This is The Way – Devo Day 13

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James 1:19–25 (ESV)

Appropriating the Word

The letter of the apostle James, half-brother of Jesus, was written to Christians that were experiencing great persecution and is filled with practical insights in how to live faithfully. Many have claimed that James and the apostle Paul differed on the question of faith versus works, but in reality, the spiritual fruit that James talks about simply demonstrates the true faith of which Paul wrote. One of the issues of dealing with continual persecution is that you have a tendency to doubt the goodness of God. James’ antidote is the Word of God.

But as powerful as the Word of God is, it will not infuse its strength into us if we can not or do not appropriate it. And it is this business of appropriation that James addresses in the verses we are looking at today. So, what must we do to appropriate the Word of God and apply it to our lives?

Listen – Be a hearer of the Word

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

James 1:19 (ESV)

James urges his readers to be “quick to hear” and “slow to speak, slow to anger”. This illustrates the eagerness of our approach to the Scriptures. Not just hearing but listening. James says to not be thinking about what to say in response or indulging in a negative emotional response (anger) but rather to listen to what God is saying to the original audience and us. That takes hearing to the level of wanting to understand.

Sometimes when the Word of God is accurately and completely preached, it can challenge, offend, even hurt. Hebrews 4:12 calls it a sword that pierces and cuts. There is no room for offense and the application of the Word in your heart. Some also fail to appropriate the Word of God into their lives because of the person delivering the message or because they disagree with something that was said in the teaching or sermon. James says we must be careful to listen if we are to appropriate God’s Word into our lives especially in these days when our cultural bent is to be slow to hear, swift to speak, and quick to find fault.

Prepare – Set wickedness aside

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness

James 1:21a

The word filthiness means everything that defiles us in God’s eyes, everything that taints, soils, or devalues our lives. Wickedness is a general term that covers everything contrary to God’s Word in our words and deeds. The adjective “rampant” reminds us of the viral nature of sin that can infect other areas of life and thought. The idea here is that even sin confessed and renounced may not be entirely eliminated. Particularly wickedness that predates our conversion that is like a spiritual hangover. James sees all of it as barriers to receiving and appropriating God’s Word into our lives – set it all aside.

Receive – Accept the Word with meekness

James goes on to encourage his readers to “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (v21b). But how does one to that? The word “meekness” tells us how we should approach the Word- with a soft, gentle, teachable disposition recognizing its authority and submitting to it. Samuel’s prayer is a good illustration, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

Then not only are we to receive it meekly but it is to be “implanted”. Meaning that it is not just words to be cataloged and filed. We are open our hearts as well as our minds to hear God’s Word. It conveys the idea of God’s Word written upon our hearts.

Act – Be a doer of the Word

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

James 1:22 (ESV)

James goes on to say that listening, preparing, and receiving aren’t enough. The Word of God can not infuse its strength and wisdom into their lives apart from real effort of their part. James said that they must be diligent in taking the Word in but must also be diligent in applying it.

James is pretty clear here. We must apply the Word to our lives in order to appropriate it. While it is clear that a person who has no interest in hearing the Word is horribly deceived about their spiritual condition, James contends that so is the person who is content to only hear and not obey.

Then James drives home the importance of obedience to God’s Word with an object lesson. He likens the Word of God to a mirror and who of us that have spent any time at all in the Scriptures haven’t seen the reflection of our hearts and lives both good and bad. It tells us the truth about ourselves. In this illustration, James describes two different kinds of people gazing into the mirror.

The first is the person that looks into the mirror (God’s Word) but then forgets what he saw. It’s easy to see that the mirror was not useful to the man because he failed to act on what he saw.

The second person studies what is revealed in the mirror (God’s Word) so that he might be able to act on it and put it into practice. James also connects our obedience to the Word with our fulfillment in God. If you want to be blessed by God, be a doer of the Word not merely a hearer. We must listen to the Word, we must take it in, and we must express it, carry it out; WE MUST BE DOERS OF THE WORD.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. – This is The Way

James 1:22 (ESV)

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. How would you characterize your approach to the Scriptures? Is it where you turn for help and strength? What story could you tell a friend of your relationship with God’s Word?
2. What ways have you found God’s Word to be a mirror? What did it reveal to you? What have you done about it?

IF YOU ARE JUST STARTING AND WANT TO GO BACK AND READ THE PREVIOUS POSTS IN THIS SERIES