Working through Conflict – James 4:1-10

Posted on October 2, 2024 by dkoop

A church got a new pastor, who the long-time music minister immediately disliked. Eventually, their conflict spilled out into the Sunday services.

The first week, the pastor preached about commitment and how we should dedicate our lives to serving one another. The music minister led the song “I Shall Not Be Moved.”

The second week, the pastor preached about tithing and how important it was for the congregation to contributed to the church. The music minister led the song “Jesus Paid it All.”

The third week, the pastor preached about gossiping and how we should all watch what we say about one another. The music minister led the song “I Love to Tell the Story.”

At this point, the pastor caught on. Embarrassed over how the music minister’s feud with him was disrupting their services, he told the congregation the next week that he was thinking about resigning. The music minister led the song “Oh, Why Not Tonight?”

And sure enough, the pastor did resign. In his farewell sermon the next week, he told the congregation that, as Jesus had called him to the church, Jesus was now calling him away from the church. The music minister led the song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

It’s sad when you read this passage in the book of James and you realize he’s talking to Christians. He’s not talking about unbelievers. He’s not talking about the unsaved. He’s talking to Christians. Note it in verse 1: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure…”—catch those words—“…that war in your members?” James is telling us what causes conflicts. He asks a question, and then he answers the question with another question. There are two question marks. “Where do wars and fights come from among you?” Then he answers the question by giving us another question. “Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?”

Let me paraphrase: Where does fighting come from? Why are there wars in the world? Then he answers it: Doesn’t it come because we have sinful desires or lusts in our own hearts? Someone once said, “The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.” How true that is. Man’s heart has never been changed, other than through the power of the Gospel. The only way to change a person from the inside is by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He comes in to give us a new heart. He takes out the heart of stone, the heart that is in rebellion, and He gives us a heart of love and submission to God and we’re able to love others and get along with others. So verse 1 is a question and an answer. Where do wars and fighting come from? They come from our own lust that war in our members.

The problem is as old as Cain and Abel. Why is there fighting? Why are there wars? Because we’re sinful. Cain slew his brother, Abel, and up until today, we have fighting and wars.

James does two things in these verses. I want you to catch it. First of all, he gives us the cause of our conflicts, verses 1-5, and secondly, he gives us the cure for the conflicts, verses 6-10. Let’s look first of all at the cause of conflict or fighting and wars.

Starting at verse 1 down to 5, we read, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss…”—or “for the wrong motives”—“…that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”

James names two causes of conflicts. I realize there could be others that are not listed here. James basically lists two of them. The first one is in verses 1-3. The cause is hedonism. Notice it in verse 1: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” The Greek word here that is translated “lust” or “desires” in our English Bible is actually the Greek word “hedone,” and we get our word “hedonism” from it.

What does “hedonism” mean? It basically means that pleasure is the chief goal and good of life. It’s the desire to avoid pain at any cost, and only to be finding pleasure. It’s the Playboy philosophy: “If it feels good, do it.” It doesn’t matter who it hurts, and it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. Whatever actually feels good, that’s what you need to do. So it’s the hedonistic philosophy.

This is an amazing thought when you realize that James is talking to Christians. Notice it in verse 1: James says “among you.” “Where do wars and fights come from among you?” Who is the “you” there? He’s talking to Christians; Christians who are fighting and warring, Christians who are not getting along. They are fighting among each other. “Where do wars and fights come from among you?” They come from your lusts or desires. The word is “hedone” or “hedonism,” or the philosophy of seeking pleasure as the chief goal of life. So what we actually have here is Christian hedonism. They think the purpose of life is to have pleasure, not to know God.

Notice that James makes it clear again in verse 2: “You lust and do not have.” You have all these desires—you’re seeking pleasure—but you can’t find what you’re looking for, so you kill to get it. He may not be talking literally here. He may be talking like Jesus did at the Sermon on the Mount when He said that if you have anger in your heart toward someone, it’s the beginning of murder.

Now He introduces in verses 2-3 the idea of praying. So you might say that the number one cause is hedonism, the number two cause is prayerlessness. “Yet you do not have because you do not ask.” What a simple statement. I believe that we lack a lot of pleasure in our life, because we don’t really ask God, and we don’t really look to God.

Then James says in verse 3, “You ask and do not receive…”—Why?—“…because you ask amiss…”—you ask “with the wrong motives”—“…that you may spend it on your pleasures.” So number one, we don’t ask; number two, when we do ask, we don’t ask the right way. We’re praying for our pleasures; we’re praying for what we want rather that what God’s will is. The purpose of prayer is not to get God to bend to your will. The purpose of prayer is not to get my will done on earth as I want it done in heaven. It’s to get “Thy will done on earth as it is in heaven.” When you pray, your prayer should be aligning itself with the purposes of God. That’s why I believe we should be praying, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

One of the reasons God says “No” to prayer, verse 3, is because we’re asking for our own lusts. We ask amiss, that we may consume it upon our own lusts. You’re praying for a boat, and God doesn’t give you a boat. You try to convince God that if He gave you a boat, you’d take the youth group out on the lake. God knows that if you had the boat, you’d be showing off and you wouldn’t be in church on Sunday. It’s not good for you, so He says “No” to you. But you say, “Yeah, but I want a boat.” (Sorry to pick on you boaters out there.) Whatever it might be. You’re praying and you say, “God didn’t give me what I asked for.” Well, maybe it wasn’t His will. The Bible says, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if He hears us, we know that we have the petition that we’ve desired of Him.”

So we’ve become worldly and we seek pleasure and we’re praying, but we’re only praying for our own lustful desires, and as a result, we don’t receive what we’ve prayed for. Ask yourself: Is my praying revealing a hedonistic heart?

A third reason for conflict is in verses 4-5. It’s worldliness. Basically the whole passage is telling us it’s because of our own lusts, and we become worldly. Verse 4 says that you become an adulteress. The King James translation has “adulterers and adulteresses,” but it’s only in the feminine; it’s only “adulteresses.” “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity…”—or “hostility” or “war”—“…with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” That’s a radical statement. That’s why I said this passage is “in your face.” If you love the world, if you’re a friend of the world, you actually become an enemy of God.

