Only Christ Can Make You Clean

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
James 4:8 

Knowing the heart is the problem is step one. Knowing where to take that problem is step two.  

And the answer has always been the same: Jesus. 

Jesus was not just pointing out the defiled heart as a problem to feel bad about. He was pointing to Himself as the only One who can fix it.  

The Law could not cleanse the heart. Tradition could not cleanse the heart.  

Only the blood of Christ can do what nothing else has the power to do.  

James 4:8 gives us the response: draw near.  

That is the invitation. Not "clean yourself up and then come."  

Draw near, and He will draw near to you.  

The cleanness comes from proximity to Him. 

No amount of scrubbing makes a stained cloth white again on its own. But bleach changes the fabric at the molecular level.  

Christ does not just cover sin.  

He transforms the heart that produced it. 

Come to God today exactly as you are. Do not wait until you feel worthy.  

Draw near.  

Tell Him the truth about your heart.  

He already knows it, and He is already reaching toward you.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I cannot fix my own heart. I have tried. Only You can make me clean. I draw near to You right now, with all of my mess, trusting that You are faithful and just to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Thank You for the cross. Thank You that Your grace is enough. In Jesus' name, Amen.