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Understand Why and How

Drawing Near to God is

Powerful for Dissolving

Your Shame!

Concerning our freedom to draw near to God, self-based pride is never enough to maintain confidence that we "measure up." God is just too great. Too holy. His goodness is too far beyond us. 

Shame is the inevitable result of depending on ourselves while wanting to be near to God. You don’t have to make that mistake.

Train your heart to trust God to provide what you need that will dissolve away your shame. If you keep trying to keep trusting yourself, you will only keep on hiding.

The difficulty with this topic is that adequately dissolving shame requires that your heart be soft enough to believe God’s provision. Without believing, you won’t be able to receive it. This means that while I can tell you about what God offers freely I must also tell you that it is entirely possible that you won’t be able to accept what I am saying at first. I suspect the problem won’t be as much with intellectual disagreement as much as it will be that you are trying to protect yourself. I don’t say this to put you down. I say this so that you know what to expect.

Shame causes us to want to protect ourselves by dependence on disbelief as reason to stay away from God.

If at any point you can say with your mind, "I agree," even though your heart may be afraid to believe, that is the time to begin thanking the Lord for what you find in the scriptures here. If you don’t approach it this way it is likely you won’t be able to rest into the kind of believing that allows you to apply what I am saying here with delight and without hesitation.

Any shame you feel to draw near to God must be dissolved or you will just keep wanting to stay away. God has provided a powerful solution for dissolving shame!

God told Moses to follow instructions carefully in the construction of the earthly tabernacle. Moses needed to be careful because he was constructing something that was intended as a "copy" of the temple in heaven.

"there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, ‘See,’ He says, ‘that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain’" (Heb. 8:4b,5).

The scriptures also tell us that "when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation" (Heb. 9:11b). By making giving us a "copy" of the heavenly, God wanted us to understand about drawing near to Him.

It is also important to understand, that not only was the earthly temple a copy of the heavenly, the Old Testament priests were a "copy" also. During Old Testament times it was by the blood of sacrifices that payment was made for the sins of the priests and all the people. Even though it is difficult for our western minds to understand, it was by the blood that the priests gained legal right of entry into the holy place. The blood of the sacrifices was a "copy" of heavenly things because of us it says, "we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus" (Heb. 10:19b). Concerning our Lord Himself it says it was, "not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all" (Heb. 9:12a). It is also important to note that the Old Testament priests sprinkled both water and blood to cleanse the tabernacle and the people.

"For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.’ And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. And according to the Law, one may almost say all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

"Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these" (Heb. 9:20-23).

The blood that was sprinkled on the people during Old Testament times symbolized the payment of Christ’s blood on our behalf. By trusting the sacrifice our Lord made for us we have the forgiveness of sins. The water that was sprinkled on the people during Old Testament times symbolized the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives today. Like a photo copy of an original, the "sprinkling" done during Old Testament times was a "copy" of something that is currently very real in the heavenly realms (Hebrews 8:5; 9:19-23). When we draw near to God, Jesus—who is our high priest —sprinkles us with the Holy Spirit. Even though I have used this scripture before, it is worth mentioning again: "let us draw near...having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:22). The washing you receive when you draw near is not merely a theological idea—the cleansing of God is a literal-actual thing. In order to better trust God to cleanse you, it is helpful to understand how it happens.

The Bible tells us to come boldly before the throne. Other scriptures also make it possible for us to be confident in His power to make us clean. Yet even so, if we do not believe the throne room to be as the scriptures describe, we will not enter before the Lord with confidence. Then, instead of entering, we will stay away because of shame.

There is a direct relationship between the doorway to the throne room of God and the cleansing we receive from God. Jesus said of Himself, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:9). The Old Testament shows that many of the sacrifices for sin were done at the doorway to the tabernacle (Exodus 29:10,11,14). For those who drew near to God, a lamb was sacrificed every morning and every evening at the doorway.

"The lamb you shall offer...for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there...it shall be consecrated by My glory" (Exodus 29:39,41-43).

