James Chapter One - Vs. 9-27

Now, beginning at verse 9 and
going through verse 27, there are five subjects covered. I'll
give them to you and then we'll look at them one at a time. First
of all, he's talking about, in verse 9 through 11, this has
kind of whet our appetite a little bit, rich and poor believers. Then in verse 12 through 16,
he's going to talk about the difference. Now, this is important,
the difference between trial and temptation. There's a difference.
And then he's going to talk about, verse 17 and 18, all grace is
God-given, all of it. Not some of it, all of it. And then he talks about, in verse
19 through 21, the right way to hear the word of God. And
then in the last verses, he's talking about being doers of
the word and not hearers only. Now let's look at verse 9. Let
the brother, underscore the word brother. We are brothers and
sisters. Now, when you use the word he
and man and brothers, like I said the other night, it's generic.
It's not talking about the men of the Church. It's talking about
the people of the Church. And we are brothers and sisters
in Christ Jesus. And this is the way early brothers
spoke of one another. This is the way they spoke to
one another, and mind you, this is not just a title, it's a relationship. Brothers. It's a relationship. Brothers and sisters. Now I confess,
I'll be perfectly honest with you, this is an area where I
am most troubled. Not only about religion and churches
in general, but this church right here. It troubles me and causes
me to fear for professing Christians, most of them today, because they
don't have this deep, sincere love which Christ talks about
among the brotherhood. He said, by this shall all men
know you are my disciples if you love one another. One thing
I see today is that fleshly relationships appear to me to be more meaningful.
and deeper than spiritual relationships. In other words, I know people
that have a deeper personal relationship with unsaved loved ones than
to do with people in the Church. I don't understand that. I don't
see how any person on this earth can have a deeper personal relationship
with an unsaved person than they can with a brother or a sister
in Christ. I don't understand that at all.
The ties of grace to me, And the powers of grace and the love
of Christ is far deeper than any bloodlines or any fleshly
relationship on this earth. I don't care if it's a mother,
a father, a husband, a wife, a brother, a sister. Brethren
in Christ are closer than brethren in the flesh. Our sisters in
Christ are much closer to us than our sisters in the flesh.
They are loved more, they are regarded more deeply, and they
should be treated with the same affections and the same love
with which Christ has treated us. And you say, well, that's
rarely found. I know it's rarely found. But Scripture says, few
there be that find it. But turn to 1 John 4, and let
me show you something here. 1 John 4, verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another. love is of God, and every one
that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. And he that loveth
not knoweth not God, for God is love. And in this was manifested
the love of God toward us, because God sent his only Son, only begotten
Son, into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love,
not that we love God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins and beloved If God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another. And when James uses
this word brother, let the brother, well, that's not just a title.
And I'm afraid it's degenerated into just that. It's degenerated
into nothing but a title. But in the word of God, to those
who really know Christ, it is a relationship. a lasting, affectionate,
loving, personal, intimate relationship, deeper than any relationship
in all this world. Now, let the brother of low degree,
what are we talking about here? Well, this does not refer to
his spiritual state. That's not what it refers to
at all. It's referring to his earthly state. Now, here's what
James is saying, let the brother who is without wealth The brother
who's without influence, the brother who's without great talent,
the brother who's without great rank, the brother who's without
coveted possessions and advantages of this earth. That's who he's
talking about. Now riches, when we think about riches, we speak
here of the rich man. Riches do not just consist in
silver and gold or earthly possessions. A man can be rich in gifts. Mike
is rich in gifts. Just taking him for an example,
he's not rich in money, but he's rich in gifts. He's got talent. He's got ability. He's got God-given
gifts. He's got personalities, a person
that can lead, a person that can entertain, a person that
can inspire, so he has gifts. He's a rich person. You wouldn't
call him a brother of low degree. He's a leader. Cecil Roach is
not a brother of low degree. He's a brother with talent. He's
a leader. He's an elder. He's a speaker. He's a spokesman.
