You Can be Closer to God

You Can be Closer to God

The title of this little study probably caused a reaction in you. For some, there was an excitement to read on and find out how to be closer to God. For others, there was a desire to change the title to read “You Cannot be Closer to God.” Whatever your reaction, I think you may find some value in the thoughts that follow.

John 14:16–17 (NASB 2020) “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.”

1 Corinthians 6:17 (NASB 2020) makes this even clearer in saying, “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

Since Holy Spirit is in us and remains with us, and we are one spirit with God, it is impossible for us to get closer to God. But this is not the only way we use the word close.

2 Peter 3:18 (NASB 2020) urges us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” This “knowledge of our Lord” is another pertinent use of close.

When my wife and I were married, we became very close. We spent nearly all our time together. We knew one another intimately. In July, we will have been married for forty-eight years. I can tell you that we are far closer now than we were in earlier years. While our physical proximity has not changed, our knowledge of one another has increased.

This is the way relationships work. Over time we learn more about those with whom we have a relationship. We come to understand their way of communicating, their way of thinking, their preferences, and dislikes. If we are related to someone long enough, we begin to know how they are likely to act and react in many situations. We come to trust them and consequently we let down our guard with them. We become completely at ease and natural around them.

This is exactly what it’s like with our relationship with God.

Jesus lived His earthly life in dependence on God the Father. He spoke about this in John 12:49–50 saying, “I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” (NASB 2020)

Living a life of dependence on God is what it means to live by faith and to live by the Spirit. Living in dependence requires trust in the one upon whom we are depending. Trust comes about by coming to know a person deeply and intimately. This is part of what Peter was driving at in 2 Peter 3:18, which we read earlier. He calls us to grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord.

We grow in grace as we come to understand, believe, and internalize the ramifications of the overabundant grace of God more deeply.
We grow in the knowledge of the Lord as we come to know who He is and how He is.

Knowing who God is helps us know His character, trustworthiness, and love.
Knowing how God is helps us know how He thinks, what He desires, and what His goals might be in a given situation.

This sort of growth happens over time and as it does, our trust in Father grows. As our trust in Father grows our relationship with Him deepens.

In this way we can become closer to God. Not positionally closer, but relationally closer.