How to Live “Right” eously

James 1:19-27

James:  Handbook for Maturity

 

In its simplest form, righteousness means that we are living “right:”  It means doing the right things:  In this passage, James is insisting that the believer’s walk equals their talk:  Christian character, conduct, and life-change should result from interaction with God’s Word:

Key Verse:

James 1:25 "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does:" NIV

Do you want to be blessed?  Do you want everything that the Lord has in store for you?  Do you want to get the most out of your Bible study?  Out of life itself?  Then this passage of Scripture is for you!

 

Bibles are everywhere in America:  You can purchase them in Costco, Walmart, and even in Target:  You can purchase them in all shapes, sizes and colors:  You can get them bound in paper, or leather, even denim:  You can have them in just about any language, and translation:  There are study Bibles, and Disciples’ Bibles, Teacher’s Bibles, Youth Bibles, Marriage Bibles and Children’s Bibles:  It is the top seller every year:  Each year there were 500 million Bibles published in the world in 18,000 different languages: Bibles are everywhere in America:  You cannot turn on the radio and hit the scan button without hearing the Word of God on some station:

 

The problem is that all these Bibles are absolutely useless if no one puts them into action:  People miss the absolute blessing of God by failing to take in the Word of God, and put shoe leather to it:

We have Bibles for all ages:  We have Bibles for every reader:  We have Bibles that are written for absolute accuracy from the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, and then we have translations and paraphrases that focus on the overall thought of the passage being read:

But the ultimate issue is not so much the need for another custom Bible, but the need for more LIFE change!  The question is not whether I have my Bible marked up, but am I marked by my Bible?

Just because you have a Bible does not mean that you are receiving the blessing that God intends!

In America we have an AIDS problem – Acquired Integrity Deficiency Syndrome:

 

In this section there are six clear commands that involve practical life-change:

Ø      Be quick to hear

Ø      Be slow to speak

Ø      Be slow to anger

Ø      Set aside filthiness and wickedness

Ø      Receive the Word of God in your Life

Ø      Become involved as a doer in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ

I.      Plant the Word (James 1:19 –21)

James 1:19-21  " My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires: 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:" NIV

In the Lord’s Parable of the Sower (Matt: 13:1–9 , 18–23), Jesus speaks of the human heart, and how it receives God’s Word, like a seed that has been planted:

Ø      Hard Heart

Ø      Shallow Heart

Ø      Busy Heart

Ø      Fruitful Heart

A seed is planted with the hope that fruit will result:  What is fruit?  It is the outward expression of the inward nature!  What is on the inside will come out:

 

In this passage, James is getting to the point, and expecting Biblical character to be on display in the believer’s life:  You shall know them by their fruit!  This is talking about a changed life:

Ø      Romans 15:28

Ø      Galatians 5:22-23

Ø      Colossians 1:10

Ø      Hebrews 13:15

Ø      John 15:5

 

Whose responsibility is it for planting the Word of God in a person’s life?

1 Corinthians 3:6

When people attend Bible studies, and worship services, and they still remain the same cussed self, whose fault is that?  What about the person who says, “I’m not being fed!”  How do you respond?  What makes a message deep?

 

What is the responsibility of the teacher?  What is the responsibility of the hearer?

Hebrews 5:11

Don’t you wonder what we have missed out on because the people were slow to learn?

 

If the seed of the Word is to be planted in our hearts, then we must obey the instructions James gives us:

A.     Receptivity - Quick to hear (v: 19a)

It literally means to “welcome” the word of God:  Prepare the way by preparing the ground!  This is how I became a gardener:  My wife wanted a garden, and I was all for it:  One problem came to light:  She was expecting me to prepare the ground for her:  So finally I borrowed a roto-tiller, and broke up the fallow ground:  But the prepared ground was just sitting there, so finally I bought some seeds and planted them:  Then I began to weed the garden, and eventually reaped a harvest from my wife’s garden:

 

If the soil is not receptive, the seed will not produce:  The Christian life starts with receptivity:  Until we are broken, God cannot get through to produce the fruit that He desires:

Matthew 13:9  "He who has ears, let him hear:”" NIV

Romans 10:17  "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ:" NIV

 

Ø      How do you prepare yourself to hear the word of God?