What does he mean by “adulteresses”? The concept is taken from the Old Testament and the New Testament. It’s the idea that we are wed to God; that God is not only our heavenly Father, but He is our heavenly husband. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was actually the “bride” of God. He was their people. He was wed to them. When the nation of Israel turned away from God, they committed spiritual adultery. Now we, as Christians, are the bride of Christ. We belong to Christ. He is our heavenly bridegroom. We are his engaged wife. We are the bride.

But when we turn our hearts away from God and we befriend the world and begin to love the world and begin to long for the world and desire the things of the world—you say, “Well, what is ‘the world’?” The word “world” is the Greek word “kosmos,” and it means the evil world’s system apart from God: the lust of the flesh—people controlled by their passions; the lust of the eyes—people living for possessions; the pride of life—people are proud. We’re going to see in this passage that God resists the proud, or He fights against them. So the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life: the evil world’s system. When you begin to love the world and become a friend of the world, then you become an enemy of God, and God actually begins to fight against you and resist you. No wonder there is strife, contention and wars going on. So you have “adulteresses” because of your friendship with the world, and you become an enemy of God.

Then verse 5 is an amazing text. All Bible scholars agree that it is difficult to translate. It says, “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain…”—What Scripture says this, we don’t know. He doesn’t give us a specific verse, so there isn’t any one verse that is worded just like this, but it’s the tenor of what the Scriptures say—“…‘The Spirit…”—and we don’t know if this is the Holy Spirit or our human spirit that longs after God, but my guess—and I could be wrong—is that it is the Holy Spirit—“…Who dwells in us yearns jealously’?” The word “yearns” or “lusts to envy” sometimes confuses us. We think of it being sinful or evil, but the word “lust” means “desire.”

Did you know you can lust for God? Or desire God? “As the dear pants after the water brooks, so lusts…”—or “thirsts”—“…my soul after Thee, O God.” It’s a good thing to desire God. But it’s an evil thing to desire sinful pleasures of the world that are out of the will of God and contrary to the Word of God.

So God gives us the Holy Spirit. Let me read another translation of verse 5. “The Spirit, which He has made to dwell in us, jealously desires us.” Just as the word “lust” could be good or bad, the word “jealous” could be good or bad. Do you know that God is jealous? That’s not a bad thing; that’s a good thing. Do you know what He’s jealous of? He’s jealous of you. He loves you. He doesn’t want anything to come between you and Him. He wants you to love Him with “all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your might.” He wants to reign in your heart without a rival there.

Do you know that it’s a good thing for a husband to be jealous of his wife’s love? And for a wife to be jealous of her husband’s love?  A growing trend in America today is “open marriage.” I shudder to think about it. Open marriage: the husband has a girlfriend, and the wife has a boyfriend. They go off on dates and see other people. Why be married if you have an open marriage? It’s a contradiction in terms, because when you marry someone, you say, “I’m going to love you. I’m going to be devoted to you. I’m going to be faithful to you. I’m going to be committed to you. I’m not going to have eyes for anyone but you. I’m going to meet your needs. You’re going to meet my needs. We’re reserved for one another.” That’s a good thing. That’s a holy thing. That’s a righteous thing. If anyone tries to come in between that couple, that’s an unholy thing. That’s a bad thing.  It’s good for a husband or wife to be jealous of their love for one another and to be devoted to one another, even as God is jealous over us.

This blows my mind to think about: that the God of all creation, the infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise and eternal God lives in me and longs for my devotion, longs for my fidelity, longs for my commitment and longs for me to love Him and Him only. Think about that.

Are you a spiritual adulteress? Has your love for God grown cold? We think of lust as being only sexual, but it can also be for the pleasures of this life and the things of the world. We can grow cold in our love for God, and God says that “You’ve become a friend of the world, so you’re My enemy.” Because God gave us the Holy Spirit, He is jealous for us.

You might also think that one of the steps to getting victory over worldliness, verse 5, is surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s promptings; not grieving the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit longs—Do you know that if you are a Christian and you go a day or two without praying, you just desire to pray? You desire to talk to God. You desire to hear God’s Word. You haven’t been in church, so you just want to be in church. You want to be in fellowship. You thirst for God. You hunger for God. You want the things of God. If you drift away from that, your soul shrivels up. It’s because the Holy Spirit is jealous, and He’s longing for you to love and to know God.

In the parable of the sower and the seed, there was the seed, the Word of God, that was sown in the heart of a man but was choked out by the cares and the deceitfulness of riches. They were the weeds that choked it out. How easy for God’s Word to get choked out of our life by selfishness and prayerlessness and worldliness.

  • The Source of Conflict is Pride

We find in  verses 6-10, the source and the cure for the conflict: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” We do know where God said that?  He said that in Proverbs 3:34.

Verse 7: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” This is why I said this is an in-your-face-off text. “You sinners,” “you double-minded”—he’s laying’ it on ‘them!

Verse 9: “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He…”—that is, the Lord—“…will lift you up.”

Notice what happens when we check our pride and seek humility, “But He gives more grace.” Notice the words “more grace.” Some translations say, “He gives greater grace.”

Grace has several facets.  There’s “saving grace” John Newton wrote the famous song Amazing Grace which is about saving grace.

Salvation is all of grace. And what is grace? Grace is unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor. Nothing you do merits, earns or deserves salvation. God gives it to you freely by His grace.

Once you become saved, you need daily, “sustaining grace.” You need grace for living. You need grace for health.  I need grace when my body has pain, or I’ve just been diagnosed with cancer. I need grace when I find out someone I love has died, and my heart is broken. When I stand in the cemetery and I lower a loved one into the grave and I’m saying goodbye to my nearest and dearest and my heart is broken, I need grace. I need God’s grace to come to me to help me and strengthen me.

When Satan comes against me and attacks me and the world presses in on me—you know that it’s hard to live in this world because it’s evil and wicked and dark. It’s so sinful: the evil world’s system is all around. It’s so difficult to live a holy life, to live a consecrated life to God. So what we need actually is this greater grace, the abundant grace, this overflowing grace. It’s help to live in a fallen world.

In John 1:16, the Bible says, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” In the Greek it’s actually “grace overflowing with more grace.” In Romans 5:20, Paul says, “But where sin abounded, grace abounded…”—or “overflowed”—“…much more.” So where there’s a bunch of sin, there’s a bunch of grace; where there’s overflowing sin, there’s overflowing grace.

