James 1.19-27

Wisdom for Trials Inside the Community (1.19-3.12)

There were four driving forces that were producing trials within the believing communities that James was addressing. If you read this entire section, you will feel like James is just talking about all kinds of random things that have no relation to one another. Yet, like an earthquake, all we see is the damage done on the surface, but the underlying issue is that the plates of the earth are rubbing against each other. We see tables shaking, dished falling off of shelves, maybe even buildings crumbling. These are the surface issues. The thing that caused all of these to occur is that the plates underneath the earth were rubbing against each other. The same is true of this section of the book of James. All these problems are really the surface area result of the earthquake, which the underlying issue is not thinking heavenly in four areas: First, think heavenly about religion; Second, think heavenly about people; Third, think heavenly about faith; Fourth, think heavenly about our tongue. The answer, just think heavenly. 

Think Heavenly about Religion (1.19-27)

 19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 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.

 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 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 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 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.

 26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 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.

This section, although it seems to be random and not connected, is intricately connected. It is divided like a sermon. The first section is the introduction, which draws out the fallen condition focus, or more or less, what is wrong with society that this sermon is going to help fix. Verses 19-21 opens up with an example of anger being something that is sinful and is a direct result of our evil desires. This needs to be fixed. Then James takes this specific illustration and makes it universal by saying that we need to get rid of all the evil and moral filth in our lives BY...accepting the word, Jesus. Not just Jesus, but Jesus in flesh, Jesus in the Scripture, Jesus in the Holy Spirit, Jesus in nature. This gives way for the body of the “sermon”, vs. 22-25. This section is simply about not just listening to the word, but living it out, doing what it says. After that principle is established, James moves on to conclude with application. Verses 26-27, James talks about three different ways we listen to the word but do not do what it says: 1. Controlling the tongue; 2. Caring for the helpless; and 3. Keeping ourselves pure. That is the big picture of this passage. After seeing this cohesiveness within this passage, the rest is self explanatory. Think heavenly by...obeying God’s word, Jesus. 

Although this is that simple, it is so hard to live out. I think it is appropriate that James gives these three areas of application. Getting rid of all our moral filth takes remaining and abiding and living out God’s word. Yet why is it so hard?

I look at these three things, controlling my tongue, caring for the helpless and keeping myself pure, and I realize that I have fallen into the same trap that James is talking about. Sure I talk big about not yelling or not saying mean things in the midst of fights and conflict, yet I don’t live that out. I talk all the time about caring for the helpless, yet I have not once visited a widow in a nursing home. And when it comes to keeping myself pure, you nailed it on the head the other day. I allow TV and Movies and books and media to permeate every facet of my being. It’s a simple concept: religion is more than just lip service, it is action. Yet this is so so so so so so so so so hard to do. 

So how? How do we think heavenly about religion? I think it is a very simple answer, remain in the word. This is what daily devotions are for. They help focus us and center our days so that we begin by thinking heavenly rather than following our earthly desires about religion. The underneath problem is still at hand: Wisdom from above vs. desires from below. 

 Wisdom from above (thinking heavenly)--> truth---> good deeds --> Life

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Desires from Below---> leads to temptation----> leads to Sin-----> leads to Death.