Author:James (Steve) Clay, MABC, LPC
Sin that causes us to shrink from God has several aspects. Two of those aspects have legal and social implications. Because we stood guilty before God prior to His work of regeneration in our hearts, God’s legal view of us was one of condemnation. But because Christ absorbed our death sentence, thereby taking away our guilt, we no longer live under God’s condemnation (Romans 8:1). Secondly, because our sin causes God’s displeasure and rejection, in that He cannot look upon or relate with the sinful, we feel that displeasure as shame. Rejection by God is the ultimate revelation of our condition, which results in the internal experience of shame and the external response of hiding. The social aspect of our sin is that it causes us to run from God, in fear of His rejection. But now in Christ, believers have been given His perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), and thus have been declared righteous (justification). Because sin has been paid for and forgiven, we are encouraged to draw near to God. He who was once our judge is now our Father. We who were once “not his people” are now “his people” (Romans 9:25-26). In Christ both the legal and social aspects of our sinful condition have been taken care of.
Paul speaks of this in Ephesians 2:12-13
remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
There is great joy in being made right with God, in becoming “His people”, on the basis of our standing before God as those “in Christ.”
Let’s look at another aspect of the social aspect of our sinful condition apart from Christ. In that state, being near to God is not a desirable position when one’s sins are not covered. God draws near for judgment when sin goes unchecked and people do not repent (Malachi 3:5). The nearness of God is good only to those whose sins are covered.
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.(Psalm 73:27-28)
Furthermore, there is a supposed drawing near that is based on self-righteous, hypocritical activity, devoid of love and reverence for God. Such is a pseudo-nearness, for it is certainly far from the heart and favor of God. Isaiah renounced religiosity of this sort:
And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men. (Isaiah 29:13)
Those who would be brought near to God would do so on the basis of His gracious initiative, not their own. Therefore, on the one hand, we have been brought near on the basis of God's calling. In Christ we’ve been brought near to God. There is no separation. This is the heart of the gospel. To the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:6), Christ died in our behalf that He might bring us to God.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit (1 Peter 3:18)
This is God’s initiative in Christ on our behalf. Christ died in order to bring us to God, in order that we might be near Him there.
On the other hand, not only has God brought us to Himself in Christ, but also because of Christ’s death and our faith in Him, we are encouraged to ourselves draw near to God. Think of it! The one we shrunk back from, the one who lives in inexpressible light, makes a way that we can be not only with Him, but near Him. And He calls us to draw near to Him. Take for example 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.
Christ’s earthly ministry was often to the outcast and unclean. He touched the unclean (in violation of the law) and became unclean Himself as He provided healing for the diseased. He associated with the most vial and shameful sinners, ultimately identifying with their sin and shame on the cross in payment for sin.
Hebrews 12:2 gives us insight into the heart of Jesus:
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
And seated there with Him at God's right hand, we are near to God. On that basis, we are called to draw near to God with confidence, because Jesus is our sympathetic high priest. We are called to draw near in order to ask for help in our time of need. We are called to hold fast to our faith in His finished work in our behalf and call upon Him for mercy and grace. The supply is unlimited and free. Draw near to Him!
And again in chapter 7:23-25:
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
And again in chapter 10:19-23
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.
These passages refer to the Old Testament priesthood, in which the priest made sacrifices that allowed the sinning Israelite to belong and participate in the community of God’s people. The high priest, after offering required sacrifices for his own sins, approached the altar and confessed the sins of the people, along with providing their sacrifices. This was all a foreshadowing of the greater to come—that is, Christ, the perfect sacrifice and high priest. Without dealing with their sins or defects in the ways prescribed by the law, the guilty and unclean were put out from the people of God, in shame and disgrace. Sound familiar?
We are encouraged to draw near to God because Christ continually intercedes for us there in the nearness of God. We are to look to Him as the one making access possible in His atoning death, but also in His priestly role of intercession in our behalf. He continually acts as our advocate to the Father (1 John 2:1, 2). This causes us to pause and ask a few important questions: Where do you run when you sin? Do you immediately go back to hiding from God in shame? Or do you run to the one who holds a permanent priesthood of intercession? His blood is His plea, and it is ours as well. Go to Him. Draw near in confession of sin. Know that Christ is interceding for you there. Gospel-centered repentance runs to God in confession, in faith that Christ’s work as sacrifice and priest is sufficient to cover our sins and provides forgiveness, cleansing, and fellowship (1 John 1:9).