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| JAMES LESSON #38 James 1:21 I want to look at �removing sin� - God is never satisfied with �a little purity� � it�s all or nothing with Him. He�s never satisfied with a �little repentance� or a �little completion� or a little obedience-� nope- it�s all or nothing. God wants to bring us to total maturity. All of the sin has to go. In James 1:21 He tells us to remove two things: 1) filthiness (Greek: rhuparia: obscenity, moral uncleanness, shame, defilement and 2) all that remains of wickedness (Greek: kakia � wickedness as an evil �habit� of the mind � with the intent to do harm to others through action or speech) �this is referring to �malice or maligning� �to speak evil of � defame: Now get this: behind �malice� ALWAYS stands unresolved anger. The two go together. James is telling us to put this stuff away. How? So far everything we�ve covered required �joint effort?� If I�m supposed to �put off all this stuff,� what�s my part in the �putting off?� Why is James saying this? When you ask Jesus to come into your life that doesn�t mean that you�re zapped with some holy suit and suddenly made perfect. Wrong. You have stepped into the beginning of a life long journey of �restoration and renewal.� �Restoration and renewal� of what? Your head. You are renewed by the Word of �Truth� � How do you �receive� the word according to James 1:21? You are to receive the word in �humility.� What�s that? In the Greek, �humility� as it is used here is �prautes: It is an attitude of spirit in which we accept God�s dealings with us as good and do not dispute or resist. It is a condition of heart and mind which demonstrates a teachable spirit- a willingness to learn and change � not in weakness, but in power. It is a balance born in strength of character as a response to �authority� � not �power.� The word �receive� in verse 21 is in the �aorist tense� � which means it�s a command of urgency � this is not something you neglect. Our part in the �putting off all this stuff� rests in the �receiving� end of things. The �transforming� part, is God�s job. James develops this idea of �receiving� by moving from the metaphor of birth, to seed and planting. He says in verse 21 that we are to receive the word �implanted� - In Mark chapter 4 you have the parable or story of the sower and the seed. Question: Wasn�t the �Word implanted� in you when you asked Jesus to take control of your life? Yes � but as that Word settles in your heart, you are to �receive it� in all of it�s fullness. Look at Mark 4:1-20 The �seed� in this parable (story) is the �Word.� The first seed is thrown along the wayside and the birds take it away. (The Word is given and nobody listens) The second seed is put into the ground but because of rocks it does not grow deep roots, it just grows straight up and does not bear any fruit. (Rocks are big things fixed in position that block growth) Why doesn�t it bear any fruit? It�s not been fed. It�s roots are shallow. The soil around it�s base has not been cultivated and guarded. When the trials come this plant shows that it is not deeply rooted in the soil. The third seed grows up among thorns. The thorns choke it out and it becomes unfruitful. Examples of thorns in our lives: the cares of this world � not enough money, too busy, too tired, too preoccupied with other things, easily distracted : -sometimes the thorns can be �good things� that replace the �best things.� Sometimes we can get so caught up in taking care of the rest of the world, that we neglect our own spiritual well being: the result? Lots of effort, major burnout, and no fruit. James talks about a life that �bears fruit.� He talks about it in chapter two: �faith without works is dead� � the fruit of true Christianity is works. We�ll look at that in great detail down the road. Look at the fourth soil. Seed is planted � some bring forth 30,60, even 100 times in fruit. Why are all the different levels mentioned? There is a difference in harvest due to the amount of SEED THAT IS RECEIVED. (and the �seed� is what? THE WORD OF GOD- TRUTH)- Notice that I did not say that the difference in harvest was due to the amount of seed �PLANTED� � I said, �RECEIVED.� THAT, goes back to �humility� � having a �teachable heart� � What�s your reaction when you�re falsely accused? What�s your response when you�re highly tempted? What�s your reaction when someone confronts you and you know you�re wrong? What�s your response when the bottom falls out of your life? Is the Word of God your counselor? Or does anger become your right arm? Notice I did not say �the outburst of anger� � I said, �Anger.� Anger presents itself in one of two ways: It will either shoot out, or shoot in. Just because you don�t �show� anger doesn�t mean it doesn�t own you. The barometer in this picture is your tongue. Are you controlled by anger? Listen to your tongue: Does it grumble? Is it critical? Does it complain? Does it malign? Does it �undo� someone else�s character? Does it degrade you? Does it defeat you? Does it defame you? What does it say about you? What does it say about others? Your tongue is a picture of your heart � Dare you to take a look at it! None of us will escape the exposure in the examination process � none. So, what do we do? According to James 1:21-22 it is my responsibility to �receive� the Word. When James was talking those Jews knew EXACTLY what he was talking about. They lived in a day and age where teachers and rabbi�s traveled all over the world teaching. With every teacher, there were two types of listeners in the audience. There were �hearers-� people who just came to hear what was being said- and there were �disciples� � the people who heard and lived according to what they heard � they were �doers� of the Word. They heard with a �teachable� �I don�t want to be like this forever- I want to get well and grow strong� attitude. Go to John 8:31-36 In verse 31 it says �If you �ABIDE� � abide means to �continue in, to dwell in, to live in� � If you really believe you will walk according to what is taught � and the �truth� will make you free- free from what? Satan�s disinformation � from what you �used to be.