Ø      Have you ever been frustrated when people don't listen to you?

Ø      Do you often find that those who complain that people don't listen to them often don't listen to others?

Ø      What techniques and disciplines might you recommend to help others to listen to God better?

B.     Slow to speak (v: 19b)

As long as we are speaking, we are not learning:  We have two ears and one mouth, and they should be used accordingly:  While it is common for people to quote the jingle, “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me… this is absolutely not true:  Words can bring great harm:  James 3  speaks of the massive damage that can be done by the tongue:

 

What do the following passages tell you about the value of being slow to speak?

Ø      Proverbs 10:19

Ø      Proverbs 17:27

Ø      Matthew 12 ; 34b-35

 

It all starts with the heart: If the heart is right, then the tongue will be right:

Ephesians 4:29  "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen:" NIV

C.     Slow to become angry (v: 19c)

Calm down!  Relax, chill out, and you will be able to listen better to the other person:  The ability to listen, and receive what another has to say is enhanced when you are able to stay calm:

As emotion rises the ability to think clearly decreases:  Some people give a piece of their mind that they cannot afford to lose:

Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger:" NIV

3709 ὀργή [orge /or·gay/] n f: From 3713; TDNT 5:382; TDNTA 716; GK 3973; 36 occurrences; AV translates as “wrath” 31 times, “anger” three times, “vengeance” once, and “indignation” once: 1 anger, the natural disposition, temper, character: 2 movement or agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, any violent emotion, but esp: anger: 3 anger, wrath, indignation: 4 anger exhibited in punishment, hence used for punishment itself: 4a of punishments inflicted by magistrates: ^[1]

Colossians 3:8 "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips:" NIV

Practical Steps: like the buttons on your VCR:

1.    Pause

Ecclesiastes 7:9  "Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools:" NIV

Proverbs 14:29  "A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly:" NIV

Proverbs 16:32  "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city:" NIV

2.    Review – your words before you speak them:

Proverbs 12:18  "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing:" NIV

3.    Erase

Proverbs 29:22  "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins:" NIV

 

There is a proper place for anger:  We are to be angry at sin:

Ephesians 4:26  "“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry," NIV

 

Short tempers and hasty words can create major damage:

 

To make steel strong, it needs to be “tempered:”  Bill Yaeger, one of my mentors commented one day “I don’t preach well unless I am sufficiently angry:”

 

“Anyone can become angry - that is easy: But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not easy:” (Aristotle)

 

What aspects of the Christian life do you find require exercising of patience?

D.    The fruit of Righteousness(20)

James 1:20 "for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires:" NIV

Romans 1:17

Ø      Define “man’s anger”:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Ø      What is the “righteous life that God desires?

Ø      Is there a place for “righteous indignation” in the life of a Christian?

Ø      How does the “the anger of God” displayed through a person, achieve the “righteousness of God”?  Give an example of how you would see the “anger of God” expressed through a person:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Ø      How do you restrain expressions of “the anger of man?”

Ø      How do you properly express “the anger of God?”

E.     The Fruit of Salvation(v: 21)

James 1:21 "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:" NIV

In a garden it takes work to pull the weeds and till the soil:  James relates the heart to that of a garden:  Sin, like weeds will take over on its own:  The wise gardener will take time to prepare the soil, water, pull out the stones and add fertilizer so that the plants will be strong:  Preparation is essential for a good garden:

 

Before you can plant the seed, you need to pull the weeds:  Use some Roundup to kill the enemy:  This is un-confessed sin that will block your ability to hear God:

Accept/Receive:  1312 δέχομαι (dechomai): vb:; ≡ DBLHebr 4374, 8354; Str 1209; TDNT 2:50—1: LN 57:125 receive, or accept an object (Ac 22:5 ; 28:21; Php 4:18 ); 2: LN 34:53 welcome, receive as adj: guest (Mt 10:40 ); 3: LN 31:51 believe, accept as true (Mt 11:14 ; Ac 8:14 ; 11:1; 17:11; 2Co 11:4 ; 1Th 2:13 ; Jas 1:21 +); 4: LN 18:1 take hold of, grasp (Lk 2:28 ; 16:6, 7; 22:17; Eph 6:17 +) ^[2]

There is a responsibility that each believer has to “receive” the Word of God, to implant the Word in the life:  To welcome, believe and take hold of the Word is the responsibility of each blood bought Christian:  The person who misses this, is only being self deceived:  This speaks of a teachable spirit that is yielded to God’s will:  Pride will block the learning process:

Psalm 119:9-11

Confess sin – clean up the ground – 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness:" NIV

Ø      What are examples of moral filth and evil that we should get rid of?

