James 1:19-27 | Doing

Good morning again. I invite you to turn in your Bibles to James, chapter one, verses 19 through 27, where we will be today. We're continuing our walk through the Book of James. And though early to this point in his letter, James has already covered a lot of territory.

He has spoken to how the Gospel of Jesus Christ allows believers to find joy even in the most difficult of trials. He has spoken to the need for steadfastness in times of testing. He has called believers to seek God's wisdom in full assurance of faith. He has spoken to the paradoxical status in God's economy in which the poor and lowly one is exalted and the rich exalted one is brought low. Then last week, Austin covered James' encouragement to struggling believers to see that God gives that which is perfect to those who are tempted by that which is broken, even spiritually deadly in the world.

So what James has told us to this point is that God has given us everything we need in Christ. He's given us everything we need to endure trial, everything we need to resist temptation, everything we need to know the person and character of God so that we will not be distracted or deceived. And he has given us all this, as James says in verse 18, of his own will, having brought us forth by the word of truth. Now that term, the word of truth, holds foundational significance for everything else James is going to say in his letter. Because James is encouraging his readers to be living gospel proof — that which openly, clearly and truthfully displays the regenerative work of God the Spirit according to the salvific work of God the Son in his people.

He's saying that when Jesus rescues someone from slavery to sin and death and the Holy Spirit is indwellingly guiding them on the pathway of God's will, there should be marked evidence of that.

If God has brought us forth by the word of truth, the word of truth should be living and active in and through us.

But what does that look like? How should we intake the Word and interact with the Word and apply the word of truth in ways that God would have us for his glory and are good? How do we know the Word is actually working in and through us to bring about God's will and way? And these are important questions if we are to examine ourselves and test our own faith and see if indeed we truly are in Christ.

Therefore, it's to these foundational questions that James turns next in his letter. James, chapter one, beginning in verse 19.

Know this, my beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. 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's like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself and goes away, and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres — being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts — he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he's religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Now, at first, it seems as though James has changed gears from God's bringing us forth by the word of truth to simply addressing our moral temperament. It seems as if he's offering us practical wisdom for relational success. Look at verse 19. Know this, my beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.

Now, these are good, helpful, right? Words of wisdom. But why does James address these attributes as an extension of his discussion on rejecting temptations and embracing life according to the word of truth?

Well, James is providing some descriptive attributes here of one who has authentically been brought forth by the word of truth. He's saying that the person remaining steadfast under trial, walking in the wisdom of God and brought forth by God's eternal word, looks different than the one who is merely following the course of this world. And these are some: hearing, speaking, becoming angry.

What would the world say should accompany these words?

Well, our world would say, be hesitant.

If you don't like it, mute it, block it, create an echo chamber, and only listen to that which will advance your argument.

Our world would say, be first to speak.

You know, we have more avenues today to speak, to tweet, to post, to cast, than at any other time in human history.

The modern world is bent toward handing everyone a microphone. And our world says, get there first. And when you do, be loud, be passionate in your anger. Because in our culture, anger has become a virtue. He who is most angry, he who shouts the loudest and inflicts the most damage — they're the ones who make the greatest impact.

Passivity is considered guilt by our society. Therefore anger is expression of freedom. These are the ways of the world, but are they the ways of the Word?

Because what James is offering is a countercultural approach in these areas for those who are called to be living gospel proof. Whereas the world says be hesitant to hear, James says, be quick to hear. The Bible says that Christ's work within us should make us first listeners.

You know, one psychologist described our present communication age as the dialogues of the deaf — that virtually everyone is speaking, but few are actually listening. You know, even in the church, we can become more concerned with asserting our voices than hearing the drowning cries for the gospel coming from those around us.

The truth is there are few more loving things you can do for another person than to simply listen to them. And why?

Because listening to someone shows that person that you consider them more important than yourself.

Listening requires meekness, recognizing that you have something to gain from another person's perspective. Listening tunes your spiritual receptors to the needs of another so that you may minister to them with the Word. And now, while listening is an important general skill and habit for life, it is especially pertinent when it comes to the Word of God. Because there is a biblical discipline referenced often in the Scriptures that we have largely lost in our fast paced society today. And that's the discipline of meditation.

Joshua 1:8 says, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. Psalm 77:12 says, I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds. Now, biblical meditation is not an emptying of our minds, but a prolonged filling of our minds with right things. Specifically, it's taking the word of God and dwelling on it, turning it over, chewing on it, pressing it, letting it press on us.

So when it comes to the word of truth, James asks us to consider if we are merely reading it or if we are truly investing the time to hear what it says.

But that is not the only countercultural call that James places on us. Whereas the world tells us to be first to speak, James tells us to be slow to speak.

