Morning Moments

JAMES Devotional Outline with Notes (cont)

Wisdom's Wealth

A. Comes through Serving 1:1
B. Comes through Suffering 1:2-8
C. Comes through Submission 1:9-18
D. Comes Through Separation 1:19-27

There are two matters in these verses that must be carefully addressed by every Christian for both can be destructive to one's self as well as to others. The first is the tongue and the second is the temper. Without control both are deadly weapons, so we must separate good use from bad use of both.

The Directive

1:19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

We are often warned in the Scripture about words and temper:

Pro 10:19. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Pro 13:3. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
Pro 16:32. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

The Book of Proverbs is filled with warnings against fools of loose tongues and lost tempers. It is not characteristic of the people of God. Not only is it unwise, it is ungodly.

It is true that there is a place for anger in the Christian life, but whatever the emotion is, the Christian under the leadership of the Spirit is to control the emotion rather than the emotion controlling the Christian.

The Danger

1:20. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Wrath is anger beyond control. I have heard preachers preach from a root of bitterness and call it hellfire and damnation preaching. To each his own and we shall all give account, but I don't see where Jesus ever skinned sheep. They may be shorn, but must be fed daily. I am convinced that anger preachers draw angry people. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle toward all.

"The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace" (Jas 3:18). "Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God" (Mt 5:9).

The Desire

1:21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

The idea here is laying it aside as a garment, but I like to think of it a little differently. Let's say that the clothes you wore before you came to Christ were sensual and provocative. You should not desire to wear those clothes anymore, so you dispose of them. That's the idea. We dispose of, put away all moral uncleanness, all the dirt of the flesh life and the abundance of vice, vileness, ill will, trouble, depravity, wickedness or anything that is not characteristic of God. Then we accept or receive the gentleness that the Word of God develops in us, that Word which is able to save our souls, knowing that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

The Deceit

1:22. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

There is a catch to all of this. We cannot merely hear the Word. In other words, this amazing written text that teaches us of the Living God and His love for us and desire for us to such an extent that He would send His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to bear our sins in His body on the cross, is more that just a story to be heard it is a message to be applied to our daily lives as well as proclaimed to others. That is why Jesus said in the Great Commission, "...make disciples...teaching them to obey all things I have commanded you..."

To hear it and not heed it is to reject it and not receive it! To think that you have received it just because you have heard it or because you approve of it or casually agree with it or support it in some one or another is to deceive yourself. To be a doer of the Word means that you abandon yourself to God!

Illustrated by a Mirror

1:23. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 1:24. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 1:25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Can you imagine getting up in the morning, taking your shower, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, and all the other things one does to get ready for work or going out or whatever the average person does in the day without a mirror?

A mirror is a means of checking yourself out before others get to check you out. It is a way of seeing what you look like before others do. A way of seeing if your are presentable. Now I realize that some people obviously don't use mirrors. I know that because I go to Walmart once in awhile, but most of us do like to be somewhat presentable when we leave home.

One thing I have discovered about a mirror - it doesn't lie. Like it or not, what you see is what you get.

The truth is that it is that way with the Word of God. When you look into this Word which is alive and powerful and sharper than a twin blade razor and clearer than the mirror on your wall at home, you will discover who you are and who God is and how unlike Him you are and how like Him you can become in Christ. What a mirror that a frog like me could look into it and see a prince because of my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Demonstrated by a Ministry

1:26. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 1:27.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The word religious means pious or devout. It indicates one who is devoted to the divinely ascribed duties of serving God. We must understand what James is saying. This divinely prescribed "service" or responsibility is not to gain faith or favor with God, but because we are in faith and favor with God. We must never confuse the two.

James, 1) States, 2) Illustrates, 3) Demonstrates what true faith in the Lord Jesus produces. Faith, true faith, the faith of the Son of God does not lay dormant!

BLESSINGS!