Draw Near To God
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT
Drawing near to God is a deliberate action emanating from a determined and decisive person. Every move towards God is rewarded and matched by Him also taking steps towards us. God wants to be desired, sought after, pursued after and given priority by His children. Below are some ways to draw near to Him: Draw near by the blood of Jesus: One major hindrance of men approaching God is a guilty conscience. The high priest under the Old Testament entered the holy of holies in the tabernacle once a year with the blood of bulls and goats to make atonement and secure forgiveness for the Israelites. In God’s kingdom, sin is purged by the shedding of blood. The blood of goats and bulls couldn’t heal a guilty conscience ridden of sin. It was only able to cleanse and purify the flesh and the outwardly, and not the inward where true worship is made to God (John 4:23-24). Jesus became the sacrifice for sins by His death on the cross of Calvary. By shedding His blood, He entered the heavenly holy of holies with his pure blood, obtaining eternal redemption and forgiveness for those who believe in Him. His blood cleanses from a guilty conscience and is the covering for believers as we approach the Most Holy God. The blood of Jesus is our merit and qualifier as we draw near to God. Reference: Hebrews 9:11-14 Draw near by purity: The Christian in the New Testament is the temple of God. Under the Old Testament the temple of God was the physical building (or some consecrated place) set apart for His worship. Cleanliness, attention to details and observance of protocols were the hallmarks of the worship of Jehovah in these locations. Now that we are the temple of God bearing the resident Holy Spirit within us, we are set apart for a holy purpose and true worship of God. We have been made kings and priests to God. We are to dominate our world and also to intercede for mankind before God. Our roles are very sacrosanct and requires the utmost responsibility from us. There is need for personal holiness as we serve God. References: 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Draw near with boldness. There were restrictions in the tabernacle in the Old Testament. The people were only allowed in the outer court. Some regular priests were allowed in the Holy place. Only the high priest was allowed in the holy of holies once a year. And while going in, a rope was tied on his leg because if the rules weren’t followed carefully he will be struck dead in the holy of holies. The high priest drew near to the most holy place with fear and trepidation. Jesus is the high priest of the new covenant, securing access to the holy of holies to those who believe in Him. He paid the sacrifice for us so that we can approach God boldly. He is also in the heavenly tabernacle as our perfect high priest, making intercession for us before God. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NKJV Conclusion: We have access to an unlimited God through Jesus Christ. Are you taking advantage of this access? Are you desirous of being intimate with this wonderful God? Are you taking advantage of the Divine Enabler within to draw close to God? Are your sins washed and forgiven by Jesus? Receive grace to draw near in Jesus’ name. Ade(Gboyega) ESAN |