James 4:8-12 "Draw Near to God"

Welcome

(Read) James 4:8-12.

(Pray)—God I ask that you help us draw near to you, may we be satisfied by your Spirit and Truth today, grow us and comfort us, convict and conform us,—be made known to us in our hearts, souls, and minds

Dismiss Children if needed

Introduction

(Introduction) Have you ever felt distant from God, as if your sins have built a wall between you and Him. Our guilt and shame reveal the sense that we are unworthy to approach our God’s throne. But this is the truth, that we are unworthy to approach the throne of God, the chasm of shame between us and our maker is infinitely wider than we can imagine, and the wall of separation our sin reaches beyond the deepest and darkest corners of space.

But yet James tells us “Draw Near to God.” This is the peculiarity of the text before us: How can fallen man draw nearer to the immortal righteous King? Let alone, how can our Holy God, who can not be in the presence of our vile, draw near to us? I have been enamored at this concept in my study this week, and I hope today that we would walk away with a renewed gladness of the mediation of Christ, and may we church listen to James and “draw near to God.”

I have titled today’s message as “Draw Near to God”

(Context)Today’s message is magnified in its context. James, writing to professing believers saved by Jesus alone, calls them to live a sanctified life set apart for God. As we’ve seen, James mainly focuses on application, and less doctrine (But that is not to say that this book doesn’t have doctrine). He speaks as a pastor to the 1st-century church, calling them to avoid spiritual adultery and give God wholehearted devotion. He desires the church to honor their Lord, Jesus Christ who has saved, does save, and will save. However, people twist the application from this book to create false doctrine that contradicts the rest of the Bible. This simply is no the case and is twisting the book of James out of context.

The reason I bring this to our attention is that some have tried to do that with the text before us: “Draw near to God”, insinuating that in their fallen nature, in a state of spiritual death, we can be the initiator of a relationship with God.

This can not be the case, per other bible verses, but more importantly according to the context of these verses. James has called those whom he is writing too “you adulterous people.” Now this is because there is remaining sin in the believers life, but the point is, you cannot commit spiritual adultery on God unless you are first in a relationship with Him. And therefore James is not pleading with the unbeliever here, but rather with the believer, that they would draw near to God in the humility of His grace, all while fleeing from the devil, the world, and sin.

(Proposition) Because God is faithful to His covenant people, we out to draw near to Him in humble repentance, forsaking sin, and continually trusting His grace to cleanse and uphold us.

This reflect the Reformed understand of sanctification as a gracious work of God in the believers, who have been granted faith and the Spirit to obey.

Draw Near to God

(Read) James 4:8a.

“Draw near”-There are so many questions that could be asked here: What does draw near mean, what does it look like, where do we do this at, and more questions a like these. To begin to answer these things, I think it is important to say that this phrase of “drawing near” in the Old Testament is a priestly term evoking the thought of worship in the temple of God. When we remember that James is an ethnically born Jew, it makes sense why he is using this type of language. But is James telling the reading to draw near to God by going to the temple? Is James telling the person to draw near to God by performing a sacrifice? Is telling us to draw near to God by seeking out an earthly priest? No, no, and no.

Turn with me to Hebrews 4:14-16 (Read—Expound)

Turn with me now to Hebrews 10:19-22. (Read—Expound)

Through Christ’s mediation, Through Christ’s priest work, Through Christ’s gospel, through Christ’s finished work, we have access to God. Jesus says in John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

(Chasm) That infinite chasm between God and man—that insurmountable wall that keeps us from the throne room of grace—Through the Word made flesh, we now have a great high priest, who through Him—we can now draw near.

Outside of Christ, we can draw near to money, we can draw near to lust, we can draw near to pride, we can draw near to possession, we can draw near to gain, we can draw near to fame, we can draw near to title, and yes we can draw near to the world. But we can not draw near to God without Christ, and therefore the natural man can only draw near to death, and eternal separation.

(Back to James) Turn back with me to James 4:8. (Read)

“Draw near to God, (And here is the promise) and he will draw near to you”—I hope if there is anything we gain from todays message is this: Do you know God? Do you have a relationship with the eternal? Do you spend time with Him in both study and prayer?—Jesus tells the woman at the well in John 4:23 “the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.”

(Fear of false professors)—I fear this church, we have seminaries and pulpits today, that teach men truth—yes even much truth, which is good and great— but in the endeavor for doctrine, they have made men to know much of God, but men that do not know God. They spend time feeding their pride and ego through a wealth of education, and they could defend doctrine better than most. but they have never drawn near to God through Christ. Thomas Watson, a puritan from the 17th century said: “Knowledge without repentance will be but a torch to light men to hell.” —On the flip side though too, we live also live in a day were charismania rules in the land, and supposed Christians are only motivated by emotional pleading and false spirits, yet they would, not be able to discern truth from falsehood, even if it was to hit them over the head—the very head that lacks all knowledge and truth.

(Apply) If you are either of these men today, either a puffed up head that can not fit through the eye of the needle, or the dazed and dizzy souls that can not point to the straight and narrow let alone walk on it—I wish to tell you: You can know God, not just know of Him, and neither just babble about Him, but actually have a relationship with Him.

(Believer)—But let me speak to you church, the believers who are weary today, who have been humbled under the hand of Grace—Draw near to God and He, church, James promises us that He (God) will draw near to us. Draw near to Him through the High priest of the house of God, draw near to Him in your worship, through your study, through you prayer life, through your fellowship, through your singing, through you giving, through your service…Church draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

(Unbeliever)—But maybe you have come here as one who is dead in your sins. You can not draw near to God, nor will God draw near to if you are left in your sins. You need Christ and His meditation. Trust in Him, be born again, and have these mighty access to throne where grace never ceases to flow.

