Will DC be a Community of Truth AND Grace?

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20).” 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same (Mt. 5:43-47)?” 

“Who are you to judge your neighbor (4:12c)?” 

I. Slander and Judgment have the aim of harm, not healing. 

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.  (Mt. 5:21-22).” 

II. Slander and judgment are not the same as speaking truth in love. 

“…speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love (Eph. 4:15).”

1. We are not the law.  

   “The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law (11b).” 

2. We are not the Judge. 

   “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able…to destroy  (1:12a).”

3. We accept the nature of our salvation. 

   “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save…(1:12a).”

Thus, when we speak the truth ,we do so: 

Big Idea: Christ satisfies our deepest desires, so that we will corporately draw near to God.

1. We must have a Growing And Grounded Prayer Life. vv.1-3

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:1-3)

2. We Must Posture Our Hearts Towards God. vv.4-6

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James4:4-6)

3. We must be quick to repent and lament. Vv.7-11

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. (James4:7-11)

Main Idea:  God’s wisdom transforms us and teaches how to bring peace where there is chaos. 

1. Godly Wisdom empowers you to actively live a life that seeks the good of others. 

Wisdom is the practical outworking of a heart submitted to the Lord.

1 Peter 2:21-23

“21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.  24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness."

2. Mankind’s demonic desires & motivations cause the evil and division that we see in the world and the church. 

James 3:1-12

I. Words have purpose.

(Genesis. 1:1-3)

“In Genesis 1, the world of communication was a world of peace, truth, and life. Words were never used as weapons. Truth was never used to tear down. Words were always spoken in love, and human communication never broke the bonds of peace.” Tripp, Paul David. War of Words: Getting to the Heart of Your Communication Struggles (p. 12).

We were created to thrive on words of blessing, affirmation, and encouragement from God.

We were also created to receive purpose and mission from God through His Words.

(Genesis. 1:28-30)

We were also created to have God speak law, boundaries, and words of warning.

(Genesis. 2:16-17)

We also were created for God to explain our deepest emotions and feelings.

(Genesis. 2:18)

We need God to speak to us to 1) Bless us, 2) put us on a purposeful mission, 3) give us directives that will protect our lives, 4) makes sense of our internal longings.

(James 3:1-2)

(Genesis. 3:1-6)

When the serpent speaks, he speaks to deceive, pull hearers away from active listening to God, and the result is always death, confusion, skepticism and suspicion.

II. Words have creative power.

(Matthew 3:16-17)

(Matthew 5:21-23)

(James 3:8-10)

(James: 5-6)

(Proverbs 18:21)

III. Words are a window to our heart.

(James 3:6)

(Luke 6:43 - 45)

(Jeremiah 17:9)

IV. The Word is our hope.

(James 9-10)

(John 1:14,16)

(Matthew. 7:3-5)

(Romans 5:20)

James 2:14-26 

“He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created (1:18).”

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Mt. 23:25-28).” 

I. True, living faith must work.  

“If you love me, you will obey my commandments (Jn. 14:15).” 

“You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear (2:19).” 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’(Rm 1:16).”

II. True, living faith must work in a specific direction. 

“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone (2:24).”

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law (Rm 3:28).” 

“…of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Eph. 2:4-5).” 

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9).” 

“Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” 

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that (2:15-16)?” 

III. True, living faith accompanied by faith motivated acts is simply biblical. 

Our faith in Christ must reflect our hearts, in the way we dignify all people. vv.1-7

Our faith in Christ must reflect our hearts, in the way we show mercy. vv.8-13

19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. [21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

[22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] 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. [24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. [25] 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.

[26] If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. [27] 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.

Main Idea:

 God calls his beloved to respond accordingly to His word , in every season of life.

1. We respond by accepting God’s word.

19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. [21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

2. We respond by acting on God’s word.

22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

3. We respond by applying God’s word.

[26] If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. [27] 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.

“We are to be involved in their distress the pressures which squeeze them in their circumstances- pressure due to illness or fractured relationships or unemployment or family tensions” Kent Hughes

James 1:12-18

Main Idea: Your earthly desires are good and will only be fulfilled when you receive what God wants for you

1. There is a Reward at the End of the Trial 

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. " 1:12

"Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself temps no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” 

2.Desiring is Good, but Some Desires will lead you to destruction

3. Desiring is Good, and Points Us to the Only One Who Can Satisfy Them. 

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” 16-18

James 1:1-18

“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures (1:18).” 

I. God gifted wisdom sees value in trials. 

II. The Wise man knows where to go for wisdom. 

III. The wise man knows where (maybe how) not to go. 

IV. The wise man knows his trials are going somewhere.

Dirty Faith: Series Introduction - James - Richard Rieves - August 22, 2021