James 4:9,10

Humble Self Before God To Be Uplifted

The desire for cleansing begins with sorrow for sin. It continues with one's repentance (James 4:9). Such is demonstrated by David after he acknowledged sinning with Bathsheba. He sang:

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight--that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge (Psalms 51:1-4).

Paul saw his own miserable condition without Christ and thanked God for the deliverance he found in Jesus. Others heard the words of the Lord and his apostles as they stressed the importance of repentance (Romans 7:24 a-25; Acts 2:37-38; Luke 13:1-5; Matthew 5:4). Repentance is the beginning of our humbling ourselves before God. It is followed by putting the old man of sin to death in baptism so that God might exalt us, or raise us up, as a new man. Such yielding to God throughout our lives will lead to the final exaltation in heaven (James 4:10; Romans 6:3-18; Revelation 2:10; 2 Peter 1:2-11).