Sermons – Grace Evangelical Free Church // Wyoming, MN

James 3:1-12 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back to James. It’s not a traditional Mother’s day text, but after a month off, it is good to be here again.

Before we get to the text itself, though, let’s back up a bit. Since it’s been a while, let me remind you of the overall thrust of James’s letter. It is that the very nature of the Christian life is hearing the Word of God, believing it, and then acting on it; and all by the power of God. In other words, James argues that the grace God gives for forgiveness of sins, always also produces increasing obedience. No increasing obedience, no forgiveness of sins. To be clear, increasing obedience does not cause the forgiveness of our sins, but it does always flow from it. James warns that we must not, therefore, be hearers only, but doers also, for such hearing is useless.

To that end, much of James’s letter describes and commands the kinds of “doing” that God’s grace produces in His forgiven people. Our passage for this morning is no exception. In it, James describes one aspect of the kind of conduct that flows from forgiveness. In particular, he (re)addresses several issues of Christian speech.

In short, and mostly in reverse order from how James presents it, James’s argument is this: (1) Human speech, by its very nature, is more powerful than it seems like it should be. (2) In particular, speaking wrongly often does a great deal of harm. (3) For that reason, Christians need to be really careful about how we talk. (4) Being really careful in how we talk is really hard for everyone. (5) For all of these reasons, most people should not be teachers within the Church.

Let’s pray and then consider each of James’s five main points and how they ought to impact our lives.

THE OUTSIZED POWER OF OUR WORDS (3-4)

As I mentioned in the introduction, in this passage James was making one main argument in five steps. It’s not clear to me why James framed things the way he did, but I think we’ll be able to see his argument and reasoning most clearly, and therefore apply it most easily, by going in mostly reverse order; beginning with the outsized power of our words.

As a husband, father, son, brother, friend, pastor, and missionary, I’ve continually seen words (mine and others) have an impact ...

INTRODUCTION

Welcome, once again, to missions week. Make sure you take some time to thank the missions team for their work in making this week happen and, more importantly, for consistently keeping God’s missionary charge in front of us. As you probably already know, the banner over this week and this sermon is, “The Insanity of Missions”. With a slogan like that, I owe you two definitions right off the bat.

Missions as we understand it is “crossing a significant cultural or language barrier to glorify God by calling others to follow Jesus by the power of His Spirit.” Or, missions is partnering with God to spread His glory and salvation to the ends of the earth.

Insanity as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is, “Extreme foolishness or irrationality”.

We, of course, do not mean to suggest that missions is actually an insane endeavor. We do mean to suggest, however, that (1) apart from a biblical view of the world, missions appears insane, and that it is, nevertheless, (2) part of God’s plan to be glorified in saving the world. Let’s pray and then consider those two main points (in reverse order) as a means of growing in our glad-hearted, sacrificial missions-obedience.

MISSIONS IS PART OF GOD’S PLAN TO SPREAD HIS GLORY AND SALVATION

Once again, I have to main points: (1) Missions is a part of God’s plan for spreading His glory and saving mankind from his sin and, (2) rightly understood, this appears insane (extremely foolish or irrational) both to the watching world and to many in the Church who are confused about God’s Word.

In order to help you see that both of those points are deeply rooted in God’s Word, I’d like to lead you through a number of passages on each; beginning with the fact that missions is part of God’s plan to spread His glory and salvation to the world. To that end, I invite you consider three of the main ways this shows up in God’s Word: (1) In the many passages that speak of God’s commitment to the spread of His glory to all the earth, (2) In the many passages in which God explicitly commands His people to engage in missions, and (3) In the many passages that describe the early Church’s missionary efforts.

God Determined that the Whole World Would Glorify Him

We see the fact that missions is a part of God’s plan to spread the good news of His glory and salvation throughout all the earth in the biblical passages that tell of God’s determination to do that Himself.

