Living a Faith that can be Seen - James 1:19-27

PURE RELIGION: HEARING AND DOING

 

Evangelicals used to think it was cool to say, “I don’t have a religion, I have a relationship with Jesus.” We understand what they meant: they were trying to say that they were not merely good for goodness’ sake, or that their behavior did not save them from sin – they were saved by grace. 

            When you define religion as a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality, and thus rules for morality, you can see why “religion” may be off-putting.

            I tend to argue the opposite side. We need religion. In fact, we are very religious people. Years ago, at a dinner with friends, I countered a young woman’s argument that religion was a hindrance to faith. I responded by asking if she prayed regularly, read her Bible, went to worship services, and so on. She said, yes. I said, you are very religious. Her definition of “religious” was that it was stodgy, legalistic, and dead. My definition of “religious” was of being devoted and committed to a set of rituals that help us to worship and live our faith. She did not agree. She wanted a faith driven by relationship, not by duty. 

            My counter to faith driven by relationship is that we demonstrate our commitment to the relationship by our actions. I can say I am in a relationship with my wife, but never lift a finger to serve her, partner with her in projects, or even eat with her. We very religiously share meals together. I am very religiously devoted to Sharon. 

            In our text this morning, James 1:19-27, we read of seemingly random idea that climax with a definition of pure religion. But they are not random thoughts at all. They are connected by a very familiar phrase in v. 19: “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” James will show us in the following verses how these commands help us to live a godly life. We will see how he unpacks each one by giving us a word-picture to make it as clear as possible.

Slow to Anger: Clean out the Garden (20-21)

 

You’ll notice that James starts with “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,” but then launches into anger, then hearing, and finally speaking. It’s out of order in our thinking, but he nails each one, so whatever. 

            What stands out is the emphasis on slowing down. We need to slow down and listen to God. We need to slow down and listen to each other. We are often in such a hurry to get things done that we have no patience for each other. The result is anger. We become angry because no one’s listening or noticing our problems. We become angry because we feel disrespected. We become angry when things don’t get done.

            James tells his readers to slow down. You are rushing around doing so much and accomplishing little. Slow down for the Lord. When you are busy you leave little time for God. Slow down and pray. Slow down and hear God’s word. Slow down and worship him. Realign your values with what God cares about: Relationship.

            The word picture in these verses comes from the words “produce” and “implanted word.” First, James tells us that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Our anger with others is not a gift to God. It is as if James were saying that the anger we feel towards others is anger towards God. If I am angry with someone and let loose with a verbal barrage, I am probably destroying something in that person that God is trying to build up. I may want this person to shape up and improve or do things my way, but an angry attack does not build up, it tears down. It produces nothing good. 

            The word picture I see in this text is a garden. Anger is not a seed, it’s a weed. Do we allow weeds to grow, or do we take them out? It’s not as simple as it sounds. We inherited a row of perennials along our fence, but one plant seemed out of sync with the others. I have no horticultural wisdom, so I left it, thinking it was meant to be there. It grew taller than the other plants around it and seemed healthy. But it didn’t fit. So, I asked Sharon if I could yank it out. You know how to tell a weed? One thing I’ve learned is that some weeds have weak roots. This thing, big as it was, came out with little effort. (*Note: I am not a horticulturalist and do not know the principles of gardening, so my take on weeds may be incorrect. Some weeds, I am told, do have strong, deep roots, and are therefore more secure than the one I encountered in my garden)

            James said, “Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls,” (21). Notice that the word is implanted. God’s word is in you. But it cannot grow and be fruitful if you allow anger and other stuff to suck the energy and nutrients away from the word. An angry spirit is not a teachable spirit. It doesn’t listen. It doesn’t learn. Anger is a weed that prevents us from being godly. 

            

Quick to Listen: Looking Intently in a Mirror (22-25)

 

How did the word get implanted in you? That’s the bridge between these verses – the word. 

            James assumes that his readers are Christians who have heard the word spoken. “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,” (22). In the first century, Christians did not have personal Bibles they could open and read. When believers gathered to worship, someone read scripture, like this letter, and they heard the word of God. 

            Now the translation is a bit off. James said, “be doers of the word,” but it should say “become doers of the word.” Why that matters is that you can’t just “be” a doer, it takes repeated action that becomes a habit. You’ve got to keep working at doing the word. Hearing the word of God must be followed by obedience. Then it can bear fruit. Hearing is not enough, you must obey. You know that listening to a sermon is not going to save you or change you. You need to act on it.

