The Christian life is the life of faith. We put our personal trust in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the Cross for our sins; thereby committing our lives to Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.
The Scripture says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the principal thing. We draw near to God through prayer and worship. Therefore we have this divine invitation: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).
God has prepared for believers a “Throne of grace” in heaven where we will receive His mercy and His grace which are two of God’s great attributes. Hebrews 4:16 says, “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). Every human being needs God’s mercy and grace.
Dr Charles Stanley writes, “Mercy means that God does not give us what we deserve. That is our sinfulness warrants His judgment, but because of Jesus Christ. He is compassionate and forgiving toward us (Rom. 8:1). Grace means that He gives us what we do not deserve. We aren’t worthy of the Lord’s love, favor, and salvation, but He has given them to us because of Christ. God wants us to come with confidence into His presence—not timidly, anxiously, or in fear of how He might respond.” (The Charles F Stanley Life Principles Bible NKJV p.1490).
After His resurrection from the dead, the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven and now appears there as our great high priest. Hebrews 4:14 says, “We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” Jesus is the Christian’s great High Priest. There were many high priests in Israel’s day, but none were referred to as great.
The Scripture says: ”For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).
Every day we can rejoice with inexpressible joy because we have been brought near to God through the shed blood of Christ which has atoned for our sins, and makes us acceptable to God. (Ephesians 1:6).
What confidence the blood of Christ gives us to enter the holiest. Hebrews 10:19-22 tells us “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.”
That “new and living way” in the biblical text was Christ’s death and shed blood on the Cross, by which we now have complete access to God.
Although Christ lived a perfect sinless life here on earth, that in itself could never atone for the sins of mankind. It was only through His death.
How wonderful to know that since we have a great priest over the house of God, we can joyfully respond to the invitation to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).
Brothers and sisters in Christ, drawing near to God is indeed a glorious honor and privilege for all believers. Let us therefore count it all joy in doing so, with the assurance that God will graciously and willingly receive us into His divine presence at any time. May we never be likened to those whom the Lord described as “This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8,9).
Whenever we draw near to God we are actually honoring Him. And God has promised to honor those who honor Him. He declares, “For those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (1 Samuel 2:30). It is God’s desire to honor His children, but His children must also have the desire to honor Him as well.
David said “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
David says one thing have I asked of the LORD, seems to indicate nothing hinders or prevents him from drawing near to God. How else could he gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and inquire in his temple without drawing near to the God he loved and worshipped?
May the Lord help all Christians to have the same desire as David — with singleness of mind and purpose.