Drawing Near To God

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Drawing Near To God

• Text James 48 Hebrews 1021-22
• Date February 12, 2006
• Preacher David Pike

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• Drawing Near To God

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners and purify your
hearts, you double-minded. - Jas.48 NKJV
Drawing near to God is a continuous process, not
a one-time event.
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• Drawing Near To God

How do we draw near to God? - Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands,
you sinners and purify your hearts, you
double-minded. - Jas.48 NKJV
Not Physically so that they should seek the
Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him
and find Him, though He is not far from each of
us. (Acts 1727)
But Spiritually The Lord is with you while
you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be
found by you but if you forsake Him, He will
forsake you. (II Ch. 152)
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• Drawing Near To God

Who initiates the process? - Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you - Jas.48 NKJV
God originally initiated the process by calling
people (Abraham, prophets, Israel, etc.) Then
the Lord God called to Adam and said to him,
Where are you?He called you by our gospel
(Ge. 39 II Th. 214)
But now the initiative is ours. We must do
something. for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of GodCome unto Me (Ro. 323 Mt.
1128-30)
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• Drawing Near To God

What are the benefits of drawing near to God? -
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you
- Jas.48 NKJV
Joy and he went on his way rejoicinghe
rejoiced, having believed in God with all his
household. (Ac. 839 1634)
Escaping bearing temptation No temptation
has overtaken you except such as is common to
man but God is faithful, who will not allow you
to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with
the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it. (I Co. 1013)
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• Drawing Near To God

What is the process of drawing near to God?
Symbolic of the Old Testament way And having a
high priest over the house of God Let us draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure
water. (Hb. 1021-22)
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the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of
the TestimonySo it was always the cloud
covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by
night. (Nu. 915-23)
God shows His presence with us today!
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But Christ came as High Priest of the good
things to come, with the greater and more perfect
tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of
this creation. (Hb. 911)
We have a heavenly and spiritual tabernacle!
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• Drawing Near To God

Process Step 1 Draw near with a true heart.
We must have honest and sincere minds Keep
your heart with all diligence, for out of it
spring the issues of life. (Pr. 423) Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
(Mt. 58) But the ones that fell on the good
ground are those who, having heard the word with
a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit
with patience. (Lk. 815)
We obey the truth through sincere love (I Pt.
122).
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• Drawing Near To God

Process Step 2 Have a full assurance of faith.
There are degrees of faith (I.e. no, little,
weak, strong), but the faith that saves is fully
assured If you believe with all your heart,
you may. And he answered I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. (Ac. 837) But
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for
he who comes to God must believe that He is, and
He is a rewarded of those that diligently seek
Him. (Hb. 116)
We must not doubt God lives and saves (Jm. 16).
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• Drawing Near To God

Process Step 3 Have our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience.
The heart/mind are cleansed of a guilty
conscience how much more shall the blood of
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living
God? (Hb. 914) For godly sorrow produces
repentance to salvation, not to be regretted but
sorrow of the world produces death. (II Co.
710)
Sorrow and guilt over our sins drives us to
repent (Jm. 49-10).
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• Drawing Near To God

Process Step 4 Our bodies must be washed with
pure water.
Baptism or immersion in water cleanses us of sin
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ. (Ga. 327) Arise and be
baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the
name of the Lord. (Ac. 2216) baptism now
saves us, (not the removal of the filth of the
flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward
God) (I Pt. 321)
Sins must be removed (I Jh. 19-10 21-2).
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• Drawing Near To God

Remember We initiate the continuous process of
spiritually drawing near to God resulting in joy
and blessings.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners and purify your
hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and
weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning
and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the
sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
(Jas.48-10) NKJV
How close are you to God?
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• Drawing Near To God

Remember The continuous process of drawing near
to God involves 4 key steps (Hb. 1021-22).
Draw near with a true heart.
Have a full assurance of faith.
Have our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.
Our bodies must be washed with pure water.
Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to
him for righteousness. And he was called the
friend of God. (Jm. 223)
Is God our closest and dearest friend?
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• Drawing Near To God

A Growing Relationship
Be Baptized
SALVATION
Confess
Repent
Believe
Hear