Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10: 22

When we lived in Verona, there was a path that was often traveled between our home and our closest neighbors. Eventually, I marked the path with some stepping stones, but they weren’t really needed.

In much the same way, there should be a well-worn path in our lives as we follow the instruction from the verse above. Thanks to the sacrificial life of Christ we are invited to draw near to the presence of God.

We are to draw near with –

• a true heart – fully obedient and without hypocrisy.
• in full assurance of faith – without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
• a clean conscience – Christ’s sacrifice cleanses us from the inside – out.
• bodies washed with pure water – just as the Jewish priests were cleaned with a ceremonial ritual, we are obedient in baptism that symbolizes our faith in Christ.

This is not intended as a mere intellectual exercise. The writer of Hebrews joins the challenge when he says “let us draw near (to God).” The question is how well worn is the path between us and the presence of God?