A few weeks ago, as I was praying before our most recent River Sunday, I felt eager anticipation for experiencing the holy, manifest presence of God. I prayed people would experience Jesus in greater measure. I prayed that being in the most holy place would have a profound impact on each spirit, enabling them to step into greater freedom, taking advantage of the opportunity to wait on God in pursuit of greater sanctification—right there in the New Day sanctuary. “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am Holy,” is God’s directive (Leviticus 11:44).
My train of thought lingered on the term “sanctuary.” The word means a few different things. It can be used to describe the most sacred area of a place of worship. It can mean a temporary place of refuge to escape the consequences of being accused of a crime or being in violation of a law. A wildlife sanctuary is a place where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal. All of those definitions demonstrate that a sanctuary is a place of profound safety.
We enter our church building each week, and come into the sanctuary, to worship the Lord. If it is a place of refuge and safety (which it is), then why can that place, where the presence of the Lord is made manifest in worship, be so uncomfortable? Why, when we are there to worship and encounter God, do we feel resistant and do the very opposite action—avoid engaging our whole heart?
I believe it is because we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We are meant to be consecrated and set apart, but sin easily besets us. We come into the holy place, and we feel conviction and guilt. We associate the feeling of guilt as a bad thing. Sometimes that feeling is a bad thing, when it’s a false sense because there is no wrongdoing. But sometimes guilt is a good thing! It’s the appropriate emotional response to sin. Thankfully, God’s promise is that if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and CLEANSE us of ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). That’s why we need to run into the presence of God, not away from it! (Plus, it is a sacred space, and the ultimate predator—Satan—has no authority!)
In the Old Testament, the Lord established sanctuary cities where the accused could run and gain safety from the consequence of their accidental sin. For New Testament Christians, the Lord established his sanctuary right inside of us. We are the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, and we can find sanctuary immediately with prayer and repentance, right inside our hearts. We don’t even have to run miles and miles! We need only to pray! This phenomenon, along with the corporate gathering, are two fantastic opportunities to experience God’s sanctuary. That’s such good news.