James 4:8
James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
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James encourages us to draw near to God, to move closer to Him. A further promise follows: God will respond by moving closer to us. As sinners, James urges us to clean our hands and purify our hearts. It is important here to fully turn from our sin, to resolve that we will serve God, and to start over. That is the essence of true repentance. In order for a believer to regain close communion with Christ, sin must be addressed promptly in their lives. It is a flaw in ourselves, not the Lord if our fellowship with God is broken. It is a result of our sin and not because God has retreated from us. In order to re-establish tender fellowship and sweet communion with Him, we are the ones instructed to draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us because He is never far away. We must purify our hearts and remain uncompromising. Embrace humility in place of any double-minded hypocrisy to justify our sins. As Christians, we should strive to grow closer to the Lord, to abide in Him, to return to fellowship with Him, and to cling to Him in prayer. We will suffer damage to our relationship with Christ if we resist it, and our intimate communion with Him will be broken.
Dear Heavenly Father, I recognize the importance of an inner cleansing of the heart, a separation from the world, and a single-minded commitment to Jesus Christ. It is my desire to develop a singleness of mind towards You, to have the purity of my heart and the cleanliness of my hands before You, so that I may draw closer and closer to Christ, my Savior, and Lord. Let me hear Your voice, see Your truth, and keep my heart open to only You. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
Acts 5:31
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Isaiah 26:7
The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.