Draw Near to God
by Christopher Kratsas - January 2011
As a new year is upon us, and the signs of the times point closer to the conclusion of this world system and the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the words of James, the Brother of our Lord are more relevant now than ever before.
"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up." (James 4:8-10)
Some may argue that the above words given by James are pointed to those who do not know the Lord or have moved far away from having a relationship with Him. Even these admonitions may apply to such individuals, James in his Epistle is primarily appealing to born again Believers. In fact the entire book of James is addressed to the "brethren" and more particularly the Jewish segment of the early Church, i.e., "the twelve Tribes which are scattered abroad" (James 1:2).
James is addressing a condition that he perceives among the Christian population with whom he is charged with shepherding. This condition has manifested itself in many types of outward expressions that are similar to others who have never known the Lord. The dysfunctional characteristics these Believers are demonstrating and experiencing in their lives include strife, self-will, unanswered prayer due to selfish motives, friendship with the world and pride (James 4:1-6).
These Christians had allowed the world system that surrounded them to penetrate their thoughts to the point that they had relinquished the control that the Holy Spirit desired to have within them. James says that the Holy Spirit literally, "lusts to envy" that He may have total control within us (James 4:5). In other words the Holy Spirit, Who takes up residence within a Believer when he is born again, earnestly and passionately desires to have total control over every thought, decision and action. When He is not allowed to have this control He is righteously envious of us allowing something else to control us or guide us. The thought of this alone should cause us to want the Spirit of God to have the control He desires. How many times have we all grieved Him unnecessarily, choosing a path that ignores Him and His Will.
James emphasizes the point to these Believers that what was coming out of their mouths (James 3:1-12) and the wisdom they were allowing to influence their thinking (James 3:13-18) were both evil. Their mouths were somehow able to bless God at one moment and curse men the next. "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God" (3:9). These Christians were praising the Lord out of one side of their mouths and hurting their fellow brothers and sisters who were made in the Image of God with the other side (James 3:9). This is the Sin Nature at work.
At this point some reading may hesitate to accept the fact that the evil nature can influence Christians to this extent. Yet James lets us know that this is the sad state of the heart that gradually accepts the spirit and influence of the wisdom that descends not from above - this wisdom as he states is "earthly, sensual and devilish" (3:15), meaning that it has a very powerful, almost irresistible appeal to it. Yet it only leads to "confusion and every evil work" (3:16).
The Holy Spirit through James emphasized the immaturity of these Believers by the fact of the works of the flesh which were manifesting in their lives. In particular he states that the one who is able to control his tongue demonstrates a level of maturity that enables him to subdue his entire body. He said, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect (mature) man, and able to bridle the whole body" (3:2). This means that the Holy Spirit is putting to death the deeds of the body in this Christian. He is having the control He passionately desires to have.
So as we view from a distance these early Believers and see our present condition today, what is the solution provided by God to this problem as He gave it through the Inspired writing of James? First, James says that Grace is needed to address this situation. Listen to the following carefully: James said the Holy Spirit dwelling in us "lusts to envy", but He also "gives more Grace" (James:4:5-6). Grace is the only way evil passions, temptations and desires can be neutralized. And James said the Holy Spirit dispenses "more Grace". Meditate on that for a moment. More Grace for you to walk before God acceptably - more Grace to live for Him. These two words are beautiful to hear and beautiful to speak - more Grace. This is to show us that the burden is not on us to fulfill the demands in our own strength. It is through Grace that the power is supplied to defeat the enemy.
What is the qualification to receive this flow of Grace that has the power to set Christians free from strongholds of vice and prisons of the mind? What releases the working of the Spirit that He passionately desires to accomplish? The answer is humility. He says, "God resists the proud, but gives Grace unto the humble" (James 4:6).It is not a complicated humility manufactured through our own works or religious activity, but a simple submission to God and His Plan exclusively. The idea is that the double mindedness leaves and we depend only on the Lord, are influenced only by Him and receive the Grace that is released upon such Faith expressed toward Him.
How should we respond, now knowing that humility opens the door to God's Grace. James says the following: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). The Devil is mentioned here because he is the unseen force causing and contributing to the problems these Christians are experiencing because of their departure from the Truth (James 3:14). James tells these Believers to adhere to the Truth by humbly submitting themselves to God and His Way and at the same time denying the Devil the privilege any more of influencing their belief system. Through holding fast in this Faith that overcomes the world, they are promised that the Devil will flee from them, losing the stronghold that he once unlawfully possessed.
