Faith Does

Introduction

Ways to organize life, work and get everything done. One of those ways is checklists.

Audience: Jewish believers people in the church coming from a checklist faith culture

Listening only/study/knowledge culture. Judgmental.

Kind of like the COVID culture.

Struggling with anger that causes quick toxic speech - common theme in Jewish wisdom literature (ongoing problem generationally).

And who were reproducing what they've seen their whole lives practices.

Often happens in the church.

The Message

Focus is not the list but the message.

James 1:19–27 ESV

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 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.

Listening is Good - But Not All There Is

RELIGION: We are hearers (audience) at a religious event or ceremony (worship, SS) to improve our religiousness (intellectual knowledge.

What Do I need to Know/Say to Pass the Test

Good intentions but doesn't make it's way to transform (doing). Deceived, worthless religion.

Hear it and forget about it

Doesn’t change the heart

Leads to deception

Too many of us are hearers only - bible studies, think the right things but ignore obedience/doing what it says to do.

Sometimes only focused on personal goodness; ignoring the social aspects of the Gospel. Or vv.

No better than looking in a mirror...

23 -24 - Able to stare at his existence like looking at your face in a mirror, leave the bathroom and forget what kind of person you are.

Hearing and NOT doing = forgetting what you look like. What I say I believe is not what I do/look like in reality. Hypocrite.

Worship is empty without obedience

New Life

Give up old and live the message that brought new life

Salvation isn’t conversion

James is talking to people who have become Christians.

He is talking about salvation as the eternal fruit of receive the message.

21- New birth

In other words, turn away from, give up living/behavior of the old life like an old set of dirty clothes and begin living the new life (new, clothes) by the standards of the message that brought new life.

Putting off is to be accompanied by a receiving of the message that God has written on our hearts.

The message isn’t done with us once we say yes to Jesus.

Do the Message

22 - The message/word has not been truly received until it is apprehended and comprehended

22 - Become makers/doers of the message. It is a delusion to think you can only know it intellectually.

23, 24, 25 - Looks intently at - observe carefully, apprehend, grasp, understand completely

Lived, put into practice. Hearing that doesn't lead to doing is useless.

22, 23, 25 - doers - maker, inventor, composer of a poem, author, composer of music, author of speech; to create, make, do, act out of obedience.

The bible is for our transformation, not our information.

Rom 2:13 - it is the doers of the law, not the hearers only who are made right with God.

Luke 11:28 - blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

Obedience is the necessary response to God's grace.

Working out salvation: 2 Views

Here: work on the sin issue of temper and tongue

Ex: Tongue/Temper

A place for anger but thoughtless, unrestrained temper leads to rash, harmful words we can’t take back.

Uncontrolled anger leads to speaking too quickly and saying too much.

It’s sin.

Go slow to go fast

Slow to speak, slow to anger leads to ability to listen quick/fast.

Filthiness and rampant wickedness is associated with speaking fast and getting angry fast.

Ex: Serving widows and orphans who in that time were the most neglected and rejected people.

-This will keep us unstained (not separating ourselves)

Getting dirty is being unstained.

Movement, not perfection

The life Christ gives - freedom is experienced/lived by those who humbly comprehend and apprehend his teaching: listen to it and do it. This simple thing holds the power to overcome the bent we have to forget who we are/to whom we belong and become consistent in talking and acting like him.

Sermon on the mount. Not about doing just to do. True and false disciples (Matthew 7:21-

You are my friends - know his will, do it

Christ brings freedom to break the study/knowledge/checklist cycle that produces arrogant speaking too quickly, judgmentalism, deception and speaking too quickly and embrace the working of the message in our lives that produces obedience.