Drawing Nigh To God
This week, we're going to look at James, chapter 4, verses 7-10, and examine how our closeness and intimacy with God is dependent on our willingness to let go of self and outside influences and open ourselves up completely to Him.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up."
The first thing that we notice in our reading is that we are to submit ourselves to God. This is an entirely voluntary action on our part. Our submission is dependent on our understanding that, apart from God, and without His Divine intervention, and intercession, we are without hope. We all must come to this conclusion of our own volition. For most people, this realization is reached after many failed attempts at life without God's help. Even people who were brought up to understand God's love and sacrifice for them must fall many times before reaching a true understanding of what it means to submit themselves to God. It is a yielding of the will, of the free will that God has endowed us with. This is what true repentance is about. The understanding that, although God has given us a mind that has the ability to choose its own path, we choose Him, because we understand on the deepest levels that He is the only way. This is the "pearl of great price", the "treasure in the field", the coming to terms with, and acceptance of, our mortality in light of eternity. The understanding that our eternal destiny hinges on the yielding of our will, and our acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus as the payment for our sins. We will find no security in the things of this world. There is no peace of mind to be found in riches, or in the approval of others. It is only through our voluntary submission to the will of God that we can find lasting peace. The knowledge that the price for our sins has been paid, and that we have something so much greater that awaits us is where true peace is found.
"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This is much more than just a solid piece of advice that James is passing on to us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is a true declaration of war. We should have no misconceptions about the nature and intentions of Satan. His only goal is to ensnare us, to separate us from the love of God for all eternity. He is in a battle that he knows he will not win, and yet his hatred drives him to do all within his power to drag as many of God's people down with him as possible. Again, our actions determine our outcome. We have free will and we have the right to choose whether or not we will be overtaken by the devil's temptations. If we make the conscious choice to resist him, God has assured us that he will flee from us. This is a promise of God. It is our resistance that drives the presence of Satan away. He flees not only because we are not giving in, but also because evil, it would seem, flows just as water, following the path of least resistance. Of course, our resistance to the wiles of the devil must be a constant plan of defense, because though he flees, we can rest assured that he will return. He is very strong, and his hatred for God's people is equally strong. He will continue to tempt and try us at every opportunity. Let us rest in the knowledge that God will provide a way out. As we read in 1 Corinthians 10:13..."There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." So we see that we are never alone in this battle. God will always be there, and will provide a refuge for us in times of trouble.
"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." We come now to our main focus. Closeness with God is something that seems, for many of us, to be a fleeting thing. To remain in a state of intimacy with God can prove to be a very difficult task. This is not because God ever steps back from us, but rather, it is due to our own tendency to step away from Him. God provides us with the ultimate example of politeness, of manners, and of gentlemanly conduct. He will not push Himself upon us. He has given us free will in order for us to learn that we need Him, and when we turn to Him, and submit to Him, He knows that we truly love Him. We have not been forced or coerced into submission, no one can make us turn to God, and so when we do, it is done out of love. Had we not been endowed with free will, this would not be possible. As we study and meditate on God's word, on His love and provision for us, we are drawing nigh to Him, and His intimacy with us is in direct correlation to our devotion to Him. Just as a parent teaching a child to ride a bicycle, we pedal with His hand steadying us, and we ride freely, the wind in our face, and then, we become overconfident, and slip away from the safety of His hand. We begin to wobble, and eventually we fall. Sometimes, we may fall on the grass, and get right back up, only having to dust ourselves off, but at other times, we fall on gravel, or pavement, and we get hurt. We lose some blood and we gain a new respect for the hand that steadies us. And so, to the degree that we are willing to submit ourselves, to surrender our will, and to draw near to God, He is more than willing to draw near to us. Psalm 73:28 tells us..."It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works." Remember in the parable of the prodigal son, when the son was on his way home, after coming to his senses, that his father saw him from afar off, and ran to meet him, and gladly received him back home. This is the nature of our relationship with God. If and when we stray, He is more than willing to forgive us, and ready to run to welcome us back home. What an amazing love He has for His children!
"Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness." On the surface, these statements are somewhat confusing. Does God intend for us to feel sadness, for us not to have joy in our life? Certainly not. These phrases are meant to represent Godly sorrow, or repentance. Tears of mourning over sins committed, and heaviness of heart for the hurt that we have caused God, and for the supreme sacrifice that Jesus gave on our behalf are the first steps on the pathway to righteousness for the sinner and the double minded. We are to do our very best to remove any and all evil influences from our life, to change our minds about the path that we are on, and to allow the love of God to purify our hearts, and to change us in order to become what He would have us to be. This is an absolute necessity for our salvation. Our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior is dependent first and foremost on our understanding that we are broken, that we are beyond repair, and that only the ultimate sacrifice can save us. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross is the only thing that will put us in right standing before God, but before His blood can cleanse us, we must understand our inherent need for cleansing. The simple fact is, we are without hope if we are without Jesus!
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." This is a very powerful statement. So many times throughout the bible we are told how much God resists the proud, how pride goes before a fall, that if we exalt ourselves, we will be brought low. It is impossible for us to be humble if we are unwilling to submit our will, to conform to the will of God. The understanding of our need for a Savior leads us into the realm of humility. As we meditate on the amazing love of God toward us, and of our unrelentingly undeserving nature, of the constant intercession of Jesus on our behalf in spite of our shortcomings, we can't be anything other than humble. If His sacrifice is our focus, there is no longer any room for pride. The heart that overflows with the love of Jesus can no longer contain pride, but rather, from a place of peace and serenity, will humbly seek to share His love. As long as we keep God's love in the forefront of our minds, and as long as our actions, and our reactions, are based on His will for us, and not our own, we will remain in a state of humility. We can trust in His promises. He will lift us up when we are down, and He will lift us up in glory when this earthly life is over. Let Jesus be your source of inspiration and motivation. May His Spirit lead us into an ever deeper relationship with Him as we are transformed by His love into what He would have us to be.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up."
The first thing that we notice in our reading is that we are to submit ourselves to God. This is an entirely voluntary action on our part. Our submission is dependent on our understanding that, apart from God, and without His Divine intervention, and intercession, we are without hope. We all must come to this conclusion of our own volition. For most people, this realization is reached after many failed attempts at life without God's help. Even people who were brought up to understand God's love and sacrifice for them must fall many times before reaching a true understanding of what it means to submit themselves to God. It is a yielding of the will, of the free will that God has endowed us with. This is what true repentance is about. The understanding that, although God has given us a mind that has the ability to choose its own path, we choose Him, because we understand on the deepest levels that He is the only way. This is the "pearl of great price", the "treasure in the field", the coming to terms with, and acceptance of, our mortality in light of eternity. The understanding that our eternal destiny hinges on the yielding of our will, and our acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus as the payment for our sins. We will find no security in the things of this world. There is no peace of mind to be found in riches, or in the approval of others. It is only through our voluntary submission to the will of God that we can find lasting peace. The knowledge that the price for our sins has been paid, and that we have something so much greater that awaits us is where true peace is found.
"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This is much more than just a solid piece of advice that James is passing on to us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is a true declaration of war. We should have no misconceptions about the nature and intentions of Satan. His only goal is to ensnare us, to separate us from the love of God for all eternity. He is in a battle that he knows he will not win, and yet his hatred drives him to do all within his power to drag as many of God's people down with him as possible. Again, our actions determine our outcome. We have free will and we have the right to choose whether or not we will be overtaken by the devil's temptations. If we make the conscious choice to resist him, God has assured us that he will flee from us. This is a promise of God. It is our resistance that drives the presence of Satan away. He flees not only because we are not giving in, but also because evil, it would seem, flows just as water, following the path of least resistance. Of course, our resistance to the wiles of the devil must be a constant plan of defense, because though he flees, we can rest assured that he will return. He is very strong, and his hatred for God's people is equally strong. He will continue to tempt and try us at every opportunity. Let us rest in the knowledge that God will provide a way out. As we read in 1 Corinthians 10:13..."There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." So we see that we are never alone in this battle. God will always be there, and will provide a refuge for us in times of trouble.
