draw near, but only in Christ

Here is what the people of Israel said after God consumed Korah and his 250 men with fire, and then broke out in plague against the whole congregation which was complaining against Moses and Aaron:

 

Numbers 17:12-13

And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?”

 

This is like what Isaiah said when he saw the LORD's glory:

 

Isaiah 6:5

So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

 

The remedy for Isaiah was his sin being taken away because of the coal from the altar touching his unclean lips.

 

And God's response to the people of Israel is to tell them this:

 

Numbers 18:1, 7

So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. … And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

 

God's answer to Israel was this: you are right; sinners who come near to the holy God, perish.  Therefore, only the priests shall draw very near to God, and the Levites shall help them but shall not go into the most holy place.

 

 

And so we. On our own, we are undone in the presence of the holy God, who is a consuming fire (Heb.12:29).  Yet we have the massive privilege of "drawing near," the very thing that Israel was petrified of because those who drew near, would die.  But we in the new covenant get to draw near, because we have a better and greater High Priest.  Israel could not draw near through Aaron; they had to stay far away, and have him draw near on their behalf.  But by faith in Christ, we are bidden to draw near ourselves to this awesome God:

 

Hebrews 4:14-16

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Why can we draw near through Christ?  Because his sacrifice of his own body, opened the way through the veil into the Holy of Holies; his blood that was shed gives true forgiveness and makes us truly cleansed:

 

Hebrews 10:19-22

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.

 

This truth about God being so holy that sinners are undone and perish in his presence, apart from a mediator-priest with a sacrifice to atone for them -- this is why Jesus is the only way to approach God:

 

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

 

There is no other way to the Father, for he is a consuming fire.  Those who attempt to draw near to him apart from Christ, fall into the hands of the living God and perish.  God is too holy for anyone to see him, and not die, who has not had his sins atoned for by the only Sacrifice that truly takes away sins.

 

This is also why we dare not trust in our own righteousness of any sort -- because if even Isaiah the prophet felt undone and about to perish in the presence of God, how much more we!  If the only way to come near to God and not die, is through the righteousness and work of Christ, then let me never trust in my own "goodness," nor relate to God as though he saw me in light of my own "doing well" or "doing badly."  He sees us as either IN Christ, or APART FROM Christ, nothing else.

 

Philippians 3:7-10a

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him …

 

So come to your Father boldly, boasting in Christ alone!  See the gravity of your own sin, not to then focus on yourself, but rather so that you might see the glory of Christ who covers it!

 

strive to enter

Lessons from Numbers 14

In Numbers 14, the people of Israel refuse to go into Canaan, rebelling against the LORD, distrusting his care for them.  

 

Hebrews 3:15b-16

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?

 

God responded by pronouncing judgment on them, that they should wander 40 years and die in the wilderness rather than enter the promised land:

 

Numbers 14:32-34

But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.

 

Hebrews 3:17-18

And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

 

The people rebelled against God, disobeying him, because they did not believe him:

 

Numbers 14:11

And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?"

 

Hebrews 3:19

So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

 

We are to take warning from this, being wary lest we too gain an unbelieving heart that leads us away from God:

 

Hebrews 3:12

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

 

In order to avoid falling away into unbelief, we are to exhort one another daily against sin and toward faith and holiness:

 

Hebrews 3:13

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

 

And we are to learn from Israel's example, and strive to "enter God's rest," and strive that our brethren reach that rest also, and not fall away:

 

Hebrews 4:11

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

 

The next verse tells us that the Word of God is to be used as a sword to pierce the heart -- our own heart and those of our brethren -- that we might not be hardened by sin and fall away:

 

Hebrews 4:12-13

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

 

We are to "hold fast our confession," coming to God for help and mercy and grace through Jesus our high priest:

 

Hebrews 4:14-16

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

This is meant to be a warning to us, that without vigilance and striving and holding fast, our hearts are prone to be deceived by sin and to turn away from God, in unbelief that leads to disobedience.  And this is such a great danger that we are not strong enough to keep ourselves safe from it, by ourselves; we require the exhortation of others and the Word of God, on a regular basis, to expose what is in our hearts.  And we have been given Jesus the High Priest, by whom we can come to God for help on this difficult path to Heaven.

