Draw Nigh To God

Mt 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mt 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Here is the main point that I would like to focus on that has recently been on my mind. Drawing nigh to God and how one goes about it. If we look at the above verse we see Jesus blasting the scribes and pharisees because they were holding their tradition over the word of God. They were worshiping God in vain because they taught the doctrines and traditions of men and held this over the word of God. In essence, they worshiped each other and themselves, rather than truly worshiping God.

I wonder if we would examine our own institutionalized Christianity, how true Christ's statement would be today. I wonder if we stripped all the traditions away that stand in the way of drawing nigh to God, if we would not experience something much better. Jesus said, "The people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." Could that be true in our own Christian lives? Isn't much of what is taught on television stations like CBN, or heard on Christian radio, or even from the pulpit, that we just need to do something, and God will draw nigh to us? Perhaps the real question would be, is God found purely in religious acts? Do we limit God to our morning devotional or our daily bible reading? Do we limit our worship to a church meeting on Sunday? Is God found only in a building? Are we limiting Him to certain acts, deeds or places? Is this where God is found? Is there more to this life than the seen? How do we get close to God?

Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the BLOOD of Christ.

We were made nigh by the Blood of Christ. Without the blood of Christ we don't draw nigh to God. It is by faith in the blood which we draw nigh. But how, you say is that practical in our experience? The next verse says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Jesus Christ has made peace for us by His blood. That is how we come nigh to God. Believing that His blood is sufficient for us to come right through the veil, into the holiest of all and boldly approach the throne of grace. Why boldly? Because His blood not only covers all our sin but takes it away so that we are acceptable in His sight. Because Christ's robe of righteousness covers us so that God views us (His children) as He does His precious Son. It is faith in that, that we draw nigh to God.

Heb 11:6 But without FAITH it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

A profound statement. Without faith it is impossible to please him. A person can go around and do everything that they ought to do. Read scripture, daily devotions, church meeting on Sunday, whatever it may be, and their heart can be far from God. Without faith that God is who He says He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him, it is impossible to please Him. It saddens me when we limit our worship and our relationship with God to certain tasks or deeds with as much enthusiasm as a slave to his master, ignoring God's righteousness, mercy and grace and focusing only on ourselves.

Heb 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better HOPE did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

"The bringing in of a better hope", is contrasted to the law here and the better hope that is meant here is this new salvation and righteousness and blood that is revealed in the Man Christ Jesus. Faith and hope are very similar in the bible. Hope that Christ is coming soon and hope that we will soon have our new bodies and will dwell with Christ for eternity. Hope that His righteousness and not our own will be sufficient to inherit eternal life. We draw nigh to God through the means of what Jesus Christ did for us.

So I would like to conclude with these thoughts. Scripture says that we have been made nigh by the blood of Christ and we draw nigh to God by Hope and Faith. My main point that I would like to get across is that God is always nigh to us who are saved, by faith in the finished work of Christ. Christ lives in us! We limit him to certain activities throughout the day, when He is there all the time! He is there when we mow the lawn. He is there when we are at work. He is there when we wash the dishes or when we go for a walk. The best times we can have with God are those times when the roar of the lawn mower drowns out all other noises, or seeing the flash of lightning and hear the thunder crashing. Or meditating on Isaiah ch6 or Ezekiel ch 1 over the hum of a diesel engine. Or thinking about Revelation ch 19 over the profanity laced lunch room at work. Even then God is nigh.