Obedience to the Word

James 1:18-25

a. We were saved by the Word (1:18)

b. We were saved for godly living (1:19-21)

1. INTRODUCTION

2. BODY

a. We were saved by the Word (1:18)

i. I wanted to speak about how Christians should speak to one another. I recognize as Christians, sometimes, we don’t communicate well even when we mean well. Many of you know this in your experience even with me. I am a sinful man and I am here only because of the grace of God. My aim today is to help you see how we are to communicate as Christians. My understanding is that this text gives us the best means of communication possible.

ii. So verse 18, James goes over how we have been given new life in Christ. The main thrust of this verse helps us to see that it was God’s will that we were brought forth, that we were given new life in Christ by the word of truth. The word is the means in which God brings people to life. He repeats this again in verse 21, where James writes, that the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

iii. Clearly, the means in which God gives new life to people is through His word. Why is this the case? Because the means in which we learn about who God is through the Bible. Many people live their Christian lives thinking it’s about experience, but we can’t know the truth outside of the Word of God.

iv. Now, to deal with verse 18, what was the purpose of God? It was His choosing, it was His will, it was His decision, that we would come to saving faith, through His word. Now what is the purpose of this? Why does God do this? So that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. What does this mean? That God would use His people as the means, the down payment for how people would understand His working through His people and through His whole creation.

v. This means, God saves us, so that the unbelieving world, would know God through our lives. This means that we are ambassadors for Christ. God functionally works in us, so that our lives would be a testimony to the unbelieving world who God is. Just as God worked in Israel in the Old Testament and showed all the surrounding nations who He was, similarly, God would show His power in our lives, that the unbelieving world, would see who He is, but also, how He will effectively deal with the whole creation.

b. We were saved for godly living (1:19-21)

i. So how does God work in us? Verse 19. This you know. Guys you all know this. You know how God works in us. He is now speaking to believers. You know this my beloved brethren. The word here for know is, guys you know the facts. You know the evidence. You were taught this. What are we supposed to know? We are supposed to know that God saved Christians to be living testimonies to the unbelieving world.

ii. John 1:7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

iii. 2 Timothy 1:8-9 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.

iv. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”

v. 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”

vi. When we read these verses, it makes it clear that God saved believers for a purpose. What is the purpose? That the unbelieving world might come to know who God is through their lives. This makes it clear what the task the believer is called to do.

vii. So now, how does the church show the world how God is working in their lives? Of course we can say a lot here, but let’s read what James tells us. What is the means in which we communicate to the unbelieving world, who God is, and how He is working in my life?

viii. The first phrase is, Be quick to hear. I love how simple this phrase is. How do we understand be quick to hear? When we hear this, what is our initial thought? Well, when I read this, my initial thought is, I need to listen so that I could help the person who is telling me. I need to listen so that I could work with the person to fix the problem. As I was working through this, I understand this totally differently now.

ix. Many people also say, that we should be quick to hear because we should be willing to listen to God’s word. Following verse 18, the word of truth is the means in which God saves His people. Therefore, we know that we must be quick to hear because we must be quick to hear God’s word. That is absolutely correct. I think that is foundational to how we deal with other people. Being quick to listen is because we should be quick to listen to God’s word over everyone else’s statements.

x. There are a lot of things that we hear throughout our lives. Many people don’t know who or what to listen to because certain things sound true and certain things sound helpful. But as James outlines, we should be quick to listen to what God says in His word because His word is truth. In the same way, we should exercise quick to listen in the way we deal with other people. Can I also add, that there is too much emphasis on mental health in our society today. I am not saying mental health is not important. We didn’t know what we know about mental health and it is helpful. But can I also remind you, the power of God’s Word? We don’t realize how important God’s word is for our mental health. I am not saying mental health is not important. I am merely stating how important God’s word is for our mental health.

xi. Quick to listen means to actively seek to understand the speaker’s viewpoint, emotions, context, and confirm, that they are heard. It is not simply to listen to the person so that we can help them. No, it is actively to show them, to be intentional, and show the person that the person is valued and heard. Quick to listen means that I empty myself, and I value the other person. It has nothing to do with me. It is to care more about the other person than myself. Why? Because that leads to the next point. Slow to speak. Why do we speak? We speak because we want to voice our opinion. We want to tell the other party our thoughts.

xii. This is the problem with most of our conversations. We listen, only so that we could speak. Many of us think our wisdom is what everyone needs to listen to. We think that we possess wisdom. We think that if only people would listen to the things we say. But James says, be quick to listen. Don’t be quick to speak. Be quick to listen and care about the things the person is saying to you. Don’t just listen lightly and speak quickly. Listen and show that what they are telling you, is important and show them that they are valued.

One of the best examples in the Bible to teach us how to listen this principle of quick to listen is found in Job. Job 1-10 teaches us what God did to Job and Job’s response of despair is what we read the first 10 chapters. Then in chapter 11, Zophar his friend comes and rebukes him. Zophar responds to Job in a telling way. Read 11:13-18. When we read this, there is nothing wrong with Zophar’s statement. Actually Zophar’s statement is very biblical. Zophar’s statements actually sound a lot like many of us. So what is the problem with Zophar’s statements? Job 12:3 and 13:2, Job echoes that I have intelligence as well as you. I know these things. I am a Christian too. Then in 16:1-8, Job responds after Chapter 15, Eliphaz gives Job his piece and tells him what he is doing wrong.

