But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 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. James 1:22–25, ESV
When I began writing this devotional blog, I did not intend to blog through the book of James. However, James is so filled with biblical application that I am having a tough time not returning to this letter each morning. James had just commanded these struggling saints to be quick to hear. Now he tells them that hearing involves a bit more than just listening to words, especially when we are talking about God’s Words. Hearing needs to lead to doing. To hear and not do is to lie to yourself. It would be like for me to watch my own sermon video and then walk away thinking, “That dude looks as pretty as Tom Brady.” That would be a lie. Sadly, it is a lie well tell ourselves every time we read God’s Word and do nothing with what we read. Thankfully, James does not stop with this warning against deceptive Bible reading. He reminds us of the blessing that is ours when we hear and do. When we look into God’s perfect Word, filled with truth about reality and commands and warnings that are intended for our good (the perfect law, the law of liberty) we must shape our days, beginning to end, around that Word. When we do . . . here is the amazing part . . . when we do, then our doing is blessed. When we read the Word and proceed to do it, our doing is blessed! This whole COVID-19 situation has really left me desiring some blessed doing. I imagine that is also true for you. That means that it is time for us to read more of God’s Word. And it is time for us to do it, too. So, as you read the Word today and, in the days to come, let me encourage you to this: walk away each time with a plan for doing. Hear the Word. Do the Word. You have something special as you struggle through these strange days. You have the Word of God and the promise that, if you will hear it and do it, He will bless your doing. Be blessed, Pastor Don Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 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 1:19–21.
Social interaction has certainly changed over the last week or so. Our face-to-face communications involve fewer faces and we have had to resort to texts, phone calls, video chat, and social media. We are feeling the change. This is a perfect time to consider James 1:19-21: Be quick to hear. Be an aggressive listener. Don’t waste your ears! Start by listening to God’s Word. Don’t just mechanically read it, but instead consider what your Creator is saying. His words matter. Don’t stop there. Listen to the people God has placed in your life. Love them by considering their words with compassion and care. Be slow to speak. While you are commanded elsewhere to speak the truth in love, the reality is that most of us speak before we love or wrestle with truth. It is time to switch the order and spend your words more wisely. There are questions to answer before you speak. Will my words build up? Do they reflect the fruit of the Spirit? Are they proud or humble? Be slow to anger. James explains this one in more detail. Anger is to be reserved as the response of the righteous to wrongdoing. The challenge is clear. How many times have you been truly righteous and angry at the same time? Are you always well informed and wise enough in your judgment of wrongdoing? The anger of unrighteous people who are often flawed in their judgment never brings about godly righteousness. Get rid of the filth. James is reminding us that our anger and our ceaseless need to be heard flow from hearts that are too often immoral and unrighteous. Before we speak our mind or get angry, we need to repent and seek a clean mind and heart. There is a good prayer in Psalm 51 to help you with that. Humbly receive the gospel. “receive with meekness the implanted word.” If you are a Christian, the word of God’s grace in Christ Jesus has been planted in your soul. Before you deal with other people, remember the gospel. Consider who you were outside of Christ and the fact that you are only in Christ by His grace and mercy. Be humbled by the gospel. Then interact with other people. I am praying that God will use these strange days to help you grow in Christ, that you will know His blessings today, and that you will be a blessing to others. Pastor Don 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. James 1:16–18, ESV
The last entry I made covered James 1:12-15. In that passage James warned us about the temptation to sin that can come in the midst of trials. Today’s passage builds on that warning with a glorious truth. We can defeat temptation by understanding that the only place genuine good gifts come from is God. Temptation to sin is an idea in our mind that we will be happier with the results of doing something disobedient to God than we will be doing something obedient to God. That is what happened to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. God had set them up for joy. He had given them everything: a perfect home, a perfect spouse, a perfect job, perfect food, and intimate fellowship with Him. He told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because, if they did, they would add bad to their experience of perfect good. They only knew the good. Eating of the tree would give them the option for evil: it would open the door to temptation. Sadly, they listened to the snake, ate the fruit, and all their offspring now know both good and evil. To help us in our struggle against sin and temptation, James reminds us that choosing sin never brings about good. Good, every good gift, comes from God. God is the only giver of good because God is the Father of lights. Nothing that comes from Him has any darkness in it. This is absolutely true all the time. There is no shadow of turning in Him. There is not even the hint of anything to be found in Him that would make Him the giver of evil. There is not one speck of creation that can offer you anything good that is contrary to Him. Good always comes from God. Where can you turn today as you try to accomplish Monday-life in this strange new world of ours? Just ask yourself these two simple questions: Do I want good? Where can I go to get good? Go to the God who created you to be the best of all His creatures (v.18). Spend time with Him today in His Word. Talk to Him about your desires. Trust Him. He is good. He is the only source of good. May God bless you in Christ today, Pastor Don 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. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts 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. James 1:13–15, ESV.
