Doers of the Word
James 1:19-27
Pastor James Lee
James 1:19 (NIV)
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
Thomas Jefferson said “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do”
James says, "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19). Anger can make people better talkers than listeners. James doesn't say don't get angry. (Jesus himself got angry on occasion. When Jesus walked in money changer at the temple) He says be slow to anger and don’t let it develop into sin. Why? Because "your anger does not produce God's righteousness" (1:20).
An ancient wise man Solomon said, "Listen before you answer. If you don't, you are being stupid and insulting" (Proverbs 18:13 TEV).
The problem seems to be that certain Christian leaders were speaking, perhaps preaching, with more anger than kindness. What they were against was more important than what they were for.
with none believer can lead into anger.
I always believe you never win in an argument.
James makes it clear that harsh, vindictive speech, even in the name of God (many of us have probably done that), does not "produce God's righteousness,”. When things happen to make you mad James suggests three responses.
HEAR THE WORD 1:21
James 1:21 (NIV)
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Anger that looses control results in moral filth and evil.
James says it is prevalent (Etymology) (1 archaic : powerful 2 : being in ascendancy : dominant 3 : generally or widely accepted, practiced, or favored : widespread)
And that’s what anger can do: Cause powerful, dominating and Will eventually widespread over your life.
Opposite of Anger is humility.
Humility is not weakness. Humility is strength under control. It is a teachable spirit.
Humility comes from hearing the word of God. James says that when we study and memorize the scripture it gets implanted (rooted) within us and it will produce fruit in our lives.
Two qualities are necessary to hear God's Word. The first is an attitude; the second is an action. First, we must. . . .
First, hear the Word and then. . . .
DO THE WORD 1:22-25
James 1:22-25 (NIV)
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 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.
Opposite of humility is pride
1) Pride is like a bad breath every knows you have it except you
2) That’s why we need God’s word as a mirror to reflect our true identity.
I read an article in the China Post (Aug. 3, 2003) entitled, “Mirrors Tarnish Women’s Image.”
“Wall-to-wall mirrors in gyms and dance studios might stop women getting the exercise they need because women get discouraged and feel tired, Canadian researchers said on Friday….Regardless of how they viewed their bodies, women who worked out in front of a mirror felt worse, or no better, and less at peace after 20 minutes of activity. The mirrors made women more self-aware, they think of their short-comings. Things like: ‘I look fat, I should be more active.’
Some of you may hate mirrors, but what would life be like without them--those shiny reflectors that help us transform dirty into clean, wrinkled into well-groomed? Take away the mirror, and you take away the objective picture of what you really look like.
James says don’t be a Passive hearers.
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. They are easily deceived by a skewed view of themselves. They imagine that by listening to a sermon is actually doing something religious. They go to church, sit through the service, fold up their halo and go about their business.
James speaks about the "perfect law" (1:25). which means the complete law, including both law and grace to keep it. He calls such a law "the law of freedom." This contrasts with the bondage of a bad temper. Anger is opposite of freedom. Anger ties us in knots making us say and do things that hurt. Anger binds us and eventually controls what we say and do. Yet if we embrace God’s grace and law it frees us to do His will. Those who pay attention to the perfect law of freedom "being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing" (1:25).
James echoes Jesus' words: "Blessed. . . are those who hear the word of God and obey it!" (Luke 11:28). Belief must impact behavior. The word that is learned must link with the word that is lived.
Hear the word, do the word, and . . . .
LIVE THE WORD 1:26-27
James 1:26-27 (NIV)
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
" If anyone considers himself religious," James says, " and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. " (James 1:26). Some people who think they are religious have a Christian vocabulary instead of a Christian experience. They think they are doing their duty when they are just talking about it. Those who talk their religion by the yard and live it by the inch James says, their religion is worthless.
The Word of God makes a difference in how we live. We don't receive the Word so we can go out and speak learnedly about the Christian life. We receive it so we can live it. A genuine spiritual experience puts truth into practice.
James gives us a definition of religion that is pure and undefiled. It is not what you might expect. He gives no doctrinal or theological terms, but something practical and ethical. He said, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (1:27). If you want to see religion in its purest form, look not to the constitution and bylaws of the church but look to laity reaching out to the hurting people of our community with the love of Jesus Christ. They are practicing a pure religion that is undefiled.
We show that we are people of the Word in two ways:
1. by our social action (caring for orphans and widows)
2. by our moral purity (keeping ourselves unstained by the world).
Pure religion has two parts: outer (taking care of the physical needs of others) and the inner (taking care of spiritual needs of ourselves).
James comes full circle back to the issue he started with.
How do we live out our faith in a hostile world? The answer is clear: Walk the faith. If we really want to show we are on the side of justice we reach out to them in the name of him whom the Psalmist called, "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows" (Psalm 68:5). | 