            The word picture James used is a person looking into a mirror. In the ANE, mirrors were not like the ones we have today where you can look quickly and adjust yourself. Their mirrors were made of polished bronze or copper and produced a warped image. You could glimpse at yourself and see if it was you, but a glance would not tell you much. With those mirrors, you had to bend down and really study your reflection to see what action was needed. Is a lock of hair sticking up? Is there spinach in your teeth? You really have to look. 

            That’s why James wrote that the man looking in the mirror “looks intently.” The mirror is the word of God, and we are to look intently into it to see ourselves. James then said, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like,” (23-24). It’s a ridiculous analogy; it’s like a man not being able to pick himself out of a police lineup. But it’s ludicrous on purpose. No one does this. 

            Hearing the word spoken in a sermon or scripture itself is supposed to garner a response. Oh, I’m struggling with anger towards someone, I should work on that. Unlike the lady who shook hands with the pastor after Sunday service and said, “That was a wonderful sermon. Everything you said applies to someone I know.” 

            Being impressed with Jesus’s teaching is nothing. A woman who thought Jesus spoke well yelled out, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” That was odd. Jesus replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Lk 11:27-28). Hearing is not enough.

            James speaks of doing what the word says with a promised result, “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing,” (25). What is your attitude when you hear the word preached? The Welsh preacher Rowland Hill, as an old man, visited a long-time friend who said, “It is now 65 years since I first heard you preach. I still remember part of your sermon.” Hill asked what he remembered. The friend said, “Some people are funny about listening to sermons. But you said, ‘Supposing you went to hear the will of a relative being read in which you were to receive an inheritance of money. You would hardly think of criticizing the way the lawyer read the will, but you would pay very close attention to what was left to you and how much. And that is the way to hear the Word preached.” (Paraphrased; Spurgeon). 

            Be quick to listen. As someone said, have you ever learned anything while you were the one talking?

 

Slow to Speak: Ride that Bronc!! (26)

 

With the garden of your spirit weeded of anger and other sins, and your attitude on cultivating the implanted word – hearing and doing the word – the result ought to be a controlled tongue. The relationship is easy to see. Anger out of control leads to a person saying things he shouldn’t say.

            A person who cannot control the tongue reveals that her religion is worthless. As one preacher put it so well, you are lying to yourself thinking that you are a Christian who loves Jesus when you cannot keep your tongue under control. 

            James condemns the unbridled tongue, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless,” (26). The unbridled tongue is one of the reasons "religion" gets a bad rap: what we say does not match what we profess. Angry outbursts and uncontrolled verbal diarrhea of various kinds (i.e. gossip, passive aggressive retaliation, etc.) are inconsistent with the banner of love we insist we live under. 

            The word picture of a bridled tongue reminds me of breaking horses. A tongue that is not bridled is like a wild mustang that has never been saddled. It bucks and kicks and throws the rider in all directions. That tongue needs breaking.

            Early Native Americans would break horses by taking the wild ones into deep snow where it was hard to kick. Or in summer, into deep water with the same effect. It seems that with the tongue, we need to carry peanut butter or marshmallows to slow our tongues down. Slow the tongue down. Be slow to speak. 

            I have found with texts or emails that make me angry, it is best to leave them alone for a day so that logic can guide me instead of my overheated emotions. James will say more about the tongue in chapter 3, but its relation to religion is significant. When our untamed tongues speak angry words, we reveal what is the garden of our souls. A wagging gossipy tongue is not merely annoying, it actually threatens the gossiper’s spiritual health. 

           As the TV commercial asks, "What's in your wallet?" James asks, "What's in your garden?" What do we allow to suck out the energy and nutrients of the healthy plants (the fruit of the Spirit).  

What is pure religion?

In other words, what does God want to us to value as worth doing? What does he care about? 

            James tells us: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world,” (27). 

            Throughout the OT, the LORD constantly reminds Israel to look after orphans and widows (Deut. 10:18; 24:19). One of the reasons Israel found itself under God’s judgment so often is that they neglected widows and orphans, the helpless and the unfortunate in their midst (Is. 1:16-17). 

            And in the NT, God continued to impress on the church that he loves the orphans and widows and wanted his church to love them too. In 1 John 3, love and action were married together inseparably. John said, “…if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth,” (3:17-18). 

            This last week, Sharon and I attended the ICYA banquet. We heard testimonies and saw videos of the difference love-in-action was making in the inner city of Winnipeg. People who loved Jesus were discipling other people in impoverished conditions to love Jesus too. Inner city folks responded to the gospel because action backed up words. I saw the need and it begged a response. That’s what the word of God does in us when we clear away the useless weeds of living for this life – it calls for action. 

