“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…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:7-10)
Sometimes, the answer to failures and coldness of heart is simply indulged sin. James reminds us that ”God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) Now God does not oppose us by punishing or hating us. Nothing can stop His love for us. He opposes us by withholding the grace that we so desperately need to serve Him. When we humble ourselves, He quickly forgives us and helps us.
How should we humble ourselves when we sin? (Be sure to memorize these verses) “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 2:1, 1:9)
“Atoning” means “totally covers”. In the Old Testament, a person would offer an animal sacrifice, and that atoned for (totally covered) that sin. Today, the death and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross totally satisfies a Holy God when we humble ourselves and confess our sins to God. His resurrection life through His Spirit in us gives us power to say “NO” to sin ands gives us grace to live for Him.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)