Title: Quick and Slow
Text: James 1:19-21
FCF: We often struggle to continue to repent and obey the gospel.
Prop: Because human zeal cannot anything to the power of the gospel to change us, we must root out old sin habits and humbly welcome gospel instruction.
Scripture Intro:
[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James 1.
Verses 2-4 have been the filter by which we have seen everything James has written thus far. As I stated from the beginning, I think that this continues throughout the letter.
Since that passage, James has been addressing certain areas that his audience still need the Lord’s perfecting. And God is clearly using the trials they are all facing to do just that.
First, God is using trials to show them their need to seek Him for wisdom.
Second, God is using trails to change their perspective on a couple items. Their view of earthly wealth needs to be conformed to God’s perspective. But also their view of their own relationship to temptation and God’s goodness and sovereignty over all. All this needed to be conformed to how God sees things. So God has sent trial to do just that.
But today, we will see a new lack addressed by James.
I am in James 1 and I’ll begin reading in verse 19. I am reading from the CSB today but you can follow in the pew bible on page 1360 or in whatever version you have in front of you.
Transition:
Ever since saying that most of the sermons in James will most likely be short, God has made sure to make me eat those words. So, I officially withdraw my estimate. I have no idea how long these things will be going forward. What I do know is that for today – you won’t want to miss a minute.
I.) Great human zeal cannot fulfill the standard of God, so we must root out old sin habits and humbly welcome gospel instruction. (19-20)
a. [Slide 2] 19 – My dear brothers and sisters,
i. We will see this as the letter continues, but James will use the phrase “my dear brothers” or “my brothers” to transition to a related but separate point.
ii. He’s done this already in verse 16 which we looked at last time, and he will do it again at the beginning of chapter 2.
iii. And for reasons that I’ll get into in just a moment it is good for us to know that although the CSB begins the sentence with this phrase – the first word in the Greek is actually…
b. [Slide 3] understand this:
i. James commands them to understand or to know something.
ii. There is some debate as to whether this is a command or not, or whether this word goes with the previous verse or comes into this one.
iii. Because of a lot of reasons which I won’t get into today – Come Wednesday if you want the behind-the-scenes stuff – I believe first that this is not a command and second that this word is in the wrong verse.
iv. I believe James concludes his thought that God is an unchanging giver of good and perfect gifts who gave them life through the work of the gospel in order that they would be His people.
v. After this he would say – and this you know. Which is another way we can translate this word.
vi. This makes great sense. He knows they know these things – which is why he has commanded them not to be led astray from them.
vii. So, since this statement belongs with last week’s sermon James uses his address of his dear brothers and sisters as a way of closing out the previous section.
viii. This week’s message actually begins with…
c. [Slide 4] Everyone should be
i. As is James’ style, he begins a new section with a command.
ii. James is commanding every or all men, or all people to be something.
iii. Because he is commanding them to be something, we cannot look ahead and think he is commanding three things. They are three aspects, but of one command.
iv. They must be a certain kind of person. And what kind of person ought they to be?
d. [Slide 5] Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
i. James describes what he wants them to be in adjectives. Two actually. They must be both quick and slow.
ii. Within these two adjectives there are 3 specific applications.
iii. [Slide 6] They must be quick to listen. They must be A patient, attentive, and humble listener.
1. Is this being applied toward God or toward men?
2. Based on the context, I think we have to say yes. What follows this text is one that encourages us to be not hearers only but doers of the word. So, to listen to God. However, what is also in the context here and following is how his audience relates to one another. So for all of these aspects of the command – we must assume James means toward God and others.
a. [Slide 7] Toward God
i. We ought to be ready to hear what God says. We ought even to be anxiously anticipating and ready to receive and obey what God says.
ii. One of God’s most repeated critiques of the children of Israel was that they were stiff necked and unwilling to listen and heed the Word of God through His prophets.
iii. Indeed, whenever God beckoned to them – they went the other way.
iv. As God’s New Covenant people having been given new life through the gospel unto a glorious inheritance – we must be quick to listen.
v. We must consume the Word like oxygen and see it as our final authority of faith and practice. What He says, we must believe. What He commands, we must do.
b. [Slide 8] Toward others
i. The same barriers we put up to God when His will conflicts with ours, exist with people also.
ii. We can be proud in our opinions.
iii. We can be resolute in our conclusions to the extent that no matter what anyone says – we won’t hear them, for we are not truly listening.
iv. It is not enough to hear – but to listen.
v. So being quick to listen to others – is to consistently assume that you do not know everything. It is to consistently assume that you can learn from all. It is to consistently assume that you have growing to do. It is to receive with thankfulness and readiness correction from a brother.