The Bible tells us our first posture should be a hesitation to make our voices heard. This is because assuming such a posture requires the biblical attribute of humility.

Considering others as more important than ourselves requires us to approach others first as learners, not instructors.

Now, but you may say we have the word of truth and they need to hear it. And that is absolutely true. But consider Ephesians 4:29, which says, let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Now how do you know what fits the occasion if you only consider what you want to say and not the person or context that is receiving it? If you are not speaking good as fits the occasion, you are not giving grace to those who hear.

Which is the goal. Now our world says, who cares about the occasion? Be first to speak.

James, however, says, be first to listen, then slow to speak.

And while again this is an important general skill or habit for life, it is especially pertinent when it comes to the Word of God. Because the Word of God is God's word. Which means when we come to the Word, God is speaking — he is instructing us, guiding us, caring for us, equipping us and sustaining us.

So if our devotional time with God or our discipleship interactions with our brothers and sisters in Christ is only spent giving our own words, then we are not receiving anything. Our mouths are full when we may be the ones who need to eat.

Proverbs 10:19 says, when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

James says, be quick to listen, slow to speak. And whereas the world says be passionate in your anger, the Bible says be slow, cautious, patient before you take up that weapon. Now it's important to note James does not say that anger is a sin. There is certainly a type of anger that is righteous. God is angry at sin.

He is a jealous God for his people and for his glory. This world is broken, steeped in rebellion, and we should be angry at that which is a departure from God's expressed will and way. This is what is referred to as righteous anger. But the anger James is talking about is not anger that is righteous, but anger that is self defensive, self assertive, self protective and self advancing.

It's a man centered anger that proceeds from a man centered heart.

This type of unrighteous, man centered anger is so busy defending itself that it fails to ever evaluate itself.

It wants its own way, its own version of the world, and when it does not get it, it fights without ever considering what it is fighting, who it is injuring and whether or not it is actually right.

Church, an angry spirit is not a listening spirit. An angry spirit wants to injure first, but this is not the Spirit of Christ.

Proverbs 16:32 says, whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 29:11 says, a fool gives vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. Ephesians 4:31-32 says, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice. But be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

When we evidence worldly or self centered anger, we are evidencing that what we care about most is not God and his righteousness, but ourselves and our rightness. This is why James says in verse 20, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Defending ourselves does not display God at the center — it displays us at the center. It does not proclaim that God is right, it asserts that we are right. It tries to shape others into our image, not the image of God.

And though every single one of us will be tempted to speak first and listen last and use anger to strike, in order to evidence that God's word of truth has brought us forth, James says we must — verse 21 — therefore put away all filthiness, rampant wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls.

So what are we to do with these temptations when they come along to exalt ourselves first? Well, James says we are to put them away, lay them aside, cast them down and flee. Because James says they are filthiness, they're wickedness. And consider the strength of those words.

James is not saying that these are merely bad habits or undesirable traits. James says an unwillingness to listen, a presumptuous tongue and a quick temper are evil.

When you embrace these things, you are not in danger of evil, you are participating in it.

Therefore, if you want to see evidence that God has brought you forth by the word of truth, put those things away from you by whatever means possible. Reject that which is ungodly. And only once you have rejected what is ungodly can you then receive the implanted word. Now why does James refer to God's truth as the implanted word? Well, it's because God's word is not native to our hearts.

Obedience and submission to God's will and way is not our default setting. By nature we are bent away from God's word of truth and toward being the author of our own stories for our own glory according to our own truth.

However, in his grace and mercy, God has given us his word that when we hear it and receive it rightly and meekly, it disturbs and upturns the soil in our hearts and implants within us that which will take root and grow and blossom and bring life where before there was only death.

Therefore, James says, when God's word is spoken, when it's read, when it's taught, we must open ourselves up and listen. But to open ourselves up, we are going to have to drop the filthiness and rampant wickedness that we hold.

When God speaks, we must be still, must close our mouths, quiet our thoughts, remove our distractions, and listen.

But even at that point, James says, we have not arrived. Verse 22 says, but be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. And so James provides a word of warning here. Receiving God's implanted word means not only hearing it, but implementing and obeying it. God's word is not just informative, it is transformative.

The Word should not only enter our ears, it should break our hearts and transform our minds, rejuvenate our spirits and animate our bodies for God glorifying works. And to respond any other way is absolutely delusional.

I mean, how absurd is it of us to hear the very word of the eternal Almighty Creator God, our Maker, and then say, hmm, that's some good advice. Wonder what's on Netflix.

Or even worse. Yeah, I could spend time with the word of the sovereign Creator, who knows all things, wants my best, and is willing to guide me, but I've got a busy day. I really just need a few extra minutes of sleep later. Yes, tomorrow I'll get to all that. But today I have much more important, much more urgent priorities.

