Draw Near Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Draw Near--------------------------------------- Date: 10/25/2002 Keywords: "emotion" "truth" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Hebrews 10:22* Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our heats sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Questions Can someone who buys pornography approach God with an innocent conscience?   Practical help Football fans know that player celebrations matter far less than the presence or absence of a little penalty flag. A dramatic score — and the grandstanding that often follows — can get swept aside when a yellow flag falls to the ground. Though no one blames players for celebrating a would-be touchdown, a penalty proves that their emotions stand at odds with reality. Christians can suffer from the same problem. We read verses like Hebrews 10:22, a clear affirmation of the once-for-all nature of Christ's sacrifice for our sins. We read that there is no reason not to "draw near to God with a sincere heart." Still, we imagine that the pornography we bought last night negates Christ's finished work. Yet like the celebrating football team, our emotions conflict with reality. We should lay aside these false emotions. No matter what we've done, Scripture encourages us to trust Christ — not ourselves — for pure hearts, consciences, and bodies. We will fail. But to let the emotions of failure keep us from drawing near to God is not only the opposite of the message of the Bible. It's also the strategy of the enemy. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2002 by eXXit *Scriptures are from The Holy Bible: New International Version, © Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. ----