Christian “common sense” often says: read more, attend more, volunteer more—and you’ll get closer to God. Quiet times and church life are wonderful, but closeness is not earned in steps. The New Testament announces something far more secure: if you’re in Christ, you’re as close to God today as you will ever be—even in heaven.
Good works don’t achieve closeness; Christ achieved closeness.
Growth is real, but it’s growth in awareness and expression of a union you already possess.
What “Closeness” Actually Is: Union, Not Distance
Salvation is more than a cleared ledger; it’s union with a Person.
- United with Christ: “We have become united with Him in His death…and in His resurrection” (Rom 6:5).
- One spirit with Him: “The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Cor 6:17).
- Christ in you: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27).
- Seated with Christ now: God “raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:5–6).
Location, location, location: God relocated you from in Adam to in Christ (Col 1:13). That’s not a feeling—it’s your new address.
But Doesn’t James 4:8 Say “Draw Near to God”?
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded…” (Jas 4:8)
Context matters. James addresses double-minded Jews who still needed cleansing and purification—terms the New Testament never applies to saints as their ongoing status. Believers are repeatedly called holy ones (saints), not “sinners” by nature. We do sin, but our identity is new creation (2 Cor 5:17).
Bottom line: James 4 is an evangelistic call to the undecided and double-minded—not a roadmap for Christians to ladder-climb into God’s presence.
Why We Still Feel Far (and What Growth Really Is)
You are spirit, soul, and body. In your spirit, you’re new, clean, and one with Christ. Your soul (mind, will, emotions) is learning—and feelings fluctuate.
- You may feel dirty, but the cross says you’re clean (Heb 10:10,14).
- You may feel distant, but union says you’re close (Eph 2:13).
- You may feel split, but God made you one person with one new heart (Ezek 36:26; 2 Cor 5:17).
This is why Scripture emphasizes renewing the mind (Rom 12:2), not getting a new spirit repeatedly. Growth = reprogramming defaults with truth.
Jesus Prayed—and the Father Answered (John 17)
Jesus asked the Father:
- “I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity” (John 17:23).
- “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them” (John 17:22).
- “I desire that they be with Me where I am” (John 17:24).
If Jesus’ prayers are answered (and they are), then your oneness with Him is a gift, not a goal. We don’t strive into union; we start there.
Common Missteps That Recreate Distance
- Quiet time as currency: Reading Scripture is vital—but not to buy proximity. We read to behold what’s already true.
- “Put God first” as a ladder: Christ is not a slot on a list; He is your life (Col 3:4).
- Sin as a fellowship switch: He doesn’t “leave and return.” He promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5). Confession is agreeing with truth, not begging an estranged God to come back.
The Better Story: Clean and Close—Always
Because your closeness rests on Christ’s obedience (Rom 5:19), Christ’s blood (Heb 10:19–22), and Christ’s resurrection (Rom 6:4–5), ask yourself:
- If His obedience put you near, how near are you?
- If His blood made you clean, how clean are you?
- If His resurrection seated you with Him, how seated are you?
The answer in each case is: fully.
So What Does Grow?
Not proximity—perspective.
- Renewed thinking: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2).
- Deepened assurance: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord” (2 Pet 3:18).
- Rooted identity: “That you may know…the love of Christ” (Eph 3:18–19).
We mature in our awareness, trust, and expression of a union that never flickers.
Practical Ways to Live This Today
- Start your day with reality, not a ladder: “Father, thank You that I’m clean and close in Christ—teach my mind to agree.”
- Swap “if I do… then I’ll be close” for “because I’m close, I’ll do…” Let intimacy fuel habits, not vice versa.
- Preach to your feelings: When you feel far, read Ephesians 2:5–6 and 1 Corinthians 6:17 out loud.
- Confess like a son/daughter, not a beggar: Agree with God about sin—and thank Him you’re still His, still clean by the blood (Heb 10:14,22).
Conclusion
The lie says: Work your way into God’s presence.
The gospel says: Christ worked you into God’s presence—and stayed.
You are perfectly united to Jesus, forever clean, and as close as you’ll ever be. Now, grow in knowing what you already have—and enjoy Him.
Leave a Reply