Drawing Near
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About this ebook
There is within each sincere believer a heart cry to know God and experience Him in a deeper way. Over the years there have been many different ideas on how to make this a reality. Of course, the only real authority in this matter is the Word of God.
In James 4:7-10 the apostle gives us eight principles for greater intimacy with God. These principles are not new, but often overlooked. The attempt of this study is to re-examine this teaching of James to see how it applies to the subject of drawing near to God.
The principles listed here are not mine. The Lord God Himself inspired James to write them down for us. My goal is simply to open up what James says. My prayer is that it will be useful in drawing the reader closer to God.
F. Wayne Mac Leod
F. Wayne Mac Leod was born in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada and received his education at Ontario Bible College, University of Waterloo and Ontario Theological Seminary. He was ordained at Hespeler Baptist Church, Cambridge, Ontario in 1991. He and his wife, Diane served as missionaries with the Africa Evangelical Fellowship (now merged with SIM) on the islands of Mauritius and Reunion in the Indian Ocean from 1985-1993 where he was involved in church development and leadership training. He is presently involved in a writing ministry and is a member of Action International Ministries.
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Reviews for Drawing Near
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- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book opened my eyes to many truths in God's word that express His desire for me to draw near to Him, He surely is a Holy , loving, faithful God.
Book preview
Drawing Near - F. Wayne Mac Leod
Drawing Near
Principles for Deeper Intimacy with God:
A Study of James 4:7-10
F. Wayne Mac Leod
LIGHT TO MY PATH BOOK DISTRUBUTION
Sydney Mines, N.S. CANADA
Drawing Near
Copyright © 2016 by F. Wayne Mac Leod
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007
A Special thanks to Diane Mac Leod for proof reading this text.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction and Context
Submit Yourself to God
Resist the Devil
Draw Near
Cleanse Your Hands
Purify Your Hearts
Be Wretched, Mourn and Weep
Humble Yourself
Preface
There is within each of us a heart cry to know God and to experience Him in a deeper way. This is why we were created. How do we draw nearer to God? What are the requirements for those who want to know Him and walk more closely with Him?
James 4:7-10 speaks directly to this issue. Here in this passage the apostle shares seven steps to deeper intimacy with God. There is nothing new here. The truths James speaks about in these few verses are principles that have been with us from the beginning of time. They are tried and true principles that God has established for all who will draw near to Him.
My purpose in this study is to let James speak. More particularly, I want the Word of the Lord to speak and His Spirit to open it up and apply it to your life in a new way. There are many opinions about what it takes to be mature and godly. The only authority on this matter, however, is the Word of God. I trust that the Spirit of God will take the principles James lays out here and apply them afresh to your life as you take the time to consider his words. May the Lord be pleased to open up these old principles in a new way. May James 4:7-10 become alive as the Spirit of God uses it to draw you nearer.
F. Wayne Mac Leod
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
As we begin let me explain what this study is about. It is a study of James 4:7-10.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Before breaking down and applying these verses, let’s take a moment to consider the context in which they were written. This will give us a sense of what the verses are about.
In James 4 the apostle speaks about the temptations of this world. He opens the chapter by addressing the matter of quarrels among brothers and sisters in the faith. He tells these believers that the reason for these quarrels was because of the passions that were at war within them:
2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You have not because you do not ask (James 4).
What were these passions that caused so much quarrelling among brothers and sisters of the faith? James goes on to speak about believers seeking friendship with the world.
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4)
It appears that the people of James’ day were attracted to the things of the world. In fact, this appeared to be their passion. Their hearts were set on the things of this world. They passionately sought after them and were willing to fight, quarrel and even murder to obtain these worldly goods.
Notice from James 4:4 (as quoted above) that this friendship and lust for the world made them adulterers in the sense that they were breaking their covenant promise to God to be His and His alone. They were turning their hearts from God to other gods. In doing so they were turning against their God and making themselves His enemies. James tells the believers of his day that whoever chose to be a friend of the world made himself or herself an enemy of God.
Jesus would speak of this when He said in Matthew 6:24:
24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6)
The believers of James’ day had a choice to make. They could serve and seek God or they could serve and seek the things of this world. They could not, however, be faithful to God and lust after the world.
What is particularly striking here in James 4 is what James tells us about God’s passion. Listen to what he told the believers in verse 5:
5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose