Drawing Near To God

Drawing near to God Heb 10:19-22

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

In these verses there is one main, straightforward command, namely, "Draw near!" That is what this writer wants you to do. Draw near.

Look at these verses: there is only one exhortation, once you pull away all the defining and qualifying phrases and clauses. Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our body washed with pure water.

There was a song several years ago,By Seals and Croft,,called closer to you,, and it goes like this........

Darling if you want me to be closer to you

Get closer to me

Darling if you want me to be closer to you

Get closer to me

God is telling us, that if we want Him to get closer to us, we will have to get closer to Him.

(ILLS.) An elderly couple were out on a Sunday afternoon drive, and the wife says to her husband " honey, why is it that when we were first married, we sat so close together when we were riding in the car? The husband replied " I didn't move.

That is what God is telling us, when we ask HIm why we aren't as close to Him as we used to be.

God is telling us, that it is up to us to get closer to HIm.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 7:25 - He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 11:6 - Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

The great passion of this writer is that we draw near to God Drawing near is not moving from one place to another.

It is a directing of the heart into the presence of God who is as distant as the holy of holies in heaven, and yet as near as the door of faith.

He is commanding us to come. To approach him. To draw near to him.

God's will, is that we draw near to Him..

That you will speak like the psalmist in Psalm 42:2, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" Answer that question like this: "Now. I will come now, while John is preaching. I am praying. Father, I come, I come. I draw near."

Jer 29:13-14 13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

James 4:8 -10 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

One of my favorite gospel songs, is Your all I want,,,,,,

Draw me close to you

Never let me go

I lay it all down again

To hear you say that I'm your friend

You are my desire

No one else will do

'Cause nothing else can take your place

To feel the warmth of your embrace

Help me find the way

Bring me back to you

You're all I want

You're all I've ever needed

You're all I want

Help me know you are near

Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.