We are looking at the book of James, a Bible author who told it as it is. His teachings challenge the reader to act on and not only hear the Word of God.
“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,” (James 1:19-21).
Why did James instruct us to get rid of the moral filth and prevalent evil? It is because it is them that cause anger and carnal reactions in us and a reluctance to accept the Word of God. Paul told us in Galatians 5:16-17: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”
If we give in to the desires of the sinful nature, it will take control of us and slowly entangle us, so we will gradually lose interest in the things of God. The scary subtlety about it is that it will just leave enough conscience to allow us to be religious and not realise that we are actually not living a Christian life anymore. This is the point where we become religious, adopting “a form of godliness but denying its power,” (2 Timothy 3:5). These desires of the sinful nature can be multiple – an addictive sin, such as lustful eyes, a materialistic lifestyle, earthly ambitions in career and sport, television and other entertainment, and so on. James mentioned moral filth and prevalent evil. How much of these have we accepted as normal, having become so desensitised to it by seeing it so often in movies and hearing it in the workplace that it don’t even shock us anymore.
How often do we see and hear Christians involved in moral filth and evil and we do nothing about it? “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,” (Luke 17:3). “If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life,” (1 John 5:16). How many of us do this?
Anger is born out of selfishness, which is born out of a sinful lifestyle. Self-centred people want things their way and do not care about their neighbours’ feelings, so anger and a quick sharp tongue often are the fruits. This is just the opposite of what God is like, and is therefore unrighteousness. However, it is not only an angry tongue that causes unrighteousness, but also a critical mindset and attitude, and how many of us are guilty of this? Nothing is ever the way we want it – the government, the weather, our health, our finances, the church and so on. This is because we think with our sinful nature and not by the Spirit, who is faith, hope and love.
So what is the solution? James first of all mentioned listening. As a child I have always heard I have two ears and one mouth and therefore I must listen twice as much as I speak. Asking questions instead of making statements helps us to listen. Critical thinking or thinking in statements are equal to speaking and can cause anger in our hearts. Thus thinking questions will cause us to verbalise them. Asking ourselves questions about God will cause us to seek the answers and this will lead us to look for the answers in the Bible.
The second solution James mentioned is: “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,” (James 1:22-25).
This we will look at in our next message.
Lord, I’d like to live by the Spirit.
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.
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