             We have heard the needs of Safe Families as well. How families in dire straits economically and relationally are in need of a little help. 

            Pure religion is this: to visit (that means more than going to have coffee – it means serving) …to visit orphans and widows. If we focus on the people that Christ values, we will keep ourselves unstained from other pursuits. And we will have a pure religion – a devotion to God that blesses his name!

            Be quick to listen...

                Be slow to speak...

                    Be. slow to become angry.

 

                                                AMEN

Heritage Devotional - The Valley of the Shadow of Death

THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH

Heritage Service

October 9, 2022

 

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” 

 

            What’s the word that stood out for you in that verse? Probably, death. We don’t like to talk about death. The older we get, the more we think of our mortality. Death is a universal experience. We are all going to die.

A preacher began his sermon by glaring out over the congregation and proclaiming in a very loud voice: “Every member of this church is going to die.” Most of the congregation looked pretty somber at this, and he was about to proceed when he noticed that one man in the front row was smiling back at him. So, he decided to say it again, more loudly this time. “I said – every member of this church is going to die!” And he hit his fist on the pulpit this time for emphasis. Well, the rest of the congregation looked even more grim, but the man in the front row still just smiled at him. The preacher was very frustrated at this, so he mustered up all his energy and with as much volume and drama as he could summon, he said a third time: “I said – every member of this church is going to die!” But the man in the front row smiled even wider. At this point the preacher called him out. “You there, did you hear what I said?” And the man said, “Yes sir, you said that every member of this church is going to die.” So, the preacher asked him, “Then why are you smiling?” And the man replied: “Because – I’m not a member of this church!”

If it were that easy, we would revoke our memberships in all the things that end in death. 

In Psalm 23, David used that frightening word – death – but he says he does not fear it. Where does he get this bravado in the face of death? The LORD is my shepherd, he wrote. This is the foundation of our courage in the face of death.

Now, David may not have been talking about physical death per se. The valley of the shadow of death could represent any dark moment in life. We go through times of despondency that may feel like death, and sometimes when a chapter of life closes (the end of a job) it may feel like something has died. Some scholars say that David was being pursued by the murderous king Saul when he wrote this, so the metaphor of death can be applied many ways. 

The point is, death scares us, but with the Lord as our Shepherd, we don’t need to fear. Why do we fear death? 

We fear the unknown – those who have died cannot tell us what it is like to pass from this life to the next.

We fear separation – the spirit from the body; leaving loved ones; separation from God if the person is not a believer

We fear judgment – did I live a life that honors God? Did I live a life surrendered to the Lordship of Christ? 

We fear the finality of death – Job calls it the “journey of no return” (16:22).

David’s metaphor of a valley is appropriate. In the Holy Land, valleys are cut out of the rock by winter streams which leave long, deep crevices in the bottom of the hills. These valleys wind between the mountains so that dark shadows fall upon the deepest paths.

Shepherds will move their sheep from the winter pastures to the summer fields by journeying through these gorges. Travelers walk slowly along and try not to draw attention to avoid being seen by bandits or predators. They may tremble at the thought of trouble or death as they pass through. There is no way around these valleys – they are the only way to get from one point to another. There are no detours, and once in them, there is only the way forward. 

Some writers have tried to find comfort in saying that the shadow is not as dangerous as the substance. In other words, one said, he could stand near the tracks as a train barrels by at 60 mph and not be hurt by the shadow of the train passing by. This is markedly different than standing on the tracks. The shadow can’t hurt you, he said.

I see it differently. Consider this: If a 600-pound grizzly bear stands ten feet from me up on his hind legs, front paws outstretched and roaring that terrible roar, but only his shadow falls on me, I’m still too close. I am in danger. The shadow of death represents the spectre of death, and that’s enough.

David doesn’t fear the valley of the shadow of death because he knows the Shepherd is nearby. He sees himself as a sheep and the best place for a sheep is as close to the shepherd as possible in the valley. Sheep have no defenses. Cats have claws and agility; dogs have teeth and power; horses can kick and run; even a deer can bound away. Sheep have no bite, no claws, no speed. The sheep’s only security is the shepherd – the presence of the Shepherd. That deepens the meaning of Immanuel, doesn’t it? God with us. As David said, “for you are with me.” 