James continues with his exhortation by showing us the urgent plea of the Holy Spirit to the people of God. He begins by saying, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (4:8). We must seek to draw closer to Him if we want His Presence to be manifested in our lives. He then tells us what this actually means through the verifiable actions of our body, soul and spirit - "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to heaviness" (4:8-9). These are not light wispy statements designed not to offend. They are pointed directly at the problem of the Believer's heart with direct instructions on how to prepare and present ourselves before a Holy God Who has been offended and Who has resisted the proud spirit of His people (4:6). Cleansing is needed, for the hands have engaged in that which is unrighteous before Him. The mind has wavered between two opinions for too long - a purified and single heart is demanded before God. Jesus said, "blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). The heart is to be affected to such an extent, that the Believer is afflicted, mourns and weeps for having gone in the wrong direction. The laughter which was due to pride and carelessness is to be changed to mourning - Jesus said, "blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). False joy must change into heaviness of spirit. Of course what is described above is a "broken and a contrite spirit".
David in his prayer of repentance described what this was and what God's response to it would always be: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). What is being described is the spirit of Repentance. If the Christian reader somehow reasons that he does not really need this which is spoken, then he has reasoned incorrectly. Because of the tendency toward pride alone, every Believer must heed closely to what the Word of God is saying to him.
If any would still doubt what the Word of God is saying to His Children then may I offer you the words of Joel the prophet:
"Therefore also now, says the LORD, turn you even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repents Him of the evil. Who knows if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare Your people, O LORD, and give not Your heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?"(Joel 2:12-17)
May I ask the question: where are the ministers of righteousness who are publicly crying out for this nation today? From my humble observation they are in a very small minority.
We must revisit the ancient paths once again that have been rejected because of lethargy and apathy. Hear also Jeremiah:
"Thus says the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." (Jer. 6:16)
Above is the Bible Way for an individual or nation to receive from God. The broken and contrite heart may not be a popular message, nor fashionable in today's modern comfortable church atmosphere, but it is the only Way that will lead to revival for an individual, family, city or nation. Otherwise there will be no revival. Intercessory prayer with a broken heart that claims the promises of God and travails for the answer to come until it finally comes is what is needed. We must enter our prayer closets and stay there until the Holy Spirit fills our hearts and lives once again.
The Holy Spirit informed us through the wisdom he gave to King Solomon about this very subject. Sometime after Solomon became King he strayed in His heart from God and misused his power and God given wisdom to experience all the pleasures of life (intellectually, socially and materially) that were possible, and to a greater degree than anyone ever has. When He came to the end of it all, his conclusion was the following: "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4). May I ask how many messages like this are enthusiastically preached to God's sheep today?
Many years prior to writing this, King Solomon had seen and heard the Lord speak the following to him in a vision:
"If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II Chron. 7:14).
The Laodicean Church in the book of Revelation said that it was "rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing", but Jesus said that they didn't even know that they were "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17).
We must examine ourselves and truly see what we have become and how we have been influenced by what the secular and religious world teaches us today. If one will be honest, the Bible, when read from cover to cover has a different message than what we have come to embrace in modern Christian and religious thought. Today a New Cross has been fashioned that allows freedom for Self to enjoy God and the spirit of the world simultaneously.
As children of a King Who is soon to return for a Bride without spot or wrinkle and washed in the Blood of the Lamb, let us deny the New Cross proposed today and cling to the Old Rugged Cross that has stood the test of time and set millions free. That is the answer and that is the solution.
The final words of James in this passage say the following: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up" (James 4:10). Everything will go better for us if we take the proper place of humility and submission before Him. His favorable response will lift us up above the shadows and plant our feet on higher ground. Only then can true rejoicing be experienced because it is anchored in His Righteousness.
The message of Repentance is for all the Church, it is for the king and the servant, the rich and the poor, man and woman, boy and girl, you and me. Let us return to Him today from whence we have gone astray - even to the Cross which drew us unto Him at the beginning. Draw near to God today and He will draw near to you.
Fanny Crosby wrote the words of this Old Song that is filled with Truth:
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy Voice,
And it told Thy Love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of Faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the Cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
There are depths of Love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the Cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
His Grace and Blessings to you,
Chris