One of the best examples of this daily, sustaining, helping grace that helps us overcome pride is 2 Corinthians 12. It says that the Apostle Paul was given a thorn in his flesh.   Paul had been a successful church planter and author of many letters in the New Testament,  and because God had given him so much, God had to balance his life. Don’t miss this point: God had to balance his life with pain, so God gave him a thorn in his flesh.

“What do you mean, ‘God had to balance his life’?”

Paul admits in “to keep him from being conceited,” He admits he had become proud. Guess what happens to the proud? God resists them.  The proud are not used by God. Paul’s ministry would have become ineffective because of his proud heart. So to keep Paul humble, Paul says, “There was given unto me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” That’s the purpose.

Do you know that God might give you a painful experience to keep you humble?  To those who are humble, God dispenses grace. You want to have contentment rather than conflict? You need to humble yourself and let God dispense His grace.

So Paul prayed about this thorn. He knew that God gave it to him to keep him humble, but he didn’t know that at first.  Paul said, “Jesus, would you take away this thorn?” Isn’t that how we normally pray? “Get rid of it, God. Bad things, God take away. Good things, Lord, thank you for that.” Guess what the Lord said? “No.” God said, “No.” So Paul prayed a second time: “Lord, would you take away this thorn?” God said, “No.” Then Paul prayed a third time: He said, “Lord, I’m going to ask one more time. Would you in Jesus’ naaame—

I can imagine the third time Paul prayed, “In Jesssusaa’ name, I claim it! I speak it out in Jesusssusaa’ name! I’m healed!” You know what God said? “No.”

“But I said, ‘In Jesus’ name’!”

Do you know that when you pray “In Jesus’ name,” it means “for His sake”? It means “for His glory.” It means “for His will.” It’s not a magic word like rubbing an Aladdin lamp, and the genie comes out and gives you your wish. Rather, I’m praying in the will of God. I’m praying to glorify Jesus.

So God said, “No…No…No” three times. Then God said something to Paul that changed Paul’s whole perspective. He said, “But Paul, I’m going to give you something. I won’t take away the thorn…”—listen carefully—“…but I’m going to give you My grace. And My grace will be sufficient for you.” And He said, “My strength will be made perfect in your weakness.” When Paul heard that, he said, “Okay. Well, praise the Lord! I’m going to glory in my weaknesses, because He said, ‘When I am weak, then I am strong.’” He said then the power of God can rest upon Paul. So Paul was thankful for his weakness, because his weakness drove him to the throne of grace to find strength in an hour of need.

Now how do we tap into that greater grace? Verse 6: It’s not by being proud; it’s by being humble. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

  • The Solution to Conflict is Humility

Now James does this to wrap it up: He gives us five steps to take if we are going to  seek humility and experience God’s greater grace, and have less conflict.

Step number one: Submit yourself to God. Verse 7 says, “Therefore submit to God.” The word “submit” is a military term. It means “to get back in rank.” It means you’ve fallen out of rank, so get back in rank. The essence of sin is selfishness. Satan said, “I will,” but Jesus said just the opposite: “Thy will.” You’re either saying one or the other; you’re either saying “my will” or “Thy will.” You need to submit yourself to God. So if you have drifted far from God—he’s talking to Christians—get back in line. Submit to God.

The second step to tapping into God’s grace is resist the devil, verse 7. “Resist the devil…”—by the way, there really is a devil, and he doesn’t like you and wants to destroy your love and your walk with God—“…and he will flee from you.” We must resist the devil. We must take action. There really is a devil, but you and I must actively resist him. In Ephesians 6:12 it says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” There is a spiritual battle going on, and God has made provision for us.

We resist the devil by wearing the belt of truth, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, by taking up the shield of faith, by putting on the helmet of salvation, by picking up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and by “praying always with all prayer and supplication and watching thereunto.” So you live truthfully, you live righteously, you trust God by faith, you stand in your salvation, quote Scripture—get grounded in the Word—and you pray to God. Then what happens? The devil flees.

These are commands with promises that follow. The command is that you submit yourselves to God, and he will draw neigh to you. You resist the devil, and he will flee from you. So you actually see the back side of Satan but the face of God, if you take these steps. You’re seeing God’s face, but on the other side, you’re seeing Satan running from you. That’s a promise; he will flee from you.

Then thirdly, step number three, in verse 8: “Draw near to God…”—This is where the promise follows, “…and He will draw near to you.” So command: “resist the devil”; promise: “he will flee.” Command: “draw near to God”; promise: “He will draw near to you.”

Isn’t that an awesome statement? It’s a promise. If you feel far from God, guess who’s moved? Not God. If you just turn, God starts moving toward you. If you take one step, God takes two steps. If you start walking toward God, He starts running toward you.

Just like the story that Jesus told of the parable of the prodigal son!  When I take one step, God starts running toward me.

This passage is to Christians. Maybe you’ve drifted far from God. Maybe you’ve become a Christian hedonist. All you care about is pleasure. Maybe you’ve become a friend of the world. The danger is that you will become conformed to the world, and then you become condemned with the world. We don’t want that to happen. Maybe you need to turn and draw near to God. If you do, the promise is that God will start running toward you; He will pursue you.

How do we pursue God? Verse 8, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners…”—which speaks of our actions—“…and purify your hearts, you double minded.” The heart speaks of our attitudes. So our actions and attitudes need to be cleansed.

The fourth step in tapping into God’s grace is in verse 9: Be miserable. I didn’t say it, the Bible did in verse 9. Be afflicted. The word “afflicted” in the Greek can be translated “be miserable.” It carries the idea of being broken and feeling wretched because of your sin. If you are a child of God, and you become worldly and sinful, it’s not a time to laugh. It’s not a time to smile. It’s not a time to be happy. There’s a time to weep and there’s a time to rejoice. In a person whose life has sin, it’s a time to weep and mourn.

Jesus said it like this in Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they…”—emphatic in the Greek; “they” and they only—“…shall be comforted.” You want comfort? You want joy? It starts by weeping and mourning.

Notice in the text in verse 9, James actually says, “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” When David, the king of Israel, sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba—this is not spiritual adultery but actual adultery or infidelity in David’s life—and murdered her husband to cover his sin, David said, “My moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Day and night God’s hand was heavy upon me.” That’s why he wrote in Psalm 51, “God, I want you to restore unto me the joy of my salvation.” Why? Because he had lost his joy. The joy had drained out of David’s life. He needed the joy of the Lord. So David came to the conclusion that “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart God will not despise.”