Turn to Job 16:1-5. Read these words carefully. Job says I have heard many such things. It’s not what you are saying is wrong. It’s that you are a sorry comforter. You don’t consider what I am going through or care. you just want to tell me what I am doing wrong. What’s amazing is, they don’t stop. Job repeats in 19:3, how long will you torment me and crush me with words? This teaches us that we need to be careful with our words. I am not saying we should not tell people the truth. But Solomon gives us the wisdom here. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for everything. He says in 3:2-8 specifically in verse 7, a time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak. If we truly love the other person, there is a time we can speak the truth to them. But before we speak truth to them, we need to make sure they know we care for them. We care for them and we want them to know that we value them. We want to be patient with them. And if you don’t know what to say, be silent. Just sit with them and cry with them. That means more than to say things that might hurt the person.

xiii. Even if the things that are being said are things you disagree, care enough about the person, that you are patient with them and you wait for them and you value them.

xiv. Not only are we called to do that, but secondly, we are called to be slow to speak. As someone who listens carefully, James says, be slow to speak.

Job 21:3 tells us bear with me, listen to me that I may speak, then after I have spoken, you may mock.

xv. What does it mean to be slow to speak? If we are listening intently, be slow to speak.

xvi. Proverbs 14:29 “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”

xvii. This Proverb speaks to the two last parts. The one who is slow to speak, is the one who is slow to anger because he has great understanding. Yet, the one who is quick to speak, is the one who exalts folly. What we learn from this proverb is that the one who is patient, is patient because he is quick to listen. Because this person cares more about the person and their situation than what they want to tell them, they are patient. But the one who isn’t slow to speak, is easily angered, because the other person is saying things that they disagree with.

xviii. When we look at this chain that James provides, it really helps us see how good understanding, one who truly cares for another person, allows us to be sympathetic in that we can recognize another person’s pain and empathetic that we can share their pain.

xix. What does this look like? If a friend loses a job, sympathy is saying, "I'm so sorry, that's terrible." Empathy is saying, "I can imagine how overwhelming this is for you, I am here to support you".

xx. When we talk to support each other, we are quick to listen and slow to speak. But if our speaking is to tell the person what they are doing wrong, then we aren’t really listening.

xxi. We are listening because we care and we want people to not do things that might hurt others, but quick to listen is to acknowledge them first. There is a time and place for that. But quick to listen helps us to see the pattern. Quick to listen is to affirm others and help them feel heard. When we acknowledge them, and they feel heard, they are willing to listen to what we have to say. The problem is, when we try to correct before we listen. Most of the time people don’t talk with us or feel separated from us because all we end up telling people is what they should do. We rarely affirm and connect with the person that we are talking to. Instead, we just tell people what they are doing wrong without understanding what the person is actually going through.

xxii. One of the many things that I’ve heard over and over that is misapplied is the phrase where pastor John says, “the most loving thing anybody could ever do would be to tell someone the truth.” How do people actually take this? How do you understand this? The way I take this is, if someone is in error, I tell them that they are in error. I tell them the truth so that they know the difference between right and wrong.

xxiii. I agree with Pastor John in principle but I disagree with Him in practice. What do I mean by this? The principle is correct if we are dealing with robots. But in practice, I disagree with Him because we are not Pastor John. You have to understand that Pastor John, who was alive for almost 90 years, was pastoring people for over 50 years. He has over 50 years of pastoral experience dealing with thousands of people, and listening and weeping with those he cared for. He has earned the right to speak to people because he was there for them. He cared for them and they knew that he loved them.

xxiv. But what does this look for someone who hears this being preached? How do people who don’t have the wisdom and experience like Pastor John understand this? Well this is what it meant for me. When I met people that did things that were outside of the Bible and different than what I believed, I told them they were in sin and they should repent. I didn’t care about who they were. I only cared for the truth, that people should adhere to God’s Word seriously. As I have grown in my Christian walk, I know understand that I must share the truth with others, but the most loving way to tell someone the truth is to continue walking with them and sharing with them each opportunity that is given to me.

xxv. It’s easy to share the truth with them when we confront them. It’s easy to tell someone what they are doing wrong and call them out. But it’s hard for those people that we tell, that we love them. In our minds, we think the most loving thing we can do is to tell them the thing that is hurting them, but the most loving thing we can do is to continue walking with them. It’s not to point out their faults. It’s to love them through their faults. It’s to be patient and slow to speak, that when God presents that opportunity, when these people know we love them, and they trust us, that they would be willing to listen to what we have to tell them. Remember what the Bible tells us. Speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15). Speaking the truth in love is patiently slow to speak.

xxvi. Because when we are slow to speak, this means we care more about the other person than what we think. What is the opposite? It is a person who is easily angered. Easily angered people are prideful people. So, James says in verse 20, the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. A better translation is, anger does not achieve the righteous life that God desires. Simply put, human anger does not produce behavior that is pleasing to God.

xxvii. James says, that if our lives are to be a testimony of who God is, this is not representative of Him. God is infinitely patient with us when we sin. We are to go into the world and portray Christ by loving others. If we love others, we will be slow to anger. If we love ourselves, we will be quick to anger. May God soften our hearts, that we might speak to others in love, by listening to them, and loving them, and pointing them to Jesus.

Can I close with this? I have told those who listen, how to listen and be careful how we speak to others. But can I also remind the one who is speaking and sharing? You also need to be quick to listen. Be quick to listen to God’s Word. Yes, people can help you and people can listen to you and value you. But if God is not your source of peace and strength, you will never truly be at peace. The end game is not to have everyone listen to us and care for us. The end game is that we would find all our joy and peace in God. Read James 1:2-5. Our job is to consider it all joy when we go through trials, knowing that God is making us into the people He wants us to be. And if you lack wisdom, if you are confused what God is doing, ask of Him and He will generously give to you. Remember, people are there to remind us of who God is. People are not there to be our rock and foundation, not even our spouses. It is only God that we should find our solace.

3. CONCLUSION