James 4:8 (Devotion)

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

The beauty of the Bible is found in its simplicity. Many find themselves burdened by the enormity of Scripture because of its verbiage and content, both in quality and quantity. They fail to recognize that if filtered down, the Gospel is not complicated but quite logical. It is the manifestation of Jesus Christ (John 1:1), and in Him we find law and liberty, love and salvation. For God did not intend His creation to be cut off from His presence, but through free will, man chose to disobey the statutes (law) God set forth in the garden of Eden which consequently allowed sin to separate our fellowship with the Creator. But God did not distance Himself from mankind due to this mistake (love). Rather, He pursued His children over time and inevitably made the ultimate decision to send His Son to suffer and die a criminal's death on our behalf to ensure that we would be saved and not eternally damned (liberty through salvation). 

James understood this truth as he reflected upon the worldliness he saw rampant in the church. He understood that like a moth to a flame, man was being drawn repeatedly by temptation to sin, and suffering the consequences for it. Therefore, James' only course of action was to remind his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ of the absolute truths of the Gospel to draw near, cleanse hands, and purify hearts in order that man would turn from his wicked ways and live for righteousness. It is imperative we recognize that freedom is found in Jesus Christ and the power of His Word which reminds us that despite all the mistakes we make, God pursues us with an everlasting love. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35,37-39).

It is foolish to assume we can flee the pursuit of God. Often times, we base our perception of who God is based on the ebb and flow of our emotional experiences rather than the power of His Word. We trust in relative, human capacity and understanding rather than divine wisdom and absolute truth. We play life safe by confining ourselves to human logic and pridefully relying on our own abilities rather than trusting in the power and authority of God as our source of strength. And that is why we find ourselves consumed by the pleasures of this world and desperately needing to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts, because we recognize that our human attempts are futile compared to the unlimited power and majesty of our Creator. James exhorts his brethren to simply draw near to God because He will not ignore the humble and repentant of heart. He longs for fellowship with us because He chooses to love us when we are most unlovable. "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 3:6-7).

Returning to the safety and assurance of the Lord does not constitute a lack of free will. Rather, free will is required in order to make a decision to draw near and return to fellowship with God. It encompasses a recognition of common sense where life is evaluated with proper perspective. Jesus illustrated this point when He taught the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) by reminding His followers that the Father's love is not conditional, but patient and eager to forgive those who come to their senses and seek reconciliation and restoration. How often we remain at a distance though due to pride, shame, and/or regret rather than drawing near to God and allowing Him to heal our broken hearts. That is why James admonishes in verse 7 to "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," (James 4:7) in order that we would not be held captive by Satan's attempts to stronghold us from stepping forward in faith, trusting that God will cleanse and purify us when we choose to draw near to Him. Peace and joy are found in the Father's love, and we are wise to relinquish control of our lives so that we may reap the benefits of His saving grace that we need to survive this side of heaven. "How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light" (Psalm 36:7-9).