Jesus said in Luke 6:25, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” But those who are now weeping and mourning over their sin will have comfort and joy. The Bible says, “If we sow in tears, we will reap in joy.”

How long has it been since you cried? Not because your car broke down or someone was mean to you or you lost your job, but because of worldliness in your heart. When was the last time you actually cried and said, “God, I’m so sorry. My love has grown cold. I’m so sorry that I’ve drifted far away from You.” When was the last time you actually got on your knees and you cried before God and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” and you repented of your sins and turned back to God.

Here’s the fifth, and most important step to tap into God’s grace. It rounds it all out. It’s actually a summary, verse 10: Humble yourself. Verse 10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Notice that you don’t humble yourself in the sight of men or people. I’m all for mourners’ benches and people praying at church and getting right with God, but to put on a show doesn’t matter. It’s before God that we need to repent.

It says “humble yourself.” This is a very important point. Don’t wait for God to humble you. Humble yourself. Do it now; don’t wait. Ask God to humble you right now. When you do that, the Bible is very clear that this is the result: “He will lift you up.” So God is saying, the way up is first down. And then the way down, is up.

Maybe God had you read this today. It’s no accident we’re studying this passage, because maybe your heart has become hedonistic. Maybe your heart has become worldly. Maybe your love for God has grown cold. You wonder why you’re living in conflict with other people. Maybe because you’re out of harmony with God, living with pride and it’s time to live with humility.

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Working on our Words – James 3:1-12

Posted on September 24, 2024 by dkoop

Our words have power, use them wisely.

We love to talk.  There are talk shows everywhere.  Everybody seems to have something to say. Statistics on the average American: you have at least 30 conversations a day and you’ll spend 1/5 of your life talking.  In one year your conversations will fill 66 books of 800 pages a book.  If you’re a man you speak an average of 5 to 15,000 words a day.  If you’re a woman you speak 10-20,000 words a day.  Like the guy who was asked, “Do you resent that your wife has the last word?”  He replied, “No, I’m just glad when she finally gets to it!”  Or the wife who broke her jaw.  When they took an X ray it turned out to be a motion picture.

Our mouths can get us into a lot of trouble.  James talks more about the tongue than anybody else in the New Testament.  Every chapter in the book of James says something about managing your mouth, but chapter 3 the most.

The first warning James gives is fairly surprising. James says that “not many should  become teachers.” This seems counterintuitive. Why would James say that Christians should rethink the idea of becoming teachers? James cannot be saying that no one should be a teacher because then there would be no one to preach the gospel. In fact, Paul said that “God gave shepherds, evangelists, and teachers for the equipping of the saints.” God wants teachers. I think we can infer that there were Christians who were saying, “Why don’t I get my turn to be a teacher? I should be a teacher.” I think there were people then, as there can be today, who see teachers as having a glorious position, with the opportunity to stand in front of the group, as if there is personal glory in that. But James begins with a warning that easily overlooked. Do you also want to be judged more strictly? Are you prepared to be judged with a greater strictness? It is certainly true that teachers are judged by other Christians more strictly. But that is not what James is talking about. James is referring to God’s judgment.

Why will teachers be judged with a greater strictness? James explains in verse 2, and the sentence begins with the word, “for,” showing us that James is explaining this teaching. The reason teachers will be judged with a stricter judgment is because “we all stumble in many ways.” One of the ways we stumble is in our words. How true! We have many areas of weaknesses and points of falling short of God’s desire and will. But one area in which we stumble is in what we say. The implication is fairly clear. Teachers must talk more. Therefore, teachers will be under a stricter judgment not only because they speak the truths of God and that matters but also because they likely have said more words than those who are not teachers.

  1. Our Words have Power

James says, if you can control your mouth, you’re perfect.  He’s not talking about sinless.  The word “perfection” in Greek literally means “mature, healthy“.

When you go to the doctor and say, I’m not feeling good.  The first thing he says is “Stick out your tongue.”  Your tongue reveals what’s going on inside of you, not just physically but spiritually.

“The proof that God’s Spirit is in your life is not that you speak in an unknown tongue but you control the tongue you do know.”   Sidlow Baxter:

James now explains why the tongue must be controlled. The tongue is a very important part of the body. James uses three illustrations to express what the tongue is like and why it must be controlled.

(1) A bit in the horse’s mouth. The first comparison is that of a bit in the horse’s mouth. Horses obey their riders because the bit is put in the horses’ mouths and the riders pull the reigns so that the bit moves the horse. That bit is what riders use to control the whole body. This is an important observation that James is making. The bit controls the whole body of the horse.

(2) The rudder of a ship. Large ships are driven by strong waves and wind. However, though the ship is large and is tossed by the winds, it has a very small rudder that guides the boat by the will of the pilot. The first observation is similar to the first illustration. The bit controls the whole body. The rudder controls the whole ship. The second observation was implied in the first illustration but is expressly stated in this illustration. James implied that the rider of the horse has control over the animal. James now expressly states that the pilot of the ship has control over the large ship with the rudder. In both illustrations someone has control over the whole body.

(3) A fire. The final illustration is how a small spark can set ablaze a great forest. We see this in California all the time.  A careless camper or a cigarette butt and millions of acres have burned because of it.  However, the fire illustration adds one more dimension to James’s teaching. A fire is a devastating and destructive thing.

I wonder how many people because of a careless word have destroyed their marriage, or their career, or their reputation, or the reputation of another, or their church, or a friendship.  The tongue not only has the power to direct where you go but also to destroy what you have if you don’t learn to control it.  It’s like a fire.

The conclusion is at the beginning of verse 5. So also the tongue is a small member but it boasts of great things. The tongue is this small member but it gets us in a lot of trouble. A modern comparison would be that the tongue is like a steering wheel. It is small, but it controls where we go. The first important point that James wants us to take away from these illustrations is that if we can master our words, we can also master our lives.

Winning the battle of the tongue goes a long way to winning all of our other battles. By controlling the tongue we will exercise greater mastery over the other members of our body.

“Set on fire by hell“ itself.  A couple comes in for marriage counseling.  “I said this and then she said that, then I said this…”  Then what happened?  “All hell broke loose”.   Our words can cause “all hell to break loose.”  James says you’ve got to learn to manage your mouth, not only because it can direct where you go but it can destroy what you have.  You can loose your family, your kids, your career simply by what you say.  It’s like a fire and its a source of evil.