3. [Slide 9] Regardless of whether it is toward God or toward others – this points to the area of lack which James will hit on in the next several verses. It is a lack of proper priority. They have put themselves first. This manifests itself in a lack of love and respect toward God and others.
4. Until the middle of chapter 2 we will see this theme on repeat in various ways.
iv. [Slide 10] They must be slow to speak. They must be a careful and deliberate speaker.
1. Toward God
a. Because of God’s holiness, His otherness, His majesty, grandure, glory, might and power – we must be calculated in our speech to Him.
b. How quickly we rattle off prayers, how brazenly we approach His throne, a little too familiar I think we burst into His holy court where angels fear to tread, where the Seraph cover their faces and feet, and we stride up and toss our desires or complaints at the foot of His glory. And rather than waiting, weeping, petitioning, we just as abruptly as we came, turn on our toe and depart, and sometimes even grabbing up again our complaints and desires – not truly leaving them to Him.
c. Again, we are speaking of arrogance.
d. My friends to be quick to speak to God is something even Job could not do. Oh, he thought by and by that he might be able to demand answers of the Holy One. He considered that he was due such and such an explanation as to why he suffered so much.
e. But after two speeches of God demanding that he answer – he gathered what was left of his courage to essentially say he was nothing and to repent.
f. Oh, my friends, would that we would fear the Lord in this way. That we would be so very slow to question, to complain, to scoff, to dismiss.
g. We’d be much better to listen. And it is impossible to listen – when our mouths won’t stop their flippant flapping.
2. [Slide 11] Toward others
a. The same arrogance that compels us to see ourselves as worthy of an audience with God, or worthy to say what we will to God, can lead us to seeing ourselves as a god to others.
b. They must listen and hear what we have to say.
c. What we have to teach, to command, to inform is far more important than they would ever have for us.
d. Our hubris knows no bounds.
e. James’ command is to carefully speak with deliberate intention. Probably after having been a quick and considerate listener.
f. We ought to allow others to speak their mind even remaining in silence for a time. Job’s friends began by sitting with him for 7 days, consoling him without words. Then they spoke and went awry.
g. Our tongue is the topic of much of James’ epistle, so we won’t spoil it – but should the Lord prevent us from getting there – perhaps we should know that our tongue is a fire that can burn down a forest.
h. As Proverbs 17:28 says “Even a fool who keeps silent shall be considered wise; he who closes his lips is intelligent.”
i. Be silent and speak only when you have wisdom to offer. Don’t hastily answer back an accuser. Don’t quickly accuse or confront. Be careful and be deliberate.
3. Again, we see the pride of a person who is quick to speak. Talking over others, or worse, talking over God.
v. [Slide 12] They must be slow to anger. They must be patient, content, gentle, and forgiving.
1. Toward God
a. This would be reflected in a patient trust that He is good and in control of all things.
b. This would be demonstrated by not issuing complaint or bitterness over circumstances but rather expressing hopeful prayers for mercy and relief from difficulty.
c. It would also mean counting tests as joy because we know that God has a growing purpose for us in them.
d. Being slow to anger toward God is being content with what God has given and where God has you. It is expressed in humble patience and hope, and approached with humility and meekness.
e. To be slow to anger with God, would be to see Him as James has described Him thus far in this epistle.
2. [Slide 13] Toward others
a. We certainly should not be angry at someone who belongs to God.
b. And we must forgive them if they have wronged us in some way. For God has forgiven us of so much more.
c. And even if the object of our ire is an unbeliever – what anger could we possess toward them that would be holy? Certainly, we might be angry at their sin against a holy God. But should this be anger? Or should it be pity?
d. Does God need us to defend Him or His law? Does He need us to be angry on His behalf? Does our anger accomplish anything toward those who are steeped in wonton sin?
e. Certainly, Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple – but He was not just man, but God also.
f. God being angry at someone sinning against Him – makes sense.
g. But, as mere humans, we must be very cautious about being angry with anyone for any reason.
h. We have seen in each of these expressions of James that the core is our own arrogance. Pride opposes us in following this command.
i. And with our righteous indignation, is pride truly unable to weasel its way in?
vi. James now broadens to focus specifically on anger.
vii. Why must we be slow to anger? Why must we be patient, forgiving, content, and gentle?
e. [Slide 14] 20 – For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.
i. James doesn’t say rarely, infrequently, or seldom.
ii. He says human anger DOES NOT accomplish God’s righteousness.
iii. This is probably talking about God’s holy standard. The standard that has been set by Christ is not accomplished in human anger.