Ø      What does it mean by "humbly" accept the word? Why humbly? Also, what constitutes "the word"?

II.   Practice the Word (James 1:22–25)

James 1:22-25  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves: Do what it says: Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like: But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does:" NIV

How many Christians equate their spiritual life with the Pastor they listen to, or the church they attend?  This is self deception by association:  Each one will give account to the Lord, independent from what church was being attended, or who was the favorite Bible expositor:

Just because a person reads a good book about swimming, does not mean that the person knows how to swim:  Reading a fantastic book on marriage, does not impress the spouse as much as “living” a good book on marriage:  Somehow we equate knowledge with spiritual maturity:  Maturity involves far more than hearing great sermons:  Judas heard every one of Jesus’ sermons:

John 13:17  "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them:" NIV

Joshua 1:8-9  "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it: Then you will be prosperous and successful: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous: Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go:”" NIV

Practice the Word by using the mirror of God’s Word:  We use a mirror to get an accurate picture of ourselves so that we can improve our appearance:  The mirror does not lie, but we can lie to ourselves by the way we use the mirror:

 

“The word "listen" in Greek is the word for "auditor":  If you audited a class in college you didn't take it for credit, no tests, no responsibility, no research:  You were totally relaxed:  You just listened, you didn't have any intention of applying it:  We have a lot of auditors in the church:  They come to church, walk in, hear the word of God, walk out with no intention of ever being changed:  I was one for years:  I took notes, wrote things down, but it never changed me:  We must respond to God's word, let it change us if we're going to be blessed by it:”  [i]

1.    Fleeting Look

Some have compared believers to a botanist, a butterfly or a bee:  The botanist takes all kinds of notes, and gathers all kinds of information, but it is only a observatory interaction with the flower:  The butterfly hops and flits and flutters around the flowers, but never stays long enough to interact with the flower in any degree:  The bee has learned to enter into the flower, and gain nourishment, and sweetness from the flower:

Which are you, a botanist, a butterfly or a bee?  God is looking for those honey bee Christians who are not satisfied with a superficial exercise of religiosity:

2.    Forgetful Look

If they were looking deeply enough into their hearts, what they would see would be unforgettable!

When Isaiah was allowed a glimpse of the glory of God, he cried out "“Woe to me!” I cried: “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty:”" Isaiah 6:5  NIV

Peter:  Luke 5:8 "When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”" NIV

Job:  Job 42:6 "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes:”" NIV

3.    Futile Look

Looking in the mirror and doing nothing is a waste of time:  Reading and studying is not doing:  Talking is not doing:  The phrase, “when all is said and done, more is said than done”, is often very accurate in describing the Christian community:  Coming together for conferences, and Bible studies, and seminars is not the goal, and end all:  It is not the raised hand at a evangelistic crusade that glorifies God, but the life that is lived as a result of the raised hand:  Commitment must be translated into service and action:  Ephesians 2:10 reminds us of the reason that God created us, "For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do:" NIV

Accountability and recovery groups, and small groups are all wonderful, and it needs to be put in place:  However, the ultimate issue is that getting people cleaned up is just the beginning:  There is a work to do:  You don’t win the war from the MASH unit:  The goal is to get people cleaned up and equipped to join the troops on the front lines of the battle:

Colossians 3:23  "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," NIV  Some churches spend so much time deciding the color of the carpet that they never get to the real business of the church to see lives changed through the preaching of the Word of God:  This is why we minimize the number of boards and counsels we have in our church:  We have a few Godly men who oversee the business of the church, in order to free others up to do the primary purpose of the church in building the kingdom of God one person at a time:

