James Series - Listen up!

 

Listen up!

James 1:18-26

The big three that can get you in a heap of trouble, snoopy ears, a big mouth, and a hot head. In every one of our lives we have found ourselves disturbed over something we heard and ready to lambast somebody with a tongue lashing. Welcome to the sinful human nature. But in God’s economy, we aren’t to release the beast of impertinent ears, a rapid-fire tongue, and nuclear wrath.

James gives us wisdom to listen quietly, talk little, and simmer down. So let’s read the first portion of the text, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you…Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

James and his church congregation were as human as anywhere else in the world. Being in Jerusalem, the epicenter of the jewish religion, they probably found it difficult to institute restraint on the brigade of human responses. It was only in the transformed nature by God that anyone could institute the restraint needed. So in dealing with mankind, God gave the Jerusalem leadership and Church wisdom to listen more than they talked, and control their tongues and their human anger. In order to be quick to listen, James’ instruction was to give thought to what they had heard before engaging their mouths. He must have known the sinfulness of pride and arrogance, maybe from his own life or from those he was around or shepherded for God. The closed-mindedness of many around the church, as well in the church, came from a hardened mind or heart. Being quick to listen meant being respectful and considerate, and able to gain wisdom and knowledge. James also knew that the inclusion of a sharpened tongue to blocked hearing was the ingredient for an explosion in the church or the city. The tamed tongue was a must for any believer or leader. It is difficult to put out the fires of outrage. The church could easily see the religiosity in Jerusalem, which put on the personification of piousness, but was loose with their tongue of pious fire. James probably had been scorched many times by the religiousness that had crucified Jesus, his brother. James warned the church that loosened-lip religion was worthless to the work of God and only led to deception.

  Which brought James to the third malady, human anger. James probably knew the apostles James and John, the sons of thunder, whose anger against the Samaritans was fueled by Jewish history and religious animosity. There may have been many believers in the Jerusalem church that needed a large dose of humility and forbearance when dealing with the human insensitivity of others. 

For James would have heard some of Jesus’ teachings, possibly the sermon on the mount, and the forgiveness of others as we have received from the Lord. He knew that human anger didn’t solve the problem but escalated it. The righteousness of God is not achieved by unleashing human anger, and James may have heard Paul’s teaching to the Colosians on that very matter. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Col. 3:12-14)

James knew the old sinful nature that was so prevalent in the world must be put to death which had plagued mankind since the fall of the world into sin, and in order for the godly nature to live and thrive there must be forgiveness with gentleness which brings restoration and not human animosity.

  Application -  “Oh what an evil web we weave, when we practice to deceive.” (Sir Walter Scott, 1808) was a phrase I learned in elementary school. It is so easily practiced and implemented in today’s society and culture. Deception began with the devil and is propagated by all his children. In our devolved world, we have taken on the nature of deception. We are not patient in hearing, speech, or emotions. We will engage our mouths before we open our ears to listen: “To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.” (Prov. 18:13) and when we open our mouths before we engage our brains, we spiel out ignorance, “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.”, “Too much talk leads to sin.  Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” “There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.” (Proverbs 13:3 NIV; Proverbs 10:19 NLT; Proverbs 29:20 NLT) 

We need to be like the wise in our speech, “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; And a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels” (Prov. 1:5) To many times we takes the advice and counsel of those who haven’t thought through but expound their own opinions based on the fallacy of their own desires, not on truth. And when we have not listened and opened our mouths with the counsel of the world and its rampant wickedness instead of the Word of God, it leads to hostility. “...but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure. (Prov. 14:16) We stimulate the fleshly nature and then break into aggressiveness and human anger which doesn’t bring the righteousness of God, but trouble, chaos, and wrath. But let us be patient and put on the righteousness of God. “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.” (James 1:20-21)

And when we try to look pious and religious in our folly, we do not portray the righteousness of God but of the sinful human-nature, and whatever we heard or said is worthless in the sight of God, and we have deceived ourselves and others. It is worthless in the eyes of God. “...but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:2b)

We must rid ourselves of the moral filth and evil deception of not listening first, speaking rashly, and opening yourself to human anger that is prevalent in our world and societies. Instead, let us walk in humility, listen with ears to hear what God wants to say, speak in the wisdom of the Word of God, and walk in the Spirit of love.

Second, James continues the need to conquer the malady of not listening. So let’s look at the last portion of the text.  “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

Many in the church were concerned with the trials of life and the persecution from many sides to their new faith. In Godly wisdom, James directs the church into not being a spectator in the church, but a participant, to put into practice the Word of God, implementing the Word as seed for growth in wisdom, understanding, discernment, instruction, and insight. James probably saw many who, like the soil in the parable of the sower, the word of God fell on hard hearts, rock-ridden minds with little depth of retention, or the weed-riddled heart or mind choking out the growth of the Word into fruition. Many people were deceived and their lives were evidence of the deception. 

James used the mirror analogy to prove his point. The mirrors in the early church were polished bronze. The reflection was sufficient to reflect your face, but the short-minded person soon forgets his own image, just as he would the words of truth he or she heard and spoke in rash words of the flesh instead of wisdom. 

But the person who spent time memorizing the words of God was like the person who intently looked into the mirror as they looked into the scripture to draw out more from God, thus giving them the freedom in the Spirit to live it to the fullest and abundantly doing what they heard, speaking the wisdom from the Word of God.

Application - Judge Judy uses this phrase in her courtroom, “God gave you two ears to hear and one mouth.” For many times she has defendants and complainants who don’t understand the rules of law and open their mouths and demonstrate their ignorance. How many of us have made the same mistakes, only to be corrected by wise counsel.

The next step is to apply what you have heard in your life. Many hard-hearted or hard-headed people are deceived because they forget wise counsel and open their hearts, mouths, and lives to deception and destroy their lives. James tells us to put into practice what we have heard from God, make it our directive in life and a habit. It is the practice of the teachings from God’s Word that direct our lives into being godly, holy,  knowledgeable of His will and purpose, and in submission for our lives. Then we can look in the mirror and see the new Holy-Spirited person that God is creating, and not the old man or woman of the flesh.

I have a phrase that God has given me in my walk with Him that helps me to grow and do the Word.

“God I ask you for WUDII today,

(Wisdom

(Understanding

(Discernment

(Instruction

(Insight

Maybe this will help you in your walk as well.

It is this new life that has the freedom of God. It is a bond-broken life from sin into a faith filled life of trusting God in His benevolent wisdom, provision, and Spirit-led walk that lead us to his throne room everyday. We will be blessed in what we do and will be a blessing to others as well. “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Prov. 11:25; Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:4; Eph. 2:10)

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today. Thank you http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com