How To Get Close To God

John 5:39-40, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men.”

Dear friend, you will be as close to God as you are to His Holy Word! There are no exceptions. The only resource that we have to learn about God and our great Savior is the inspired King James Bible! What saith our Scripture passage—SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!! Through the Scriptures we think (i.e., have confidence) we have eternal life. The Scripture testifies of Jesus Christ! We know we're saved as believers, because of the PROMISES contained in the written inspired Word of God. 1st Corinthians 2:16, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” To have “THE MIND OF CHRIST,” we need a Biblical mindset! 

If you want to get close to God friend, then you must delight in the WORD OF GOD day and night, as did the psalmist David, the man after God's own heart... 

Psalms 1:1-6, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

David loved the Word of God, an he didn't even have the complete Bible. All David had was the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament written by Moses). Today, with the complete Old Testament and added New Testament, we are able to obtain a much richer and fuller understanding of the things of God, sound doctrine and Bible prophecy. Psalms 119:104, “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.”

But to get close to God we must not only abide in the Scripture, but take heed to it in obedience, walking with God in our heart...

“Remember, you don't know the Bible, until the Bible controls your life. You can memorize every verse in the Bible and not know the Bible, until the Bible controls you, and permeates your thinking. You can know a lot of things about God, but until you walk with God and live with God, and abide in the Lord, then you don't know THE LORD intimately like you should.” —Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold, “They Loved The Praise Of Men More Than The Praise Of God”

The dearest thing to the heart of God is soulwinning, leading others to Christ by preaching 'THE GOSPEL.' No Christian is truly close to God who neglects winning souls. Luke 8:15, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Notice that a requirement to winning souls is to “KEEP GOD'S WORD.” Psalms 126:6, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Every Christian should have a LEAKY SEED BASKET, sharing the 'GOOD NEWS' of Jesus Christ wherever we go! 

We Learn About Jesus Working With Him For Souls

You'll never learn more about a person than when you work with them. Jesus invites us into His yoke, to labor for the souls of men with Him. Matthew 11:29-30, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The Bible calls us “labourers together with God” (1st Corinthians 3:9b). Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” If you desire to get close to God, just start sharing the Gospel of His only begotten Son with the lost, and you'll learn the Scripture; it will open up to you! 

The psalmist encourages us that if we OBEY GOD as believers, we will have a good understanding of the Scriptures. Psalms 111:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” David said that he understood more than those who went before him, because he KEPT GOD'S PRECEPTS. Psalms 119:100, “I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.” If you want to GET CLOSE TO GOD dear friend, then obey God. There is no wisdom apart from the inspired Word of God. Psalms 119:104, “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.”

The World Is God's Enemy

The way to get close to God is to take a keen interest in the things that God loves; namely, truth, love, righteousness, praise, helping others and soulwinning. James 4:8-9, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” The entire chapter of James chapter 4 is all about how to get close to God. The world is the enemy of God, so the first thing you must do if you want to be close to God is separate from the world (James 4:1-4). The Lord PROMISES to draw near to us, if we'll draw near to Him. 

The Bible teaches us to humble ourselves in the sight of God, and He will lift us up (vs. 6-7). We are told to draw near to God with a heavy heart, weeping and mourning over sin and lost souls (vs. 8-10). God's great heart is grieved over sin and lost souls. When we enter into the yoke with Christ, sharing His burden for the souls of lost men, then we will better understand the broken heart of God. We are taught not to judge or speak evil of one another, because God is the only Judge (vs. 11-12). We are taught never to make future plans without including God. We should always say, “Lord willing” when speaking of the future (vs. 13-17). 

To Honor The Son Is To Honor The Father

Carefully notice the next verse after John 5:39—after Jesus commands us to “SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES”—He says: “YE WILL NOT COME TO ME, THAT YE MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. I RECEIVE NOT HONOUR FROM MEN”!!! In other words, we honor the Son by searching the Scriptures, so that we can learn about Him, and believe on His name (John 6:40). If you want to get close to God, then you MUST honor the Son of God! John 5:22-23, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.” Oh dear reader, HONOR THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, and the Father will draw near to you!!! “...I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10b). 

“Living by faith is believing that God knows what is best for me.” —Dr. Jack Hyles