James 1:19-27

Review

New Living Translation Chapter 1

Listening and Doing

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Quick to Listen = to receive information.

Slow to Speak =

Slow to get angry =

We should listen carefully, not speak rashly, or get angry.

Proverbs 13:3 “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 29:20 “Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”

Ec. 7:9 “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”

James is really speaking to the community of believers, who were dispersed, saying that their should be harmony with each other.

Human anger does not produce “the righteousness” God desires. = God is completely righteous (Isaiah 45:21-24) and we cannot attain that righteousness on our own (Isaiah 64:6)

So what is that righteousness?

This righteousness is to do what God requires, doing what is right.

How?

1.Get rid of all filth (moral impurity) and evil (wickedness) in your lives.

2. Humbly accept the word God planted in your hearts.

What is that word?

The preaching of the Gospel.

We are called to act on the word (the gospel) that we received.

It’s really easy to shift from God’s word in our life to using human word.