"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." We come now to our main focus. Closeness with God is something that seems, for many of us, to be a fleeting thing. To remain in a state of intimacy with God can prove to be a very difficult task. This is not because God ever steps back from us, but rather, it is due to our own tendency to step away from Him. God provides us with the ultimate example of politeness, of manners, and of gentlemanly conduct. He will not push Himself upon us. He has given us free will in order for us to learn that we need Him, and when we turn to Him, and submit to Him, He knows that we truly love Him. We have not been forced or coerced into submission, no one can make us turn to God, and so when we do, it is done out of love. Had we not been endowed with free will, this would not be possible. As we study and meditate on God's word, on His love and provision for us, we are drawing nigh to Him, and His intimacy with us is in direct correlation to our devotion to Him. Just as a parent teaching a child to ride a bicycle, we pedal with His hand steadying us, and we ride freely, the wind in our face, and then, we become overconfident, and slip away from the safety of His hand. We begin to wobble, and eventually we fall. Sometimes, we may fall on the grass, and get right back up, only having to dust ourselves off, but at other times, we fall on gravel, or pavement, and we get hurt. We lose some blood and we gain a new respect for the hand that steadies us. And so, to the degree that we are willing to submit ourselves, to surrender our will, and to draw near to God, He is more than willing to draw near to us. Psalm 73:28 tells us..."It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works." Remember in the parable of the prodigal son, when the son was on his way home, after coming to his senses, that his father saw him from afar off, and ran to meet him, and gladly received him back home. This is the nature of our relationship with God. If and when we stray, He is more than willing to forgive us, and ready to run to welcome us back home. What an amazing love He has for His children!
"Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness." On the surface, these statements are somewhat confusing. Does God intend for us to feel sadness, for us not to have joy in our life? Certainly not. These phrases are meant to represent Godly sorrow, or repentance. Tears of mourning over sins committed, and heaviness of heart for the hurt that we have caused God, and for the supreme sacrifice that Jesus gave on our behalf are the first steps on the pathway to righteousness for the sinner and the double minded. We are to do our very best to remove any and all evil influences from our life, to change our minds about the path that we are on, and to allow the love of God to purify our hearts, and to change us in order to become what He would have us to be. This is an absolute necessity for our salvation. Our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior is dependent first and foremost on our understanding that we are broken, that we are beyond repair, and that only the ultimate sacrifice can save us. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross is the only thing that will put us in right standing before God, but before His blood can cleanse us, we must understand our inherent need for cleansing. The simple fact is, we are without hope if we are without Jesus!
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." This is a very powerful statement. So many times throughout the bible we are told how much God resists the proud, how pride goes before a fall, that if we exalt ourselves, we will be brought low. It is impossible for us to be humble if we are unwilling to submit our will, to conform to the will of God. The understanding of our need for a Savior leads us into the realm of humility. As we meditate on the amazing love of God toward us, and of our unrelentingly undeserving nature, of the constant intercession of Jesus on our behalf in spite of our shortcomings, we can't be anything other than humble. If His sacrifice is our focus, there is no longer any room for pride. The heart that overflows with the love of Jesus can no longer contain pride, but rather, from a place of peace and serenity, will humbly seek to share His love. As long as we keep God's love in the forefront of our minds, and as long as our actions, and our reactions, are based on His will for us, and not our own, we will remain in a state of humility. We can trust in His promises. He will lift us up when we are down, and He will lift us up in glory when this earthly life is over. Let Jesus be your source of inspiration and motivation. May His Spirit lead us into an ever deeper relationship with Him as we are transformed by His love into what He would have us to be.
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