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  DRAWING NEAR TO GOD
  by Andrew Murray
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Summary: The true end of our faith is not just to find Christ, but to
know God and have communion with him.

Topics: "Communion with God", "Pursuit of God"
Scripture References: John 14:6, Hebrews 10:19

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DESCRIPTION
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Andrew Murray emphasizes that Christ is not the ultimate goal but the
pathway to knowing God. Many Christians mistakenly view Christ as the
end of their spiritual journey, failing to realize that true fulfillment
comes from drawing near to God and experiencing communion with Him. The
sermon highlights the distinction between seeking Jesus for salvation
and seeking God for a deeper relationship, urging believers to value
Christ for the access He provides to the Father. Murray encourages a
restless pursuit of God's presence, as true knowledge of God is reserved
for those who earnestly desire it.

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CONTENT
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Christ is not the End but the Way. He came to reveal the Father, to
bring us 'unto God,' to open a way in which we could draw near to God.
Many Christians regard Christ as the End: if they have found him they
are content. They do not understand that to have found Christ is just
the beginning: the true End is to know God, and to have communion with
him, to serve him, to receive the manifestation of God himself in one's
soul. This knowledge of God is given to those who cannot rest content
without it.

The question may be asked, What is the difference between drawing near
to Jesus, who is God, and drawing near to God? The answer is two fold.
For one thing, in Jesus the divine has been clothed in human garb, and
so it is hard to be sure how far it is really the divine in Jesus which
attracts us. For another, in Jesus the divine grace and mercy is above
all revealed, so in him we are all too apt to be seeking only our
salvation, while we profess to be seeking God. The true test of the
reality of our turning to God, the proof that we are not merely seeking
salvation, is this: that we prize Christ and his work because he brings
us to God, because in him we draw near to God.

(Excerpted from The Promise of the Spirit, pg. 57)

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/andrew-murray/drawing-near-to-god/
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