Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. —James 4:7-8.
James always packs a lot of truth into short messages. Let’s focus on the center of this call to holiness: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. … Come near to God…” Let’s draw our hearts closer to God. When we come into God’s presence and draw close to him, we know our thoughts, motives, and behaviours will be seen for what they are in the light of his holiness, righteousness, and grace. At the same time, we know that the devil is forced out of our presence by the radiance of our Father’s holy and righteous character. Let’s seek God his righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful love and justice. Let’s draw near to God, yearning to be in his presence so we can be more like him in our daily lives. Let’s ask God to cleanse us, make us holy, and wholly his!