iv. Brothers in Christ ought never to squabble and fight over secondary doctrines.
v. But even doctrines that must be defended ought to be defended with holy and peaceable zeal. To the extent that while we may walk away declaring another to be a heretic - to burn them on a stake would be the furthest thing from our mind. Rather we pity them and move to protect the flock from their lies.
vi. Though we may hate the sin in a brother’s heart, we fear our own failure greater. We pursue them with love and pity imploring them to repent. And if they do not, we do not raise a mob with pitch forks and chase them out the door, nor do we throw a celebration. But we grieve for their plight. We treat them as an unbeliever though we admonish them as a brother.
vii. Though we disagree strongly with the ungodly in our nation pulling us further and further into the quagmire of wickedness and debauchery – If we think that rising up in anger, spouting insults and ridicule will somehow win a holy victory against them – we are sorely mistaken.
viii. And though we be tested, tried, tempted, and stretched thin by the providential will of our Good Father – what benefit would it serve us to gripe and complain and demand God’s attention or accuse Him of things His nature would not allow Him to be or do? It is of no benefit but only detriment to us.
ix. Man’s anger… truly… is never a path to right living before God.
x. Are there times when holy anger can happen?
xi. I suppose theoretically we may find one – for Paul says to be angry but without sin.
xii. But anger that does not breach the line of sin is still not close to accomplishing the Righteous standard of God.
xiii. Human anger cannot transport us to God’s pleasure. Ever.
f. [Slide 15] Passage Truth: James moves on to pointing out the lack of his readers in their priority of self and the effect it has on loving God and one another. He sees a good deal of frustration, backbiting, griping and complaining. At the center of this is the selfish anger that we humans produce so well. James tells his readers that such anger does not reach the standard of righteousness that God has set for them.
g. Passage Application: So then, his audience must be quick to listen to God and others, and slow to allow selfishness and pride to control their tongues and their tempers.
h. [Slide 16] Broader Biblical Truth: But does the rest of scripture teach this? Does the rest of the bible show us that mankind is not able in their anger to ascend to the standard of God? Moses, in a moment of sheer frustration at the sin of Israel, struck the rock that God had commanded him to speak to. For this – he was excluded from entering into the promised land before he died. Why? Because human anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God. In being angry – perhaps he did not sin – but in his anger he lost control and disobeyed the Lord. Such is the case in human anger. Even if the anger itself is not a sin, the lack of control can lead us to sin quite easily. And many times, human anger is rooted in selfishness and pride.
i. Broader Biblical Application: So, what should we then do CBC? We must be a patient listener to God’s word and our brother’s advice and critique. We should be a cautious and deliberate speaker in addressing our God and in teaching, reproof, rebuke, instruction, and correcting our brothers and sisters. We ought also to be patient and content with what the Lord has given us, not complaining or grumbling but always thankful. And we ought to be gentle and forgiving with our brothers and sisters, never responding with evil but returning good for evil and seeking restoration rather than revenge. We must hold our harsh words and speak life and peace. Especially to other believers but even to our enemies. We must be righteous as God demands that we be.
Transition:
[Slide 17 (blank)] If the anger of men does not accomplish the righteousness of God… what does?
II.) Only the gospel is the power of God to save us, so we must root out old sin habits and humbly welcome gospel instruction. (21)
a. [Slide 18] 21 – Therefore,
i. It is difficult to know what James is using this word to say.
ii. It is clear that anger was his last point – but what James has to say next more easily ties in with what he said in verse 18.
iii. But perhaps the command for his readers to be patient, humble listening people who speak kindly and cautiously and seldom if ever are angry – perhaps this command uses anger as but one example of the greater topic of wickedness.
iv. That principally, if human anger cannot accomplish the righteousness of God (being often stronger than all other emotions) perhaps James’ audience would be looking for what can propel them – what is powerful enough to get them to the righteousness that God requires.
v. If a human being’s strongest reaction, emotion, impulse, is not able to achieve that holy standard of God – even when it is flared against things that God is also most displeased with - then what is powerful enough to get us to God’s Righteous standard?
vi. James continues…
b. [Slide 19] Ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent,
i. James describes the steps to achieving the standard that God has set for us.
ii. First, we see repentance.
iii. Beginning with a participle suggests that James is saying while you are ridding yourselves you are to do something else, which we will get to in a moment.
iv. But first we must see what we are ridding ourselves of.
v. Because you see, it is not just human anger that cannot accomplish the righteousness of God. It is all things human. The human condition itself. And what is included in that human condition?
vi. All moral filth. The core of all sin is idolatry and pride. All expressions of sin can be boiled down to these. We are worshipping something and that thing is oftentimes ourselves.