He's a rich man. This is talking about the brother
of low degree. The brother without wealth, the
brother without influence, without rank, without great talent, without
the coveted possession. Let him rejoice in that he's
what? Exalted. And this is the position
he ought to have. It's like I said a moment ago,
that the relationship that you and I ought to have, and you
ought to have with one another, is a deep, personal, intimate
love that's greater than any relationship this world can possibly
know. And this brother of low degree,
he's to rejoice in that he is exalted. He is not only an equal
brother, more than that, he's the most important brother. I'll
show you that in the scripture. Turn to Matthew 11, verse 11,
and it can't be said stronger than it's said right here. Here
are two or three relationships. We've talked two or three words
about the same relationship. We are to love one another with
a constant, abiding love, and the brother who is of low is
to be equal, there's to be no divisions, no schisms in the
body of Christ, no differences, no pride. We are to be all brethren,
not by ranks and titles, but brethren. And that brother of
a low degree, let him rejoice that his acceptance and his position
does not depend upon his rank or talent or ability or influence,
it depends on the fact he knows Christ. Now Matthew 11, verse
11. Verily I say unto you, among
them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater
than John the Baptist, notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom
of God is greater than John the Baptist." This is contrary to
human nature, but everything God does is contrary to human
nature. Brother Lester is more than I
love my blood brother, if he doesn't know Christ, absolutely.
Well, preacher, that's just, that's contrary to human nature.
Well, the new birth's contrary to human nature. You mean we're
to pick out the brother in the church that's the least, the
lowest esteem, the brother of low degree, the brother who has
no ability or talent to amount to anything, and he's to be esteemed
higher than you are? Absolutely. He's to be regarded,
he's to be esteemed, greater than John the Baptist. Let me
show you that again. 1 Corinthians 12. I'll turn over
here. 1 Corinthians 12. Now this scripture
is talking about the members of the body. Talking about one
member's a foot and one's a hand, one's an eye, one's an ear, and
so forth and so on. We're not all the same members.
Some preach, some sing, some teach, some take up the office,
some clean the church, some do different things. We're all different.
We all have different gifts in different places, God put everyone
in the bodies that pleased him, verse 18. Now down to verse 23. And those members of the body
which we think to be less honorable, upon these we put or bestow more
abundant honor. You see what that says? Let me
show you another verse, 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 1. I want you to look at this one.
Dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before
the unjust and not before the saints? Now, we're talking about
things pertaining to the flesh. We're not talking about doctrine
in the Church. We're not talking about deciding the decisions
about the future of the Church and the doctrine of the Church
and who's to do the preaching and so forth and so on. We're
talking about matters pertaining to the flesh. For example, say
that Jack Huddle had an automobile and it backed into yours on the
parking lot and you said, well, it's worth $50. He said, no,
it's not worth but $40. Well, I say it's $50. Well, I
say it's $40. Well, I'll take you to court. No, read on. Do
you know, do you not know, that the saint shall judge the world?
And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge
the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge
angels, how much more, things that pertain to this life?" Now,
that's the important statement there, things that pertain to
this life. Now, then, if you have judgments of things pertaining
to this life, set them to judge who is least disdained in the
church. In other words, if Jack and Eddie
had an argument out here on the church parking lot, things pertaining
to this life, do you know who is supposed to decide it? Not
the pastor. and not the elders, and not the
deacons. You pick out that person that
is least esteemed, who has the least to say, and you say, Brother,
what would you do about this? And you do what he says. That's
what's there. You do what he says. Now that's
the brother of low degree rejoice in that our relationship doesn't
depend on these things. We're going to get on in just
a moment, but it doesn't depend on position and rank and power
and talent and all these things. Believe me. The brother of low degree is
the one that's most honorable and the one who is to be most
esteemed and the one for whom we should be most grateful. And
he ought to rejoice that it doesn't depend on that, but depends on
the grace of God. Now, look at the next verse.
But the rich, and we're talking about those who are rich in talent
and rich in money and rich in possessions and rich in all gifts,
the one that's rich, let him rejoice in that he made low.
