Another encouragement to draw near to God

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. What a wonderful encouragement we have today in this verse! Because Jesus lives forever, He is able to save forever. The word sozo can be translated as save, preserve, and restore. Since the action is in the middle voice, we understand the writer was describing those who themselves are drawing near to God, just as the author admonished them to do in Heb. 4:16. “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Additionally, we know the original readers were experiencing persecution and very difficult circumstances, so perhaps the best understanding of sozo is the idea of preservation. Since Jesus lives forever to intercede for those who exercise faith and intentionally, purposefully, and continually practice drawing themselves into the presence of God through Him, He is able to preserve them through any trial or storm in life by giving them mercy and grace. This encourages us greatly, doesn’t it? No matter what we face today, if we keep drawing near to Him (which we will do if we believe in Him as the Son of God and our High Priest), Jesus prays that we will be brought through it by His grace. And if the storm lasts days, months, years, or even decades, Jesus lives to pray for our preservation and restoration. The answer will be as sure as was the answer to Jesus’ prayer for Peter as he went through the greatest test of his love and faith—his denial of Jesus. Jesus encouraged him with this: “But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” This verse encourages us again, just as Heb. 4:16 says, to draw near to the throne of grace so that we may receive the fullness of God’s love and grace through Jesus Christ, our Lord and merciful high priest. We learn from this verse that He will give us what we need to glorify God as we live to love with Jesus.