How do you get closer to God?

Quick Answer: How do you get closer to God? Perhaps you’ve heard the teaching that you need to “get closer” to God through various spiritual practices. But this is not Scripturally accurate! When we believed in Jesus, we became one with Christ. We were made one spirit with the Lord. In fact, the entire Trinity comes to take up residence inside of us (1 Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 1:14; Romans 6:5; John 17:23). You can’t get any closer to God than that! So, while we’re still learning and growing in our understanding, we’re in union with Christ and as “close to God” as we’ll ever be!

Diving Deeper: We often hear people talking about getting “closer to God.” Perhaps we feel that if we just pray more, go to church more, or read the Bible more, God will draw closer to us. While we believers are learning and growing over time, and while we can indeed make choices that quench/grieve the Spirit in a given moment, we are never far away from God. We are always in perfect union with Christ. This is the vine-branches relationship that Jesus prayed for, and that prayer was answered for each of us at salvation!

It’s true that James invites people to “come near to God” (James 4:8). However, context reveals James is not talking to believers. He is addressing “sinners” and “double-minded” individuals who still need to be cleansed and purified by Christ. Nowhere in Scripture does God refer to his children as “sinners.” We have been perfectly cleansed from sin (Hebrews 10:14). So, whom is James addressing? Unbelievers. He invites them to “cleanse” their hands and “purify” their hearts through belief in the Gospel (James 1:21, 4:8). This will bring them to salvation and into union with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17; Romans 6:5).

Believers are one with the entire Trinity through union with God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 1:14; Romans 6:5; John 17:21-23). That’s right! Wherever we go, there’s four of us – Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and us, in union together. We are never alone, and we couldn’t get “closer to God” if we tried!

Let’s Make It a Conversation!
1. What ways have you seen people attempt to get closer to God?
2. React to this statement: Believers can’t get closer to God, because we’re united with Christ.
3. Why is seeing the difference between learning/growing and “getting closer to God” so important?
4. React to this statement: If God distanced Himself during our struggles, we’d never get out of them!