You know what that's saying? Let the man who is blessed with
wealth and gifts and talents rejoice if he has learned, and
all of us hadn't learned it, if he has learned the grace of
humility, if he's learned it. That natural tendency, when I
got a little talent, If I can preach or sing, or if I got a
little money, or got a bigger car, or got a finer home, or
got some influence in this world, the natural tendency is to be
just a little what? Proud, self-confident, vainglory. But oh, that brother whom God
has blessed, and God's been good to that woman or that man, and
you have talent, you have possessions, and you have position, and you
have ability, be happy that you've learned that you're nothing.
You're nothing. You have nothing, you are nothing,
you know nothing. We're all debtors, we're all
bankrupts, we're all beggars, we're all pleading at the heavenly
footstool, Lord, how dependent we are on thee. And let that
rich man, that man that's God's blessed, let him rejoice that
it's that way. Let him give the glory where
it ought to be given. Turn to Jeremiah 9. Verse 23, listen to this, Jeremiah
9.23, Thus saith the Lord, O I tell you this is so important, Jeremiah
9.23, Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glow in his
wisdom, neither let the mighty man glow in his might. Let not
the rich man glow in his riches, but let him that gloweth, glow
in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the
Lord And I exercise loving kindness and judgment and righteousness
in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Happy,
happy is that person who has been blessed with the grace of
humility, who knows that it's God that maketh us to differ.
All our earthly vanities. Look at the next verse. He said,
"...because as the fly of the grass he shall pass away." All
this is going to be. it's going to be taken away,
it's going to be destroyed. The sun is no sooner risen with
the burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof
falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also
shall the rich man fade in all his ways." Isaiah said that. Turn to Isaiah 40, verses 6 through
8. Listen to this. The voice said,
Cry, and I said, What shall I cry? And he said, Cry all flesh as
grass, All the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field,
the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of
the Lord bloweth on it. Sure, the people is grass, the
grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God, it standeth
forever." Isn't that a beautiful picture? Brothers, sisters in Christ Jesus,
that eternal, affectionate relationship that can only be brought about
by the grace of God. And let that one of low degree
rejoice that he's not of low degree. He's equal or more honorable
and more greatly esteemed. And let that man whom God has
been pleased to bless, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
The Lord maketh rich and the Lord maketh poor. The Lord raiseth
up and bringeth down. The Lord lifteth up and the Lord
humbleth. The Lord exalteth and the Lord
abaseth. Who maketh thee to differ? Let that man, if he's realized
that, if he knows everything he holds in his hand or head
or heart, God gave him, let him rejoice that he's learned that.
Let him rejoice that he's made low. Let him rejoice that he
can have that kind of spirit and attitude because it reveals
God's in him. Now then, the difference, secondly,
the difference in trial and temptation, verse 12. Blessed is the man
that endureth temptation. Now this word, no question, it's
trial. Someone said the one great object
of the book of James is to comfort Christians and to direct believers
who are subjected to heavy trials to show them these trials are
from God. And these trials are for our
good and for his glory. And blessed is that man, he told
us back in chapter 1, verse 2, count it joy when you fall into
different tribulations and trials, because these trials are for
our good, they are to reveal our faith. You don't know whether
your faith is strong enough at all until you have a reason to
use it. So these trials are to reveal
faith, and not only that, but to strengthen faith. The more
you try, the more you can endure. And these trials are to make
us useful servants and sympathetic servants and pitying servants
and servants that God can use. And these trials are to wean
us from the vanities of the world. And these trials are to cut off
our sharp points and to make us more compassionate, more understanding. That's what they're for. Blessed
is that man who endureth it. Remember I showed you last week
that we're not to cut them short, we're not to ask for immediate
deliverance, we're not to ask for a shortcut. We're supposed
to go right on through the trial. Endure the trial. Blessed is
the man that endures the trial, that has from God the grace to
go on through it and see it through and let God, let patience have
its perfect work. For when he's tried, he shall
receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them
that love him." There is an element of temptation in trial. That's
right. There isn't any trial in which
there is not the element of temptation. Temptation to do what? Temptation
to doubt the love of God. Temptation to deny God's grace. Temptation to turn back. Temptation
to resign and quit. Temptation to grow angry. Temptation
to assume a martyr's complex and say, why is God picking on
me? Abraham was tried of God when God called him away from
his home to go to another land. Well, you know he endured also
temptations to quit, to turn back, to stay home. You see what
I'm saying? Abraham was tried of God, but
also in the trial there was temptation involved. But there is a difference
in trial and temptation. Now look at verse 13. Let no
man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. Now when I am
tried, I can say I am tried of God. But when I am tempted to
sin, now when Abraham Let me give you this example, was called
out of his home to go to a land God would show him. That was
a trial. But now when he got halfway and
he met up with these poor kings, and he began to say, now they're
going to kill me because they want to take my wife away from
me. Sarah was a very beautiful woman. And he thought, now they're
going to kill me and take her away from me, so what I'll say
to him, I'll just say, she's my sister, she's not my wife.