It's foolishness.

And biblical foolishness is not just ignorance, it's also illuminated disobedience — knowing and hearing what is right and true, and then refusing to engage or obey it.

James even gives us this clear analogy, verse 23. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he's like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away, and at once forgets what he was like. Now, in this analogy, the person saw reality clearly. They understood the truth.

They were given every advantage and opportunity to receive the truth, but then they turned away from it, neither learning nor benefiting from what he saw. And what did he see? James says he saw his natural face — not made up, not disguised, not Instagram filtered. His natural face. He saw the reality of who he is clearly, and what was the mirror that revealed to him this truth?

It was the Word of God. The word of truth. Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Church, God's Word is not a dusty old set of historical documents. There aren't just some catchy sayings and some weird prophetic visions. The Word is a searing sword that pierces us, opens us, exposes us, but then cleanses us, purifies us and heals us.

As has been famously said, we don't merely read God's Word — God's Word reads us.

But for the Word of God to do its work, it can't just be something we read on a menu. It's something we must take ourselves and consume.

You know, you can read through the Bible every year. You can record every Bible commentary in your Goodreads library. You can listen to Christian podcast after podcast. You can memorize entire books of the Bible. And all of those things are excellent things that I would encourage you to do.

But even if and when you have done those very things, you must never assume that by doing so you have arrived, that such things are the terminus of God's desire for you.

The man here intently studies his reflection in the mirror. He sees, he understands his actual appearance. He has every tool of the truth, but it has no effect on the way he lives.

There's no actual lasting benefit from what he did for himself or for anyone else. He may as well have never done it in the first place.

But James says it is not to be that way for those in Christ. Verse 25, but the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres — being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts — he will be blessed in his doing. So James says true steadfast faith and wisdom are evidenced when we first look to God's Word, the perfect law, and then act upon it, receiving it not just as words, but as imperatives, as actions. And as we do, our self-knowledge grows deeper, but also our knowledge of God grows higher.

We see that God's word is a word of freedom, as James says, a law of liberty. We see that apart from God, we are slaves to sin. We see our need to turn, repent and to surrender to Jesus as Lord and King. And we see how we can receive God's forgiveness for our sin, our infinite debt paid by the infinite sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, in our place. We see the reality of John 8:31, in which Jesus says, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Yet the one who is free is only free if they live according to that freedom.

Words on a page are great, but only by experiencing the effectual reality of those words, and the one to whom they point, do we find true life and nourishment and wisdom and growth.

As Jesus said in John 13:17, if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. Verse 26, if anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Now, James is not saying here that the only correct form of Christianity is orphan and widow ministry, though those things are important. James is saying that more than faith, more than works, what we receive by grace in God's word is a faith that works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 says, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So the conclusion of the matter is we should examine our actions for evidence of God's salvation.

How do we know if the word of truth has brought us forth, given us resurrected life?

Well, one way, James says, is by asking, what is our speech like?

Do we listen first?

Are we sparing with our words, using them to impart God's wisdom? Are we easily angered? Do we care for the downtrodden? Are we committed to holiness and not just when it's convenient or seen by others?

These are questions that we should ask, not to see how we measure up to others or if we have earned our salvation, but to see if there is evidence of God's Spirit at work within us as an overflow of our love for Jesus Christ.

John 14:15, Jesus said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

In John 15:10, Jesus said, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. And 1 John 5:3 says, for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome, as we said from the beginning. The beauty of the book of James is its simplicity and its directness. So church, hear today James' simple direction. If you love Jesus, if he has brought you forth by the word of truth, then obey him, hear his word and do what it says.

In so doing, you will bless God, you will bless others. As James says, you yourself will be blessed. Let's pray.

Oh God, we thank you for your word that is so honest with us. So honest with us. Sometimes it hurts. It steps on our toes. God, we just recognize we can't ever live up, we can't ever live perfect, holy enough lives in and of ourselves to earn our place with you.

But God, we thank you that your Word also contains historical account after historical account of you being patient and walking alongside those who walk, even limping or stumbling, seeking to follow you, your word and your will and your way.

So God, I pray that that would be true of us. I pray that as a church family we would help one another follow your path, that we would recognize that it is only by the power of the Spirit of God, using the word of God, that we can live the life you have called us to.

Above all, I thank you for Jesus Christ, who does not count our adoption based on what we do, but on his finished work through the cross.

But God, I thank you and help us to accept and enjoy, to hasten after and to desire to do the works that overflow and show this work and show this love that you do to a world that is seeking these things.

God, may all we do in word and in deed be done for the praise of your glorious grace. It's in your name, Jesus, that I pray. Amen.