Joy Turned to Weeping

(Read) James 4:8b-10.

James tells us to stop sinning with our hands, to watch over our passions, and to stop being split with in our devotion between the world and God himself.

Church, we are not to go to the sink and wash our hands thinking that this is what cleansing our hands is. We are not to go to cardiologist and undergo the cath lab thinking that this is what gives us a clean heart. No, these things are not what make us right before God. But we must come to the fountain of Christ and wash our hands and sprinkle our heart with His blood.

But James also mentions a double-minded man, which is the second time in this letter that he mentions this term. And it is a term that is describing someone that has two minds—One that says he loves holiness, but with the other he is friends with the world.

(Question) How are we to be single minded, having holy affection set on the things of godliness and faithfulness? James tells us (Read) James 4:9.

Now this is interesting for James to say, because he also said at the beginning of this letter to “count it all joy” but here tells us, that our joy should be turned to mourning. Well this is quite simply and important. When James says at the beginning of his letter to “count it all joy” he is speaking of those trials which are testing of our faith as they produce steadfastness, and this could also be said in another way, we should count the things that make us more like Christ, more holy, and more faithful as joy because it is sanctifying us. But on the flip side, James 4 is talking about the passions of the flesh and things of this world. Those things that we used to find joy in, what ever sinful tendencies that they are, those passions should cause us to mourn and weep rather thanan rejoice and seek more out of them.

(Christian)—This is a sure marker of a repentful heart, when the Christian sins, which will information be the case until Christ comes again, the Christian will mourn and weep over their singing against God. Whereas the world will count those things as joy and laughter.

(Question) what does a man who is broken under the weight of his sin, a man that knows his shame and guilt, what does this man look like? He is a man who beats his chest crying unto the Lord for mercy. This is a man who is humbled under God’s mercy, and will one day be exalted according to verse 10.

Brothers and sisters, when the world is full of joy and laughter, the people of God must not join in, but instead weep and mourn.

Judges

(Read) James 4:11-12.

John Gill, a reformed Baptist Pastor, correctly notices in his commentary that James has gone from his discourse regarding whole hearted devotion to God and waging war with our passions, he now returns to that member of our body that can cause so many fires. That member is our tongue. Now I believe that we have hit this drum over and over and over again, but in case it has not penetrated your ears yet, watch over your speech.

Here however, James focused on people of the church who are slandering and gossiping other in the church. Now I must just say, that judging righteously is a good thing, but James is dealing with the judgment of hypocrites and liars. Church I am going to move right to the application of this text. If you are in this room, within these four walls, and you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are looking down your nose and speaking evil of someone here—Stop it! You are sinning if this is what you are doing. And you are sinning in a multitude of ways, first you are sinning because you are speaking evil of a brother, you are sinning because this brother of who, you are sinning against is covered by the blood of Jesus and deserves only your love and not your vile, and you are sinning because in your pride you have sought out the throne of God where you think you have the right to to be judge, jury, and executioner.

I say this as a word of caution from this text, gaurd yourself from this type of sin. And if pride has blinded your eyes today, and you are found guilty of this, know that the one in whom you have sought to dethrone in your own judgement, is the only one who is both the judge and law giver. And he who is worthy to save is also worthy to destroy.—Therefore who are you to judge, even some of your supposed closes neighbor, with evil and wrong intentions. I have none in mind when I say this, so therefore, If this text convicts you, and you have been found guilty of this, stop it and repent.

Conclude

(Read) James 4:8a.

Church, today we have heard the urgent call of James 4:8-12: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” Despite the infinite chasm of sin that separates us from our holy God, we are invited to approach His throne through the mediation of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. James has shown us the path of sanctification: to draw near through worship and faith, to repent with godly sorrow, cleansing our hands and hearts by Christ’s blood, and to humble ourselves before the Lord, trusting His promise to exalt us. He has also warned us to guard our tongues, refraining from slander and judgmental speech, for God alone is the Lawgiver and Judge. This is no mere moral checklist, but a gracious summons to live as God’s covenant people, redeemed by Christ and empowered by His Spirit

What James has put before us today, is the throne of God. Imagine— you standing before this throne. Your sins…your pride… your double mindedness… all of it is laid bare—Guilt and shame threaten to crush you. Yet in that moment you hear the voice of your shepherd saying: draw near, my blood has cleansed you, embrace me as your high priest.”

Church, I have tasted the bitterness of sin, but i also know the joy of Him drawing near to me. Beloved, we draw near not because we are worthy, but because Christ is worthy—His eternal priesthood ensures that “he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

(Call to action) So what will you do today? If your are dead in your sins, unable to draw near to God—be born again and look to Christ. If you are a believer, draw near to God in confidence, that Christ is your mediator. I promise you, that God will draw near to you, as you draw near to him in Christ. Let’s draw near to Him now in prayer

(Pray) Lord, I know you hear me. I know i am your child—because I have been adopted by the blood of Christ, So Lord, I ask you to cause your people here today to draw nearer to you in all that we do.

If there be your sheep here , that has yet to hear the voice of the good Shepherd, may today yield the hour of call. May the heavens open, and your saints be thrust in to your courts. May we be living in this world, as a heavenly people purchase with the blood that makes us white as snow.

May our worship now—join in on the choir above, that you alone are worthy of praise. So today, removed the unclean heart, and let us worship in your holiness. In the name of our mediator, Jesus the eternal Priest, Amen