Author: Gary Witcher

Why Draw Near

Have you ever taken a serious look at the situation in the religious world today?  If you have, you have probably asked yourself this question: Why is this person or that person attracted to Christianity?   Perhaps it   is better to place this question on a   more personal level and ask ourselves:  Why am I attracted to Christianity?  Why am I drawn near to Christ?
There are at least three groups of people in the New Testament who were drawn near to Christ, and perhaps we can see ourselves in one of these three groups.
We read about the first group in Luke 6:7: "And the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely, to see if He healed on the Sabbath; in order that they might find reason to accuse Him."  This same group is mentioned in Mark 12:13: "And they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him, in order to trap Him in a statement."
In other words, these were drawn near to Christ only to criticize, condemn and find fault.  Hopefully, none of you finds yourself in this category.  But, unfortunately, we have all known people who seem to have been drawn to Christ for this very purpose.  This attitude is especially dangerous when applied to the Bible, Have you ever known anyone to say, "Yes, that's what the Bible says, but I don’t like it, I like this other idea better."  Has anyone ever said to you, "I don't see how God could have said that!  I don’t agree with it at all." Some are always drawn near simply to find fault.
Another group is described in Mark 12:28-34.  Here some of the people from the first group have been trying unsuccessfully to trap Jesus in some statement.  One of the scribes asked, "What commandment is the first of all?"  Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength."  The Master went on to give the second most important commandment,  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
This scribe could not do anything other than agree with what Jesus had said, and he quoted other Old Testament statements to back up this approval.  Jesus commented to the man, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
Luke l0:3-16 records Jesus’ instructions to 70 disciples sent out to preach around the country.  To those who believed what the 70 said, they were to say, "The kingdom of God has come near to you."  To those who rejected their teaching, they were to say, "The kingdom of God has come near."  As you can see, one can be near the kingdom regardless of whether or not he believes,
Three chapters later, in Luke 13:23-30, Jesus answered a very important   question, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?"  "Strive to enter the narrow gate,” he replied, "for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."  In verse 26 he described the reaction of this latter group when they are locked out: "We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets."
What can we say about this second group? It consists of people who are drawn close only to feel near the kingdom.  Remember that Jesus told the scribe he was not far from the kingdom?  But not far is not close enough. Remember that even those who did not believe were told, "The kingdom has come near?"   But near is not close enough.  Remember that Jesus said just a few would be saved, because most would realize only too late that near is not close enough?
Five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 thought is would be enough to be near the door when the bridegroom arrived, even though they were not properly prepared.  For them, near was not close enough.
James sums this attitude up in chapter 1, verses 22-24 of his letter.  "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."
How many people in the religious world today are content to be in this second group:
attracted to  Christ  only  to  feel  near  the kingdom of God?
How about you?  Why are you  attracted  to Christ?  There is one more group, and hopefully you want to be part of this last group.
The third group is recorded in Luke 15:1: "Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him."  Who do we find in this group?   First of all, we find sinners.  We find people who are not so set  in their religious ways that  they  don't  feel  a need for Jesus.  And we find those who are willing to listen.  So those in the third group are drawn near to listen to the  words  of  the Master Teacher.
James 4:7-10 says,  "Submit  therefore  to God.  Resist the devil and he  will  flee  from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse  your  hands,  you  sinners,  and purify  your  hearts,  you  double-minded.   Be miserable and mourn and weep: let you  laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the  Lord, and He will exalt you."  So those in the  third group are drawn near with humility.
Hebrews 7:19 tells  us  that  nothing  was made perfect though the old law.  But,  on  the other hand, in Jesus "There is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we  draw  near  to God,"  So those in the third  group  are  drawn near with hope.
There is a concept that  is  developed  in the Gospel of John.  In chapter  3,  verse  14, Jesus says, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of  Man be lifted up."  In  chapter  8,  verse  28,  He continues, "When you lift up the  Son  of  Man, then you will know that  I  am  He,  and  I  do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught me."  In verse  30, John states that, "As He  spoke  these  things, many came to believe in Him."   Then,  in  John 12:31-32, Jesus says, "Now  judgment  is  upon the world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast down.  And I, if I be lifted up  from  the earth, will draw all men to myself."  So  those in the third group are  drawn  near  to  Christ only if they do so at the cross.
It would be nice to be able  to  say  that everyone who draws near to Christ will make  it to heaven.  But the Bible just doesn't  support this idea,  There are too many  who  are  drawn near to condemn and find fault.  There are  too many who are satisfied to feel  they  are  near the kingdom.   The  ones  who  are  acceptable, however, are those who are drawn near to listen to His words with humility and  hope,  and  who are willing to meet Him at the cross.  Where do you find yourself?  Wouldn't  it  be  great  to feel we could enjoy the confidence expressed in Hebrews 10: 19-23: "Since  therefore,  brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy  place  by the blood of Jesus, by a  new  and  living  way which He inaugurated for us through  the  veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have  a  great high priest over the house of God, let us  draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance  of faith, having our hearts sprinkled  clean  from an evil conscience and  our  body  washed  with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who  promised is faithful."
This is real freedom, and it's  the  truth that we find in the Word of God that will  give it to us.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."