� Verse 33: Everyone who commits sin (this is referring to habitual sin ) is the slave of sin (once again, showing the �addiction of sin� once it has been tasted) Verse 35: and the slave (in the Greek slave is: doulos �One who is in a permanent relation in bondage to another: his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other: In other words, �sin� can be kicked out � �bondage� can be kicked out�) but the son-(in the Greek: huios: one who is the object of parental love and care who yields love and reverence toward another �a follower � the spiritual child of someone-) doesn�t get kicked out. Verse 36 The Son (Jesus) shall make you free from Satan�s lie and disinformation � sin � you shall be free indeed (from anything � wrong thinking, past abuse, hurt, shame, guilt, anger, immorality � you will be free to be what GOD intends you to be � defined by �Him� IN HIM) Read on through verse 36- When you are a doer of the Word you are free from sin � not just the wages of sin � which is death to about everything around you- but from the power of it over your life and eventually, the presence of it. (heaven) James 1:26- He�s saying you can think yourself to be �religious- to be a Christian� � and not be at all. James continues to examine the tests that determine whether your faith is genuine -�and the �tongue� is one of those tests. (We�ll get into that in James 3) READ ON through verse 27: What is �vain religion?� What is a �religion that�s worthless?� He�s talking about a religion that doesn�t bring your heart into direct contact with the heart of God. He�s talking about a religion of do�s and don�ts � one that is totally wrapped around �your ability� to �meet man�s expectations.� A vain or worthless religion is a religion that does not bring you to maturity. There are a lot of examples: There are people who claim to be Christians and their Christianity is centered around external expression. It�s centered many times on either �legalism� or �liberty.� You�ll either see a list of do�s and don�ts, or get permission to do whatever you want. It�s centered many times on a separatism from the world that doesn�t change the heart or bring to maturity � it just �separates you from the world� � or allows you to be �so much in the world� that there�s really no difference between you and everyone else. A pure religion keeps you unstained by the world, but active in it �it does not pull you out of the lives of other people, but places you prominently IN them. True Christianity is not something that sets you apart by it�s doctrine or it�s legalism or ceremonies, but it actually works IN YOU and THROUGH YOU so as to effect humanity. A true religion gives you direct contact with man � WHY? Because God �so loved- the world. True Christianity does not separate us from others, or their needs. The �law of liberty� � the �Word� of Truth, sets you free from personal favoritism � from looking on others and judging them according to their appeal to you � their wealth, position, power, name, things etc.- a judgment based on what you SEE not on what you KNOW. We�re going to look at that a little more tomorrow. The question I want to leave you with is this: If the Word of Truth, your Bible, sets you free from anger, wickedness, hypocrisy and favoritism- if it has the power to bring 30,60,100 times in fruit � What kind of soil are you? Are you �receiving� the seed? If you aren�t � what�s blocking it from happening? Hesitation to �receive truth� prevails because circumstance and emotion drive us to question God�s hands: never knowing His heart. The craving for touchable reassurance of God�s faithfulness screams in response to uncertainty over whatever is happening to us. We push Him for more convincing proofs of His abiding, divine presence. We demand that He �show� us who He is. When we snap our fingers and God doesn�t jump WE DECIDE TO TAKE CONTROL. SAFETY IS OUR ONLY PASSION. In a spiritual journey charged with uncertainty at every corner, we cannot afford to make mistakes. What will others think? We create our own �safety-� one which is indeed, pathetic. Endless analysis (constant effort to figure things out) replaces open obedient response. The willingness to risk is buried in constant nagging doubts. We must have absolute clarity before we can proceed. We�re blocked from �receiving truth.� What we have failed to learn is that clarity, reassurance and proof cannot create trust, sustain it, or guarantee any certainty of it�s presence � Get that. What creates trust is knowing the heart of God � How? �in humility- Receive the Word implanted� -what kind of soil are you? -harvest only yields crop from seed received- More tomorrow, Loving you- Robin � copyright 2001 Jim and Robin Hibschman |
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