"I've read that when Edward VI, the king of England in the 16th century, attended a worship service, he stood while the Word of God was read. He took notes during this time and later studied them with great care. Through the week he earnestly tried to apply them to his life. That's the kind of serious-minded response to truth the apostle James calls for in today's Scripture reading. A single revealed fact cherished in the heart and acted upon is more vital to our growth than a head filled with lofty ideas about God.
One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it."
-Chambers, Our Daily Bread, March 4, 1993.
Last week we discussed how we can have joy in the trials we go through. This week we address the issue of obedience to God.
The book of James is our source for this series. It’s a very interesting book, written by the brother of Jesus, and it doesn’t read like most new testament letters.
“This book begins like a letter because it’s being sent to people at a distance. But it is actually not very much like other letters of the time. It is a collection of short sayings and slightly longer discussions of practical topics. The conversational style, the short, pithy sayings and the interweaving of themes all make this book similar to the wisdom writing found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.” -YouVersion Intro to James
James is trying to help us learn to live the Christian life in practical ways. How do I do this on a daily basis? Let’s dive into the teaching for today, we’ll be looking at James 1:12-27.
Verse 12 says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
As we learned last week, we can be joyous in our trials knowing they are refining our faith. That’s challenging, but very true.
Oddly enough I’ve learned, when going through something hard, to stop and think to myself, this is going to make me stronger. I even get excited sometimes, because I know that this moment is huge for my growth. Yes, when something bad is happening! Crazy right?
But here’s the good news, every trial has an expiration date. Blessed is the one who perseveres. What does that word mean?
Here is the Webster’s Dictionary (1828) definition: “To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue steadily any design or course commenced; not to give over or abandon what is undertaken; applied alike to good and evil.”
The goal is to pursue steadily the path we’ve chosen.
Once we do that, we will come to the end of the trial, and we can say, we stood the test, and we stood firm. And God gives a gift to us, a crown which is called “life.”
Every trial we go through has at it’s end a reward called life. What does that mean? It means we grow stronger, we’re built up, we’re better than we used to be due to the trial.
Next, completely different thing, but, verses 13-15: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
James is bouncing around, like Proverbs, toward different topics related to how to obey God in life.
He has given us the example of completing a trial. What about a temptation? A trial is different from a temptation. A trial is something we go through that makes us stronger. A temptation is something that stirs a desire within us that makes us feel drawn toward something sinful.
The dictionary definition of temptation is: "enticement to evil by arguments, by flattery, or by the offer of some real or apparent good."
We’ve all felt this, drawn toward something we shouldn’t be. If we don’t seek God’s help, a process begins. The process is like this: We feel tempted, the temptation grows stronger, it begins to drag us away toward sin, once the desire is fully grown inside us, it gives birth to sin, pictured like a woman who is giving birth. Then, if we allow the sin to take over and keep happening over and over, the sin grows stronger and stronger, and eventually it gives birth to spiritual death. Over time the sin can keep happening and it begins to affect our heart, and we begin to fall away from the living God.
Thankfully, this process of sin can be stopped at any time by seeking help from God and from friends to pray for you.
Next, verses 16-18: “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”
It could be very easy to think that we are being tempted by God, because, we know God allows us to go through trials to test and refine our faith. But, we are never tempted by God. We are tempted by our sinful nature that causes us to be drawn toward evil.
Instead we should remember, every good gift comes from God. He doesn’t change. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that’s Jesus, so that we could become fruitful.
Next, verses 19-20: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires."
Sometimes I will feel angry in a self-righteous sort of way, and I’m going to show them what it’s really about. But that sort of anger doesn’t often produce the righteousness of God. Instead, once I’ve calmed down, and I show that person love with correction, then it’s effective. Otherwise it turns into a mess.
So, be slow to speak, slow to get angry, and quick to listen. Listening is a gift we should all cultivate. People need someone to listen. But we’re so often waiting for our turn to speak. Really listen to people, hear them, and they will love you for it. And they’ll learn to love God too.
All of this is about obedience to God, following His ways, and seeing Him in the way we He wants to be seen.
It’s very practical. How do I live it?
Jumping down to verse 22 it says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
I think 22 is the key. Don’t just listen to it, do what it says. Because if we just listen, we end up deceiving ourselves. How so? Many do it, they come to church, listen to a sermon, and go home and think that’s it. They have deceived themselves, they think just because they are in church, they are a believer, but, what really matters is if we’re living it, learning to use what we learned in church to change our lives.
Sometimes when we read the Bible, we wonder, can it really be done? But I’ll tell you this, it can be done, but it doesn’t happen all at once. It happens over years and years. So we have to be patient. But we also have to be dedicated to the process.
“One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.”
I’ve found that to be true. For years I learned about evangelism, how to share the gospel with others. But, once I went out with the Salvation Army on the streets of Chicago, and started talking to random people about Jesus, well, I had learned about 10% in evangelism classes, the other 90% came from actually doing it.
Next, verse 21 of our scripture today it says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
Clear out the evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you. Many of you here have that word planted in your heart. God is at work. You’re feeling drawn to pray, to study the Bible, and to come to church. You’re feeling a discomfort in your heart with things in your life that are wrong. You can feel it. That is called “conviction." Conviction is when God’s Holy Spirit which lives in us, is telling us something we do is wrong.
