace in times of need.

Paul begins, “In Him,” pointing squarely to Christ as the only ground for our relationship with God. Everything that follows depends on who Jesus is and what He has done.

• John 14:6 says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” reminding us that Christ is the singular doorway.

• Colossians 1:19-20 adds, “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,” underscoring that reconciliation is anchored in Jesus alone.

• Because Christ fully satisfied God’s justice on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21), believers stand “in Him,” clothed in His righteousness, not their own.

Access is not automatic for everyone but is “through faith.” Trust in Christ personally appropriates what He accomplished.

• Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access by faith into this grace.”

• Galatians 3:26 echoes, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

• Faith here is not mere intellectual assent; it is reliance—resting our weight on Christ’s finished work rather than any merit of our own (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The phrase highlights privilege: believers can now approach the throne room that was once barred.

• Hebrews 10:19-22 celebrates, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near with a sincere heart.”

• 1 Peter 3:18 affirms, “For Christ also suffered once for sins… to bring you to God.”

• Where Old Testament priests alone entered the Holy of Holies once a year (Leviticus 16), in Christ every believer becomes “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) with continual access.

Not only is access granted; it is granted with fearless assurance.

• Hebrews 4:16 invites, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

• 1 John 4:17-18 notes that perfect love drives out fear, enabling us to stand unafraid in God’s presence.

• This boldness is never arrogance; it rests on Christ’s merit, not ours. Because “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1), we come free of shame, yet filled with reverent awe.

Ephesians 3:12 teaches that union with Christ (“In Him”) and personal trust in Him (“through faith in Him”) open the way for every believer to step into the very presence of God. This access is not tentative but marked by boldness and confidence, grounded solely in the atoning work of Jesus.

In whom we have (our) boldness and (our) access with confidence.--"Boldness" is, properly, boldness of speech (as in Ephesians 6:19), though used in a derivative sense for confidence and frankness generally. Probably here it is suggested in its original sense by the reference in the preceding verse to the charge of proclaiming the mystery of God, and accordingly means that boldness of thought and utterance before men and angels which Christians, in virtue of that charge, ought to assume. The "access (see Ephesians 2:18) in confidence" is, on the other hand, that confidence before God, as presented to Him in the Lord Jesus Christ, which belongs to Christians as no longer servants but sons. (On this confidence see 2Corinthians 3:4-6.) Both these gifts depend on "faith in Him:" in the one case, faith in His teaching and grace; in the other, faith in His atonement and His gift of the new life. . . .