Now that wasn't God, that was Abraham. That's the difference. God did not tempt him to do that.
He did that on his own. Now when Abraham, God came to
Abraham when he was 100 years old, and he said, you'll have
a son. Now that was a trial. God said, you'll have a son.
Wait on that son. That was a trial. figured God was dragging his
feet. And the Savior said, Now look how old I am, look how old
you are, and we've never had any children. Why don't you just
take my handmaid and have a son by her? So Abraham said, Well,
that sounds pretty good. So he went into Hagar and had
a son. Now, that was not of God. That was Abraham's own design.
That was Abraham's own idea. You see the difference? God cannot
be tempted with evil, and he can tempt no man with evil. It
says in verse 14, every man is tempted when he is drawn away
and enticed by his own ideas and his own lust. And when lust hath conceived,
it bringeth forth sin, and when sin is finished, it bringeth
forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren, do not err on this
count. It's a serious matter. Be able to distinguish between
a trial and temptation. be able to distinguish between
the hand of God and the flesh, and our own ideas and suppositions. I was sitting in my study one
day over at Pollard when I was a pastor over there, and I got
a phone call. And the lady on the phone said,
This is Mrs. Kahn. And I said, What can I
do for you, Mrs. Kahn? What if you come out to
my house and talk to my husband?" I said, well, I will, if he wants
me to. She said, well, I don't know
whether he wants you to or not, but I want you to. I said, what's
the problem? She said, he's roaring drunk. And I said, well, I don't
think that's any place for me. I'll talk to him when he's sober.
She said, no, I want you to come now, because I think this involves
you. I said, well, all right. So I
went out there, and he'd quieted down by that time, was lying
across the bed, and I went in to him. I knew him, I'd known
him some time, and I said, I'm ashamed of you. He said, how
come? I said, well, yeah, because you're
drunk. Ah, he said, preacher, he said, this is the will of
God. I said, what do you mean, it's the will of God? He said,
well, he said, you know, I believe in predestination. I said, I
do too, but you'll have to explain to me how that you're being drunk
is the will of God. Why, he said, I believe all things
in the will of God, don't you? Well, I said, in a sense, I believe
all things are in the will of God. Well, he said, if it wasn't
God's will for me to be drunk, I wouldn't be drunk. And he's
dead serious. He hanged himself in jail over
at Kettlesburg a few years ago. Now, brethren, let's not get
confused here. Turn to Genesis 3, verse 11. We're going to have to distinguish
between temptation and trial. Now blessed is that man when
he is tried by God who endureth that trial and is taught what
God teaches. But don't let any of us say when
we're tempted to sin, and we are and we do, that God's in
that because he's not. I must bear all the blame and
responsibility for every idle word I speak and every evil thought
I have and every sinful deed I commit. That's my responsibility.
and not God. And when I try to lay the blame
at the door of God, I'm a greater sinner and I reveal I don't know
God. Look at Genesis 3, that's where
Adam and Eve erred, right there. Someone said, listen to this,
someone said it's human to err. It's more human to blame it on
somebody else. And that's what Adam and Eve
did here in Genesis 3, verse 11, and he said, God said, Adam,
who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree where
I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?" And he said, Well,
the woman that you gave me to be with me, she gave it to me.
