Bible Study Materials

DO WHAT IT SAYS

by Moses Jung   08/27/2020  

Question


1. What three things does James command? (19) Why is it good to be a listener? (19-21) Why is it wrong to be angry? Why should we keep a tight reign on our tongue? What do the words that come out of our mouths reflect? (19,26; Mk 7:21-23) How can we use our mouths to build others up in faith? 2. Look at verses 22-25. How is studying God’s word like looking into a mirror? 3. What is true religion? (27) In our world today, what does it mean to follow verse 27? In what way do you need to more actively follow this verse?


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Message


DO WHAT IT SAYS

 

James 1:19-25

Key Verse: 22

 

“Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

 

In the last lesson, we learned about the meaning of trials. Trial is the testing of our faith. This test leads us to our maturity and completion in faith. Therefore, James said, consider it pure joy. When facing trials, we should pray to our Father with no doubt. Generous God gives us the wisdom we need. We must not be deceived by the temptations.

 

In today’s passage, James teaches us how we can live the righteous, pure and faultless life that God desires and accepts. God’s people must not only listen to the word, but do what the word says. His children must practice God’s mercy and keep away from the pollution of the world. Today's message has three parts: 1. Righteous life that God desires, 2. Do what it says, 3. Pure and faultless religion that God accepts.

 

  1. Righteous life that God desires(19-21)

 

Let’s look at verse 19. James again calls them my dear brothers. According to verse 18 they are first fruits whom God gave birth through his truthful word. Let's read verse 19. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. God designed human being to be born to hear first before speak. The person who listens well can learn and speak well. In the language proficiency tests, listening always comes first, reading, writing, and speaking last. Everyone has the great opportunity to listen first to others before speaking. We as God’s people should be quick to listen, before speak and get mad. Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Then, why should God's children always learn to quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry? Is it fair?

 

Let’s look at verse 20. For man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. KJV translated man’s anger as the wrath of man. This is different from God's holy wrath. Human anger is originated from what he/she desires. It comes from selfishness, self-love, and self-righteousness. Therefore, this anger cannot bring the righteous life that God desires. It cannot fulfill the will of God. It cannot fulfill God's righteousness. God desires unrighteous sinners to be forgiven and justified freely by his grace and to receive the righteousness from God.(Ro3:21-24,Ro4:7,8) Furthermore, God desires his righteousness to rule our hearts and lives. In this way the kingdom of God comes and fulfills completely in us. Therefore, God’s people should not be overwhelmed by the feelings of anger, but quick to listen to God’s righteous words.

 

Look at verse 20 again. Man's anger destroys God's righteousness not only within oneself, but also in the family and in the community of God’s people. Peter really loved Jesus and His words. But the source of that love was not Jesus, but Peter himself. As soon as Jesus said that he would soon be betrayed, abandoned and put to death, Peter was quick to be resentful and rebuked Jesus. His anger could not bring God's righteousness, but tried to destroy it. But Jesus prayed for God's will which is for sinners to receive forgiveness of their sins that God had been longing for. In the time of suffering, instead of pouring out his wrath, he chose to be silent and prayed for sinners on the cross. “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” He received God’s wrath on our place. Through His grace are we freely justified. Jesus brought us the righteous life that God desires. I pray that we may learn Jesus rather than getting angry so that God's righteousness may be revealed in and among us and so that wondering students can receive God’s forgiveness and righteousness. I pray that we may resemble Jesus Christ who is the righteousness of God and our righteousness.

 

Let’s look at verse 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. Our words and emotions can only be changed when our inner being is fundamentally changed. Therefore, James challenges them to get rid of all the moral filth and the prevalent evil. Here, 'get rid of' means ‘taking off’ dirty clothes. Clothes easily get dirty and contaminated by sweat, dust and numerous daily touches. Our hearts are like clothes. When they are exposed to prevalent evil, lust and greed, they easily get filthy. Only by repenting of these filthy sins, we change every time into the clothes of righteousness that Jesus gives. The blood of Jesus has the power to cleanse and whiten any of our sins.(Isa1:18, 2Cor5:17)

Next, we must accept the word. James speaks of our attitude first. We must humbly accept the word. We should not think that I know the words which we have learned. The moment we think so our hearts already become hardened so that we cannot accept the word anew. Let's look at verse 21 again. What is the Word Planted in you? According to verse 21b, God planted the word in them. The word planted in us is the gospel, that is, Jesus Christ and His Word. That word conceived us. That word gave us salvation and justified us. The word gave us the hope of God's kingdom and gave us a mission. James tells us to continue to accept the planted word. The words we received have a power to save us from the moral filth and prevalent evils of the world. It enables us to live the righteous life God desires.

Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the world is now in chaos and is trying to adapt so hard. We Christians have become compelled to do so. At this time we want to rely more on the power of God's word which can save us even during this time of pandemic. I pray that we may take off all moral filth and the prevalent evil and dress in Jesus Christ. I pray that we may love and accept God’s word more deeply.  