Psalm 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Isaiah 6:1-3 [Together, the seraphim] called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Psalm 67:1-7 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

1 Chronicles 16:8–34 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! 14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. 24 Declare his glory among the nations,

This week, we invited Pastor Greg Robotti from Sunrise Bible Church in North Branch, MN to speak to us from the book of Ephesians

Ephesians 1:20–23 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Introduction

The day after the great earthquake and fire at San Francisco a newsboy was showing a dazed man the way through the rubble, and as they walked, the young lad reasoned… “It took men a long time to put this stuff up, but God tumbled it over in a minute… mister… isn’t no use for a feller to think he can lick God.”

In the verses right before these, we see the purpose for which Paul was praying for the Ephesians… that they might have spiritual insight… so that they might grasp the significance of three very crucial things… the hope that God provides based on His calling a believer unto salvation… the riches of His glory that He promises to all believers… the greatness of the power He possesses… the power that actively operates in and towards all who believe in Christ. What awesome things that God has done and has provided on behalf of all who know Jesus Christ. Now in vv. 20-23 as Paul continues his thought, we find him expounding upon the last of these three crucial things… the great power of God. In v. 19, he declared and emphasized the all-surpassing nature of God’s power. Next, he unfolds how God had manifested that power. Paul declares here the final thing that he earnestly desired the Ephesians and all believers… including us… to grasp the significance of… that…

The Greatness of God’s Power Is Demonstrated in Jesus Christ.

Of all the ways in which God has revealed His awesome power to mankind and to His people throughout history… none can match what He has accomplished through Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that the all-surpassing and incomprehensible nature of God’s power is demonstrated most magnificently. Why is it important to grasp this power demonstrated in Christ? Because the Church… the body of Christ… needs to comprehend her significance, the importance of her status in God’s eyes… she is the beneficiary… of this great power… she is the object of its work… The church often comes under attack in our day… is diminished, minimized… yet the church… and only the church…of all entities in the whole of the cosmos… only for her and to her is this great power of God through her head, Jesus Christ, supplied that she might be to the praise of His glory!… [read vv. 20-23… In v. 20, Paul refers to the “exceeding greatness” of God’s power from v. 19 as that… “That he worked in Christ.”

“worked” — ενργεω — to work, produce or affect something

Paul is going to declare for us what it was that God produced… effected… accomplished through His power in Jesus Christ. He sets forth three [3 demonstrations of the greatness of God’s power. First: The Greatness of God’s Power Is Demonstrated in…

I. The Resurrection of Christ (v. 20a)

“when He raised Him from the dead”

Acts 2:23-24 “his Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it”

Acts 13:30 Paul in the synagogue at Psidian Antioch… the one crucified and laid in the tomb… “God raised Him from the dead!”

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why am I in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven,

James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 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? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back to James 2:14-26. Since this is part two, if you weren’t here last week, I’d strongly encourage you to go back and read/listen to that sermon in order to make the most sense and get the most out of this sermon. The things I’m about to say are built on the foundation I laid last week.

In the way of a very brief recap, the main thing for you to know about James 2:14-26 is that in it we see James’s answer to one main question: What is the relationship between living a holy life and salvation through faith in Jesus?

By way of four examples, James answered that question in a small handful of ways. He said that in order to be saved, a person must have faith. However, he also said that a claim to faith is not the same as actually having faith. In fact, a claim to have faith apart from corresponding good works is dead faith, not-good-for-anything faith, useless faith, and incomplete faith. He went on to explain that even faith rooted in true things about God is not enough to save someone.

In the end, James’s main answer is that a person can only rightly claim to have saving faith when their faith is marked by good works. All of that is what we covered last week.

Having considered James’s (1) basic argument, then, we will turn our attention to the final three sections of this two-part sermon: (2) the “problem”, (3) the “solution”, and (4) the application.

