Continuing in James, we’re going to look at another point. The
first thing we needed to do was get rid of the bad stuff, get those things out
of our lives, and the second was to engraft the Word of God in our hearts and
make it an active part of our lives.
James 1:20-2720 For the wrath of
man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay
apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness
the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.23 For
if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding
his natural face in a glass:24 For he beholdeth himself, and
goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso
looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his
deed.26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth
not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.27 Pure
religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless
and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Another important thing about the Word of God is that we need
to believe it is truth.
John 17:17 17 Sanctify them
through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 14:6 6 Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me.
John 16:13 13 Howbeit when he,
the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall
not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will shew you things to come.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works.
2 Peter 1:21 21 For
the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
We have to
believe it for what it says, or we can be led away by lies. The Word of God
means what it says and it says what it means.
2 Peter 3:14-18 14 Wherefore,
beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found
of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.15 And account
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother
Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;16 As
also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some
things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.17 Ye
therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also,
being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.18 But
grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To
him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
We also need to be doers of the Word. A
doer is someone who lives the Word, who walks the walk (not just talks the
talk). They match their lives to the Word of God and make it part of their
lives. These people look different from the rest of the world, and that is how
we can draw people to God. We need to spend time in God’s Word so we know what
He wants for us.
22 But be ye doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.23 For
if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding
his natural face in a glass:24 For he beholdeth himself, and
goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso
looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his
deed.
Psalm
1 1Blessed
is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight
is in the law of the Lord;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.3 And he shall be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in
his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper.4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which
the wind driveth away.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand
in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6 For
the Lord knoweth the way
of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Paul Brow, Haven of Rest
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