We were never promised an easy life. Our world is under the curse of sin with consequences to sin. We face times of illness, grief, financial hardships, and loneliness just as those without Christ do. But our Shepherd does not abandon us in times of trial. He is not only our Shepherd in pastures of green grass, but also the Shepherd in the valley. And the assurance is great in David’s words because he says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” 

Remember that in Palestine, the shepherd uses the valleys as a bridge from one pasture to another. It is not the destination; it is the path. Though we walk “through” the valley – the risk of life is temporary; it is not permanent. Charles Spurgeon said, “Death is not the house but the porch.” While we have to pass through the shadow, we are headed to the light. 

As you go through the valleys of life, especially the darkest valley of actual death, you are not alone. The Shepherd of our souls goes with you. He is the only one who can. Jesus travelled this road of death, died a death that broke the power of death, and was raised to life. As the writer of Hebrews said, “…we do see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone,” (2:9). 

Even if we are defenceless sheep, the Shepherd is our protector. “…your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The rod was a 2 ½ foot long mace-like weapon for protecting the flock from enemies like bandits and predators. It was also used count sheep. The shepherd would hold his rod horizontally across the entrance to the sheepfold so that the sheep passed under it one at a time. If a sheep was missing, the shepherd would begin to search for it. The comfort from this metaphor is that the shepherd knows who belongs to him and if you are wandering lost out there in the valley, he will come and find you. 

            While the rod was mostly for external threats, the staff was for the flock itself. About five feet long, the shepherd leans on the staff, uses it for climbing, and directs the sheep with it. If a lamb falls into a crevice, the shepherd can use the crook of the staff to lift a leg or a whole sheep back onto the path. 

            So, you see, in this little verse there is a great deal of comfort. David’s shepherd metaphor gives us courage as we journey through the valley of the shadow of death. We do not have to be afraid of death. We have the Lord Jesus as our Good Shepherd. 

            The writer of Hebrews said that Jesus shared our humanity so that “through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery,”(2:14-15). 

            The LORD is my shepherd

                                                            AMEN

Heritage Center is a local seniors residence and care home. RFC performs services once a month for members who cannot attend church services or who enjoy the intimate fellowship of a smaller group.

Living a Faith that can be Seen - James 1:12-18 (13-15)

HOW TRIALS BECOME TEMPTATIONS

 

James has taught us to count it all joy when we face trials of various kinds. That’s pretty unusual for the average person. But Christians have the promise that trials will produce in us maturity and wisdom. God allows trials to come into our lives to help us grow.

            Someone in James’ church must have asked a provocative question in response to “God allowing trials.” If God allows trials into our lives, does that mean that God is the reason we struggle with temptation? And if God tempts us, does that mean that he is the reason we sin? Is God responsible for our sins? 

            Remember that the Greek word for “trials” or “tests” is the same word for temptation. So, you can understand why the person may have asked this question. God allows trials but he does not tempt us. James wrote, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast (endures) under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him,” (1:12). (This verse bears a striking similarity to the beatitudes of Jesus in his sermon on the mount. It is entirely possible that James was influenced by the Sermon on the Mount when writing this letter).

            The challenge then, is to know the difference and to recognize our own temptations. We will look at James 1:13-15 to learn how the follower of Jesus overcomes temptation.

 

God does not tempt us to do evil (1:13)

 

First, James wanted to clear up the question of source. Where does temptation come from? Human nature is such that when we fail at something we want to find blame outside of ourselves. We don’t want to be responsible for our own moral failings. Who do we blame most for our sins? God!

            Adam and Eve set the pattern long ago when they were caught eating the forbidden fruit. Adam blamed God for giving him the woman; the woman blamed the serpent; and we continue to seek to blame someone else for our moral failings.

            James responded to this inclination saying, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one,” (13). James does not waste words, but he does make a strong theological statement about God. It would have been helpful if he had explained his theology more (perhaps he does with 1:17). The logic is simple, though. To say that God is tempting me is illogical because temptation to sin is an act of evil. God is not evil, and God cannot be tempted himself to do evil: God is good and for God to be God he must be consistently good, or he is not God. 

            John confirmed this in his letter when he said, “God is light and in him is no darkness at all,” (1 John 1:5). Throughout the Bible we are told that God is holy. That means he is set apart from everything imperfect and inconsistent with moral goodness. There can be no contradiction in his person, or he ceases to be holy. And God does not change, so he is forever holy. To tempt someone to sin is itself sinful and since God is holy, he will never tempt you.

            Here we have our dilemma: the same word for “trial” is used by translators of our Bibles for “temptation.” How does a trial become a temptation to sin? By the attitude with which we respond to the trial. To blame God or circumstances or the devil or others for my sin is to dodge the real source of it. To name it a disorder or a disease is to shirk my responsibility for it. Some would blame the corporal punishment they received as children, or even legitimate abuse they suffered from a horrible parent. There is no hope of overcoming temptation unless you acknowledge that sin comes from your own evil desires. 