4.    Fruitful Look (25)

James 1:25 "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does:" NIV

This refers to digging into the Word, and investigating, and gazing into the Word:  This is dropping the plough and getting below the service:  This is the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, and is not satisfied with a mid morning snack:

“and continues to do this” means to meditate on the Bible, to think on it over and over:  Biblical meditation involves focused attention:  It is the picture of a cow chewing its cud in order to get every last bit of nourishment out of the grass:

The United States Air Force did a study and found that we forget 95% of what we hear within 72 hours:  This is why meditation, reviewing and memorizing Scripture is so important:  You will remember 100% of what you memorize:

John 8:31 "Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings:" NLT

Freedom:

Ø      John 8:32  "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free:”" NIV

Ø      John 8:36  "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed:" NIV

Ø      2 Corinthians 3:17  "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom:" NIV

 

When we obey God’s Word, we experience freedom as we have never known:  The jail cell door is wide open:  Unfortunately too many blood bought Christians have had the jail cell door opened and yet they choose to still live in the cell:

It takes time and attention to care for one’s spiritual health and vitality:  Spend time in front of God’s mirror and reflect the condition of your soul:  No quick glances here as this is essential for spiritual growth and maturity:

When was the last time you had a “spiritual examination checkup?”  Are you willing to ask God to tell you what He thinks of your spiritual condition?  Consider looking at what God had to say to the seven churches in the book of Revelation:  Jesus is full of “grace and truth:”

Are you spending more time in the newspaper than the Word of God?  Nothing will enhance your spiritual life more than memorizing God’s Word:  How much do you want to be blessed?

III.           Portion Out the Word (James 1:26 –27)

James 1:26-27 "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless: 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:" NIV

Religion:  1 fearing or worshipping God: 2 to tremble: 2a trembling, fearful: ^[3]

People have all kinds of wild ideas of what religion is all about:  Cults come into existence every day, and many come from the land of the fruits and the nuts – California:

How does God describe pure religion?  Isn’t it interesting that James mentions nothing about ceremonies and rituals that many think are central to the practice of religion:  James is saying that “pure religion” involves putting God’s Word into practice, and sharing it with others, through speech, service, and separation from the world:

The most basic definition of maturity is to be a doer of the word:  That's the picture of maturity:  Do what the Bible says:  “We must not only read the word, we must heed the word:” [ii]   Most Christians don’t need more Bible knowledge, they need to put into practice what they already know:

Portion out the Word through your…

A.     Controlling the Tongue - Speech (v: 26)

James has much to say about the importance of controlling the tongue (see James 1:19 ; 2:12; 3:1–3, 14–18; 4:11–12):  If you can control your tongue, you can control your entire body:  Remember, the tongue reveals the heart (Matt: 12:34–35 ):

B.     Caring Heart – Helping the Helpless (v: 27a)

Isaiah saw the Lord, then was overwhelmed when he looked at himself, and finally he looked upon those to whom he ministered (Isa: 6:1–8):

 

Orphans and widows were especially vulnerable in that society:  There was no welfare agency:  There were no food stamps, or minimum wage, and disability insurance:  There was no social security system elderly:  There was not even a AARP group, nor discounts for meals at Perkos Restaurant:  James is saying that those who are really practicing their faith will care for those who are most helpless:

 

Christians have argued for centuries over what kind of worship is most acceptable to the Lord:  What is the appropriate dress, music genre, communion drink, or rhythm that best compliments the entry into the presence of our Lord:  In spite of all that heat without light, the best insight is to consider God’s opinion regarding true religion:

C.     Clean Mind – Squeaky Clean (v: 27b)

Staying unpolluted by the world:  This is the world system dominated by Satan, not tierra firma:  Satan is the prince of this world (John 14:30):

We are to keep the boat in the water, but the water out of the boat:  We are in the world, but not “of” the world:

Romans 12:2

Jesus was a friend of publicans and sinners, yet he did not sin, nor did he compromise:

That is genuine Christianity: 

Impression without expression leads to depression:

 

Conclusion:

Why do we make a priority for people to be a member of our church, in a small group, and actively serving in a ministry in order to be in an Institute class?

 

So what?  What action point will you take today?  Will you set some goals for your intake of God’s Word?  Will you get involved in a ministry?  Will you seek God’s will and direction above all else?