Now what's he doing? He said, God, if you hadn't have
made that woman and you hadn't have given her to me, I wouldn't
have eaten. So God, it's your fault. See what he's saying there?
So he turned to the woman and he said, What is this that thou
hast done? And she said, The serpent He beguiled me, so it's
not my fault, it's the serpent's fault, and if you hadn't have
made the serpent, I wouldn't have been tested. So really God,
it's your fault after all. Now that's evil, and that's what
James is talking about here in verse 16. Don't err on that score,
don't err on that count. I bear all the responsibility
for my sins, all the responsibility for my evil, all the responsibility
is mine for any transgression, that's my responsibility. Trial
is from God, but not temptation to sin. No way. No way at all. That's born of flesh, that comes
from the flesh, even the reasoning about it comes from the flesh.
But now look at verse 17. Now watch, as I said, how these
verses flow. You can't just start in the middle
here, you've got to go straight through. But he says in verse
17, every good gift and every perfect gift from God. God only
sends that which is good. Now James warns us against entertaining
the idea that when we're tempted to sin, we're tempted of God.
We're not. We're personally responsible
for our sin. and coming short of the glory
of God. And we have to say with Paul, O wretched man, that I
am. It's a product of our own evil
nature. We ascribe that evil to ourselves. And all that's good, we ascribe
to God. All that's evil, we ascribe to
ourselves. All that's good, we ascribe to
God. God is the giver of all that's good. Paul said, By the
grace of God, I am what I am. Spiritually. Fleshly, that's
by my own evil nature. I can give God no blame for my
evil, and I can take no credit for the good. Now, that's important
right there. I can lay no blame at God's door
for my sins, and I can take no credit for my grace. Because
every good gift. Now, here's something, 30 years,
I've never seen this, maybe so it may not be. John Gill said
this, sounds good. He says, every good gift. comes
from God, and every perfect gift comes from God. What's the difference? Well, every good gift pertains
to nature, providence, and grace. For example, food, flowers, family,
friends, fellowship. The coal in the ground that keeps
us warm comes from God. Every good gift, the herbs that
we get, the medicine that we get, from all the plants, all
of these things that make us happy, every good gift coming
from God. Then he said, every perfect gift.
Now, what are the only perfect gifts? Gifts pertaining to righteousness,
he gives us a perfect righteousness. Pertaining to adoption, a perfect
adoption. Pertaining to salvation, substitution,
a perfect atonement. Pertaining to eternal life, a
perfect entrance into glory. So every good gift and every
perfect gift comes from God, the Father of Lights, with whom
there is no change, no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Now
here is the, he gives us the highest example of this, for
he says, of his own will beget he us with the word of truth. Of his own will. God gives spiritual
life according to his own free choice. Not in consideration
of our wills, not of him that willeth, not of him that runneth,
it is of God that showeth mercy. Not in consideration of our works,
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy he hath saved us. Not our merit, but his sovereign
choice of his own will beget he us." Now, this is not a reformation,
this is a birth, this is a creation, this is regeneration. He beget
us. How? With the word of truth. The Spirit of God is the agent
in the new birth, and the word of God is the instrument, the
seed of the word. You'll find that over in the
book of 1 Peter. In that 1 Peter 1, verse 23,
being born again, not a corruptible seed, and that word is seed,
semen, but are incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth
and abideth forever. We are born of the word of God."
It's the word. This is important here because,
as I say, this flows. He says this, he says, beg and
don't err. Trial is from God. We go through these trials according
to his will and his purpose. Blessed is that man that can
stand the heat. and that woman that can go through
the trial knowing that it's of the Lord. Now, don't mistake
your temptation to sin and blame that on God, because that's your
own responsibility. If we get in trouble because
of our sins, God will get us out, God will forgive us, but
let's not say that's a trial from God. That's not a trial
from God, that's a trial from within. That's our own problem.
