Walking in Obedience (2)

Over the last several years, our society has shifted to a negative view of evangelical Christianity. For decades, Christianity enjoyed a more positive relationship to the world around us. Evangelicals who were orthodox in their theological and social stances were part of the conversation. That is no longer the case. Espousing orthodoxy and orthopraxy is panned by most to the point where evangelical Christianity has been “cancelled.”

Knowing this, the church has to reset and reimagine what it means for us to be the church in this world. We are a minority. The fastest growing “religious” group in society are the “nones” - those who do not claim any religion. These are the folks that we call “spiritual but not religious.” It is not that our world has gotten less spiritual. It’s that they reject Christianity. This environment is not unlike what the early church faced. They lived in a very spiritual world. Paganism was practiced by almost everyone. We are there today.

The question before us is how do we live in this new reality. I propose that we do so by simply being the church. We are the counterculture to the rest of society. We live differently. We act differently. Over the next few weeks, we are going to explore how this is done by looking at James’ letter to a group of Jewish Christians who were trying to figure out this same question.

Today, we begin with walking in obedience.

1. Preparation of the Heart (vs. 17-21)

Walking in obedience begins with the preparation of our hearts. James begins his letter by outlining the proper understanding of God and our trials as believers. It is easy to be focused on the ways Satan tries to “lure and entice” us by our desires. These desires give birth to sin, and sin leads to death. Christians are called to live in a way that brings glory to God. We are to be steadfast in times of trial. God gives us the provision to do that when we place our lives in his hands and are grounded in the word of truth.

‌James asks the question, “What is the kind of life that is indicated by “firstfruits”? The goal of faith in Christ is for us to be more Christlike. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:15–16, “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” This goal demands certain behaviors on our part. The faith that we have should produce the proper fruit. Literally, he tells us we are to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

‌It is wise for us to respond to things carefully. In a world where it is easy to go on social media and blast others because of a grievance we have, Christians are to take a step back and pray and think about what we need to say. This is part of the temptation ensnares us if we are not careful. Withholding unnecessary reactions is a way of developing spiritual maturity and walking in obedience. Unfortunately, the church is a place where we get angry quickly and cause serious damage to the faith community because of our reactionary response. Church members, pastors, and pastor’s families have been harmed in substantial ways because the church was not a place of peace but a place of anger and malice. Instead of being spiritually mature and disciplined in our responses, our anger has caused hurt that can last a lifetime. This is not the way of obedience to Christ.

‌The church is called to be a different kind of place. We must have our hearts prepared through God’s word. James tells us we will receive the word implanted in us with meekness. There must be humility in our hearts. The church is called to live in humility and purity, as shown by the example that Christ has given us. We are to be holy, and he is holy. We only learn how to do this through being saturated in God’s word. We must read Scripture diligently and let it be implanted in our hearts. Christians have failed the primary task of every person of faith: being a disciple. Our hearts must first be prepared by ingesting God’s word regularly so that a new life in Christ can be cultivated within us.

2. Practice Over Passivity (vs. 22-25)

Living Christ's example for the world to see is crucial for Christians. We prepare our hearts by developing a relationship with Christ. We are discipled and sanctified through the power of the Holy Spirit as we engage with and immerse ourselves in God’s word. The next step is to walk the walk.

‌Remember, James is writing primarily to a Jewish audience. When he says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only,” hearkens back to the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4–5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Every Jew knew this and would repeat these words as a foundation of their faith.

‌James uses the spirit of this command to build the foundation for Christian living. Just like the Jews were not just to hear, Christians cannot just hear God’s word and expect to be Christian. There is an action that is joined with it. There is practice, not just passivity. With the Shema, one was to love God with all of one’s heart, soul, and might. This love is displayed by obeying God’s law. For Christians, it means obeying the words of Jesus. The word of God penetrates our hearts and is practiced in our daily lives. If we listen and do not obey, we forget what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We live as we did before knowing Jesus as Savior. That is not true Christianity.

‌In verse 25, James discusses the “perfect law, the law of liberty.” What does this mean? Aren’t Christians free from the law? Paul talks about this in Galatians and Romans, saying that we are set free from the bondage of the law of Moses. We do not have to follow all the laws to maintain our holiness and prove ourselves to God. That has been done through Jesus; when we know Jesus as Lord and Savior, his sacrifice covers us with his righteousness. All this is true. However, to say that we rest on the sacrifice of Jesus without a behavior change is contrary to the gospel. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:26, “And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” Without practicing obedience, our lives are built on sand.