James uses another illustration.  He talks about a zoo.  “All kinds of animals have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue.  It’s humanly impossible.  Only God can do it.

It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  (vs.7-8)  Of all the animals we’ve tamed, no man can tame the tongue, humanly speaking.  He says it’s restless.  That means it’s always liable to break out at any moment.   Restless, always liable to break out.  You never know what your mouth is going to say.

It’s like poison.  The word in Greek is literally “snake venom”. Just a few drops can kill.  You can assassinate somebody with your words.  Assassinate their character.  The tongue is a deadly weapon.

2. Our Words cause Problems.

James observes how inconsistent we are with our tongues. With our tongues we bless the Lord, but then we curse people who were made in the very image and likeness of God. From the same mouth flows blessings and curses. How is this possible? Why do we do this? But this is most certainly what happens. One moment we can be saying beautiful, upbuilding words and at the next moment tear a person down with our words.

Let us feel force of James’s words. “My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” This is just plain wrong. This has a connection back to the double-minded person in James 1:8. We are not fully dependent and loyal to Jesus. We have not surrendered our tongue to Jesus. We have not decided to bridle our tongues. We just speak our minds. We cannot be God-focused and have a critical, filthy, or impure tongue. Our words of worship should condemn our consciences for all the things we have used our mouths for this week. How is it that our mouths are praising God when we said the kinds of things we said to other people yesterday? How can our mouths claim Jesus to be the Lord when last week we said all kinds of improper things?

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Verses 11-12 drives a stake into our hearts. A spring cannot pour out fresh water and salt water. Also, a fig tree cannot bear olives. A grapevine cannot produce figs. A salt pond cannot yield fresh water. What is the point with all of these examples? A disciple cannot have a mouth that speaks curses, hurtful words, inconsiderate words, impure words, or words that do not build up. James’s implication is very clear. Springs do not produce fresh and salt water. Christians should not speak blessings and curses. Fig trees don’t bear olives and Christians do not allow their tongues to go unchecked or uncontrolled.

My problem is not really my tongue.  My problem is my heart.  What’s inside is what comes out.  My mouth eventually betrays what is really on the inside of me.  I can fool you and pretend but eventually my tongue is going to catch me.  It’s going to let you know what’s really inside.

Have you heard this excuse?  Someone says something really mean or hurtful and they say, “I don’t know what got into me.  It’s not like me to say that.  I don’t know why I said that.  It’s totally out of character.  I didn’t really mean it.”   James would say, Yes, it is.  It’s just like you.  You meant it.  Quit kidding yourself.  What’s inside is going to come out.  You don’t have a spring that one minute gives salt water and the next gives fresh water.  That’s inconsistent.  It’s a natural law:  what comes out of the well is what is inside of it.

If I have a problem with my mouth, I have a problem with my HEART

Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”  Jesus explained the Freudian slip years before Freud even existed.  He said what’s inside of you is what’s going to come out.  My tongue just displays what I am.  It directs where I go.  It can destroy what I have.  But most of all, it simply displays what I am.  It reveals my character.

If you’ve got a problem with your tongue, it’s much more serious that you think.  You have a heart problem.  A person with a harsh tongue has an angry heart.  A person with a negative tongue has a fearful heart.  A person with an overactive tongue has an unsettled heart.  A person with a boasting tongue has an insecure heart.  A person with a filthy tongue has an impure heart.  A person who is critical all the time has a bitter heart.

On the other hand, a person who is always encouraging has a happy heart.  A person who speaks gently has a loving heart.  A person who speaks truthfully has an honest heart.

What do we need?   Ezekiel 18:31 “Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit!”  Painting the outside of the pump doesn’t make any difference if there is poison in the well.  I can change the outside externals, I can turn over a new leaf, but what I really need is a new life.  What I need is a fresh start. I need to let go of all the past and be born again and start over.  I need to get a new heart.

How do I get a new heart?  2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new person.  The old has passed away. Behold all things have become new.”  New life, new heart, new spirit.  When you come to Jesus Christ, He wipes out everything you’ve done in the past.  He says You’re starting over.  It’s like being born again.  You need a new heart.

We need to pray like David prayed in Psalm 51 “Create in me a clean heart, O God” because what’s in my heart is going to come out in my mouth.

A bit and a rudder must be under the hand of a strong arm.  James is saying that the only way to get control of your tongue is let Jesus Christ have control of your heart.  What’s in your heart is going to come out in your mouth.  You let Christ’s hand be on your bit, your rudder and let Him direct your life.

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

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Faith that Works – James 2:14-26

Posted on September 17, 2024 by dkoop

There is a historical account of a tight rope walker by the name of Blondin who stretched a long steel cable across Niagara Falls. During high winds and without a safety net, he walked and did stunts across the tightrope to the amazement and delight of the large crowd of people who watched on both the American and Canadian side.

Once he took a wheelbarrow and amazed the crowd by pushing it effortlessly across the cable, from one side of the falls to the other. Blondin then turned to the crowd and asked, “Now, how many of you believe that I could push a person across the wire in the wheelbarrow?”

The vote was unanimous. Everyone cheered and held their hands high. They all believed he could do it!

“Then,” asked Blondin, “who would volunteer to be that person?”

As quickly as the hands went up, they went back down. Not a single person would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow and to trust his life to Blondin.

Many people say about Jesus, “Yes, I believe!” If you are among those who say that, are you willing to demonstrate your belief by trusting your life to Him? Are you willing to get in the wheelbarrow and to risk everything on your faith? That’s what it means to believe. Faith is not just an intellectual exercise. It involves total commitment.

Faith is our topic from James 2 today.  What is faith? What does it look like? How does it work?  James will unpack the answers.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m a Christian,” but you don’t see any proof of it? There’s a lot of  people who think they are Christians and really aren’t.  In this passage James talks about the difference between real and counterfeit Christians.  Authentic believers and fake believers. He talks about how do you have a real faith.

Sometimes this passage is misunderstood.  The entire New Testament teaches that we are saved by faith.   James helps us understand what faith looks like; the fruit of salvation.   Some say that James and Paul are at odds, that they disagree.   Lets look at a well known passage by Paul on faith.

“For it is BY GRACE you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus TO DO GOOD WORKS, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:8-10

There are three prepositions in this passage — “by grace”, “through faith”, “to do good works”. If you get those out of order, you’re in trouble.

