Draw Near with Confidence

 

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, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ball the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:15-25 ESV).

 

As may have surmised in the reading of Morning Devotionals, I am reformed in my theology. And I enjoy reading other theologians who share that perspective a bit more than those who do not. Perhaps the central voice of this perspective in the last five centuries is John Calvin. My oldest son, Kyle, sent me the following quote from him recently. It is a great way to begin our short devotional today:

 

“Our prayers depend on no merit of our own, but all their worth and hope of success are founded and depend on the promises of God, so that they need no other support.” (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion).

 

In other religions, drawing near to God is not considered easy—or even allowed. In the Jewish tradition, to enter into the Most Holy Place was forbidden. Only the high priest could do that—and only once a year. Many people have a view of God as an angry God. To even think about drawing near to God is not something they want to do. That’s because, deep down, we know we have done wrong. We are sinners. Our lives are stained with sin. We have offended the God who made us and loves us and wants us to have full life. What’s more, God is holy and perfect, and on our own we cannot stand before him.

 

But because of Christ’s work on the cross, he opens the way for us to be forgiven and to have new life with God. Jesus has made it possible for us to have a direct connection with God, and that is through himself. So here we have the encouragement to not only think about drawing near to God but to have the confidence to do so. Having confidence is being assured that we are doing the right thing. Because of Jesus, because of his finished work to atone for our sins, we can approach God and draw near to him in full assurance of faith.