James makes a rather abrupt transition between verses 12 and 13. In verse 12, the one who is steadfast under trials, standing the test, is promised the crown of life. This is amazing to consider. Keeping the faith during trials gains us rewards. What grace upon grace! Then, in verse 13, James jumps from trials and tests to temptations. However, it’s not really much of a jump. Doesn’t our experience testify to the fact that, when we go through hard times, we are often tempted to sin. We turn to selfishness (any toilet paper and hand sanitizer collectors out there?). We turn to self-pity (anyone feeling sorry for themselves as they go through a WORLDWIDE pandemic?). We place our faith in false gods (anyone placing more hope in government and science than in God?). Trails and temptations are often close kin. When we are tempted to sin, it is important that we understand what is going on. It is not God tempting us. God does not buddy up with evil and surely does not provoke His children to do so. Temptations to sin come from a much more intimate source: our own hearts. We want more than what God has graciously given us. That want turns into a sense of merit as we tell ourselves we deserve more. At this point we are sin, believing that God has failed to give us a good we deserve (see Genesis 3). What a false friend sin is. We sin to get what we perceive will be better, but sin brings death instead. We are living in strange days. For many, daily life has been utterly disrupted. For some, this isolation seems unbearable. For others, a real threat to life itself has entered the picture. We have a choice in times like these. We either turn to the good God who, in grace, sent His Son to rescue us from the consequences of our sin, or we give into temptation and court the very death of our souls. I pray that today you will choose to trust in God. I also want to offer good news to those who have sinned. 1 John 1:9 remains true. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Pastor Don James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Galatians 2:9–10, ESV Paul is describing an early meeting he had with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. At this meeting, they validated God’s call on his life to take the gospel to the Gentiles. I appreciate how they did this. I think we might benefit from imitating the four things that James, Cephas, and John did for Paul and friends. They perceived the grace that was given to Paul. Today would be a good day to reach out to someone and let them know that you have noticed how God has given them grace—that you have seen the God’s grace at work in their lives and have seen it flow through them as they serve others. They gave the right hand of fellowship. Here is a social distancing challenge for the day! How can you let someone else know that you have not forgotten them and that they are still an integral part of your life in this time of isolation? Phones, computers, and cards are pretty simple tools that we use every day for all kinds of things. Let’s convert them into right hands today. They sent Paul and friends to the Gentiles and they committed to reach the Jews. How can you encourage a missionary today? Again . . . phones, computers, cards are nice tools for this purpose. Reach out and let them know you are praying for them. Then figure out how you are going to reach the one person God would have you reach with the gospel today. They asked Paul and friends to remember the poor. This pandemic is taking a financial toll. Government gifts of money will not change that. We need to care for own. If you know of a need and can meet the need, meet it. And please do not forget to keep giving to your church so we can do the same (we are still getting the mail every day). Don’t waste your isolation. Be the church. I am praying for you. Pastor Don |
From Pastor DonWriting about the Bible and praying that it will be of some good for someone. Archives
June 2021
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