Let’s look at 3 aspects of Faith that Works:

  1. Faith Must be put into Action (14-17)

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? 

It doesn’t say he  actually has faith; he just claims to have it.  He talks about it.  He knows all the right phrases.  There are a lot of people who claim to be Christians.  George Gallup says that 50 million Americans say “I’m born again.”  But you don’t see anything in their lifestyle.  Today we tend to label people as Christians if they make the slightest sound of being a believer. It’s more than just talk that is involved in real faith.  Not everybody with a Christian bumper sticker is a believer.  Not everybody who is a professor of Christianity is a possessor of Christianity.  “Can such faith save him?   Talk is cheap.

Jesus agrees…

(Jesus) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

Faith is more than a desire.

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, `Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”  (vs. 15-16)

There’s a Peanuts cartoon. Charlie Brown and Linus are inside all bundled up and Snoopy’s out in the cold shivering in front of an empty dog food bowl. Charlie and Linus are having a discussion on how sad it is that Snoopy is hungry and cold.  “He’s cold and hungry.  We ought to do something about it.”  They walk outside and say to Snoopy, “Be of good cheer, Snoopy.”  Do you know where Charles Schultz got that idea?  From this verse.  Wishing is not faith at work.

Real faith is visible.  You can see it.  It’s apparent.  If you claim to be a Christian, people will be able to see it.  It’s visible.   Faith is odorless, weightless, invisible so anybody can claim to have it.  How do you know for sure?  James says, show me.  If you claim to be a Christian I have a right to ask you to prove it by looking at your lifestyle.  Somebody said, “Faith is like calories.  You can’t see them but you can sure see the results.” You can’t see faith but you can see the results.

Jimmy Carter in his book Why Not the Best? said that somebody asked him the question, `If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?'”

2. Faith is More than Belief (18-19)

There are a lot of people who have strong beliefs in God, the Bible, and Jesus.  They can recite creeds to you and catechisms, quote bible verses.  James says, “big deal!”  Just saying I believe in God is not enough to get you to heaven.  Even the devil believes that.  The devil is a great theologian.  He knows a lot more about the Bible than you do.  He’s been around a whole lot longer.  He knows theology backwards and forwards.  He believes.

His demons believe and shudder.  The Greek word is the strongest word describing fear “to bristle” — their hair stands up on end.  It’s the kind of word you’d use reading a Steven King novel.  Why?  Because the devils understand the majesty and awesomeness of God, the power of God the Glory of God. They believe in God and they tremble.

There’s a difference between recognition and repentance. Demons recognize God but do not repent before God.

The word believe in Greek means “to trust in, to cling to, to rely on, to commit yourself completely.”  I believe in Hitler but I’m not a Nazi.  I believe in Karl Marx, but I’m not a communist, I believe in Osama Bin Laden but I’m not a terrorist.  I’m a Christian because I believe in Jesus.  But it’s more than just a head knowledge.  Billy Graham says, “A lot of folks are going to miss heaven by 18 inches.  They’ve got it in their head but not their heart.”

Real faith is commitment

I dated other girls before I married Niki, they were good looking, they were funny, they were interesting.  But there’s a huge difference in my relationship Niki and to any other woman that is alive.   I am committed to Niki,, in sickness and in health in good time or bad time, for better or for worse.  Are you committed to Christ and no one else?  Or are you just like a demon?  You say you believe but are not committed. Your real commitment is work.  You real commitment is recreation.

Real faith is not just saying “I believe”.  There is so much easy believeism in America.   “Many in America believe but don’t practice.”  Surveys by Gallup and Barna asked people and they found a high degree of belief.  “Sure, I’m a believer.  I’m a Christian.”  Do you attend church.  No.  “Do you donate your time.”  No.  “Do you tithe.” No.  James would say that’s a phony belief.  You’re just conning yourself.  A lot of people are doing that.

James asks, Do we have a Dead Faith?  Do we have a Demonic Faith?  Or do we have a Demonstrated Faith?

3. Faith is Demonstrated (20-26)

James gives us two examples of two very different people:

Abraham is a man.  Rahab is a woman. Abraham  is Jewish.  Rahab is a Gentile.  Abraham is a patriarch. Rahab is a prostitute.  Abraham is a somebody.  Rahab is a nobody.  Abraham is a major character in the Bible.  Rahab is a minor character.  He uses these illustrations to say, it doesn’t matter who you are as long as you’ve got the important thing. They only had one thing in common — their faith in God.  Their faith in God led them to action.

For Abraham it was the ultimate test where God asked Abraham to give up his own son.  This has nothing to do with salvation.  Abraham was already a believer.  Twenty five years earlier God had said, You’re righteous.  He’s not talking about being saved by his works.  He saying, this just shows how much you believe.  Abraham obeyed God.  He followed Him.  He took his son up.  He did all those faith steps.  He cut the wood, built the altar and was ready to sacrifice his own son.  Abraham says to his son while walking up the mountain, “We [not I] will return“. He knew that God would provide somehow even if it meant raising him from the dead.  The fact is God did raise him from the dead, figuratively speaking.  Abraham was about to sacrifice him and God says, I was just testing you to see what’s most important in your life.  It was an action.  His works proved his faith.  He held nothing back from God.

And he talks about Rahab.  The story is in Joshua 2.  It’s the story how a prostitute helped a couple of spies when they were coming into Jericho.  Rahab ends up in the family line of Jesus. She risks her life to save the spies.

Our faith is not determined by what we do, it is demonstrated by what we do.

Talk is cheap. Put your money where your mouth is.  “I believe in Jesus!”  Prove it.  Our faith is demonstrated by our actions.  Actions speak louder than words.  Our behavior shows what we really believe.

A few questions as we close:

Am I really a Christian after all?  In the light of what James says, am I really a Christian?What changes can I point to in my life?  Is my life style any different at all from unbelievers?  So many people think  it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you believe.  James says that’s not true.  He’s not saying you work your way to heaven. He’s not saying works deliver salvation.  He’s saying they demonstrate it.  He’s saying, if your faith doesn’t work, what good is it?

Are you absolutely sure that if you died you’d go to heaven?  The fact is you can be sure.

