James 4
4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.
4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness.
4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
For me, much of this is tied in with loving the brethren. When we focus on drawing nearer the Lord, then we automatically come nearer to the brother. That is because the Lord resides at the center (for true believers). Humility results in love and unity begins to happen.
How wonderful it will be if we all participate in this "drawing nigh to God" together. My thought is that when we focus on this, then minor denominational differences will not loom so large. If you don't agree, It's ok to say so.
4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.
4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness.
4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
For me, much of this is tied in with loving the brethren. When we focus on drawing nearer the Lord, then we automatically come nearer to the brother. That is because the Lord resides at the center (for true believers). Humility results in love and unity begins to happen.
How wonderful it will be if we all participate in this "drawing nigh to God" together. My thought is that when we focus on this, then minor denominational differences will not loom so large. If you don't agree, It's ok to say so.