January 5, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms
We must cleanse our hands because they are dirty with sin.
We must purify our hearts because they are divided, and we are distracted.
This means we stop making excuses for bad attitudes, for casual unkindness, for clever put-downs, for dabbling in pornography, for bragging about our accomplishments, for envy of others, for bitterness, for a critical spirit, for our prayerlessness, for our need to be in control, for giving in to despair, for hating our enemies instead of loving them, and for our failure to do what we ought to do.
James 4:6-10 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+4%3A6-10&version=NKJV
James has a unique situation as pastor of the church in Jerusalem…
Pay attention to this passage because it will help you jumpstart your spiritual life.
# 1: Spiritual submission. Humility doesn’t come naturally to most of us. It’s the virtue which, if you think you have it, you probably don’t.
# 2: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (v. 7b). This is both a command and a promise.
The word “resist” is a military term. It means you stand and fight. You don’t run away. We are to flee temptation, but we are to fight the devil. That means taking up the armor of God and standing in the evil day (Ephesians 6:10-17).
# 3: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (v. 8a). The question is not, how near is God to us, but rather how near are we to him?
# 4: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (v. 8b). We must cleanse our hands because they are dirty with sin.
# 5: Take it Seriously
# 6: Stay humble