Let’s pray that by doing so, God would help us understand and appreciate James’s contribution to the larger biblical picture of salvation, the real impact that ought to have on our lives, and that these things are the reason it is good to celebrate Psalm Sunday and the rest of Holy Week.

THE “PROBLEM”

As I mentioned at the end of last Sunday’s sermon, if this passage from James was all we had on the relationship between faith and works, we’d be left with clarity, but we’d also be left with no small amount of concern. Thoughtful readers of James are left wondering, how many good deeds do I need to have in my life to be confident that my faith is genuine? What happens when I find some measure of hypocrisy? What do I do when I want to have good works, but they don’t seem to be coming?

On top of those concerns, and more to the point, as you all know, James isn’t the only biblical writer to address this subject. This letter is a part of the Bible, and all of the writings in the Bible are equally inspired by God and equally true. Therefore,

James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 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? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

INTRODUCTION

What is the relationship between living a holy life and salvation through faith in Jesus? That’s the basic question that James answers in this passage. He had already indirectly addressed certain aspects of it, but here he explicitly answers and defends his answer. In short, James argues that there is an indivisible connection between genuine faith in Jesus and good works.

In an attempt to make things as clear as possible, I’m going to preach on this passage over the next two weeks, and divide it into four parts. In the first part (which I’ll cover today), I do my best to lay out James’s basic line of thinking. In the second part, I present the “problem” introduced by Paul’s seemingly contradictory argument on the same subject. In the third part, I offer what I believe to be the biblical “solution” to the “problem”. And in the fourth and final part, I explain what it all looks like in practice.

At the end of the day, I hope and pray that these two sermons will help you come to a greater understanding of this passage and therein a greater appreciation for the place that righteousness is meant to have in your life and in our church. I also hope and pray that through that greater understanding and appreciation, you will all experience a new or renewed Holy Spirit-empowered conviction to walk in righteousness and a corresponding Holy Spirit-infused assurance of salvation.

JAMES’S BASIC ARGUMENT

Does God care about whether you live a holy life? If so, what’s at stake if you are or are not holy? Exactly how holy do you need to be? In what ways do the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus affect this? What, if any, connection is there between our holiness and our salvation? Again, these are the kinds of questions James had in mind when he wrote our passage for today. And, of course, these questions are at the very heart of the Christian faith.

James doesn’t tell us everything we need to know about the relationship between faith and works, but he does give us some critical parts. James’s main point is that any claim to have saving faith in Jesus that is not accompanied by a life of increasing holiness, is a lie. Good (holy) works are a necessary part of salvation in Jesus. To help his readers understand and accept this claim, James explained and defended it around four examples (two imaginary, and two from the OT). Let’s consider each right now.

Hungry and Naked Brother (14-17)

James began by asking a simple question,

James 2:8-13 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back to James’s letter to “the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (scattered groups of persecuted and suffering Christians). We covered 2:1-7 last week and we’ll cover 2:8-13 this week. If you were here last week, though, you heard me say that is all one big section (2:1-13). As we turn to the second half of this section, then, the three main things to keep in mind from the first half are: 1) The primary charge issued by James was that Christians must “show no partiality”, 2) Christian impartiality is ultimately and expression of Christian love, and 3) James gave six reasons to support those first two foundational realities.

To help you follow along in our passage for this morning, let me quickly state James’s main line of thinking. The rest of the sermon is an attempt to unpack this and its implications for us today. In simplest terms, then, this is what James was communicating to his readers:

It is a good thing to want to obey God’s law. Every law among men is summed up in a single command: love your neighbor as yourself. This means that if you want to obey God, you must love the people around you. The problem is that you are not. You are showing partiality. That is not loving. That is breaking the law. Worse still, by breaking the law in this one area, you are guilty of breaking all of it. Stop doing that. Instead, speak and act like Christians who have been shown mercy and grace by God. And remember, God was merciful and gracious to you even though He is higher above you than you are above anyone you’ll ever encounter. If you refuse to be loving and merciful to others, therefore, it means that you are not really hoping in God and you remain guilty before God.

That was James’s message. To really help his readers understand it, what was at stake in it, and to live in light of it, he framed all of it with three contrasts: Love vs. partiality, sin vs. sinner, and mercy vs. judgment. Let’s ask God to help us wring every bit of truth and grace out of this that He intends us to have from it.

CONTRAST BETWEEN LOVE AND PARTIALITY (8-9)

Contrast is measured in the degree of difference between two things. Color, size, skill, brightness, and morality are among the many things for which contrast plays a big role. This is by God’s design. God created the world in such a way that our ability to clearly distinguish between things is important. Contrast is important to God.

Probably the most obvious way we see this is in pictures. If for some reason you have a picture with too little contrast, everything will kind of blur together. Most of the pictures from my childhood, taken on a cheap camera, lack sufficient contrast. Another example is with paint. When Mark and Brad painted the fellowship hall a few weeks ago, they tried to give us an accent wall, but the lack of contrast between the two colors made the “accent” indistinguishable from the original. Likewise, you notice how tall someone is, not when they stand next to other tall people, but when they stand next to someone of more ordinary height. Skill wise, consider the Olympics. Most Olympians only look OK because they are competing against other Olympians.

James 2:1-7 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

INTRODUCTION

What would you do if some type of celebrity started attending Grace? What if it were your athletic, musical, or even theological hero? Would you treat them any differently than you treat a “shabbier” looking visitor from town? What if someone exceedingly wealthy or influential began attending our church? Can you picture yourself treating them the same as everyone else? In other words, are you ever tempted to show favoritism to someone or some group of people because of their position of prominence in this world?

Evidently, this is something at least some of James’s readers were struggling with and James wanted to put a stop to it. Because James loved them and wanted them to love one another well, he commanded them, “Show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ…”. To help his readers obey, he also shared six reasons why they must not play favorites. Let’s pray that God would fill us with the kind of love that shows no partiality.

LOVE IN DISCIPLESHIP

The main thrust of this passage is another in James’s growing list of hard things he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to say to his readers. There had already been instruction, correction, exhortation, and rebuke. Some of what he wrote was sure to provide welcome clarity, but some was sure to wound. All of it was surely done in love. To make sure his readers knew that, James continually addressed them with specific terms of endearment, “My brothers” (1) and “My beloved brothers” (5).

I’ve mentioned this before in James (because James has mentioned it before in James), but before we get to the main content of this passage, I want to draw your attention to it once again with a bit more thoroughness and clarity here. Let’s go a little further up and further in, in considering the biblical place of love in Christian ministry.

James knew that the most foundational love-commandment of all had been spoken years earlier by Jesus, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

Similarly, Paul wrote, “the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14). Think about that for a moment. Everything God requires is tied to our love for others!

Jesus went a step further still in proclaiming, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Grace, one of the most significant marks of true discipleship is Jesus-like love flowing out of Jesus’ love.

To this same point, but from another angle, John wrote, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.

James 1:19-27 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.

THE RIGHT KIND OF RELIGION

“I’m not very religious, I’m more spiritual.”

“I’m into Jesus, not religion.”

“You don’t have to be religious to be a Christian.”

Have you ever heard someone talk that way? Have you ever talked that way?

This type of language has become increasingly common over the past several years. Of course, different people mean different things by it, and there might be something true in what they’re trying to say, but this is not how the Bible talks. There is a kind of religion that is “worthless” (as the above quotes imply), but there is also a kind that pleases God. Religion is good or bad, James tells us, based on its content and output.

In his letter, James was mostly concerned with the kind of religious output (rather than content) that is pleasing to God. Our passage for this morning is no exception. In it, we are given three more charges (one negative and two positive) concerning the kinds of things good religion does—it does not allow for an unbridled tongue, but it does lead to caring for those in society who are most vulnerable and striving for holiness.