 

  1. Do what it says(22-24)

James now explains what it means accepting the word. Let’s look at verse 22. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. The word ‘Accept the word’ is not just listening. It includes practicing in life. This teaching is based on the words of Jesus. Luke 6:47-49 says, I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. The consequences of a person who hears the words and puts them into practice and a person who hears but do not put them into practice are extremely different.

 

If you only listen to the Word and do not do what it says, you deceive yourself If you deceive your conscience as a habit, you become a formal hypocrite like the Pharisees. Jesus told his disciples to guard against their hypocrisy. From these words, the problem of the scattered Christians at that time was that they did not put the word into practice. Who is like the person who listens to the Word but does not do it? Look at verses 23-24. 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. He is like a person who sees his face in a mirror and immediately forgets it. The purpose of a person looking in a mirror is to see and trim himself in the mirror. However, this person only looks in the mirror and does not trim. And soon he forgets himself.

Let’s look at 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. There are people who look into the Word intently and practice without forgetting it. They listen to the Word, reflect themselves according to the word, and continue to obey the word. They continue to live with it. This is what accepting the word really means. God bless those who accept his word humbly, not only listen to the Word, but do what it says.

I often forgot what I heard from Sunday message. I could hardly remember what the key verse was. It meant I don’t live according to the weekly passage. However, I remembered well what the score was when the Toronto Blue Jays won. In the past, I used to memorize and recite the words I had received. That words saved me and strengthened me to cling to Jesus Christ in all difficulties. But these days, even those words have been faint. I sensed a severity and decided to write my reflection first until one word touches my hearts. And I began writing it down to remember. During the time, God's word held me as an anchor to my soul so that I would not be wrecked. But recently I haven’t done so. Father I repent of my filthy sins and worldly desire. I pray that I will take off the dirty clothes of the world and listen deeply to the Word and do the word. As I prepared for this message, I saw that I was fooling myself. I enjoyed listening to the Word, but I did not obey the Word. I saw the worldly things that filled my heart coming out of my mouth and actions. I pray that my heart may be filled with the Word of God. I pray that God's Word may overflow in words and actions.

 

  1. Pure and faultless religion God accepts(26-27)

James mentions in verses 26-27 what is pure and faultless ‘religion’ that God accepts. Let's look at verse 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. Here the word ‘religious’ means ‘sincere or faithful’ before God. James tells us how we can diagnose whether our practical life of faith is sincere before God or not. Our word is a toolkit to diagnose our sincerity before God. Our words come out from our conscious or unconscious mind storage. Jesus said in Mt 12:34-36, For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. If our daily words are impure and faulty, our “religion” may no longer be pure and faultless. And our religious activities will turn out to be worthless before God. What matters to God is what is stored up inside us. Therefore, our words and actions have to reflect the word of truth and Jesus Christ which is stored up in our hearts.

Then what is the pure and faultless religion that God accepts? Look at verse 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. In the book of James are frequently quoted the poor and the rich. And this letter well portrayed their social atmosphere in which noble people and rich people were respected and recognized at the time. Therefore, in the churches at that time, various classes, low and high, poor and rich, all gathered together. As a result, problems occurred within the church. In this epistle, James severely rebukes those who insulted the poor and those who take advantage of the poor and flatter the nobles. In this background, he says what is the pure and faultless religion God accepts. Look at verse 27 again. First, look after orphans and widows in their distress. They were the poor and the powerless. However, God chose them to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom of God. But some believers who were influenced by the world discriminated against them and insulted them(Ref:2:1-7). So their “Religion” was found impure, faulty, and polluted. True religion God accepts is practicing God’s mercy. This is not just to provide their needs externally. God wants His people to be like Him, full of mercy. Jesus compassionated people who came to him like sheep without a shepherd. He wants his disciples to have this compassionate heart. God desires not sacrifice, but mercy.(Ho6:6,Mt9:13) But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Second, keep oneself from being polluted by the world. The world is motivated by the cravings of sinful man, the lust, and the boasting.(1Jn2:16-17) James says that pure and faultless religion in the sight of God is to keep ourselves from the pollution of this world. So for this we have to look into the word intently. The word of Truth not only protects us from the pollution, but also frees us from sin and the evil. Through our words and actions, God's mercy and God's righteousness are reflected.

 

In conclusion, through today's passage, we have learned what is the righteous, pure, and faultless life that God desires and accepts. It is to take off the clothes contaminated with sin and put on Jesus' righteousness. And it is to humbly accept the word which means not only listening, but doing. And it is to help the spiritually poor with the Word through God's mercy. Finally, it is to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. I pray that we may live the life of faith that God desires and accepts by listening to the Word and doing it. And we pray that God may be honoured and glorified through our life of faith.


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