Part 4: True Faith Receives and Does God's Word

Introduction

James 1:21 NASB95

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

“Therefore” = it is a conclusion from what has already been said.

What has already been said? => Because true faith is to be joyous in trials, seek wisdom from God, take responsibility for personal sin, and keep anger and speech under control, we are to:

“put aside all filthiness and and all that remains of wickedness” = It is not just about joy in trials, personal responsibility for sin, anger, and speech. It is about ALL wickedness and sin. Remember from prior weeks: that is the divine goal--to become sanctified, holy like Jesus Christ--to be renewed in the image of Christ.

But, there is something more foundational here so we can put away all filthiness and wickedness. First and foremost, true faith must truly receive God’s Word.

1. True Faith Truly Receives God’s Word (1:21-24)

James 1:21–22 NASB95

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

Doing Proves Receiving

“Receive the word implanted” -

Note that it is already in us (metaphorically). We have been born again; we are saved. But is that salvation--that word of God--penetrating our very beings so that it flows over into our every day lives through good works and overcoming sin?

Here is the main point James is making: Sanctification (doing good works, deeds, following God’s will, commands, putting off sin) is proof that a person has actually received the Word of God, or the Gospel.

We should note that this is not just an observation. It is not just a statement of fact. James is actually commanding us to prove our faith by our lives. He lit says: “Be yourselves doers of the word.” This is an imperative.

The implication seems quite clear: if you are not proving your faith by what you do, then you may not have true faith. This is supported by what James goes on to say:

“and not merely hearers who delude themselves” -

The person who merely listens to the Word of God and the Gospel is under a delusion that he has true faith in Jesus.

The word “delusion” = “to defraud, cheat, reason falsely, draw a false inference” or conclusion

There are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people who go to church every week and hear the Word of God taught who have deluded themselves into thinking they are Christians. Why? Because all they do is listen; they have no life changing faith that has works and fruit.

Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God, trusts God, and he that trusts God, obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith.

Charles Spurgeon

This is a hard truth: if we merely listen to God’s Word and not do it, then we do not have a true faith. We have a false faith, not a biblical one.

I.e., a false faith listens and then forgets:

False Faith Forgets

James 1:23–24 NASB95

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

James turns to an illustration to explain what a false faith, one that merely listens, is like. It is like looking at yourself in a mirror, turning, and forgetting what you look like.

This does not seem just foolish or outrageous, but forces us to conclude that there is something definitely wrong with the person who merely listens to God’s Word and does not put it into action. How can someone claim to have faith in Jesus but does not do what he says? Such a forgetting faith is no faith at all. It’s unthinkable. There is no such thing.

The Letter of James B. Obedience to the Word Is the Mark of Genuine Christianity (1:21–27)

To “remember” God, his acts and his teachings, is to contemplate them in such a way that they make a lasting impression on the heart and the mind. The person who “forgets” what he has seen in God’s word is one who reads or listens superficially, not imprinting the message on the soul. ~Douglas Moo

Jesus once commented: John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

When talking about false prophets, he stated:

Matthew 7:17–20 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

Application

It’s a strange, sinful world we live in that God has to constantly remind us--even when we are already saved--to behave and do good works, to obey. Why is this?

Underlying it all: we are still awaiting to be glorified, i.e., fully transformed. There is still this battle between our sinful nature and our renewed nature. This leads to all kinds of excuses and misunderstandings.

(1) Excuse: we are not saved by the good things we do, so I do not have to worry about that. God’s response: you are a fool and you do not understand God or salvation or the plans of God.

(2) Maybe we have not grasped what good works are.What is fruit? What are good deeds?

James: personal responsibility for sin, controls anger; it’s quick to listen and slow to speak. Fruit is putting aside all filthiness and wickedness.

But we also know fruit/good deeds is the fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

A person with true, biblical faith in Jesus remembers these things and puts them into practice.

(3) Maybe we’ve accepted the false American gospel, which is no gospel at all.

American gospel: it is mere listening and believing non-transformative religion that characterizes itself as Christianity.

