(Psa 24:3-4) Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? {4} He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
The Psalmist tells us that only those who have clean hands and a pure heart will ascend into the hill of God – presumably heaven. James speaks similarly of cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts. – “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
According to James cleansing our hands deals with sins for it is with our hands that we commit acts of violence, stealing, murder and etc. They begin in our hearts and minds, but we put them into actions by the members of our bodies. Therefore, he says to cleanse our hands – confess our sins and seek forgiveness through the blood of Christ. . The purifying our hearts involves another matter. He says it is for the “double-minded” to purify their hearts.
After we have been forgiven our acts of transgressions (committed sins), we still