How is it that we can draw near to God?

Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a permanent sacrifice for all time. Believing in Jesus and His sacrifice cleanses us from every sin, past, present, and future, making us pure and holy so that we can approach God with confidence.

Hebrews 10:22, TPT, states, I am “fully convinced that nothing will keep me at a distance from You”.  Now we are welcome to come into the presence of the Father (Hebrews 10:21,22).

The Father longed for the restoration of fellowship. We were created for fellowship with Him. By believing in Jesus, we have been restored to this privilege of intimacy and enjoyment of His love and care for us. In fact, we are chosen by God for this privilege.

Scripture Confirms:

“And today the Lord has proclaimed that you are His people, a treasured possession as He promised…” (Deuteronomy 26:18). You are the “apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8).

“For you are a holy people [set apart] to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be a people for His own possession [that is, His very special treasure]” (Deuteronomy 7:6 Amp). Jesus willingly gave of Himself so that we would be purified for Him, cleansed of all of our sins, making us a “chosen and very special people to be His own possession…” (Titus 2:14). This comes from believing in Jesus, the Son of God, and His sacrifice; the finished work of the cross.

“…He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,” (Ephesians 1:4). It was always God’s plan for mankind, from the moment of Adam and Eve’s sin, to restore a relationship with Him through Jesus. Relationship with the Lord, an experience of His love, becomes real through Jesus’ finished work. But we are challenged as we live in this world to continue believing in Jesus and not be distracted by the lies of a fallen world.

Our Condition of Restoration:

If God has restored us to the condition that Adam and Eve experienced before giving in to the temptation of disobedience, we now have the same privilege of a relationship with God that they did. Day by day, Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden. We have the same opportunity to walk daily with Him, and to experience His love and provision.

Jesus has provided access to the Father, enabling us to enter His presence without fear, no matter what our behavior or thoughts have been. We enter into His presence boldly, with the expectation that we are loved, and mercy is provided to us (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus is the new way offered to approach the Father. People in the Old Testament trembled with fear and were constantly frustrated because they tried but failed to keep all of the laws. Now Jesus has kept all the laws for us, once and for all, and we benefit from His work (Romans 8:1-4)! The barrier of separation that existed between the Father and us was destroyed by Jesus’ blood sacrifice.

It is one thing to know this intellectually, but we must know it by revelation, that is, understanding given to us by the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is responsible for leading us into all truth (John 16:13). It is essential to receive this wisdom, otherwise, the lies of this world will persuade us to believe something else, and this will limit our freedom to experience God’s love and live in His fullness. If you don’t understand and believe that you have been cleansed of every sin, and are blameless before Him in love, you will agree with the enemy, thinking your sin is too great for Jesus’ sacrifice; this is pride! You have been perfected by Jesus (Hebrews 10:14); your spirit is now perfect! Stand in bold reassurance of what Jesus accomplished for you; from your spirit, that is one with the Holy Spirit, release the truth of God’s Word to your mind, heart, and emotions.

Jesus has provided an open-door policy for you; come in and enjoy the presence of God at all times! He desires fellowship with you. Come boldly by faith and experience intimacy with your Father. Do not allow the lies of this world to persuade you to believe you are separated from His love. This is why God resists the proud because pride, built on wrong thinking and believing, comes between the Father and us (James 4:6); pride doesn’t allow us to participate in the finished work of the cross. But to accept Jesus’ sacrifice is to humble yourself. That is when we may come boldly into His presence, accepting and participating in His gift of grace. God’s truth provides the revelation we need to understand and experience His great love for us.

Jesus was and is enough!

We do not need to add anything else to Jesus’ sacrifice. What He did was sufficient, and His work is finished! Are you accepting this gift of grace, experiencing the transformation of your sin nature to His holy nature, and enjoying intimacy with the Lord? By mercy, we were saved (Titus 3:5). Your actions do not persuade God to move. He has already moved toward you through His Son Jesus Christ; love moved Him! He poured out His Holy Spirit by the work of Jesus (Titus 3:5,6), not by your work! Jesus’ actions have made you just as if you have never sinned. This is grace, and now you are an heir of hope because you believe (Titus 3:7).