JAM 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

>>The central theme of the chapter before us deals with a right attitude toward God and our brother — see how it begins with

JAM 4:1-3 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

>>Our text clearly sets forth two prerequisites to drawing nigh to God in effectual prayer.

JAM 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

>>Our heavenly Father has no delight in a double standard — He wants our whole heart — or none at all.

TIT 1:15-16 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

>>In Adam we lost three things — not only His Image, but also His favour, and His fellowship. Sin sets a distance between man and his God — As soon as Adam had sinned, God speaks with him as lost.

GEN 3:7-9 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

>>Our Saviour makes this same principle in the parable of the prodigal son.

LUK 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

>>Walking in sin — with a wrong attitude separates from God, and forfeits not only His favour — but also His fellowship.

EPH 4:17-18 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

>>What sin is more grievous unto the Lord that causes separation between us and God than a self-righteous — critical — judgmental spirit.

JAM 4:10-11 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

>>Violating our Saviour’s highest command "That ye love one another, as I have loved you" JOH 15:12, is in fact passing judgment upon not only His commandment of love — it judges the LAWGIVER’S authority.

JOH 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

>>Any sin against our fellow man is a sin against the law of love — therefore it is an affront to both the law and the LAWGIVER — that is what separates between us and our God.

ISA 59:1-2 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

>>Our blessed Lord beckons unto us in our text saying, JAM 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

>>There is therefore, a way whereby we can become restored into the Image, favour, and fellowship of God — and how is that but by being members one of another — in the body, or Spirit of Christ?

EPH 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

>>The first step toward drawing nigh unto God is taken in the way of the obedience of faith.

ZEC 1:3-4 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts [as our text says, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."].

4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.

>>God draws near in fellowship with all them who humble themselves and obey from a motive of love.

PSA 145:15-20 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

>>Our Lord is nigh all that love Him to bless with His favour — to comfort in distress — to quicken when coldness and deadness afflicts — to guide when there is a felt need for direction

>>The account of the prodigal son encourages us to draw nigh unto God.

LUK 15:18-20 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

>>May the love of Christ constrain us to serve Him under the law of love with delight.

ISA 58:9-10 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:

>>Isn’t it just so reasonable that we delight in God’s commands — if we want Him to delight in granting our desires?

ISA 65:19-24 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

>>This love however is not to be construed as unconditional in the light that so many do — See what our text says, JAM 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded [i.e., those who think they can serve God and Mammon].

>>We need to remember that repentance comes before receiving a pardon.

PSA 32:5-6 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah [as soon as David repented he felt the comfort of his pardon].

6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

>>Conformity unto the image of Christ is a prerequisite to blessed fellowship with him

MAT 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

>>HEB 12:14 says "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord," — therefore, David says, PSA 26:5-7 I have hated the congregation of evildoers; and will not sit with the wicked.

6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:

7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

>>Our text says, "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded," — David asks

PSA 24:3-5 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

>>This admonition, "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded," implies our whole being — it speaks of our actions and attitudes with regard to drawing nigh unto God. — see what the Lord says in ISA 1:15-17 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

>>Our text says, "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners so much as to say ‘you who are living in known sin’]; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."

JOH 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

>>When sin is committed the hand must be cleansed as well as the heart — we must acknowledge — as well as forsake our sin

JER 3:13-14 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

>>Cleansing the hands is literally impossible without first cleansing the heart — they must go together.

1PE 2:11-12 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

>>Our text says, JAM 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

>>Until our lusts are mortified by the sanctification of the Spirit — our attitudes and actions will surely reveal the hypocrisy in the heart.

ISA 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way [or cleans his hands], and the unrighteous man his thoughts [or purify his heart]: and let him return unto the LORD [or draw nigh unto God], and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God [and He will draw nigh unto you], for he will abundantly pardon.