“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8

Three Steps – Number Two

Cleanse –  Do you remember the leper?  “Lord, if you are willing, you are able to cleanse me.”  Jesus responded, “I am willing.”  The outside needs to be washed clean.  If we are going to enter into the fellowship that God promises, more than ritual must occur.  We need clean hands.

This is Old Testament imagery.  Psalm 24:4.  The hands are symbols of the external aspects of our lives.  Our actions.  Our deeds.  Our relationships.  The way we conduct ourselves in business, at home, among others.  Clean hands.  Hold nothing that will prevent us from entering into His presence.  What did Jesus say about this?  If you get to the altar and remember that there is something amiss, go make it right before you come to worship.

It’s so easy to take the Ivory Soap solution.  99 and 44/100ths percent pure.  Isn’t that good enough?  Does anyone really count that tiny little mistake?  That one small act?  That insignificant word?   Cleanse your hands!  What are you doing when you come into His presence with stains still clinging to you?  You insult the Savior.  He died to make you clean.  That purity you need before God cost Jesus his life.  How would you dare come to his Father and say, “Well, the death of your son just wasn’t quite enough to cover this one little thing, but I’m sure you won’t mind”?

Cleanse your hands, you sinners!  Ouch!  James is ruthless.  The only reason we are not cleansed is because we refuse to come to Jesus as lepers.  We don’t want to believe we are outcasts.  We hold ourselves in high regard.  We’re too good for this disease.  Jesus cannot cleanse those who will not ask.  And the precondition for asking is to take a good look at your skin, that soul envelope seen from the outside.  James knew the truth.  Even the smallest bit of leprosy makes us unworthy of worship.  Drawing near requires cleansing.

How does your skin look today?