How is your Bible knowledge? Do you benefit from your understanding of
the Bible? The Bible says that we can be blessed by knowing and
practicing God’s word. You can benefit from the Bible!
Looking at the book of James we see instruction on how we should govern ourselves in
the areas of trials and temptations, listening, doing, speaking, wisdom,
boasting, patience, and faith. As we briefly examine these areas, God
reveals His infinite wisdom. It is also a powerful tool of
edification, correction, and justification.
One of the things that keeps us from hearing is that we need to be slow
to speak. You can’t be an effective listener if
you are doing all the talking.
Calm down — James not only tells us that we need to be slow to anger,
but that our anger does not bring about the righteous life that God
desires. You can’t communicate with an angry person.
When we are angry, we are closed. We are not listening to reason. We are
looking to get even and sometimes to get ahead. We feel resentment, or
bitterness, and sometimes even hatred. These are barriers to
communication. God cannot speak to you when you hold these attitudes in
your heart.
Lay down — James tells us to get rid of all moral filth and the evil
that is so prevalent. What we are to lay down is sin.
The word for "filth" that is used here comes from a
root in Greek that means "ear wax." It is a wonderful
picture. Just as we can hear with our ears full of wax, so we can’t
receive God’s Word with our lives full of sin.
We must be willing to get rid of anything in our lives that
keeps us from hearing God.
Apply the Word — James tells us to humbly accept the Word planted in you.
The word translated "accept" literally means "to welcome."
We must cultivate a heart and life that welcomes the Word and not come
into proud hearts.
A life characterized by an attitude of humility, of openness, of
receptivity. A life must be
prepared to receive the Word just as soil is prepared to receive the
seed. James tells us that the Word is planted in you. To
adequately prepare our hearts, James gives us three behaviors that will
enable us to accept the Word and receive the full benefit we should.
Intently — James speaks of the one who looks intently into the perfect law that
gives freedom. He is not simply talking about someone who merely looks
at God's Word. He is talking about someone who looks intently.
We are to
examine the Word. We are to carefully investigate the Word. We are to
research it.
Reflect — James tells us that we not only look intently at the Word but
we also review and reflect on this Word. But the man who looks
intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do
this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be
blessed in what he does.
We are to
continue to look into the Word. We are to remember what we have heard
and read.
The connotation of the Word translated as "look" is "to stoop down and
gaze into." The idea here is not that we merely glance
at God’s Word but that we gaze at God’s Word. If I do, then I look a little closer. I want to take a good long look
then. I want to concentrate on what I am looking at. I want to make sure
that I see and remember it. We should look at God’s Word in that
manner. We should dig deeply for the truths that it contains. We should
research it.
Meditate and Memorize — Unless we have studied God's Word, we will not be able to make the right
decisions, we will be more susceptible to temptation.
Jesus used God’s Word to deal with
the temptations Satan threw his way in the wilderness. David wrote
in (Psalm 119:11) "I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not
sin against you."
The Word can be our protection. It can be our defense against the devil.
But we can only use the Word if we have spent time in the Word.
Reading, studying, memorizing the Word must become a priority.
Be Blessed — James tells us that we will be blessed, not by simply hearing the Word
but by doing it. We must personally respond to the Word.
The Word applies to us. It
applies to you. You need to do it.
That is the basis upon which you will be blessed.
That is the basis upon which you will receive the benefits of the Word.
If you’re not willing to do the Word, don’t expect to be blessed by the Word.
There are too many people who think that they can receive the blessing
of God without being obedient to God's Word. James tells us that if we
think that, we are self deceived. If we are
not willing to put the Word into practice we are like someone who
glances in the mirror but really never sees what they look like.
The word of God will serve as a mirror to show you the truth about
yourself. But it will only do you some good if you apply it to your
life.
Act On The Word — James tells us that our religion is worthless unless our tongue is kept
on a tight rein. What he is saying here is somewhat
different from slow to speak. Here he is saying that we need to control
our speech.
If we can
learn to control our tongue, we can harness most of our other behavior
as well.
James tells you to guard your life. He tells us at a mark of true
spirituality is to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. He goes on to tell us that if we want to act on the word we will
learn to give to others. Practical religion is to look after orphans
and widows in their distress. Living
out the word in a practical way will mean that we care about others.
People matter to God and should matter to us as well.
Don’t focus on what
you can’t do. Instead, focus on what you can do. You might not be able
to do everything, but you can do something. And people will see your
good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
What can you put into practice? What has God said to you? Perhaps you
need to slow down. Maybe the pace of your life kept you from really
being able to serve God like you should? Has God said that you need to calm down? Is there too much anger in your life? Make a commitment to read and research, to meditate and memorize, to respond and obey God’s word.
(James 1:19) We should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
(James 1:21) Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of
wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to
save your souls.
(James 1:22)
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who
delude themselves. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says.
(James 1:23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
(James 1:24) for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
(James 1:25)
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty,
and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual
doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
(James 1:26) If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle
his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is
worthless.
(James 1:27) Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our
God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress,
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
~Bits and Pieces of Sermon by Guy McGraw
Be assured that from
the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you,
asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and
so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We
pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as
you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works,
you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the
strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of
gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength
that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the
Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and
beautiful that he has for us. (Colossians 1:9-12 MSG)
