Deal with Sin   James 4:8-9 Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom Dave Earley

to draw near to God without dealing with sin. It is impossible to draw near to God without dealing with sin.

a. Sin and God cannot co-exist Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.   Isaiah 6:4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

When was the last time you literally felt the presence of God? When was the last time you were silenced by the powerful, awe inspiring, overwhelming presence of God? When have you come face to face with the burning holiness and absolute purity of God?

Isaiah 6:5 So, I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone Isaiah 6:5 So, I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”

b. Sin separates us from God Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

Every unresolved sin is like a brick in the wall between you and God. God is holy. God’s primary attribute is holiness. If you want to draw near to God you must tear down the wall of sin.

c. Sins can be washed whiter than snow Isaiah 1:16-18 Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil… 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  

d. Sins are cleansed through confession 1 John 1:5-7 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 5:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confession A, B, C’s A: Apathy, anger, anxiety, addictions, and arrogance. B: Bitterness C: Carnality, complaining, covetousness, and a critical spirit. D: Deception, dirty mouth/dirty mind, dishonesty, disappointment, discouragement, and doubt. E: Envy, excuse making, F: Fear. folly, and failure to follow through on my commitments G: Greed and gluttony H: Hatred, high-mindedness, and hypocrisies I: Idolatry – making gods out of things that are not godly & making gods out of people who are not god. Ignoring my sins.

Confession A, B, C’s J: Jealousy L: Lack of passion, lack of love, lack of faith, lack of courage, laziness, loving money, and lust P: Pouting, procrastination, promoting myself and my agenda, and pride R: Refusal to trust, refusal to submit, refusal to obey; Resentment and rationalizing S: Self-centeredness, self-righteousness, self-pity, selfishness, self- righteousness, self-seeking T: Taking the love, goodness, mercy, and death of Jesus for granted. U: Unbelief, unethical, unmerciful, and unyielding. W: Worrying instead of prayer.