Good and Perfect Gifts

Hearing and Doing

(NRSV)

17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (NRSV)

18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. What do you make of this statement or statements?

generosity-a gift from above. In other words, when we think enough to give generously, it is not simply a gift from us but from above because good thoughts and intentions come from Him.

No shadow due to change-what this is, is a statement concerning the unchanging Spirit of God. You will never have to worry about a changed mind. Our humanness always wavers and causes uncertainty but with God there is none.

Verse 19 begins by giving instructions concerning the life of a Christian. (NRSV)

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Just this past Sunday, a gentleman that I know, had an altercation with his pastor. I wont speak to what the problem was but the way it was handled was wrong and it speaks to this passage.

1. First of all the pastor was offended by something that this gentleman did and instead of the pastor giving this instance a moment and praying about it, he spoke in anger to the gentleman.

2. The gentleman took offense to the way the pastor spoke to him and he and his wife left the church mad.

3. The gentleman then takes to facebook to publicize the incident and air out his displeasure about what happened.

4. For quite some time after the posting friends tried to make him understand that what he had done was wrong.

When we speak out of anger it is never of God. Many times we speak out of anger and we use God as our source of right and wrong.

The pastor may very well have handled things badly but like I say two wrongs do not make a right.

(NRSV)

20 for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.

(NRSV)

21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

Implanted word-now that seems a little strange maybe, how did the word get implanted? I just spoke to a congregant this morning and he has a new found joy for life, work, and church. He knows that others around him do not have this same joy. I recommended that he write down scripture and share it with those who may be discouraged. Sometimes the word gets implanted by chance. You were there when they needed to hear.

(NRSV)

22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;

What do you see when you look into a mirror? The scripture explains that the hearer looks at himself and sees but as soon as he walks away he forgets what he had seen.

What does this mean? It means that we should not forget who we are. You look in the mirror and you say to yourself, I am a good person, but do you also say, today I will do good to others?

(NRSV)

26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.

(NRSV)

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

How many today, or any day, say to yourself, I must do more. John Kennedy had a famous quote, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

We must be doers of the word.