Did somebody say...

"Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:8, 10

So often we shy away from the word "sin". We try to make it sound better by saying, "mistake," "issue" or "struggle" instead. Rarely do we call it what it really is. But to discover the life that God has for us, we have to admit our sin. Rather than laughing off our "mistakes", James challenges us here to admit our sin and admit it to God.

Sin is a serious issue. So serious in fact, that it cost God the life of his only Son, Jesus Christ. But the good news is that your sin doesn’t have to come between you and God. When you admit to God that you are a sinner; when you fall humbly before Him and ask Him for forgiveness, "He will lift you up."

No longer will you have to be ashamed of your sin. Once you are forgiven, God holds no memory of your transgressions. Nothing on earth has the power to lift you up and give you life like the power of a purified heart before God.