To be clear, however, James has in mind the right kind of religion in the eyes of God. He says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God…,” not “Religion that the world (or even the Church) recognizes as pure and undefiled.” This is an important distinction for this sermon and for all of life. Our aim must always be to honor the One who made us, according to His terms. Sometimes those terms will be well-received and sometimes they will be despised. Either way, God alone defines worthy religion.

Let’s pray for God’s help to have the right kind of religion; the kind that hopes wholly in Jesus and works itself out increasingly in the ways God has commanded.

GOOD RELIGIOUS CONTENT

The main question James answers in our passage for this morning is not whether religion is good or bad but, what makes up the right kind of religion. And his answer, once again, is a religion’s content and output. As I mentioned in the introduction, James’s letter is primarily focused on the kind of outworking of religion that pleases God, rather than the specific tenants of that religion. That isn’t to say that James’s is entirely without doctrine, much less that he is unconcerned with it. It is only to say, rather, that sound doctrine is mostly assumed by James.

For instance, James charged his readers to believe that God uses their every trial to sanctify them (1:4), that God will give the crown of life to all who love Him (1:12), that God always, only gives good gifts to His people (1:17), that Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, is the ultimate object of faith (2:1),

James 1:22-25 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.

INTRODUCTION

I grew up in a more rural area. There were lots of dirt roads and houses were usually quite a ways apart. On top of those things, there wasn’t much in the way of businesses, restaurants, or things to keep us entertained as kids. Frequently, my friends and I would pass time by driving around looking for stuff to do. As you can probably imagine, the combination of these things often left us board and free to wander into unwatched trouble.

One night in particular, I remember a group of friends driving around in two different cars. The car I was in got turned around and ended up heading the wrong way. Since we were out in the middle of nowhere, instead of continuing on to turn around in the next driveway, my buddy decided the best way to reverse direction was to go backwards as fast as he could and then turn the wheel sharply so that the front would slide around. To our underutilized teenage brains, this seemed like an awesome idea.

This is probably a good time to mention another unique geographical feature of my hometown. For reasons I still don’t understand, our roads typically had no shoulders and deep ditches on both sides. As you may have guessed, instead of coolly sliding around like cars do on TV, ours simply veered straight into the ditch. I remember sitting there for a moment staring at the tops of the trees across the street thinking, “We’re in trouble.”

Grace ,virtually every aspect of the Christian life is like the roads of my childhood; there is a godly path to walk in faith, with deep, dangerous ditches on both sides. In our passage for this morning, in calling his readers to remain on a particular stretch of the path of godliness, James focused a good deal of effort on describing a ditch he desperately wanted his readers to avoid (perhaps because they were already in it) and the benefits of staying on the right path.

Specifically, the heart of this passage is a call for God’s people to obey the Word of God no matter how counterintuitive it may be in light of their current circumstances. They ought to do so, James argued, because to do so leads to blessing, while failing to do so is total folly. Let’s pray for God’s help to understand, love, and obey.

THE ROAD OF GODLINESS

Look with me again at the beginning of this passage, at v.22.

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

If you’ve been here with us for all of James, you know that this is the passage from which the series got its name. In many ways, the overall theme of James is God’s Word applied (especially in times of hardship). In this sense, walking the road of godliness—living as a Christian) means clearly and carefully taking in God’s Word and the responding to it as God calls us to. It involves hearing from God and then doing what God says (in that order). The simple truth James intended to communicate is that God graciously and benevolently tells us what He means us to do and He expects that we will do it.

Where our hearts are rightly tuned to God in this way, there is no ignorance, misunderstanding, disdain, indifference, fear, delay, or detour. Instead, there is knowledge, understanding, love, commitment, freedom, and instant and perfect obedience.

Grace, of course none of us are perfectly tuned in this way, nor will any of us be perfectly tuned until we die or Jesus returns.