Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he will be blessed in what he does. If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:19-27)
These verses expound upon the kind of person Christians are to be since we've been brought forth as "first fruits" (v. 18). Summing up this first section of his letter, James doesn't hold his flock to a lower standard because of their trials. Instead, he takes pains to remind them that authentic faith should affect their actions. This section reflects James' overall theme that faith without works is useless.
James first addresses how authentic faith affects our reactions. Remember, he has been speaking of trials in this first section. Many times, we justify poor reactions because of our suffering. But in times of trial, as in other times, our reaction should be one of listening and patience ("slow to anger"). James' reminder to be 'slow to speak' reflects the wisdom of Solomon in Prov. 10:19: "When words abound, transgression is inevitable, but the one who restrains his words is wise." Our anger never accomplishes God's righteousness. And interestingly, being quick to listen and slow to speak makes it easier to not be angry -- simply put, we get all the facts first, and that defuses the anger that sometimes comes when we react rather than respond to the circumstances we face.
James also reminds his readers that even as Christians we have much to "put away". However, as we put things away, we don't leave a void -- instead, the Word is to become implanted in our hearts. This word is received in humility, but we prove it's been received by our actions. If we faily to act, we deceive ourselves. James parallels looking at the law to looking into a mirror - when we look into God's word we must abide in what we see!
James is highly concerned with the authenticity of our faith. While he teaches sound doctrine, he is dissatisfied with doctrine that doesn't impact life on a practical level - "where the rubber meets the road". This passage affords three such "tests" of authenticity. It is important to note that these are not requirements for salvation, but are demonstrations that one's perceived salvation is authentic and not a self-delusion.
James' first "test" is that authentic faith should help us bridle the tongue. In other words, authentic faith affects how we relate to others verbally. "Bridle" means to hold in check, to restrain - much as the bridle on a horse allows the rider to control the horse, faith allows us to control our tongue. This doesn't mean perfection - just that true faith provides the ability to have control over the tongue. James will pick this topic up again in chapter 3.
Next, James observes that authentic faith impacts the weak. Caring for "widows and orphans" is a Scriptural principle that falls under this broader category of protecting the weak; in other places in Scripture this is amplified to include resident aliens (immigrants) who chose to settle in Israel, and even workers who are exploited (for example, Mal. 3:5 equates mistreatment of these 4 classes with divination and adultery). Although Christians may differ on the "how" of James' admonition, Bibilical teaching throughout the entire Word of God does not allow us to ignore the weak.
Finally, James notes that authentic faith is not stained by the world. Again, James and Paul are incredibly consistent here: Paul admonished the Romans not to be conformed to the world. Being in the world affords us the opportunity to impact the weak; not being of the world means that we won't be stained by doing so, or shaped into the mold of the world. Withdrawal from the world is not an option for a biblical Christian, but neither is conformity to the world system.
As usual, James is plain and simple. The bottom line: Don't be conformed by the world - maintain pure, simple devotion to Christ, motivated by love, and live out what you learn.
No comments:
Post a Comment