And he says every good gift comes from God, every perfect gift
comes from God. And of his own will begat he
us through the word of truth." Now, look at verse 19. Here's
the fourth thing, proper hearing of the word. Verse 19, "...Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear." See how
it flows? "...Let every man be eager to
hear, since it is by the word of God that men live, since it
is by the word of God that men are quickened," men and women.
Since it's by the word of God that salvation comes, then we
ought to be eager to hear his word. We ought to be swift to
hear his word. We ought to seize upon every
opportunity to hear his word. Paul said, Timothy, from a child
thou hast known the holy scriptures that are able to make thee wise
unto salvation. And we ought to be, look, slow
to speak. Somebody said when we open our
mouths, we close our ears. We ought to be eager to hear,
seize upon every opportunity to hear the Word, to learn the
Word, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word.
But in being eager to hear, swift to hear, be slow to speak, because
when you open your mouth, you close your ears. But this is
human nature. I did it, oh, I wish I could
go back and start all over. We must not grow weary of learning
and desire to be teachers. We must not set up ourselves
as teachers until we have listened long enough, until we have learned
enough, until we have received spiritual instruction, until
we have been divinely anointed. Be swift to hear. But be very
slow to speak. He says down here in chapter
3, verse 1, Brethren, be not many teachers. That word masters,
you look it up, don't take my word for it, it's teachers. Be
not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater
condemnation of judgment. Breaks the law of God and teaches
men so? Be slow to speak, and be slow
to act. We're talking about hearing the
word of God, aren't we? We pick up these little religious
clichÃ©s and we get them out of scripture, they've got an element
of truth, but let's stay on the subject. Paul is talking here
about it's the Word of God that the Holy Spirit uses to quicken
a man, to convict a man, to reveal Christ, to give life, to give
us the new nature. It's the Word of God. So be swift
to hear that Word, and be slow to speak. We need to be learners
and not teachers, learners and hearers, and not just those who
have an opinion to express. And be slow to write. Now, why
is that put in there? Well, listen to this. And you
men see if it's not true, down there where you work, how angry
men become when someone crosses their religious concepts and
their religious creeds and their religious ideas, huh? Bring up
a religious subject and I'll bet you in five minutes there'll
be a fight going on or an argument. Because men get, they just get
all upset about religion, all upset when they feel like that
their position is being endangered. And they just get angry. And
James is saying, this wrath, verse 20, this zeal, this malice,
this enthusiasm, this does not work the purpose of God, this
does not work the righteousness of God. A passionate, angry spirit
does not promote God's cause at all. We think sometimes we're zealous
for God. Somebody comes in and says, I
don't believe in election. We just get all upset. We go
to work on him. You're not going to accomplish
God's purpose that way. Now there are two things in the
next verse, watch it, this verse divided into two parts. So he
says in verse 21, "...lay apart all this filthiness, this wrath,
and anger, and sectarianism, and pride, and vanity, and evil
speaking, which cannot promote God's glory, lay it aside, and
this superfluity of naughtiness, and do what? And receive with
meekness." Receive with meekness the engrafted word. Receive it
with gentleness. Receive the word of God, though
it's contrary to your thoughts and contrary to your ideas and
contrary to your flesh. Receive the engrafted word, and
the engrafted word is that word which is put in the heart by
the Holy Spirit, not that word that comes to the mind and and
debates with the mind and argues with the mind and crosses the
logic of the mind, but that word, that precious word that's engrafted
in the heart by the Holy Spirit, receive it with a meek spirit,
not with a proud and angry and passionate and zealous spirit. Receive it with a meek spirit,
a humble spirit which is able to save your soul. God resisteth
the proud. God giveth grace to the humble.
I'll tell you, when I come to the place, or when you come to
the place, where we can say, Lord, speak, thy servant here.
I don't know everything, I don't know anything. I want so much,
Lord, just for you to open the word to me, and I'll take it,
whatever it says. That's when God reveals something
to us. The wrath of man does not work
the righteousness of God. He doesn't do it at all. So lay
these things aside. And with meekness, lay aside
these passionate defenses of God's word and these angry debates and angry arguments. I'll tell you another thing.
