Obey God's Word

James 1:19–27 CSB

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

When I was young, I used to get into all types of trouble. I remember one time I almost sat my house on fire attempting to light a bottle rocket engine on fire, on my roof, using lighter fluid and matches.

I would get lecture after lecture about how I needed to be better and think things through. Sitting through these things I would hear the words but ignored the content of what was being said. I have found that this has come full circle as a parent with my children (some more than others).

This can happen in the church can’t it? We come to church and listen to teachers in Sunday school and Preachers with the purpose of only listening and learning. These are listless listeners. A listless listener can mistake hearing and learning for obeying God.

James warns us against this type of listening. We have heard God’s Word, we study it, we listen to it, but are we doing it??

God is not content with listeners, he wants doers. He wants us to absorb his message and change our lives because of it. Listless listening which produces no change is a blight on a Christian’s life. To prevent listless listening, this passage gives a warning (vv. 19–21), a contrast (vv. 22–25), and a demand (vv. 26–27).

Respond to God’s Word with humility.

James 1:19–21 CSB

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:19 CSB

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

James begins by addressing the readers in an intimate, loving way. He challenges them how to act both in our relationships to one another and to God. We are to be quick to hear and slow to talk both toward other people and toward God.

The command to be quick to listen calls for an eagerness to hear and obey God’s message. The appeal to be slow to speak demands silence until we have understood and applied the message.

The challenge to be slow to become angry warns against hostile, bitter feelings. We cannot hear God if we remain distracted with resentment, hatred, or vengeful attitudes.

Those who are slow to listen are often quick to speak. This results in anger as people argue needlessly about things that either do not matter or are not accurate.

Talk about Sookie breaking the window.

Our society encourages us to express our feelings, whether they be good or bad, peaceful or inflammatory, godly or ungodly. James 1:19, however, pictures the wise person as one who listens to God and others, deliberates a response carefully, and answers with cautious words.

James 1:20 CSB

for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.

The anger prohibited by this passage is not so much a flashing, destructive temper as a simmering pot of hostile, mean-spirited feelings.

Human anger wastes the energies of God’s people, produces divisions, and often comes from selfish ambition.

The mischievous works of angry Christians prevent the unsaved world from seeing that the God of all the earth does right (Gen. 18:25). It is impossible to look at the disorderly conduct of fighting believers and worship the God they profess to serve.

James 1:21 CSB

Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

This verse issues a command and then provides a prerequisite for obeying the command, an incentive for obedience, and a description of our attitude in obedience.

Obedience to God’s Word promotes holiness and develops godly character. We demonstrate a genuine likeness toward Christ as we get rid of the flaming desires for filth and evil. This shows the presence of a real experience of salvation.

In our obedience we must display humility.

Obey the commands of Scripture without delay.

James 1:22–25 CSB

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:19–21 focuses on speech as an area for demonstrating obedience to God’s Word. Here he calls for obedient action as the proper forum for demonstrating commitment to the Lord.

James 1:22 CSB

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James’s command is literally to “keep on becoming doers of God’s Word.” He insisted on an obedience which lasts

Too often Christians view a sermon as an interesting moral or theological lecture. We need to do something other than sitting and listening. Jesus pronounced a blessing only on those “who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28).

The command to listen to God’s Word describes someone who attends a lecture. God wants a listener to become a disciple, an obedient follower of Jesus. One who hears the message without doing anything is self-deceived.

Jesus warned against this error (Matt. 7:21–27).

Matthew 7:21–27 CSB

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’ “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

James 1:23–25 CSB

Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

Mirrors in New Testament times were made of polished metal. People used them to wash their faces, shave their beards, apply cosmetics, and comb their hair. Then they quickly left, giving little thought to the image they had seen.

People can repeat this experience in the spiritual realm. We give a quick glance into God’s Word, find a morsel of truth, and jump into another task without remembering or applying what we read.

Verse 25 uses the mirror metaphor with four verbs to picture the response of obedient listeners to God’s message.

First, obedient people look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom. This describes someone who gazes at God’s message with a desire to learn.

Second, obedient people continued to do what God said. They put God’s Word into practice and follow through with commitment.

Third, obedient listeners do not forget what they hear. Spiritual amnesia never conquers their minds.

Fourth, obedient listeners do what God’s message instructs them to do.

Good listening, endurance, clear memory, and obedience characterize committed Christians.

God’s Word is the perfect law that gives freedom. Obedience to Jesus’ commands in Scripture brings freedom from sin and death.

Our faith is worthless if our words and actions do not line up.

James 1:26–27 CSB

If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

The person focused on the externals of religious action such as public prayer, fasting, giving, and worship attendance. James did not belittle this action, but he added that inner control of the tongue must accompany outward performance.

James leveled two accusations at the person who practiced outward religion without inner control.

First, he deceives himself.

Second, his religion is worthless. Peter used the same word—translated as empty—to describe useless pagan practices his readers had followed before they became Christians (1 Pet. 1:18). Religious practices without inner control have no more saving power than paganism.

Two evidences demonstrate pure religion: deeds of compassion and inner purity.

True religion has more features than James has mentioned. The emphasis here is that for God to accept our worship it must be accompanied by loving ministry and a holy life.

To look after orphans and widows demanded demonstrations of concern and active involvement.

How many of us have put things together for our kids or ourselves? Did the item come with instructions? Did you follow the instructions?

We must follow God’s instructions devotedly if we want to produce a lifestyle honoring to God. Obeying God’s Word demands control of the tongue, a compassion for others, and a separated life. These are the identifying marks of pure and faultless religion.

Imagine leaving on a vacation for a long amount of time. You find someone to look over your house and leave specific instructions on how to take care of the house.

Suppose you return home and find the house dirty, the lawn overgrown, mailbox full etc. I would ask them if they read the instructions I gave them, or the texts or emails I sent. I would ask did you do anything on the list?

What if they answered, “Oh, yes, we enjoyed your instructions and letters. We read all you wrote. We even memorized some of the instructions. The letters were great!”

How pleased would I be? The goal of my letters and instructions was not to entertain and inform but to provide guidelines for action. It would have been sheer folly to memorize my instructions without doing anything about them.

Christians make this same mistake in their spiritual lives. James called us to respond to God’s commands with obedience. This obedience demands endurance in trial, resistance to temptation, and a reverent submission to God’s commandments.