James Episode 6

 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. 

(James 1:19-27 [KJV])

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Transcript

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James 1:19–20 

[19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (ESV) 

One of my sons is a lover of the book of Proverbs. From the wisdom I see James sharing here with his us I believe he must have been too. This scripture echoes with; Proverbs 15:18 

 [18] A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, 

 but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. (ESV) 

and 

Proverbs 17:27–28 

 [27] Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, 

 and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 

 [28] Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; 

 when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. (ESV) 

and one more, staying with the theme, but from Ecclesiastes; 

Ecclesiastes 7:8–9 

 [8] Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, 

 and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 

 [9] Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, 

 for anger lodges in the heart of fools. (ESV) 

Mark Twain was reported as to have said; “It is better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt!” 

It’s so easy to get caught up, especially when you hear just part of a matter, get angry, and let your words go out of your mouth. Then, often when you hear all of the facts of the matter you find out you were either the accomplice of a gossip or at best just didn’t have your facts straight. There’s so much wisdom in just heeding these words of Solomon and James, and I guess Mark Twain, and not feeling the need to give our opinion on every matter that comes up. Let’s just throw Jesus in here for the absolute authority in the matter, Matthew 5:37 

[37] Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (ESV) 

James 1:21 

[21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (ESV) 

Rampant wickedness… this is ESV, it’s a modern english version of the bible, but I just feel like “rampant” over complicates this verse. 

Digging into Strong’s, “rampant” is the greek word that I shall now butcher for you, 

  |   | per-is-si'-ah

It’s Strong’s, greek, G4050 and I believe the easiest definition would be “unchecked”, but they didn’t ask my opinion. Unchecked wickedness. 

It’s kind of funny as I’m sitting here typing this out, this morning I woke up with a song I heard as a child running through my head. My dad used to take me to the baptist church in New Martinsville (I wasn’t raised apostolic) and they had a singing group from Sistersville, or Paden City, or somewhere in the general direction of Parkersburg. 

 My dad had bought one of their tapes and included on it was the Amy Grant song, “I have decided” catchy tune, nice lyrics, unless you pay attention to them, then you find the lyrics, like so many catchy Christian tunes are totally unbiblical. 

I have decided
 I'm gonna live like a believer
 Turn my back on the deceiver
 I'm gonna live what I believe 

I have decided
 Being good is just a fable
 I just can't 'cause I'm not able
 I'm gonna leave it to the Lord 

There's a wealth of things that I profess
 I said that I believed
 But deep inside I never changed
 I guess I'd been deceived 

'Cause a voice inside kept telling me
 That I'd change by and by
 But the Spirit made it clear to me
 That kind of life's a lie 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do believe that there are preachers in the Apostolic movement in particular that have tried to take away all humanity from their congregations to the point that when someone does sin, if they are important to leadership it gets covered up or they get sent to another district. If they aren’t important they become ostracized, lose hope and fall away. That needs to be dealt with, but in the lyrics of this song paints the picture of what is largely wrong with mainstream Christianity. The idea of no standard is a bunch of horse hockey that is found no place in the bible! 

 A passage from their beloved “believe and be saved”, no obligations to you Apostle Paul (no, he didn’t say those things, but that’s the picture they paint) comes to mind, Romans 6:1–2 

[1] What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [2] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (ESV) 

 Paul makes it plain that we are to; “Colossians 3:5–9 

[5] Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] On account of these the wrath of God is coming. [7] In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. [8] But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. [9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices (ESV) 

James 1:21 

[21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (ESV) 

The apostle Peter tells his readers; 

1 Peter 1:22–23 

[22] Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, [23] since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (ESV) 

You have to have that Word of God in your heart. Your pastor is not with you all day every day. Your brother Jason is not with you all day every day. That Word, if it’s written in your heart as prophesied through Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and explained by Jesus, and then the apostles, if it’s written in your heart, it can steer you clear of the sin that claims so many. But even having it in your heart, you still have to obey. If you don’t obey it you’re just wasting your time, as James says in the next verse, James 1:22 

[22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (ESV) 

Hearers of the Word? What Word is he talking about? We’ve already established that the general epistle of James was likely the first of the new testament epistles written. There are many that are afraid of what we refer to as the old testament, but the apostle John puts it this way, 1 John 3:4 

[4] Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. (ESV) 

This law that John is talking about is the law the God has given. Let’s read the rest of this passage from James for his input, James 1:22–25 

[22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. [25] 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. (ESV) 

that perfect law of liberty. I know I’ve touched on this before, but let’s go way back, Deuteronomy 4:13 

[13] And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. (ESV) 

When He writes His law on your heart, James perfect law of liberty, this is what is written. If the human race could be convinced to live by the 10 commandments we would know how to love one another, no matter what race or background, we would know how to, most importantly, love God, to have no other gods as some translators put it, “in His face”. If we could learn to keep His commandments, well, I guess that’s what His 1000 year reign is about, we’ll see what the world looks like under His rule. But the point is, James is saying don’t just hear it, don’t just read it, put it into action! 

James 1:26 

[26] If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (ESV) 

Those little old ladies that everyone makes jokes about talking about everyone else in the assembly, God isn’t laughing. 

Proverbs 6:16–19 

 [16] There are six things that the LORD hates, 

 seven that are an abomination to him: 

 [17] haughty eyes, a lying tongue, 

 and hands that shed innocent blood, 

 [18] a heart that devises wicked plans, 

 feet that make haste to run to evil, 

 [19] a false witness who breathes out lies, 

 and one who sows discord among brothers. (ESV) 

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation of John 21:27 [KJV] 

Now if those seven things are an abomination to Him, and nothing that works abomination will enter into that city, what does that say about the gossipers and slanderers? Sin doesn’t always spit tobacco and cuss. Sometimes sin dresses up in its best clothes and assembles with the saints. 

James 1:27 

[27] 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. (ESV) 

I could point out that our governments in the west want to be gods. They take our money and distribute to the needy, making many feel off the hook, but we still have obligations, as much as we can. Yes, the governments have our money, they stole it fair and square, but they don’t have the words of salvation. The governments can’t be that godly role model that is so badly needed in a society growing up without fathers, some without mothers. 

and to keep oneself unstained from the world. We live in a time when practically everything God has called abomination our culture calls entertainment. 

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (II Corinthians 6:17-18 [KJV]) 

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