How does the cleansing at the doorway apply to us today? When you come to the heavenly city of God (Heb. 12:22) you come, "to Jesus...and to the sprinkled blood" (Hebrews 12:24b). The Bible also says, "...we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus," (Heb. 10:19). When we come to the doorway, we walk into the Light shining upon us from the fountain of God. When you walk in the Light the Bible says that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Just as the lamb and the doorway were "consecrated by My glory," we ourselves are consecrated by the radiant glory of the Lord at the doorway into the heavenly tabernacle.

Jesus is the doorway because at the entrance opening, "the Spirit of Jesus" (Acts 16:7), washes you acceptable (1 John 1:7). You can enter the throne room with confidence. The Holy Spirit touches you and washes you inside and out (Heb. 10:22).

At this point it is important to consider how God washes us. Regarding the Old Testament priests it says, "Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water" (Exodus 29:4). Here again, this Old Testament passage paints a picture of something that is real in heaven. Like them, because we are kingdom priests, we too need to be washed at the doorway that leads into the presence of God.

Ezekiel had a vision where an angel gave him a tour of God’s heavenly house. After the vision he wrote that a river of the Spirit of God flows out through the entrance door into the throne room. Speaking about the angel, Ezekiel said, "Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar." (Eze. 47:1). We know that the "house" this verse is talking about is the heavenly temple of God because it is water that "flows from the sanctuary" (Eze. 47:12).

The Father has exalted Jesus to such a great extent that He is radiating enough of the Holy Spirit to cause a river to flow down from before the throne: "Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev. 22:1). Note the volume. It is a river. It is not a small stream. It is the radiance of God that becomes the river that flows out through the doorway to the throne room.

The Jews had their promise land. The throne room is the promise land for Christians. The Bible says, "I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands." (Eze. 20:6). The promise land for the Jews was one that flowed with the glory of all lands. The throne room is our promise land because it flows with the glory of the God. The Jews had to cross the Jordan river before they could enter their promise land (Deut. 11:31). In the same way, we can’t enter into the throne room without walking through a river of the Holy Spirit. The river we cross is a river flowing with what the Bible calls, "the Spirit of glory" (1 Pet. 4:14b).

That the Holy Spirit is flowing "from under the threshold" is an indication that the river isn’t very deep at that point—only deep enough to wash our feet. Two verses later it talks about how it is "water reaching the ankles" (Eze. 47:3). Even so, the cleansing of God is so powerful that it doesn’t need to be any deeper at that point. Remember what Jesus said about getting our feet washed? He said, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean" (John 13:10b). When you enter the throne room of God the washing you receive at the doorway is so powerful, though it is only your feet that get wet, you become completely clean.

Through Moses, God commanded the Old Testament priests to stay at the doorway for seven days, "until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled" (Lev. 8:33,35). When I first started applying these things I felt I should apply this principle myself. In my case, I trusted I was staying at doorway, standing in the water of the Holy Spirit that flows from the throne room. I stayed there until I could rest in believing that my feet were actually being washed and that the washing was powerful enough to make all of me clean. In my case that took about two weeks. It doesn’t have to be that long for you. Once I found I was restful in my believing, that is when I entered. I would encourage you to do the same. Doing this, will firm up your trust in the washing of God rather than your having be good enough yourself.

Even though I have used these verses before it is important to review them again here.

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of your delights" (Psa. 36:7-9).

Let your heart believe that the river is real. You can fill yourself with the river of God’s delights. Nurture your faith by thanks and praise for the water of the Spirit at your feet. The Bible says, "...the body is...for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body." (1 Cor. 6:13b). When you trust you are at the doorway, you can also trust that the river at your feet is real and it is touching your body. Thank God that the cleansing is powerful enough to, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin...Purify me...and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:2, 7). Then don’t hold back. Enter boldly. Trust God to touch you. Enjoy it!

In order for you to believe that God is actually washing you, it is important to believe that the river of God is real—and that you can stand in it right where you are now.

Let me emphasize again that God wanted the tabernacle and the affairs of the priests to be a copy of what happens in heavenly realms. The Old Testament "copies" were real. Therefore, because the throne room and the river of God are real, the cleansing you receive from God is also real. Some may be quick to point out the figurative language in the scriptures I am using. Still, a style of language that is figurative does not decrease the validity of what the Bible tells us about the throne room.

