ARE YOU TOO GOOD TO BE STAINED WITH SIN?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, 
you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 
(James 4:8)

MEDITATION:
Today’s devotional is a little lengthy, 
(mostly due to the scriptures included), but it reminds all 
Christians of our vulnerability to Satan’s temptations and influence.
NOTE: If you have been reading these devotionals often, 
      then hopefully you know that I truly believe they are provided 
      by the Lord, and I am merely His distributor.
Read His message to us today with the thought, 
“God is speaking directly to me”.

One of Satan’s goals is to convince Christians that they are too good to sin.
Of course that means perfection, and not one Christian is perfect.
But if Satan can convince us that we are near perfect, then we become 
less aware of our sinfulness, which can cause us to sin more easily.
And we all know that the more we sin, the easier it is to sin the next time.
It can become a downward spiral 
that pulls us away from the Lord who died for us.

Satan wants the worst for us, but the Lord wants what is best for us, 
so why would we gravitate toward the temptations of Satan?
It has to be an indication of the weakness of our spirit 
and the suppression of the Holy Spirit who Jesus sent 
to dwell in the hearts of those who belong to Him.

James knew there were Christians who had begun to think 
too highly of themselves, and he was calling attention to their failures.
Imagine how they must have felt when he referred to them as “sinners”.
He exposed the dirtiness in their perceived perfection 
and told them to “wash their hands” and “purify their hearts”.
Then he reminded them of how they were professing their allegiance 
to the Lord, while living as if they had no relationship with Him.

Let’s look at why he told them 
they were not as pure as they thought they were.

They heard and knew God’s Word, but failed to apply it to their lives 
(they were better at hearing His Word than doing it).
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone 
who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away 
and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into 
the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what 
they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 
(James 1:22-25)

They showed partiality toward others while knowing 
that the God they worshipped does not show favoritism.
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must 
not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold 
ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 
“Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” 
or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves 
and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1-4)

They failed to help others, even though they knew how the Lord 
they worshipped helped them, when He sacrificed Himself on the cross.
Their interactions with others 
failed to confirm their faith and allegiance to the Lord.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith 
but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister 
is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; 
keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, 
what good is it? (James 2:14-16)

They would praise the God who saved them, 
but curse (“bad mouth”) the other people He created.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human
beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come 
praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both 
fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and 
sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can 
a salt spring produce fresh water. (James 3:9-12)
	
They were guilty of envy and selfish ambition.
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, 
there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16)

They allowed their selfishness to cause quarrels and fights among them.  
They neglected prayer, or tried to use God to get what they wanted.
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your 
desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. 
You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You 
do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, 
because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on 
your pleasures. (James 4:1-3)

They claimed to be friends with God, 
but were being influenced by the world and its ways.
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means 
enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the 
world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4)

They were guilty of slandering each other (aka gossip).                             	
Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against 
a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. 
When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on 
it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and 
destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12)

ACTION:
Has Satan convinced you that you are ‘too good to sin’?
Or maybe he has blinded you to the guiltiness of the sins you ‘enjoy’.
Or perhaps he has caused you to justify your lack of obedience to some of 
God’s commands, because they require more of you than you are willing to give.
Reread the list of flaws James pointed out to the Christians of his day 
and think honestly about your own areas of failure and lack of faithfulness.

God loves the humble, and Satan wants to develop an arrogant pride in us.
The more humble we become, the closer our relationship is with the Lord.
Conversely, the more prideful we become, 
the more we damage our fellowship with the Lord.

In addition, pride causes us to think more highly of ourselves than we 
should, while God’s Word clearly tell us to ‘value others above ourselves’.
Christians should never think they are so good 
that they can look down on others.
We should be looking for the goodness in others, 
and not searching for their faults.
Our attitudes can either point others to the Lord, 
or push them away from Him.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility 
value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each 
of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for allowing the evil one to influence 
my thoughts and causing me to sin as an adopted child of Your family. 
Help me to become more humble and obedient to Your command, so 
that I can enhance my fellowship with You. Open my eyes to any sins 
that Satan has blinded me to, or caused me to ignore, or justify. Teach
me the value of obeying Your commands, even if it requires me to get 
out of my comfort zone.”

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