26th.: Meeting the Lord
The Israelites traveled into the desert of Sinai to ‘meet’ and worship God.
At this formal introduction, the Lord saw something He did not like (see Exo. 19:19-20a).
Therefore He said, “Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.” (Exo. 19:21). The people in their sinful nature were not in a spiritual state of mind, where they could look on God without dying.
Exodus 33:20b says that could be a problem, “There shall no man see me, and live.”.
Likewise, because of the evil in our hearts, we cannot cleanse ourselves to be able to come into God’s presence.
Because He loves us, God took the initiative.
He took upon himself the penalty for our sin. (see John 3:16, 2nd Cor. 5:19).
Because “Jesus’ blood is the propitiation for our sins (the gift that atones for our offences)” (1st John 2:2), we can come to God.
If we ask God, Jesus’ blood will cleanse us of our sins, so that we can go to God with all boldness (see Heb. 10:19).
It is God who initiated saving us - not ourselves.
Because it takes God’s initiative to save us, there comes a certain onus upon those who are already saved.
Those who are already saved must ask God to open the eyes of our family/friends/colleagues/others for them to see how they have offended God.
Only then can our family/friends/colleagues repent, and ask God to have Jesus’ blood cleanse them from their sins.
“So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.” (Rom. 9:16)