God showed the river to Ezekiel (Eze. 47:1-12). The apostle John saw it too, "Then he showed me a river of the water of life" (Rev. 22:1a). You can be confident about the promise that you can have a river of the Holy Spirit because when Jesus said "river" He meant it.

"Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:11-13)

The river of God is a good gift available to any Christian willing to humble themselves and rejoice into believing the reality of what God offers to each of us by His grace.

The Bible says we should let justice and righteousness come down like a river (Amos 5:24). But, it is even more helpful to see this verse in context. If you start reading in verse 18 of Amos 5, you will see that God’s people frustrate Him when they are preoccupied with the end times, "day of the Lord." The passage is a clear expression of God’s heart concerning these matters (Amos 5:18-23). Then in the next verse, instead of longing for the last days to come quickly, God says, "But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:24). God wants justice and righteousness to fill the earth. But He wants His people to receive it. He wants us to "let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." God is waiting to fill the earth with justice and righteousness by what He pours on and through His people. Trust His grace! Let it roll down like water.

Twice, the scriptures tell us that justice and righteousness are the foundation of God’s throne (Psalm 89:14 and 97:2). Since justice and righteousness are the foundation of God’s throne we are talking about the very essence of the kingdom of God. Jesus told us to seek the Kingdom over and above everything else (Matt. 6:33). The passage in Amos 5 is telling us how to receive the kingdom of God. Is it merely a coincidence that we can "drink" a river of the Holy Spirit, and that the apostle John saw a river of the Holy Spirit flowing down from before the throne of God (Rev. 22:1)? Is it only symbolism? Or, is it real? Since we receive the Holy Spirit by faith, it is wise to believe that the river is real. Doing so is accurate application of the scriptures.

The way I see it, before the end can come, God is in process of something big. Before the end can come, very many Christians are going to learn to "drink" and receive the kingdom of God coming to us like a river. You can be one of those people. Drinking from the river of God rather than drinking from earthly things, will prepare us as the bride of Christ.

Another reason you should believe that the river is real is because we are called the city of God (Matt 5:14 and Rev. 19). Consider now what it is that makes the city of God glad: "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High" (Psalm 46:4). That the Psalmist says "there is a river" means that there is a river. The river will make you "glad." When you draw near to God and enjoy the river of His delights (Psa. 37:9), you will become a dwelling place for God because His presence will have become your place of refuge. That will make you glad.

Referring again to the verse above, I think becoming holy places for God to dwell means that we humble ourselves enough to believe that when God’s presence touches our humanity He has power to make us holy. We only have to humble ourselves enough to believe and let Him come to us. True, any person who is a Christian, has already become a dwelling place for God. Yet even so, I think the verse above is talking about a kind of experience with God that is beyond the accepted norm in the Christian church today. The unrestricted flow of a river of the Holy Spirit, will make you a dwelling place for the presence of God.

You might ask, "Doesn’t the Bible say that God is with us all the time?" Yes it does. God is with us all the time, He doesn’t leave us. But, my point is that you can always have a bigger river flowing out from inside you. You don’t have to feel shame to admit the full extent of your thirst to God. Your thirst is a tool that can make it possible for you to pursue God all the time.

That the river is real is reason to believe that God can actually touch you and wash away your shame. When you draw near to God He will draw near to you (James 4:8). When you draw near by entering the throne room, the Holy Spirit touches you (Heb. 10:19,22). It is a literal thing that takes place—that is how it works in spiritual realms. By salvation God has washed you on the inside. Remove the obstacle of shame that keeps you from drawing near to the Lord. Get your heart to hear that the cleansing of God—for your humanity is powerful enough to make you clean. Reassure your heart with this wonderful truth: "When I enter the throne room of God the washing I receive at the doorway is so powerful, though it is only my feet that get wet, I become completely clean." Thank the Lord that you don’t have to be afraid to get close to Him. Even though you may struggle—for the moment—to believe it thank Him that His power to wash you clean is far stronger than what you have done wrong. Thank the Lord until your heart hears it and you find freedom to draw near.

