The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work! (Chapter 1:21-27)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through “The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work!”

The Book of James: Putting Faith to Work! (Chapter 1:21-27)

This week we will continue our reading of verses 21-27 in completion of chapter 1 as we consider Belief that Behaves…

The genuineness of a person’s “religion” is not determined by their own opinion, it's determined by God’s opinion! Although a person may “think” themselves to be quite “religious” as such, they are not the one who makes that decision. God says we are genuinely “religious” in the truest sense based upon His Word when our “lives” are marked by “obedience” and “love” for Him and others. Incidentally, the true “believer” will also strive to “keep oneself unspotted from the world” by Biblical “faith” in Jesus Christ, by the “grace” of God the Father, through the in-filling “power” of the Holy Spirit – Thank you Lord!

Belief the Behaves!

James continues to challenge his readers with more tests of true “faith” as he further instructs the “brethren” entrusted into his pastoral care and nurturing:

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls – James 1:21

Another way we must “receive” the Word of God is with a “pure” life. However, we cannot do so until we are ready to “lay aside” the influences of our “flesh” and the satanic “world” system around us. The evil of the world’s “filthiness” and “wickedness” will hinder the “righteousness” of God from being produced in our lives. Why? Because they do not please Him! Therefore, James instructs us to “lay aside” our “sins.” A key word James uses here is "receive” because it is how one responds to God as they “receive with meekness” His “implanted word” into their submitted heart. It is the Word of God that alone is “able to save your souls” from damnation. If you are a true “believer” there is a receptivity to the “truth” of God in “your” life – We must submit to the Word of God!

A SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION: As radio listeners diligently set their dials for clear broadcast reception, “we” are “tuned into” to the “frequency” of God and His Word properly when it comes through clearly. Why? Because that's where we've decided to set the “spiritual” dial of our heart. When we “desire” God’s “truth” and want to “obey” His Word by the power of the Holy Spirit, our “souls” are blessed – Amen!

Next James further captures the core of the issue of “obedience” to God’s Word:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was – James 1:22-24

One way to define a true “believer” is one who is a “doer” of God’s “word” and “walks” in the “way” of the Lord. They subscribe their life to the Word of God and “desire” to pattern their lives after Him. On the other hand, “unbelievers” are not “doers” of God's Word. They simply “observe” themselves and then “goes away” to “immediately” avoid it at all costs. The point is this: If you don't do something on the spot when you see what needs to be changed in your life, you'll get busy and you'll forget that anything needs to be done at all. Therefore, we must deal with our “sin” immediately! In other words, if we're simply a “hearer” of God’s Word only, we are dangerously close to “deceiving” ourselves... About what? – Our salvation!

If we try to construct a religious house built upon anything else but “obedience” to the Word of God, the effort is folly. In fact, James’ half-brother, “Savior” and “Lord” Jesus Christ asked this straight-to-the-point question:

And why do you call Me Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say – Luke 6:46

It is a mark of an authentic, true and genuine “believer” living in the ONLY saving “faith” of Jesus Christ. This is the Christian that has a deep “desire” to “obey” God’s “word” by being more than just a “hearer” – The proper response is to be a doer!

“But” now in stark contrast, James addresses the true “believer” in Jesus Christ: 

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does – James 1:25

Here’s the contrast! This Greek word for “looks” is “parakupto” and literally means to bend down to examine something with great care and precision. This is the “believer” who thoroughly searches out everything and implies a true humbling of oneself. It is a looking intently with great “desire” and effort at the “perfect law of liberty” and wanting to “discern” what is revealed in God’s Word. James encourages the “doer of the work” in that “this one will be blessed in what he does.” Why? Because the true blessing is in the actual doing – Obedience to the Lord!

Next we move away from the analogy to the actual situation. Here we find that apparently in the fellowship to which James wrote, there was a BIG problem! There were many “religious” people misusing their “tongue” for “useless” pursuits:

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless – James 1:26

There seems to have been several would-be “religious” teachers who were “deceivers” of the “brethren” and their “religion” was “useless” to God and man. The point here is a false subjective mental belief or opinion of which is implied by the word "thinks." This phrase could be translated as "has the opinion of himself that he's religious.” After all, “Out of the abundance of the mouth, the heart speaks” and corrupt, unholy speech betrays a corrupt, unholy heart. In other words – Your lips will reveal what is truly in your heart!

THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: The Greek word for “religious” here is “threskos” and is a very interesting word. It is an adjective of which is used only here in the New Testament. The noun form is used in verses 26 and 27 and refers to external ceremonial worship. Incidentally, the Greek word “eusebeia” means “godliness“ referring to the “heart” and the Greek word “mataios” means “accomplishing nothing” and is “useless” for anything! Therefore, if somebody “thinks” himself to be liturgically “religious” in the sense that he's carrying out a sort of pompous and pious parade but does not care to “bridle his tongue,” he actually “deceives his own heart” and his “religion is useless” both externally and internally – He is a totally deceived hypocrite!

Therefore, even though the “religious” ritual might be evangelical in nature and even though the ceremony might be Biblical, it is actually futile pagan idolatry unless one’s “heart“ is right with the Lord! It's the “hearing” and “doing” with the right “heart” and “motives” that truly matters to God. Therefore, it is a complete “deception” to “think” that if we simply read our Bible, go to church, pray, give money, sing songs… That's enough… REALLY?

IMPORTANT QUESTION: How do you know if what you are “doing” is right before the Lord? Check your “tongue” and speech. Why? Because if any man “thinks he is religious” and doesn't “bridle” his own “tongue,” his profession of “faith” is a sham – Deceptive and useless!

Finally, James notes that a proper reaction to and reception of the Word of God also means a willingness to apply it without selfishness:

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world – James 1:27

True “religion” demonstrates God’s Love and compassion. “Pure” is the word for clean and “undefiled” is the word for unstained. They're synonyms with each other and points out that this is the purest kind of “worship” and “religion.” Again, it is not about what we do on the outside that matters, it's what comes out of our “heart” from the inside! Furthermore, look what James says here: “Pure” and “undefiled” before Whom? Here “God and the Father” is speaking of His Sovereignty as “God” and His Love as “Father.” This is God's standard as He evaluates and judges our “works” based upon His divine decision and not on the basis of our outward activity alone – Very important!

This word for "to visit" is a wonderful word. It means much more than simply saying "Hello" to someone. It has a sense of care built into it and includes the idea of bringing love and pity to someone in need through genuine nurturing support and service. James chooses “orphans and widows” because they are a segment of the population within the “church” that demonstrates the greatest need for compassion with the least ability to reciprocate. Throughout the entire Bible – God has always been concerned with the fatherless and widows!

James finishes his thoughts in this passage as he encourages his readers to continually strive to “keep oneself unspotted from the world” and its evil influence. The Greek word for “world” here is “Kosmos” of which refers to the filthy demonic system of ideologies, beliefs, lifestyles and worldviews of Satan’s ungodly cultural influence.

THE WORD OF GOD IS CLEAR! Anyone who is a friend of the “world” is the enemy of God! The two are incompatible.

The Apostle John aptly applies this same truth in saying if you “love” the “world,” you don't “love” the “Father”:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him – 1 John 2:15-16

Straight to the point! If you're a “friend” of the “world” then you're an enemy of God. In other words – There's no place for compromise!

In closing:

Having been “born again” by the shed blood of “Jesus Christ” and baptized by the “Holy Spirit of God” confirmed through the “Word of God” we become its pupils and our heart's “desire” is to listen to it, learn from it and respond to it in the same way a baby “desires” milk. After all, you do not have to teach a baby to like milk or to drink milk. Why? Because it naturally wants to eat as soon as it arrives into the world – By God’s design!

The same is true of a “believer” transformed by the “Word of God” as he “grows up” with a spiritual appetite toward the “things” of God. For the true “Christian,” this appetite is there in a growing way and is indicative of the “new birth” in Jesus Christ. However, if this appetite is not there in a growing way it is most likely indicative of the absence of the “new birth” in Jesus Christ – An eternally serious spiritual matter!

With this information as a foundation for your personal studies, please read through verses 21-27 of the first chapter of James.

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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