 

Therefore, you MUST be in regular fellowship in a church, the Body of Christ -- not just attending services, but in community and relationship with other individuals in that local church.  Be taking in the Word of God consistently through preaching, private devotions, and the exhortation of others, because without it, you will not see where your own heart is deceived.  And you must cling to Christ.

 

 

what it means to "glorify God"

Psalms 119:54

Your statutes have been my songs

in the house of my sojourning.

 

We sojourn here on this earth through our earthly life.

Why does God design for us to live here, and go through sin and sorrows before reaching Heaven?  The angels (those who did not rebel) simply live before him forever and serve him perfectly already. 

 

But we live our short (yet often seeming long) lives here, stumbling through the paths of grace, wandering as sheep and being brought back, fighting for faith until we die.

 

Why does this glorify God?

How does this glorify God?

 

I remember not really knowing what "glorify God" means, and concluding that it meant, "obey God; i.e., be good."  Yet we fail at obeying every single day.  Why would it then glorify God for us to live a life here of constant failure? If what glorifies God is that I stop sinning, then why not beam me up to heaven already, where I won't sin any more?

 

But I have come to believe that "glorify God" really means, "see and worship and proclaim God as glorious; and live in ways that show that glory to others."  It's not about how successfully I stop sinning; it's about focusing on God, reveling in his grace, valuing him more than life, proclaiming his glorious character to those around us -- and the person who does that, will obey, not because the act of obedience itself glorifies God, but because the faith that drives true obedience glorifies him and makes that obedience an act of worship.  The faith that wants God more than myself and more than my pleasures and more than my possessions, displays God as the Being of highest value; and the actions that result from that faith are an obedience that glorifies God.

 

So then, how is God shown to be glorious, by having us live this life on earth?

 

• Our sins give us a constant reminder that Christ alone saves.  They give us constant opportunities to reaffirm our faith in him as our salvation.  It is not that our sins glorify God, but rather, that they give an ongoing platform on which the glory of God's grace and kindness can be rehearsed and proclaimed.

 

        Romans 5:20b-21

        …where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

• Our weaknesses force us to depend on the strength that comes from God, thus giving constant opportunity for the glory of his strength to be remembered and testified about.

 

        2 Corinthians 12:9

        But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 

• Our trials give opportunity for the God of all comfort to  comfort us, so that we can point others to the glory of his comfort, when they are in trials.

 

        2 Corinthians 1:3-4

        Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

 

• When we despair of life itself, because we are so utterly burdened, it causes us to rely on God, whose glorious power raises the dead; and he receives praise for this.  Such experiences also increase our own hope and trust in him the next time it happens.

 

        2 Corinthians 1:8-10

        For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

 

• When life is hard, and when following God means losing things of this life, we long all the more for "the heavenly country"; we learn to value it more than all the comforts we chased here; and by doing this, we set our hopes in God, and he is pleased with our faith.

 

        Hebrews 11:8-10

        By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

 

        Hebrews 11:16

        But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

 

• Temptations give us regular opportunities to exercise the faith that leads to true obedience, thus giving us opportunities to show that Christ and his rewards are a greater treasure than what sin can give us.

 

        Hebrews 11:8

        By faith Abraham obeyed …

 

        Romans 1:5

        through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations…

 

        Hebrews 11:24-26

        By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

 

And all these things are opportunities to showcase the glories of God to a watching world… opportunities that all end at death.  Heaven will bring no more sin, weakness, trials, sorrows, deprivations, or temptations.

 

Let us then say with Paul:

 

Philippians 1:21, 23, 22

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. … My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. … (yet) If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

 

Paul's "fruitful labor" meant that he would have more opportunities for others to glory in Christ Jesus:

 

Philippians 1:25-26

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

 

In other words: To live is to love and know and glory in Christ, and to give others cause to glory in him.

Living this way would be a life worth living; may we do it more and more!