How do you do that?  Ephesians 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, for a life of good works God has already prepared for us to do.”  God’s grace.  God reaches down. He says, “I want you to know Me.  I want to have a relationship with you. You’re a sinner, I’m your Savior.”  That’s grace.  And you look up and say “I want to know You, Lord.  I repent of my sins and trust You.”  When God’s hand of grace comes down and your hand of faith goes up, that’s called salvation.  That’s what it means to be a believer.  Saved by grace, through faith to do exactly what God made you to do in the first place.  He has a plan for your life.

Christ died for you, will you live for Him?

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

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God’s Word at Work – James 1: 19-25

Posted on September 13, 2024 by dkoop

Do you own a bible?  How many? In America, Bibles are everywhere.  You can find them in grocery stores, book stores, motel rooms, everywhere.  They’re available in all sizes, shapes, translations, versions, leather bound, paper back.  Every year the Bible out sales every other major best seller.  Last year there were 500 million Bibles published in the world in 18,000 different languages portions of the Bible. In America we are glutted with the word of God on the airways, radio, TV, books, magazines.  It’s everywhere.  Yet millions of people still miss the blessing of the Bible.

It promises comfort, strength, hope, wisdom, joy, power, and purpose.  But just because you have a bible doesn’t mean you’re going to get the benefit from it.    Niki and I had a treadmill at our house.  It became a place we draped our clothes!  Just because we had it doesn’t mean we are going to be fit.  I’ve got dumbbells under my bed. Just because I have them doesn’t mean I will be muscle bound.  When I was pastor in Eagle Pass, TX a man at men’s group told me that he wants to lose weight so he buys salads, but after a while they wilt in the refrigerator because when he opens the refrigerator he reaches for tortilla’s not salad.  Like a Bible, having and buying it doesn’t mean you will get a blessing from it.

  1. Receive God’s Word (vs. 19-21)

       “My dear brothers, take note of this:”

  •  Listen (vs. 19a)

              “Be quick to listen, slow to speak…”

Concentrate on listening.   Like the two Aggies in the grocery store.  One was staring at the frozen orange juice.  What are you doing said the other Aggie?  I’m making orange juice, see it says orange juice from concentrate”     v. 19 “Be quick to listen…” Give it your full attention.  Be alert.  Don’t miss it. “quick to listen… slow to speak …”  When I’m talking, I’m not listening.  God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.  We ought to listen twice as much as we talk.  Your mouth has the ability to close your ears stay open and never close.  That’s for a reason.  In order to save face we need to keep the bottom half of it shut.  Many of our problems are caused because we’re quick to speak rather than being quick to listen. Concentrate.  Be ready.   Be ready to receive God’s word.

” … and slow to become angry … “

We don’t hear much when we’re angry, upset, bitter, resentful.  Bitterness is a barrier, an emotional block that keeps us from hearing God’s word.  Some may ask, “How come God never speaks to me.”  Maybe you’ve got some resentment in your life you need to get rid of.  An article in Reader’s Digest said when you listen it actually lowers your blood pressure; when you speak it raises your blood pressure.  James says, “be slow to anger.”

What is your emotional state, normally, when you come to church on Sunday morning?  In many homes on Sunday morning it’s hectic.  Frustrating. Anger flares.  Niki and I used to get into fights on Sunday mornings for about the first two years of our marriage.  “Grrreat Lords Day!”   Then we come at the last minute, frantic, frustrated and expect God to speak to us.  Our problems ceased when I would make the right preparations and get up earlier.  Do you prepare for Sundays? In order to do that maybe plan ahead.

              “Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent …”

Before you can plant the seed you need to do a little weeding.  Ear wax can block your hearing and when you have a filth /sin in your life it blocks your hearing.  It prevents God’s word from getting into your heart.  He says get rid of the evil, anything that we know that isn’t right in our lives.  God says, Lay aside all of the emotional garbage, the old habits, the junk in your life so that God’s word can get through to you.

How can we be clean?  By confession.  “If we confess our sins, He’s faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

              “humbly accept the Word planted in you …”

Teachable, yielded, humble, willing to be changed.  He says “humbly accept the word of God planted in you…”  Don’t act like you know it all.  If you know it all, God’s word can’t get through to you.  Pray, “God, do what You need to do in my life.”

James gives an illustration.  He says it’s planted in you.  He gives the illustration of a garden and seed.  The Bible, all through Scripture, compares itself to seed.  Jesus told the parable of the sower and said, the word of God is a seed and it’s planted in our hearts.  How is it you can take two seeds that are exactly the same and plant them in two different locations and get two different crops in fruitfulness?  One soil is prepared and the other is not.

How is it that you can take two people and put them in the same service and hear the same message.  “Two people went to a church service.  One complained the music was bad, people unfriendly and the message unhelpful.  The next said, the music was moving, the people were loving and the message was helpful.  They actually went to the same service!    How can one person get blessed by it and the other person says he didn’t?    One heart was prepared and one wasn’t. James says we must receive the word of God with the right attitude.

2. Respond to God’s Word (vs. 22-24)

       “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (vs. 22)

I must do something about it, act on it, live it, practice it.

The word “listen” is the word for “auditor”.  In Seminary some people were scared of Masters level classes, the research papers and tests so they would audited the classes. It can be done in college.  You don’t take it for credit, no tests, no responsibility, no research.  You were totally relaxed.  You just listened, you didn’t have any intention of applying it.  We have a lot of auditors in the church.  They come to church, walk in, hear the word of God, walk out with no intention of ever being changed.  I did it too, but it never changed me.  We must respond to God’s word, let it change us if we’re going to be blessed by it.

  • I use a mirror to evaluate myself (vs. 23-24)

“ 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.

James uses an illustration here.  God’s word is like a mirror.  The purpose of a mirror is to evaluate us.  We use them to evaluate ourselves.  We look in a mirror to access the damage from the night before.  Then you do something about it.  What good is a mirror if you don’t do anything about it?   Niki has a saying that I hear when we get around large groups of people and someone will be wearing something that is questionable.   She says,  “Does their mirror not work?”  God says a mirror reflects what we’re like on the outside. God’s word reflects what we’re like on the inside.

Have you ever seen yourself in the Bible?  Hebrews says, “God’s word detects the thoughts, intents, motives and desires of the heart.”  Some people don’t read the Bible because they’re afraid. They’re unwilling to face themselves and see themselves as they really are.  They don’t want to look at the mirror of God’s word.

 James says it’s self deception when we don’t let it change us. We think that just listening to content is making us spiritually mature.  The test of maturity is not knowledge.  The test of maturity is character and life change.  “Knowledge puffs up”  I need to practice it, apply it, put it in my life.