‌The law of liberty goes back to what Jesus says about the burden of his yoke in Matthew 11:29–30, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” or John 8:31–32, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” In general, the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and Second Temple Judaism added rule upon rule to the law. Most of these rules were made to excuse behavior and give the outward appearance of righteousness. These rules were burdensome. Jesus does not change the standard of holiness. Holiness is a product of submitting to Christ, and out of our joy in knowing him, we want to live a life that is Christlike. It is not a burden for us to live up to a certain standard to prove ourselves. This means that we continue to live according to the moral law in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. This is synthesized in the Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And to love our neighbor as ourselves. The law of liberty is the law of love. God’s law is in our best interest. Walking in obedience gives us life. Trying to live contrary to God’s law is burdensome because we are constantly trying to live up to what the world deems necessary.

‌The Christian is not to live passively in the world. We are to display who God is by obeying his word so others can see Christ in us.

3. Purity and Provision (vs. 26-27)

What does a true expression of faith look like? James begins in verse 26 by telling us what the opposite is. A religion exists in churches that is contrary to true religion. It is vain and empty. It is a curse. It is the kind of religion that destroys communities and undermines any religious claim they might make. Careless and harmful speech toward anyone, but especially other Christians, is destructive. It divides communities and causes hurt and pain. When Christians attack others within the community, it is a worldly response. It is the same way that people respond in our society. Tearing others down so that they might look good. How we speak can give life or bring death.

‌Instead, true religion is centered on our actions toward others. In John’s first letter, he asks, “How can you love God who you have not seen and not your brother who you have seen?” James picks up on this same theme, and verse 27 is the hinge point for the entire letter. “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.”

‌True religion is pure and undefiled. It is a religion that is two-dimensional - horizontal and vertical. James presents human relationships first. We are to care for the widows and orphans. In the Old Testament, God saw these as society's most vulnerable and marginalized. The church is to be a people who care for those who are hurting. Wesley referred to this as “works of mercy.” He stated that actions of love and kindness towards others must accompany faith. He practiced what he preached by actively engaging in charitable works, such as aiding the poor, visiting the sick, and advocating against slavery and war. Sometimes, we get caught up in the current terminology of “social justice.” But the fact is, Christians are to engage the culture around us. We cannot hide behind walls. We must speak up against the destructive tendencies of our culture. We must be a voice for children - born and unborn. We must stand with crime victims and work to improve our communities. We must feed the hungry and be active in our community to help people climb out of poverty and build lives for themselves. We can’t do it all. But we can do our part to be a light and witness for Jesus in these areas. We are to help provide provision for those in need. Isaiah speaks to this when he calls upon God’s judgment of Judah in Isaiah 1:17, “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” Judah was not doing this, but God, in his mercy, was calling them to do so that he would relent on his judgment.

‌The other dimension is vertical. This is our relationship to God. James says that we should be “unstained from the world.” We are to walk in purity. James calls us to have a balanced spiritual life where we engage the world but are also distant from it. What we see in so many places in Christianity is an unbalanced spiritual life for communities and individuals. They are too focused on engagement or withdrawal. James wants us to be committed to both. Our relationship with God is going to determine our engagement with the world. To be admitted into a Methodist society, a person must express the desire to flee from the wrath to come. Our hearts were to be wholly given to God through prayer, worship, scripture reading, and attending to the sacraments. By doing works of piety, we are drawn closer to Christ and in greater intimacy with him. The outflow of this vertical relationship was our horizontal relationship with others. They work hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other. They must be balanced if we are to have pure religion that gives provision in the name of Christ.

Walking in obedience is the first step in understanding how we are to live in a negative world. We are to show the world what true religion, what true Christianity, is. This is not done by brow-beating people. It is done by simply living for Jesus and obeying his commands. This is not easy. We will be ridiculed or even “canceled” by some. But when we offer the true love of Jesus to others and not be compromised by the world, others will see his light in us. It will take time, but the kingdom of God begins as a small mustard seed but blossoms into something great. Let us not be discouraged but encouraged because we serve a great and mighty God.