 

The Source of our Temptation is Internal (1:14)

 

The true source of temptation is not external but internal. Not even Satan is mentioned as a possible source. There used to be a saying, “If the devil made you do it, you blew it.” Satan does not have the power to make a person do anything. He is a liar, a deceiver, and a mocker, but he lacks the ability to decide for you. He may influence you, but you make the final choice.

            James tells us, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire,” (1:14). Desire sometimes translated “lust,” is an intense longing for an improper object – anything that gets in the way of our pursuit of God. Desires are not necessarily evil in themselves. When we grow hungry, we desire food (even McDonald’s). If my desire for food tempts me to steal, I sin. A desire for sex within marriage is a gift from God. To desire it outside of your marriage relationship is adultery. 

            Sin always begins in the mind. No one ever falls into adultery without first entertaining it in the mind. Your desires for good things may become the lures or traps that lead you to sin. One pastor said that if a bag of cocaine were sitting on a shelf, he would not find it the least bit tempting to use some. However, he did say that the images on his computer screen were another matter. For each person temptation takes different forms. James used fishing and hunting imagery to depict the power of our desires to trap us: each person is tempted when he is lured (like a worm on a hook) or enticed (like cheese on mouse trap).

            When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus included the line, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” (Mt. 6:13). The language is odd. What Jesus meant was that we should pray “do not allow us to give into temptation” (or keep us) and repeats that plea with “deliver us from evil” in a parallel but different wording. God may allow us to face our desires as a test of faith to prove our devotion to him over our desires. 

            A man was on a diet and struggling to be faithful to it. He had to go downtown and as he started out, he remembered that his route would take him by the doughnut shop. As he got closer, he thought coffee would be good. But to get the coffee he had to face the doughnuts.

            So, he prayed, “Lord, if you want me to stop for a doughnut and coffee, let there be a parking spot in front of the shop.” Sure enough, after the seventh time circling the shop, there was an open spot. 

            If we ask the Lord not to lead us into temptation, we must work with the Holy Spirit and not keep circling our desires. 

 

Acknowledging the result of giving in to the desire (1:15)

 

James is not one to sugar coat the harsh reality of sin. In a blunt and clear sentence, he reveals the result of giving in to desire. “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death,” (1:15). 

            There is a clear-cut formula presented in these words:

Inner craving  Sinful Action  Spiritual Death

            The Venerable Bede, an 8^th century English monk, expressed the three stages of temptation as 1) Suggestion 2) Experiment 3) Consent. Once you reach the consent stage, Bede says we have been carried away by sin, left the path of righteousness and we deserve to be separated from God.

            It is likely that as James wrote his brief warning, he had in mind the graphic story of Proverbs 7. The Teacher tells of a young man lacking sense and who succumbs to a loose woman’s invitation. His first mistake was that he hung out on the street where she lived (7:8). Then his heart beats faster as the blood rushes to his brain as the woman emerges from her house dressed seductively (as a prostitute 7:10). She encourages his attention by her presence and flirtatious invitations (7:12-13). As luck would have it, her husband is out of town on a long journey. The young man’s fantasies have become reality. 

            The Hollywood-like story ends gruesomely, “With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life,” (Prov. 7:21-23). The final word: her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death (27). 

            Do you see the similarities to James’ brief formula? The young man entertains his thoughts, incites them by exposing himself to the dangerous and exciting prospect of his desires; he pursues his prey until he is so far over the line of restraint that he seemingly can’t go back; but the result is death. We can speculate on this death in two ways: 1) the husband suddenly comes home and catches them; 2) spiritual death – the foolish man, by pushing the boundaries of morality, has succeeded in killing his conscience convincing himself that it isn’t a sin to be with this woman. Our hearts are hardened as we justify crossing the line.

 

There is a poignant contrast in James’ words. In verse 12 we are told that the person who endures under trial is blessed and receives the crown of life. Life versus death. Tests become temptations depending on how we respond to them. Trials produce maturity and life; temptations lead to death.

            Here are four things to encourage steadfastness in your trials:

·      Know yourself – be aware of your desires and weaknesses.

·      Avoid tempting situations – stay away from the “street corners” of desire

·      Commit yourself to Christ – body, soul, and spirit

·      Find your satisfaction in God

 

And remember these words from Paul:

“…let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it,” (1 Cor. 10:12-13)

 

                                                            AMEN