Purity

Purity

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:8, NIV

There are some things in the Christian life that only God can do. But there are also things in the Christian life that God asks us to do. James 4:8 urges us to come near to God with the promise that he will also come near to us. How do we come near to him? We speak to him, listen to him, and receive his love and power. My pastor, Kent Hughes, says, “Inch toward God, and he will step toward you. Step toward God, and he will sprint toward you. Sprint toward God, and he will fly to you!”^a

James also urges us to look into our hearts. Whether we’ve read something we had no business reading, spoken impatiently to a child, or gossiped about a friend, our hearts need cleansing each day.

As our souls encounter sin throughout the day, we are wise to purify them by exposing our hearts to Christ’s cleansing.

How many times do you think you wash your hands each day? eight? ten? twelve? Washing our hands is a process of cleansing that we repeat throughout the day, ridding them of the germs and dirt we come into contact with. Whether we’ve been feeding oatmeal to a baby, making cookie dough with our toddler, or planting tulip bulbs with an older child, our hands come into contact with food and dirt that we want to get rid of. Keeping our souls clean requires frequent washing too. For cleansing of our hands, we go to the sink; for cleansing of our hearts, we go to Christ.

As we move toward Christ, he moves toward us. He helps us see things in our lives that shouldn’t be there, and his power provides the strength to get rid of them.

Father,

We wash our hands many times each day, and we remind our children to do the same. May we also come to you each day for cleansing of our hearts as it is necessary, so that our hearts will be pure. Amen.