How do we “get rid of the moral filth”? One target at a time. But not by our ability. Instead, follow this simple pattern. First, notice the conviction God brings. 2nd, think about it. 3rd, Pray and say to God, I repent of that behavior. Lord help me to be free. 4th, begin to build patterns to stay free from it.
The Holy Spirit whispers to us from time to time: “Don’t do that. Put that away.”
We have free will, we have the choice to either stop, or continue. That is a sacred gift from God. But I challenge you today, don’t just listen in church, then go out during the week and do whatever you want. Sincerely try to live it out.
Next it says, (verse 23-24) “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
So you’re starting your day, and you look in the mirror as you brush your teeth and get ready. And you tell yourself, “I’m a Christian, a follower of Jesus.” But then as you jump into your daily routine, you immediately forget that you’re a Christian. You’ve forgotten who you are. You’re a Christian.
It's all about admitting we can’t do it ourselves. We can’t force ourselves to be good. We need to instead get on our knees before God, and say Lord Jesus, I confess I can’t do it. I need you to change my heart. Make my heart all yours. I give you my heart, and I ask you to change it.
Once we’ve sensed God has changed our heart, at the altar, or wherever we met with him, then we can fight the battle by praying through the day, by whispering prayers in our minds during the day. We can fight the battle by remembering the words of the Bible, storing them in our minds, and declaring them out loud.
And pretty soon we will be swearing less, we will be less selfish and helping others more, we’ll be lying less, we’ll be gossiping less, and pretty soon those things will vanish entirely. But we have to remember who we are.
I am a Christian. Say it with me: "I am a Christian. I have a new heart. God loves me. With His love in my heart, I can live pure and free."
So if we remember our face in the mirror, then James says, (verse 25) “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
What is the perfect law James is referring to here? It’s the 10 commandments, the teachings of Jesus, all the commands of scripture that we look into and when we look into them, and study them, and apply them, we receive the gift of freedom.
It's all about heart obedience, allowing God to change our heart, as we ask Him to again and again, and then from that heart change, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live the way God wants us to.
All of this is closely related to the tongue as well, the tongue reveals the heart.
Verses 26 say, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
The tongue, our words, can be so incredibly destructive. They can also be such a great blessing. Reign in your tongue. If you’re someone who gossips and spreads rumors, pray to God, and ask Him to help you stop. It can feel “fun” to talk gossip, and to swear, and cuss, but it’s so destructive, and it leads to pain and misery. So don’t do it. Shut that off. And ask God for help to do that.
Now this can be challenging. And as we begin to try to practice our faith, we’ll come upon setbacks. I remember being a new Christian, and thinking wow I’m a mess, I’m not doing this right. I was smoking, I was swearing, I was living in lust and watching movies and videos I shouldn’t have been watching. But here’s the thing guys: Don’t beat yourself up.
I’ll say that again: Don’t beat yourself up.
God is patient with you. But don’t play games with God either. God does not play games with us. He loves us, but he knows how we truly are. So do your best to ask God for forgiveness after you sin, and declare before God, your desire to change, your repentance, of turning in a new direction. Again, it’s about a heart change, if you let God change and heal your heart, the rest will follow.
There will be setbacks. But keep fighting, keep praying, and you’ll see month by month, and year by year, God slowly changing you.
It’s not over when we sin. Because the word says, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” -I John 1:9.
God is our daddy, so run to Him when you make a mistake, and ask for His help and His forgiveness.
Let’s finish by looking briefly at the last verse, 27 which says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
So here James is giving us an example of how to live out what we believe. Serve others before we serve ourselves. Go visit the elderly in their homes, or in nursing homes, visit widows, go into the jail and share the gospel with prisoners, go and share God’s love with children at orphanages. Bring some bread and food to your neighbor, or go spend time with a friend in the hospital. Get out of yourself, and all that selfishness, and help somebody else. That is the hardest thing. We’re all so incredibly selfish sometimes, myself included, wow, so self-centered, everything about me and what I want, but instead God calls us to think of others and their needs and their souls.
So that’s our word for today, and its best summed up in this phrase “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (verse 22)
Do what it says guys, that’s my battle too. It’s all our battles. Don’t just hear it, do what it says. And I find great joy from God in that.
Review of Main Points
1. Trials eventually end: If we persevere, we receive the crown of life (spiritual growth)
2. Temptation is dangerous: It can lead to sin which eventually leads to spiritual death
3. God allows trials, but he never tempts us: Good gifts come from God
4. Avoid being quick to anger, anger doesn’t produce righteousness
5. Don’t just hear the word, hear it and do what it says
6. Get Rid of Moral Filth: Practice Repentance quickly if you fall into sin
7. Remember who you Are: Hold Fast to your Identity in Christ (look in the mirror of the word)
8. Surrender your Heart: Invite God to Change your Heart (over and over in your life)
9. The Perfect Law brings freedom: Looking into the word of God brings victorious change
10. The Tongue must be controlled: Invite God to help you overcome gossip/slander
11. Run to the Father: God is our Daddy, if we confess our wrongdoing he will forgive us
12. Religion is made perfect in loving service: Go to those in need and lovingly serve them
