The Presence of God – audio

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I can’t imagine what it’ll be like to be in God’s presence, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be the best thing about heaven.

• What will it feel like?
• What will he look like?
• What will it be like?

I want that, but I’m not ready for it yet. People can’t be in the presence of God, not actually, not yet. We couldn’t survive it.

Whenever God revealed himself to people in the Bible—even in some kind of limited way—he spelled out the things they must do to be ready . . . and not die.

After the Israelites left Egypt, God met them at Sinai to give them his law, but he couldn’t just “come down” and talk to them. He told Moses to consecrate them for two days, let them wash their clothes, and be ready the third day. And then he put limits concerning how close they could come to the mountain where God would reveal himself. Get too close and die. Break through the barrier to try to get a glimpse of God . . . and die. It was a serious matter.

That’s the way it’s always been. We can’t come close to God because of our sins. We’ve got to be cleansed to enter God’s presence.

That’s why verses like this one are fascinating: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8a).

Us? Close to God? How?

Through Jesus, of course. He cleanses us, makes us holy, and grants us access to God.

Remember the temple’s veil being torn in two pieces during the crucifixion? That veil had always symbolized a barrier between sinful people and a holy God. When Jesus died, he tore the barrier down.

But what James puts right after he tells us to draw near to God is interesting: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:8b-10).

We still don’t come to God flippantly.

He’s forgiven us, but that does not mean we stop repenting. He’s declared us righteous, but we still acknowledge our sinfulness.

We are reminded of that weekly when we come to the Lord’s Table. We don’t deserve to commune with Christ, and it’s incredible that he lets us sit and eat and drink with him.

But as we draw near to him we remember.

We remember the ways we’ve sinned against him. We remember the times we lost focus and said something wrong or did something sinful or thought something impure.

And so we draw near to God, but not without remembering what it cost to give us that access.

One day, when we receive our glorified bodies, we’ll draw near to him with no barriers at all.

No sinful flesh, no broken vessel. We’ll bask in his immeasurable holiness and light.

That’s the day we’re all waiting for.