God’s provision to wash away your shame doesn’t stop at the doorway. The apostle John wrote about what he saw, "and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal" (Rev. 4:6; 15:2). The "sea" before the throne is full of "water" that is the Holy Spirit. You can trust God to wash you because drawing near to God requires that you come to Him by walking through the heavenly river and the sea. Should we consider the sea as something that is real? Absolutely.

Let me remind you that John wrote that "he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev. 22:1). The river starts from before the Lord because the radiance of our Lord is so great. Let me also remind you that "Around God is awesome majesty" (Job 37:22b). The Father has glorified our Lord Jesus to such an extent that the river flows down and fills a great "sea" that is before the throne of God.

In the Old Testament tabernacle God had Moses build a big bowl of water for the priests to wash in before they entered to minister before the Lord. Consider the importance of being washed clean.

So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations. (Exo. 30:21; also v. 17-22)

God commanded them to wash their humanity because it represented God’s provision for us in heavenly realms (Heb. 8:5). Our Lord gave similar instructions when Solomon built the temple. God told him to build a bronze bowl and call it a "sea." It was about 15 feet across and was deep enough to hold more than 17,000 gallons of water. The Bible says, "the sea was for the priests to wash in." (2 Chron. 4:6b). That the Old Testaments priests had to wash in the sea is a picture of God’s provision for us. The Old Testament "copy" of the heavenly sea was real. Therefore, you can be confident the sea before the throne of God is real too. Jesus said that we are kingdom priests (Rev. 1:6). Just as it was for the Old Testament priests, so it is for us in heavenly realms. You don’t have to be afraid to draw near to God because He has provided a powerful way to wash you clean. Moses said that washing in the sea was a "perpetual statute" (Exo. 30:21). 

The Cleansing Fire of God

The Bible says that at times the sea is "clear as crystal" (Rev. 22:1). Other times, it is "a sea of glass mixed with fire" (Rev. 15:2b). Even though the sea has fire mixed in it sometimes you don’t have to be afraid to draw near to God. The Bible also talks about, "a river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him" (Dan. 7:10a). That thousands were standing before the Lord "attending Him" while the river was full of fire means that you don’t need to be afraid of His cleansing fire! Even now, you can be among the "myriads" standing before the Lord (Heb. 11-12). The more we as the corporate body of Christ learn to stand before the Lord—and not stay away—the more we will experience God as, "a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst" (Zec. 2:5).

The fire of God is a good thing for those who love Him. But to those who are not lovers of truth, the fire of God is something to be feared. The Bible says,

"Behold, the storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it" (Jer. 23:19; see context and v. 29).

It is possible that this generation may live to see the fulfillment of this prophecy. Even though the "storm of the Lord" involves the judgment of God, those of us who love His cleansing fire don’t need to worry. That God burns away our shame is a delightful thing.

That the sea can have fire in it means you don’t have to stay away from God when you feel shame. The Bible says, "the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion...by...the spirit of burning," (Isaiah 4:4b). By drawing near you are giving the Holy Spirit opportunity to touch your humanity and burn away all that makes you feel "dirty," even during those times when you feel dirty and don’t know why. Feeling this way is reason to draw near to God—not to stay away.

God wants you to trust His glorious presence as your adequacy (2 Cor. 3:4-10). The Bible also says, "our God is a consuming fire." (Heb. 12:29b). That God wants to be your adequacy is reason to trust the fire of God to consume all the inadequacies of your humanity that cause you to feel shame. The Bible explains, "the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top" (Exo. 24:17). Therefore, by drawing near, it is His radiant glory that burns away any reason you might have to feel shame. It is His glory that becomes your adequacy. Drawing near by trusting you are before the Lord and He is before you, He makes even your humanity, "acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:16b). Only keep in mind that we are "sanctified by faith in Me." (Acts 26:18). We can’t trust ourselves. We have to wrestle our heart to the ground until we submit to believing the truth. The Bible says, "he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." (Heb. 11:6b). Rejoice that your faith pleases the Lord and that He rewards you with His presence.

