"DRAW NIGH TO GOD, . . ."

James 4:8

Perhaps you are thinking of this appeal to be a physical move - - - not so! it is a spiritual matter. This is only one time the Lord has issued such a call. Somewhere about 951 years B.C, the Lord spoke thru Azariah to Asa saying this about the Lord. "...if you seek him, he will be found of you,..", 2 Chronicals 15:2. The essence of this statement is somewhat equal to our text. Time passes, but the Lord's ways remain true.

About 397 B.C., when the spiritual ebb in Israel was very low; the Lord's prophet Malachi said: "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts." The principle of our text is one of 'ages long standing'.

About 60 A.D. "James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." To the scattered ones, he urged them in our text to "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw night to you. . .", Vs. 8.

It is interesting to me that vs. 7 says "Submit yourselves therefore to God . . ." the word "submit" carries the idea of ". . . set in array under", we are told by Robert Young, LLD.

I note that the call to submit and draw nigh are both giving a sense of:

(1) mankind is to take this initial move.

(2) they are to "cleanse your hands", vs.8, and

(3) "submit" to God.

We will know from the Word, elsewhere, that we must sever ties with sin in order to approach God.

The order might be:

(a) see our sins as God sees them,

(b) regret their hold on us - - - this is repentance, at least in part,

(c) believe God will forgive confessed sins, and

(d) He will draw nigh to you,

(e) in such a combination, you can "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you," vs. 7.

Do know the devil will attempt to get you back into 'sinning mode' - - - study the Word - - - pray - - - enlist help from others you may know, that you may be a good servant of God as His born again son or daughter. DDH