It falsely promises eternal life--get out of hell free card--with benefits that do not exist. All you need to do is invest by going to church, tithing, and being nice. As such, the American gospel is kind of like a ponzi scheme. It promises benefits and a great payout, but you end up bankrupt.

Why? Because true religion is not about “doing the right things.” It is about an intimate relationship with our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. It is about holiness and sanctification. The Christian faith is about love, joy, and peace.

I cannot tell you how many times in my life I have heard pastors refer to salvation and all that it entails as a “benefit.” Benefit? Our relationship with Jesus Christ is not a business; this is not the stock market where you invest money in hopes of a return. . . .

It is not the mere listener who is going to receive anything from God. He has a false faith. The one who will be blessed is the one who has true faith, the doer of God’s Word. The person who is transformed by the Gospel.

2. The Doer Will be Blessed (1:25)

James 1:25 NASB95

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

He is a Doer of Work

The forgetful hearer (who, again, really has no faith at all) will not be blessed. It is the “effectual doer.”

“Effectual doer” = lit. “a doer of work”

Notice, however, what James says about the one who is a doer of work.

The person begins by looking intently at the perfect law, i.e., the Gospel and God’s Word, the thing that brings true freedom.

In other words, he studies the Word of God.

“Look intently” = lit. “to stoop down and look in”; connotes seriousness

The person begins by studying the Word of God, but he also continues to abide by it.

“abides” = “stand one’s ground, stand fast” “to continue in a place, position, or situation”

The person who has true faith is the one who is a doer of God’s Word, and he is the one who will be blessed. Observe how James puts it:

He is blessed in His Doing

“this man will be blessed in what he does” = this man will be blessed in his doing. Significant because it shows a continual state of action.

Luke 11:27 “While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.””

Luke 11:28 “But He said, ‘On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.’”

Application

Are we effectual doers? Are we doers of work?

It begins by looking intently (studying) God’s Word. We cannot be effectual doers if we do not know what we are to be doing.

At LCC:

About 15% of our church shows up for Wed evening Bible study (85% do not show up).

About 25% attend Sunday school (that’s 75% who do not).

There are times when we some of us are here while Sunday school or Bible study is occurring, but we congregate in the foyer or elsewhere.

If we are not looking intently into the Word of God, then we are not going to have fruit. And if we have little to no fruit, we need to ask ourselves if we have true faith.

We must gaze into the Word of God so we do not forget what it says. This is true faith; this is a religion that will be transformative.

James (3) The Liberating Mirror (1:22–25)

“Apply yourself to the Word so you may be able to apply the Word to your life.” ~Kurt Richardson

After beginning with the study of God’s Word, we need to continue on to act on it. We need to be doers.

Let’s not delude ourselves by thinking that because we go to church that we have a true faith. Sitting in a pew on Sunday morning does not make us a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes us an automobile.

The proof of our true faith is in our fruit--being transformed to become more like Jesus: loving, joyful, peaceable, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and self-controlled.

“1 in 6 Companies are Hesitant to Hire Recent College Graduates”

An Intellgient.com survey from August 2024 found that 60% of employers have fired Gen Z employees within months of hiring them.

50% of companies said they were fired because they lacked motivation and initiative, i.e., have a poor work ethic. Substantiated by beliefs of managers: 55% said their Gen Z employees lack a work ethic.

[See “1 in 6 Companies are Hesitant to Hire Recent College Graduates,” Intelligent.com; Sept 13, 2024; accessed 1/30/25; https://www.intelligent.com/1-in-6-companies-are-hesitant-to-hire-recent-college-graduates/]

Study after study and survey after survey shows that we Americans have a problem with commitment and work ethic, two biblical virtues required to be an effectual doer. This carries over into the local church.

According to recent studies, between 3,850 and 7,700 churches close each year in the United States, which translates to approximately 75 to 150 congregations per week. This trend has been observed over the past decade, ending in 2020.

Lifeway Research analysis found approximately 4,500 Protestant churches were closed in the U.S. in 2019 while only around 3,000 were started.