On a more personal note: In earlier stages of my pilgrimage there were times when I was not doing very well and was frustrated with God for various reasons. Often, even though I was upset and even angry with God I would not seek to leave His presence. Those were times—especially—when I believe the river of God was full of flames for me and was burning away my sin. With my spiritual eyes, I could often "see" the cleansing fire of God. I wasn’t looking for flames it is just that when I looked toward the Lord that is what I saw. If that happens to you don’t be afraid. It would have helped me greatly to have had someone reassure me that what I was seeing was "O.K." I am also telling you these things because God has provision even for the times when you are struggling. I will also add that you don’t have to be able to see His fire in order to experience His cleansing. God has provided powerfully for us to be able to be near to Him.

Added on 9/03 More recently I have been seeing flashes of light that have not been flames. Most of them have been small and some have been large. They are almost like punctuation in a sentence. It seems that if God wants to emphasize the truth of something there can be flashes of light -- not always, but often enough to keep me wanting to learn to exercise my spiritual eyes even more. Several of the people I have mentored in my area have started seeing these flashes of light. Some have even seen a cloud of God's presence - like in the Old Testament. Learning these things and seeing others learn them has been great fun and a blessing from God.  

Isn’t it wonderful that with God more is always possible? I try to keep looking at the Lord because someday, I hope to be able to "see" as well as Elisha. You can too. Concerning Elisha and his servant the Bible says,

"Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ And the Lord opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:15-17).

The fire of God was all around Elisha and his servant. They could see it. Therefore, you shouldn’t think it strange or be afraid if you happen to see the fire of God cleansing or protecting you someday. In order to "see" better it is important to be exercising your spiritual eyes by trusting you are looking at the Lord. Consider once again a verse that shows what is possible for you and I, "Elisha said, ‘As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look at you nor see you" (2 Kings 3:14). That Elisha made it a habit to stand before the Lord and look at Him is why he was able to see the protection of all around him and say with confidence, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (2 Kings 6:16b).

The Bible describes our bodies as earthenware vessels—clay pots with a powerful treasure inside. The treasure inside us is "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6,7). We can also learn much from the Old Testament when it talks about earthen vessels.

The book of Leviticus gives instruction about how to keep earthen—ware vessels clean in order for the user to stay healthy. During that time, the Israelites were living in the wilderness. Lizards and reptiles lived there too. Sometimes a dead animal would fall into an earthen—ware pot. When that happened God, through Moses, told the Israelites to break the vessel (Lev.. 11:33). They had to break it because it was not clean anymore and was unusable. But, we are also told that if it was a vessel for collecting water, even though something dead fell into it, the vessel still remained clean and should not be broken (Lev. 11:29-36). Our bodies are like that. We live in a world with evil, and deadness all around us. As a result, it is common to feel "dirty" sometimes—even for Christians. But, when we enter to stand before the Lord, our body becomes a vessel that collects the water of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, even though we live in a world with evil all around us, if we keep standing before the Lord, even the outside of us remains clean. By this, we remain usable to the Lord for His service: "a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." (2 Tim. 2:21b). 

Don’t Wait

Again let me emphasize that you shouldn’t wait to enter the throne room until you feel pure because of something you do or don’t do. That would be to ignore the grace of God. Because we stand before God here, we can trust that God has power to cleanse you entirely, inside and out (Hebrews 10:19,22; James 4:8).

Practical purity in our behavior, as does making God our one and only God, begins with the loves of our heart about how to best quench our thirsty desires. Practical purity is the result of continually quenching our thirsty desires with the one and only God, rather than by earthly means.

Use thanks and praise to thrill your heart about the cleansing of God. Thank God for the truth about Him and about what He offers until the obstacles are removed that keep you away. Nurture faith to trust that God is washing you. Look at the holiness of God being radiated upon you. Trust you are looking at His presence swirling all around you. Thrill your heart by swimming in His love and in His acceptance.

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I am praying for the Lord's abundant blessing on your efforts to direct your heart toward Him.

Barry.

       What About Shame? — Continued...

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(C) Barry Hall 1999

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