vii. The anger of man tends to reveal much of what we worship. Do you want to know what someone worships? Start taking things away from him and whatever he gets angry about – that is what he is worshipping.
viii. And all the evil that is so prevalent in our hearts as sinners who are simultaneously justified – all that bubbles to the surface as the Lord keeps chip, chip, chipping away at all the dead flesh still hanging on to us.
ix. So, we as sinners declared righteous are constantly and consistently to be ridding ourselves of all the dead that still clings to us.
x. But while we are doing that – what else must we do?
c. [Slide 20] Humbly receive the implanted Word,
i. Before we saw that by God’s sovereign plan for us, He has willed that we would be made alive with Christ through His death and resurrection. We are united to Him and in that, His Spirit regenerates our soul.
ii. This work of Christ has been sown in our hearts. Our soil was prepared for it by God and He planted Christ’s work in us.
iii. And now that we are in this state of new birth – now that we have been made alive – we respond by turning from all that we were before and by receiving the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
iv. We receive, accept or welcome what God has already put there.
v. Notice we do not welcome or receive it in order to have it implanted. But rather we respond humbly and warmly to its having been implanted.
vi. We wrestle with the tension of God’s sovereignty in salvation and our responsibility in salvation.
vii. This is where human responsibility comes in.
viii. Now that God has opened our eyes, freed our enslaved wills, breathed spiritual life into dead creatures, and given us spiritual eyes to discern that this gospel message is truth, and implanted that truth within us… what must we do?
ix. We must turn from all that has condemned us and like a beggar who has been given a great sum of money, like a great debtor who has been forgiven his debt, like a good little child at Christmas – we receive with humble and thankful hearts what the Lord has given to us.
x. And so, we welcome the word of God the truth of His gospel in our hearts by faithful obedience to all He has said.
xi. Why would be so receptive and honoring? Why would we bend over backward to obey such a word?
d. [Slide 21] Which is able to save your souls.
i. That word is able to save our souls.
ii. When we say something is able to do something, at times we mean that it is able but something is lacking. When we say that a medicine is able to cure us, or that the bus is able to take us downtown – we mean it subjunctively. Where it could happen but requires something more. Like we must take medicine or we must buy a ticket for the bus. It leaves a level of uncertainty.
iii. This is 100% NOT the case here.
iv. By saying that the word is able to save our souls, James is not saying that it is able but there are other things necessary to complete the task.
v. Instead, James compares the implanted word to human anger.
vi. Human anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God.
vii. But the implanted Gospel of Christ is powerful enough, strong enough, to accomplish our salvation. To meet God’s holy standard.
viii. This is exactly what Paul says when he says that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation. It is the only power able to save us. It alone with nothing else added.
ix. His gospel can and will transform us – through and through.
x. And in that transformation, we will be saved. James does not speak of salvation here in the “conversion” aspect but rather in the ultimate aspect. That we will be fully and finally glorified and freed from this life of sin.
xi. And that begins the moment that word is implanted. Because it is powerful to save.
xii. So, we must welcome it and nurture it by obeying it.
xiii. And that is exactly where he is going next. More on that next time.
e. [Slide 22] Passage Truth: In direct contrast to his point before about man’s anger and by extension man’s most passionate efforts coming up short, the word of truth, the gospel, is powerful and will save us if it has been implanted in us. What man’s zeal could not do, the gospel does.
f. Passage Application: At first, his readers might think that James issues another command here. To rid themselves of sinfulness and to welcome the implanted word. But in essence, this is the broader version of what he has already said. To listen carefully to the gospel’s instruction and to choke off their sinful and wicked reactions. And so, in essence the command is the same. Root out old sin habits and welcome gospel instruction. Be quick to listen and slow to allow sin to control our tongues or tempers.
g. [Slide 23] Broader Biblical Truth: But is this true? Does the bible as a whole teach that the gospel is all we need to save us? Does the word actually teach us that our human effort and our human zeal add nothing to the saving power of Jesus Christ? My friends – it most certainly does. Not only does the bible flatly deny that works have any part in our salvation, but as we have seen repeatedly in foundations and throughout our investigation of New Testament books on Sunday morning – mankind is fundamentally broken in our natural state. When we are born we are born as sinners. We do not become sinners by sinning – but rather we sin because we are already sinners. As the scriptures teach us none are righteous and none seek after God. This is why God must regenerate us first because if it were left up to us and our zeal and effort we would fail miserably. Do we think this changes after we are born of God? Oh no. Certainly we must receive and welcome the word (this is our human responsibility) – but the word alone does all the saving. It is not our anger or our zeal, but the power of the gospel alone that brings us safely home.
h. Broader Biblical Application: So CBC, what must we do? If the gospel saves us and no zeal of ours can help – then we may as well rid ourselves of every fleshly, earthly, natural, sinful bent of our hearts. We must get rid of our impulse to defend ourselves, to think ourselves correct, to have others hear us, and instead we must become humble students. We must sit and learn in the school of Christ. May His gospel teach and transform us into little mimics. May we think, talk, act, and be like Him in all our ways. For what He has already done, and who He has made us to be, is able to save us to the uttermost. And receiving that and resting in that – well that my friends is called faith. We walk by faith. We live by faith.
