James 4:1-10 (ESV)
4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:8 (ESV)
…Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Cleanse is to remove it.
Purify is to keep it clean.
Hebrews 10:22 (NLT)
22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
James 4:9 (ESV)
9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Be wretched Gr. – Distressed.
Mourn Gr. – Sorrow and pain.
Let your laughter be turned to Gr. – Metamorphosis, to transform.
Matthew 5:4 (NLT)
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
James 4:10 (ESV)
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Matthew 23:12 (NLT)
12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Table Talk
- Why is it important to understand the difference between cleanse and purify?
- There is comfort in mourning. How does this change your view of God towards our sin?
- How has humility opened a door in your life? Or, how have you seen pride close one?