Luke 17:11–18 “While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?””

Have we forgotten Jesus? Have we forgotten who has healed us? Our actions, deeds, works, fruit indicate whether we have or not.

3. What Truly Receiving God’s Word Practically Looks Like (1:26-27)

True Religion controls the Tongue

James 1:26 “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”

Side note: “Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship.” Misnomer. Christianity is actually both. And we see there here. There is a valuable religion and a worthless one.

The worthless one: a person who thinks he is religious but does not control (bridle) his tongue. We have come across this before already. James seems to think this is very important.

Controlling the tongue is more than just about not venting anger. It’s about complaining, constantly airing grievances, being critical, gossiping, slandering, etc., etc.

Psalm 39:1 “I said, “I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence.””

Psalm 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”

If there is a worthless religion, there is also a valuable religion.

True Religion cares for Orphans and Widows

James 1:27 NASB95

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

“Pure” (κᾰθᾰρός) = clean; we get our word cathartic from it.

“undefiled” = free from stain

Orphanages were first begun by Christians in the early centuries of the church. Monasteries then began a lot of them during the Middle Ages. Early American churches est. many orphanages. Some of the earliest were here in GA: Savannah and Macon.

One of the most well known orphanages was begun by the nineteenth century Prussian (now Germany) George Muller. Built his first one in 1836 in Bristol, England. He never asked for money, but always prayed that God would move people’s hearts to give.

In his autobiographical entry for 12 February 1842, he wrote:

“A brother in the Lord came to me this morning and, after a few minutes of conversation gave me two thousand pounds for furnishing the new Orphan House ... Now I am able to meet all of the expenses. In all probability, I will even have several hundred pounds more than I need. The Lord not only gives as much as is absolutely necessary for his work, but he gives abundantly. This blessing filled me with inexplicable delight. He had given me the full answer to my thousands of prayers during the [past] 1,195 days.

I wonder where the church’s faith in America is. Does it, do we, have this kind of faith that works?

True Religion seeks Sanctification

James 1:27 NASB95

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

“Unstained” = spotless, without blemish

I.e., pure and undefiled religion seeks to be holy, separate and different from the world.

Holiness is better than morality. It goes beyond it. Holiness affects the heart. Holiness respects the motive. Holiness regards the whole nature of man.

Charles Spurgeon

Holiness is not something to be received in a meeting; it is a life to be lived and to be lived in detail.

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)

AW Tozer tells of a story:

There was a wealthy man who died and left a will. In that will he passed on to his only son all of his riches, which ran into the millions of dollars. The son got the will and carried it around, but he was hungry, destitute, wearing ragged clothes and wandering the streets. Someone stopped him and said, “Why, you poor fellow, you're in bad shape. You’re ragged, your skin shows through, and you look hungry and pale.”

“Oh,” he answered, “don't talk that way to me. Listen to this.” And he opened his will and read, “’And unto my dear son, Charles, I bequeath my bonds, stocks, property, and yacht.’” Charles was satisfied with the will but had never had it probated.

Many Christians (or so-called Christians) carry around the Bible sometimes or even daily. They may come to church every day. But they never do anything. Just like Charles, they never have the biblical text probated, i.e., they do not activate, execute its teachings. They have little to no works to show that they are indeed Christians.

They do little to nothing to grow the fruit of the Spirit. They do not seek holiness and sanctification. They do not work much for God’s Kingdom. They do not minister in their local church. They do not evangelize. They do not try to make disciples. They do not even talk about Jesus most of the time.

Tozer: “I rejoice . . . and delight in anybody who has come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I enjoy hearing testimonies of salvation. But rarely do I hear testimonies about a life growing and developing in the grace of God. Too many are today what they were when the first became a Christian, and I cannot tell you how sad that makes me feel.” [The Pursuit of Christian Maturity, 19]

Let’s not like be that guy Charles. Let’s not be the guy who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like. Let’s receive God’s Word and then do it. This is what true faith does: it works.