Conclusion:
[Slide 24 (end)] It may seem a little confusing of a message today.
What I mean by that is it seems like the text today has a very specific application that hits us in our everyday walk. But in another way the text’s application is quite broad to open up the whole concept of what the Christian life looks like.
If you picked up on that, you are absolutely right.
James is entering into a section of his letter where he is going to talk about both of these concepts.
He is going to open up a mega theme next time, showing us that it is not enough to simply hear the gospel but we must do it also.
But James is also reaching back to this concept of testings and how God is good and how God has birthed us into His family to be His people.
So, what can we take home today as we find ourselves in a transitional passage between two major points?
First, we must not be duped to think that since we are in a transition that nothing James says here is of much consequence. In fact, the opposite is true. There isn’t much else that James will talk about in the rest of the letter that he has not mentioned in these 3 verses. Let that sink in for a second. I’ll say it again. There isn’t much else that James will talk about in the rest of the letter that he has not mentioned in these 3 verses!
Secondly, we must recognize the lesser to greater argument that pastor James uses to impact his audience.
He starts with their infighting, their selfishness, their anger and their complaining. He recognizes that they are in tests and trials of God… and tempers are flaring. So, he commands them, since they are God’s first fruits, to be different. To be patient and attentive listeners to God and one another. To be cautious and deliberate speakers to God and one another. And to be patient and content with the Lord’s tests and gentle and forgiving to each other.
But this is only 1 example of the greater principle that he is getting to. That principle is that they have been implanted with the only thing able to save them. The gospel of Christ. They are His and they have His gospel. So then, they must get rid of their natural tendencies to sin and instead welcome God’s standard of righteousness which His Son perfectly exemplifies.
So for us today – we must recognize how true sanctification happens. It happens by the power of the gospel as we obey the Lord and in ridding ourselves of our former sins.
But more specifically – we must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.
Because it was a holiday week, I knew that I would lose all of Thursday which would give me a bit of a time crunch on getting everything done that I needed to for this sermon. The irony isn’t lost on me today – since I didn’t end up giving it until this week anyway.
Nevertheless, with this perceived time crunch, Tuesday the 22nd, I went out to make sure the girls were doing their chores and to help fill the Duck water before I headed out to the office.
As we were heading to the milk house to fill buckets, the chickens suddenly started pouring out of the barn flying over their fence enclosure. As my attention rested on the kerfuffle, I noticed a cat coming out of the barn which was the cause of the stir. Followed by my youngest daughter trying desperately to get the cat out of the chicken run. The cat, being the nervier of the two did not welcome her assistance in getting him back into the barn. Thinking only of my schedule and the time it would take for me to wrangle the chickens back together – I got very angry.
I went into that barn and I chewed her up one side and down the other. I told her how foolish she was for keeping the coop door open so the cats could get in in the first place and how foolish it was for her to chase the cat into their run and not out. I yelled her out of my sight to go and put the chickens away with her sister. She left weeping.
I called my wife from the barn hoping to gain an ally for my bash Moira party. But my wife immediately recognized the mistakes she had made and the ease in correcting them. Suddenly I felt like the fool. And indeed, I was.
Before I left, I apologized to Moira but it was only half an apology. I made sure to get in another shot of why she needs to think about her actions.
As I was praying in the car on the way, God drew my mind to the passage that I’d be studying for today’s sermon. The words of James, the implanted word of God in my heart, like a knife, cut me to my core.
“The anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.”
I confessed my sin and later sought Moira’s forgiveness. But even then, it didn’t go as I wanted it to. I wanted her to say she forgave me and loved me. Because she is Moira – she barely remembered it happened. Still, she hugged me and when I asked if she would forgive me she said, “Uh huh.” And that was enough.
My friends – This is but a small example that proves the rule. We all are sinners declared righteous. God is still killing off what we were born as, and raising up what He new birthed us to be. Let us be quick to rid ourselves of our old life and welcome the gospel’s instruction in this new life He has given us.
