James 4:8-10

James 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.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

Do you see what James is saying here? He is talking about humbling yourself before God – about crying out to God for forgiveness, mercy, and grace. He is talking about having a humble and contrite spirit – one that is fully submitted to God. A broken spirit. A spirit that earnestly seeks God.

James is not saying that Christians should be upset all the time. In fact, I don’t believe this is addressed to Christians at all. What he is saying is that those who have refused to humble themselves before God and ask for His mercy are in great danger. He is reminding them that we desperately need to obtain forgiveness for the sin that saturates our lives. The only way to accomplish this is to seek God – to be afflicted, and mourn, and cry out for mercy and grace. This is absolutely critical. Apart from God we can do nothing. We must have Him; nothing else will do. If we cry out to God He will hear us.

Yet many today teach that God would never ask anyone to repent because God doesn’t judge anybody. God isn’t a god of wrath, they say; rather, he is a god of love and tolerance. There is no hell, or damnation, or judgment. There is only life and peace.

God disagrees very strongly; in fact, Jesus spoke more of hell than of heaven. The Bible is quite clear on this issue, which is why the Bible is so widely rejected today. If we do not humble ourselves before God and ask for His forgiveness then we will not obtain His forgiveness, and if we do not obtain His forgiveness then we will face His wrath. He will give forgiveness freely to all those who ask for it, but those who reject it will not have it.