Now being disconnected from God, we know that we must humble ourselves into obedience. We will accept the words of Christ from His mouth and from the mouths of His Apostles and prophets. We will deny ourselves and take up our crosses to follow Christ. Now, where does all of this lead? How far will humble obedience in denying ourselves go to connect us with God in Christ?

Our humble submission brings us to some other Scriptures about being with God. Would we be with God if we did not live our lives in love to Him? Look at what Jesus said in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” We come to God in loving obedience, and then God and Christ comes to us and make Their home with us. Just as James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” By our love, we obey. By walking in the light, we have closeness with God (1 John 1:7).

A desire to draw near to God is completed in Jesus Christ. For we must desire to draw near to Jesus know that he offered Himself and even more in His words. Jesus said in John 7:38-39, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Jesus is the complete source of spiritual life. For Jesus said, “My words are spirit and life” (John 6:63). Therefore, Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” Now when we thirst for the life and the righteousness in Christ, all we want is come close to Him. Jesus said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” He is a source of life. Christ is the source, the authority, of our life throughout worship, homes, beliefs, commitment, and service.

Remember Christ’s great invitation. Christ said in Matthew 11:28-30,

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Not a soul should feel unwanted by Christ. Such a verse is rich and sublime calling for discipleship. Here our humble submission to Him of bearing His yoke and being blessed with rest will mean that we learn from Him who is the only one able confess His meekness and lowly heart.

What happen to those Christians who thirsted for the words of Christ? What happen to Christians who hunger to have part in the life in Christ? They are certainly few. What happened to the constant prayers, continual meditation on His words, and a steady discussion of Jesus? Will Jesus say to us, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Rev. 3:15-16)? The problem is that many do not care.

Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Yet most professing to be Christians do not open to Christ and be with Him. They resist Him in resisting His words. No longer are Christ’s words the authority for worship, for the Church, for marriages, and for serving Him. People invent their own traditions, and worship themselves in worshiping their own inventions. These also worship the laws of Bible, and in so doing so lose focus on Christ, and ironically, neglect to “observe all things” that He has commanded. Why not turn to those who do hunger and thirst for Christ? Why not pray for the wisdom of God to draw near to Him (James 1:5-8)?

Let’s next direct our focus to those obstacles that stand in our way to drawing near to God.