This bothers me a whole lot, too, when I hear religious people,
they like to kind of cut another person, make fun of them. You've
seen them do that. They make fun of it. A fellow
is in error and they make fun of him. That's naughty. That's
unkind, and that's what he's talking about. Put that sort
of thing aside. And receive the engrafted word
with a meek heart and a humble spirit. And if a man's in error,
weep over it. That's what we should do. Weep
over it. Last of all, and I'll move along
quickly. But be doers of the word, not
hearers only. We're moving right through here.
He's talking about the word. The word is able to save your
soul. It's the word the Holy Spirit uses to quicken and make
alive and bring a fellow to Christ. So be swift to hear it. And be
slow to speak. Be slow to form your opinions
and get ready to say, well, that's what I think. Slow to speak.
And slow to wrath because your wrath is not going to accomplish
God's purpose. Not at all. And so put aside this temptation
to passionately pursue your creed and press it upon everybody else
and make him take it whether he likes it or not. Because God's
not going to use that. Receive the Word with meekness.
But now watch this. Be a doer of the Word. Be a doer
of the Word. We're not only to hear the Word
of God, we're to submit to it. And we're to walk in the Word
of God. And we're to obey the Word of God. He gives this example.
He said, For if any man be only a hearer, not a doer. Now we're
dealing with the subject of love and humility. pride and all these
different things, you and I are supposed to look into the Word
and see ourselves and go off and do something about it. But
he says a man who just hears that Word and doesn't do anything
about it is like a fellow that looks into a glass and he beholds
himself and he sees the dirt and the beard and the uncombed
hair and the awful appearance and he turns and goes his way
and forgets what manner of man he is and does nothing about
it. But whosoever, verse 25, looks
into the perfect law of liberty, and that's the gospel. I've wrestled
a little bit with that, but we're not talking about the Ten Commandments
here, we're talking about the law of liberty, we're talking
about the gospel. And the reason it's called the
perfect law of liberty is fivefold. Number one, it's the liberty
with which Christ makes us free. He sets the captive free. He
frees us from the bondage of sin. He gives us freedom and
boldness at the throne of grace, and he leads us into a liberty
of grace. And he says the man that looks
into this gospel and continues in this gospel, continues in
it, the gospel of grace is as a glass in which we see our sins
and we see Christ our Savior, in which we see our guilt and
we see Christ in his grace. And the man that continues, and
he's not moved away from the hope of the gospel. And he's
not carried away with strange and diverse doctrines, and he
continues to look into Christ and to Christ. He takes heed
to what he hears and sees, engages in that labor of love, work of
faith. He's a doer of the word, and
this man shall be blessed in his deed. Now verse 26. If any
person, man, woman, seemed to be religious, and bribed let
not his tongue, The tongue is hard to tame. We want to boast of our works.
We want to speak good of ourselves while we speak evil of others.
We want to sow discord among brethren. We are critical of
others. We give our tongues to the hurt
and destruction of others. He says this person is deceived. He may seem to be religious.
by his profession or by his praying or by his personal piety, but
if he cannot bridle his tongue, he is deceived. He deceives his
own heart and his religion is in vain. But pure religion and
undefiled before the God and the Father is this, to visit
the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep
himself. unspotted from the world. A life
of honesty and integrity and holiness and godliness. That's
the kind of religion that's pure and undefiled. Well, may God
bless this study to your prophet and to his glory and to our spiritual
growth. Why don't you come lead us in
a hymn? Let's sing 325. Stand, please. More like the master I would
ever be More of his meekness, more humility More zeal to labor,
more courage to be true More concentration for work he bids
me do. Take thou my heart, I would be
thine alone. Take thou my heart and make it
all thine own. Purge me from sin, O Lord, I
now implore. Wash me and keep me Thine forevermore.

James Chapter One - Vs. 9-27

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

James Chapter One - Vs. 9-27

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book