Monday, May 20, 2013
Draw Near to God
Drawing near to God is a command to believers to come close to Him
and live a sanctified and holy life.
In old testament times, God commanded the high priest to come to the
altar and offer sacrifices to atone for the sins of the faithful of Israel.
"Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Draw near
to the altar and offer your sin offering
and your burnt offering and make
atonement for yourself and for the
people, and bring the offering of the
people and make atonement for them,
as the LORD has commanded."
Leviticus 9:7
God told the people of Israel to come and pray to Him and He would bless them.
" 'For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the LORD, plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me and come
to pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you
seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
However, God declared that only the faithful of Israel, who had a "circumcised
heart" could enter His presence.
"Thus says the LORD GOD, ' No foreigner
uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the
foreigners who are among the people of
Israel, shall enter my sanctuary."
Ezekiel 44:9
A "circumcised heart" is described in Ezekiel 36. God removes their "heart
of stone," which is hardened toward Him, and gives them a "heart of flesh,"
and a "new spirit," so they could follow Him.
"And I will give you a new heart,
and a new spirit I will put within
you. And I will remove the heart
of stone from your flesh and give
you a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 36:26
" ... you shall my people, and I will
be your God."
Ezekiel 36:28
When God circumcises a person's heart, he is made willing to love God and
live for Him. He is no longer hardened toward God, but open to Him.
"And the LORD your God will
circumcise your heart and the
heart of your offspring, so that
you will love the LORD your
God with all your heart and with
all your soul, that you may live."
Deuteronomy 30:6
God hates false worship; faith without actions behind it.
" ... This people draw near with
their mouth and honor me
with their lips, while their
hearts are far from me ...."
Isaiah 29:13
"So also faith by itself, if it
does not have works, is dead."
James 2:17
God dispenses mercy and grace from His throne. Believers can approach
Him when they need help.
"Let us then with confidence
draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and
find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16
Those who are truly redeemed long for an intimate relationship with God.
God desires that His people be close to Him in fellowship.
"Draw near to God, and He will
draw near to you."
James 4:8a
Jesus opened a better way to God, than following the law, which made no one
perfect. When Jesus died the curtain opened, allowing us to enter the Most Holy
Place.
" (... for the law made nothing perfect);
on the other hand, a better hope is
introduced, through which we draw
near to God."
Hebrews 7:19
It is impossible to draw near to God without the gift of sincere faith.
"And without faith it is impossible
to please Him, for whoever would
draw near to God must believe that
He exists and that He rewards those
who seek Him."
Hebrews11:6
Jesus is the only way to salvation, but only those the Father draws to Him
can come to Him and be saved.
"No one can come to me unless the
Father who sent me draws him.
And I will raise him up on the last day."
It is written in the Prophets,
'And they will all be taught by God.
Everyone who has heard and learned
from the Father comes to me ..."
John 6:44-45
The word "draw" here means "brings" or "leads." God "brings" or "leads a
person to salvation in Christ.
"Jesus paraphrased Isaiah 54:13 to support the point that if someone
comes to faith and repentance to God, it is because he has been "taught," and hence
drawn, by God. The "drawing" and "learning" are just different aspects of God's
sovereign direction in the person's life. Those taught by God to grasp the truth are also
drawn by God the Father to embrace the Son."
John MacArthur
Jesus knows the hearts of men, and who are true believers.
"This is why I told you that no
one can come to me unless it
is granted him by the Father."
John 6:65
**********
We no longer need human high priests because we have Jesus.
God the Father appointed Jesus to be our High Priest, "the source of
eternal salvation to all who obey Him."
"So also Christ did not exalt
Himself to be made a high
priest, but was appointed by
Him who said to Him,
'You are my Son,
today I have begotten you';
as He says also in another place,
"You are a priest forever,
after the order of
Melchizedek."
"And being made perfect, He became
the source of eternal salvation to all
who obey Him ..."
Hebrews 5:5-6,9
The law was just a shadow of the things to come, but those drawn by the Father are
perfectly saved by the Son.
"For since the law has but a
shadow of the good things to
come instead of the true form
of these realities, it can never,
by the same sacrifices that are
continually offered every year,
make perfect those who draw near."
Hebrews 10:1
Since Jesus holds His priesthood permanently, He continues forever, and saves
completely those who draw near to God through Him.
"Consequently, He is able to
save to the uttermost those
who draw near to God through
Him since He always lives to
make intercession for them."
Hebrews 7:25
**********
The blood of bulls and goats was used to atone for sin in the Old Testament,
but through Christ, everyone who believes, may enter into the presence of God,
receiving salvation.
The former sacrifice was temporary and had to be made over and over, but
Christ made a sacrifice once for all time, and saves those who draw near to God
through Him.
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