DRAWING NEAR TO GOD

 
Purpose:

To encourage the hearers that all can draw near to God because Christ made a way by offering the final sacrifice for our sins.

Introduction:

Humanity was separated from God since Adam disobeyed God (Gen 3:23-24). But through the blood of Christ people who put their faith in Christ were reconciled to God and came near to God. (Eph. 2:13, 2 Cor. 5:18-19) When the Lord Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity, it brought salvation to the sinners who believe in Him. (Heb. 10:14) This salvation brought us freedom to enter into the Presence of God. (Heb. 10:19-20) thereby giving us a privilege to draw near to God.

 How Can We Draw Near to God?

Text: Hebrews 10:22 –  ^“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

• BY HAVING SINCERE HEART AND FREE FROM GUILTY CONSCIENCE
• BY HAVING FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH
• BY HAVING BEEN CLEANSED FROM SIN

 BY HAVING SINCERE HEART AND FREE FROM GUILTY CONSCIENCE

 Heb. 10: 10 – “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Sincere heart means whole hearted faith in someone you love. The Holy Scriptures encourages us to approach the Presence of God with sincere hearts, for Christ offered himself to die on the cross as a sign of the sincerity of His love for the sinners.
The Bible said that we must have a cleansed heart free from guilty conscience through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

BY HAVING FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH

Hebrews 10:19-21 – ^“Therefore, brothers and sisters, 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”

We must be confident to enter into the Most Holy Place (where the Presence of God can be experienced by the believers), since Christ brought the “New and Living Way”. Today is the time that the sacrifice for sins is no longer necessary for the final sacrifice has already been offered. (Heb. 10:10, 14, 17-18)

We have a full assurance of faith that we can draw near to God because we have a Great Priest that can intercede for us. He is the only one mediator between man and God (John 14:6, 1 Tim 2:5).

Heb. 10:23 ^{– “} Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
“…for He who promised is faithful “– We have an assurance in our faith because Christ is faithful.

BY HAVING BEEN CLEANSED FROM SIN

 Heb 10:10 – “ And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”    

We are confident that we can approach the Throne of God because we were made holy through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 15:3 – “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”

The Word of God has made us clean. And continually remaining in His words make us able to be fruitful and confident in drawing near to God.

Conclusion:

Christ’s sacrifice brought sufficiency to make all faithful believers become Holy. It brings confidence for us to enter to the Presence of God.

It is also sufficient to make our heart sincere, and free from guilty conscience and make us Holy so that we can be closer to God.

“Because by the one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made Holy” (Heb. 10:14). Ano pa ba ang dahilan kung bakit di ka makalapit sa Kanya?