Faith Obeys

James 1:19-27New International Version (NIV)

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 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.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 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.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 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.

It this blog we are looking at James 1:19-27.   James talks about 3 responsibilities towards God's word.   The first one James talks about is receiving the Word. When we receive the Word we should be quick to hear.   Just like a servant who is quick to hear their masters voice, or a mother to hear her baby's cry. So should the believer be quick to hear what God has to say to us.    

Also when is comes to receiving the Word, we should be slow to speak. Now I know this is a hard one for a lot of us. When it comes down to it we have two ears and just one mouth, so we should do more listening than talking. We are to be humble when we approach the Word of God. Too many times we argue with God's Word, if not out loud, we do so in our hearts and minds because it did not fit what we wanted to hear.  

Which leads to us needing to be slow to anger, when receiving God's word. Our anger does not bring forth a righteous life. If we get angry at God's word we will not follow it.   We should also prepare our hearts for His word.   We need to rid ourselves of the way the world thinks. The Word is different from the world. 

The next thing we need to do after receiving the word is the practice it.    It is not enough just to hear the word. We must also do what the word says.  It is not hearing, it is the doing that brings the blessing. A man once said "to many people mark up their Bible, but never allow it to mark them."   When it comes to practicing the word, we need to take some time for some examination.  Just like looking in a mirror, we see ourselves as we really are.   We also need to allow restoration.  We use a mirror to help restore, just like washing our face, to restore it to what it was.  The mirror of the word does not only examine us and reveal our  sins but it also cleanses us.   It cleanses the heart and mind of spiritual defilement as we meditate on it.     

The last thing we need to do when it comes to practicing the Word, is allow transformation to occur.    After the Lord restores us, He wants to change us, so we may grow in His grace and not commit sin again. There are to many Christians who confess their sin and claim forgiveness, but never grow spiritually to conquer that sin and self. We are to be transformed by His word. 

Next we are to share the Word.  Verse 26 talks about our speech. It is the tongue of a man that reveals his heart.  If the heart is right, the tongue is right. A controlled tongue means a controlled body. We should also keep a tight reign on our tongues.   

When it comes to sharing the Word, we should also do so in service. After we see ourselves and Christ in the mirror of God's word, we must see others and their needs. Everyone of us who are in Christ are called to minister and to serve. 

When we allow ourselves to be transformed by the word and put it into practice is leads to separation from the world.  When it comes to the "world" James is referring to, it means a society without God.   If you look at events going on in the world today you can see that.  We as Christians need to take a stand for what we believe.  You can not turn on the tv or drive around town without seeing that the world is a broken place. As children of God, we are in the world physically but not in it spiritually.  We are sent into this world to win others towards Christ.  

I hope this blog has made some sort of impact in you. I pray that it becomes our desire to make the name of Jesus famous, and may the Gospel go forth. 

DJ McMickle

Ephesians 2:1-10