Can You Approach God? | Jerry Dirmann

Can you approach God? The teaching insists that entry into God's presence requires more than verbal profession; it demands the protocols God set in place and a life aligned with his will. Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21–23 confronts superficial profession: many who call Jesus “Lord” and perform spiritual acts will still hear “I never knew you” if they persist in lawlessness. Salvation rests on grace, but that grace transforms — the old life must be reckoned dead, baptized under death and raised to walk in newness of life, not used as a license to keep sinning. Rituals and laws from the Old Testament serve as detailed shadows that teach how to approach a holy God; their precision shows why casual or creative shortcuts prove deadly.

The book of Leviticus and the tabernacle protocols illustrate that God explains how sinful humans can stand before his holiness without being destroyed. Accepted offerings brought visible glory; disobedient improvisation brought fire and death when priests offered what God had not commanded. The pattern repeats in the New Testament: Christ accomplished redemption and built the way, but people must learn to use what he provided. Repentance must be tangible — not mere words but turning that shows in action, baptism, and obedience. Persistent sin, unrepented sexual immorality, deception, and covetousness risk exclusion from the kingdom despite outward religious activity.

The urgency remains: the kingdom of heaven is near, and God calls people to acknowledge error, make adjustments, and walk in protocols that honor him. Confession, baptism, and a life yielded to Jesus belong together. God gave clear instructions to safeguard sinners from destruction as he brings them into his presence; ignoring those instructions endangers the very relationship they seek. The teaching closes with a call to repent now, pursue holiness, and allow grace to qualify lives that then live out the Father’s will.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Confessing Jesus without obedience When mouth-profession lacks corresponding life-change, confession becomes cosmetic. True confession opens a path only when followed by surrender to God’s will; otherwise the relationship remains unestablished. Spiritual acts cannot substitute for a surrendered heart that yields daily choices, relationships, and habits to Christ. Judgment targets persistent lawlessness more than noisy piety. [05:38]
• 2. Grace demands transformed daily living Grace stands as the qualifier, not a license for continued sin. Once grace connects a person to Christ, practical death to the old nature must follow, evidenced by baptism and new patterns of living. The Christian life therefore requires daily reckoning, denying the old self whenever it argues to return. Staying dead to sin enables resurrection life to govern choices. [11:52]
• 3. Old Testament shows precise protocols The sacrificial system and tabernacle rites teach how to approach a holy God without being consumed. Those detailed instructions function as shadows that explain what Christ secures and how humans must cooperate in holiness. God’s acceptance of offerings and his judgment on improper worship reveal that carelessness before him has grave consequences. Learning the shadow prepares the believer to use the substance—Christ—wisely. [17:16]
• 4. Repentance must produce real change Repentance requires a turning that shows up in behavior, relationships, and personal disciplines. God offers time and calls people off patterns of sexual immorality, deceit, and greed; continued refusal invites discipline and separation. True repentance rewires desires so obedience becomes the default rather than an occasional effort. The community and conscience then testify that repentance is genuine. [37:53]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:44] - Intercession amid conflict
• [02:38] - Can you approach God?
• [05:38] - Jesus’ warning: Matthew 7:21–23
• [13:47] - Dying to the old life (Romans 6)
• [17:16] - Leviticus: why the details matter
• [31:03] - Sacrifice accepted; glory appears
• [32:45] - Nadab and Abihu: the cost of disobedience
• [37:53] - Call to repent, be baptized
• [43:10] - Closing prayer and response

1. According to Jesus in Matthew 7:21–23, what specific religious activities did some people perform while still being rejected by Him?
2. What phrase does Jesus use to describe those He rejects, and what does that imply about their lifestyle? [09:05]
3. How does the incident with Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10 illustrate the consequence of not following God’s commands exactly? [32:45]
4. What does Romans 6:1–2 say about the relationship between grace and continuing in sin?

1. Why would Jesus say “I never knew you” to people who performed miracles and cast out demons in His name? What does this reveal about the basis of true salvation? [07:37]
2. The Old Testament sacrificial system required precise protocols. How do these “shadows” help us understand what it means to approach a holy God through Christ today? [17:16]
3. How does the concept of being “baptized into [Christ’s] death” (Romans 6:3-4) practically change the way a believer relates to sin? [14:17]
4. In what ways can a person honor God with their lips while their heart is far from Him, as described in Matthew 15:8? [12:37]

1. Confessing Jesus as Lord is meant to lead to a life of obedience. What is one area where your actions have not yet fully aligned with what you say you believe? What would it look like to surrender that area today? [07:37]
2. Grace is not a license to sin but the power to live a new life. Where have you been tempted to use God’s grace as an excuse to continue in a pattern of sin? What practical step can you take this week to “reckon” that old nature dead? [11:52]
3. Repentance requires tangible change, not just words. Is there a habit—like gossip, greed, dishonesty, or sexual immorality—that you’ve been tolerating but know you need to turn from? What will you do to actively “put it to death”? [37:53]
4. God’s instructions in the Old Testament were precise for a reason. How does this affect the way you view obedience in seemingly “small” areas of your life? [34:41]
5. Jesus said that many who call Him “Lord” will not enter the kingdom. How does this warning affect the way you assess your own relationship with God and the sincerity of your faith? [03:09]
6. The glory of God appeared when His people obeyed exactly what He commanded. What would it look like for God’s glory to be visibly present in your life through your obedience? [31:03]
7. John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles all preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” What would it look like for you to live with that kind of urgency in your daily choices and relationships? [38:22]