Humble Yourselves

James 4:10  "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

SC 37,38  "Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance.  If we have not experienced that repentance which is not to be repented of, and have not with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed our sins, abhorring our iniquity, we have never truly sought for the forgivness of sin; and if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God.  The only reason why we do not have the remission (forgiveness) of sins is that we are not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of truth.  Explicit instruction is given concerning the matter.  Confession of sin, whether private or public, should be heartfelt and freely experessed.  It is not to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin.  The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity.  The Psalmist says, 'The Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite (humble) spirit." Psalm 34:18.

All I can add to that is that it really works.  I truly have found that I can have the peace of God when I follow His explicit instructions.  Grandma Joan