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James 4:8
8 Draw nigh
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. NASB
Typically, the mind is referred to as the residence of the content of the soul. The heart is referred to as the activity or the thought processes, or the circulation of that content throughout the soul, the thoughts and intents of the soul. The feet represent the pattern of life we choose as we walk, or travel through life, and the hands represent our actions, the tools by which we do what we do in life.
Draw near, means to approach God. But, we cannot approach God unless we are clean. If you were filthy dirty and stunk to high heaven, would anyone want you near them? No. You have to clean yourself up before anyone would want to be near you, and it is no different with God.
God smells your sin, and that is stench enough for Him to stay clear of you.
So, in order to draw near to God, you must first clean yourself up. That means to confess your sins, which is the cleansing action of the soul. 'Father, I did this and that, and this and that.'
You name your sins to God the Father, and to no one else. All spiritual business is between you and God and no one else. And all spiritual business is done in the name of Christ. That is the default understanding.
Washing your hands is symbolic of cleansing your soul. We cannot take a shower and be spiritually clean, but when we confess our sins to God the Father, then, as we studied in 1, 2, and 3 Jn., He is faithful and justified in forgiving us and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. Unrighteousness is the entire content and range of our wickedness whatever our sins may be.
You sinner, is referring to you, and all of humanity. No one is perfect in this world, and all imperfection is filth. And, in order to approach God, we must become perfect, or spiritually cleansed.
Purifying your hearts is the cleansing of your thoughts. You must transform your thinking into spiritual views, not worldly opinions. And you gain this transformation, by means of your daily study.
Most folks think that they speak to God only when they pray in some formal sense, or only when they go into a church and/or kneel before a cross. Not so. When you are in fellowship, you are in effect online constantly with streaming communication with the Father.
By the way all spiritual communication is directed toward the Father.
When you commit a sin, your line of communication is shut down, cut off, disconnected. So staying online is the best position to be in. Anything you say and do is received by God when you are in fellowship.
When you are in fellowship, He, God the Father, draws near to you. That is to say, He accepts your approach to Him and receives your presence.
Double mindedness is the oscillation or vacillation of ones life in and out of fellowship, in and out of contact with God. Double mindedness is the single biggest barrier to an effective spiritual life.
The secret to an effective spiritual life, is being resident in fellowship. The secret to a quality spiritual life, is through growth to maturity. And that comes with the purification process of your heart, or in other words, learning doctrine, using doctrine, and growing up to spiritual maturity.