And knowledge increases responsibility.  The more we know the more we’re accountable for.  What am I doing about what I know? Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required.”  And James said, “To him who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, it’s sin.”

 Illustration:  Let’s say you gave a friend a best selling book on body building because they wanted to work out and get healthy.   You say, this book can change your life.  It’s fantastic.  It has changed the lives of millions of people.  It will keep you strong.   They say, “Great” Then you don’t see them for 6 months and then come back and they look unfit and unhealthy!  You say, “What happened?  Didn’t you read the book?” What if  they said to you, “I read the book.  I enjoyed it.  This is the greatest book I’ve ever read.  I loved it.  I even underlined portions of it with colored markers and memorized sections of it and even started a group study of the book and looked at the etymology of every single word of the book.  Every night I would spend a couple hours studying it.”

How often does that happen with the word of God?  We give awards for memorizing Scripture but we don’t give awards for doing Scripture.  We hear people say, “I read through the Bible” but don’t  hear, “I did the Bible.”

We need to mark our Bibles, but we need to let the Bible mark us.  It’s not how many times you’ve been through the word of God it’s how many times it’s been through you.  We’ve got to be a doer of the word.  I deceived myself in thinking that because I had knowledge that made me mature.  Having knowledge of a body building book doesn’t produce muscles.  Just because we know something doesn’t mean we act on it.

 Barna and Gallup polls show that “Many many Americans believe.” Some of the top Bible teachers of the nation are on the radio at any time of day and you can hear godly men teaching the word.  You can hear the Word of God 24 hours a day. A lot of us are lulled into the fact that because we’re hearing a lot abut God, we are maturing.  The truth is, your young children or grandchildren may be more spiritual than you.  They may know little but if they doing it they eclipse you in spiritual maturity.

That is what James is addressing.  He’s saying, If you want to be blessed, you’ve got to live the word of God, not just hear it. Not just know it.

Depth is doing!   I try to make messages practical so we can put it into practice.

I heard about the guy who came to church late.  He walked in just as the service was completing.  He said to an usher, “Is the sermon done, yet?”  The usher was wise and said, “The sermon has been preached, but it is yet to be done.”  Be doers of the word, don’t merely listen.  Put it into practice.

I pray that our church church will develop the reputation that people say, “They’re doers of the Word.  They practice what everybody else talks about.  They live it.”

People have a Living Bible.  You ought to be a Living Bible.

What’s the best translation of Scripture? The translation that translates into your life.

3. Remember God’s Word (vs. 25)

Three ways to Remember

  • Pay Attention

“… the man who looks intently into the perfect law…” (vs. 25a)

Investigating.  Focus intently on the word of God.

There are two ways you can look at a mirror.  You can gaze at it or you can glance at it.  All of us have done both.  It’s human nature that you can’t walk by a mirror and not look at it.  When you glance at it, you immediately walk away and forget what you’ve seen.  It didn’t do you any good.  Many people try to have a quiet time that way or read the Bible that way.  They don’t want to gaze at it, but glance at it.  Give God five minutes.  God says He wants us to gaze at the word.  Look at it intently in detail.

Questions to ask yourself”

  • Is there an Attitude to change?
  • Is there a Command to obey?
  • Is there an Error to avoid?
  • Is there an Example to follow?
  • Is there a Promise to claim? Look for promises, there are over 7000 promises in the               word of God.
  • Is there a Prayer to pray?  There are lots of prayers in the Bible.  You can take those prayers and pray them for yourself and for others.  You can know they’ll be answered because they’re in the Word of God.
  • Is there a Sin to confess?

 

  •  Meditate

              “… and continues to do so …”  (vs. 25b)

That means over and over and over.  The Bible calls this meditation.  When you think about something over and over its meditation. Meditation is not put your mind in neutral and contemplate lint in your navel.  Yoga and all this Eastern Religious mindlessness has warped our thinking.  Meditation means to think seriously about something over and over.

If you know how to worry you can meditate.  Take a negative idea and think about it over and over it’s called worry.  Take God’s word and think about it over and over, it’s called meditation.  The Bible says, meditate on God’s word.  Jesus said, “…if you continue in My word, then you’re truly My disciples.”  Read it and review it.  The outlines I give each week are not only that you can keep up with me, it’s so that you can review it during the week.  God says, You want to be blessed by the word?  Review it.

We need to fill our minds with the word of God.  James says, You want to be blessed?  Reflect on the word.  Think about it by reading it and reviewing it.

  • Memorize

       “… not forgetting what he has heard.”  (vs. 25c)

In Psalms 119 it says “Your word I have hidden  in my heart that I might not sin against your.”  Memorize God’s word if you want to be blessed by it.  *We remember what’s important to us.

A Little boy saw his Grandfather reading his Bible and asked Grandpa are you studying for your final exam?  You see two things will remain for eternity.  Your soul and God’s word, its worth knowing and remembering because it will always be around.

Take notes, write things down.  If you value God’s word you’re going to take notes on it.   The United States Air Force did a study and found that we forget 95% of what we hear within 72 hours.  This statistic depresses a pastor.  I spend all week preparing a message to give on Sunday.  By Wednesday you’ve forgotten 95% of what I’ve said unless you’ve written it down. Mark up your bible, write in it.  James says receive God’s word with the right attitude, reflect on God’s word by reading it, reviewing it, remembering it.

What is James saying to us?  He’s saying “What are you going to do about what you already know?”  What are you going to do about it today?  Maybe some of you need to decide to start preparing better for worship.  Get up a little earlier so you’re not so rushed, come in late half way through the songs.  I sit down, here for the whole service, I tune in to God and get calm and collected and I’m quiet and ready.  I can say, “Lord, here I am. Teach me.  So I can be blessed by God’s word.”

Maybe some of you need to say, “I’m going to read through the Bible daily.”  Join our reading plan. Scan this code and read along through each book of the bible.

“I’m going to start memorizing Scripture.  I’ll pick a verse a week and hide God’s word in my heart.

You need to find a place of ministry where I can get involved.”  Impression without expression leads to depression.  If you’re always taking in, one study after another, and never get out in ministry, it’s going to  rot your spiritual life. *You will sit, soak and sour!

James is saying that the blessing of the Bible comes when we start living it.

Will you join me?

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos

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Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

 

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