MESSAGES
Cleanse your hands and purify your heart! (James 4:8)
One of the deepest invitations in the Word for us to live in communion with the Lord requires a true inner transformation.
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
» The Requirement for Communion
The apostle James gives us fundamental instructions about the need to be close to God.
However, he warns us that for this communion to exist, transformation and conversion are necessary.
The Lord Jesus Himself said that we would be one with Him, just as He is one with the Father.
For this to become reality, we must observe the divine instructions: pursue holiness, experience the new birth, and embrace a real change in our thoughts, words, and attitudes.
» The Holiness of God and Our Consecration
The Lord gives us a wonderful promise: “Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you.” But there is a crucial point we must consider — the holiness of God.
The holy nature of the Lord prevents Him from having communion with sin. Therefore, we must change our lives, consecrate ourselves, and truly surrender our ways to Jesus.
We must eliminate practices that grieve the heart of God and distance us from His wonderful presence.
» The Importance of a Pure Heart
James also exhorts us to purify our hearts.
This is an extremely important aspect. A person who carries a dirty heart — full of hurt, hatred, and bitterness — cannot draw near to God.
On the other hand, the one who has a pure heart — who, though a sinner, keeps his heart turned and surrendered to the Lord — has great ease in encountering Him.
The pure heart radiates love for God and for others. It has no barriers of resentment; instead, it has immense ease in feeling mercy and forgiving.
» Do Not Be Deceived
Watch out. Lack of holiness and sin distance people from God and prevent them from experiencing His glory.
Do not be deceived; the truth of the Lord is clear and unmistakable. Even though today many are taught in a superficial and contrary way, God’s will has not changed: we must eliminate sin to have communion with Him. When we lack communion, we are not worthy of Him and end up distant — just as happened with Adam and Eve when they sinned.
May this verse speak deeply to your heart and be a great motivator for you to change your life.
Position yourself to be increasingly closer to God, so that you may dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest safely under His shadow!
