Doers of the Word

 James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
It is dangerous to receive God’s word and not do something with it. It is possible to become comfortable with listening to and agreeing to truth, and even believing it in your mind to be right, but fail to take action to the truth that God has spoken, Many of us have attending church all our lives, gone to revivals, camp meetings, and conventions hearing God’s word preached. For the moment it speaks to our heart and we have good intentions on taking actions. But, we return to our daily routine life and the spoken word starts to fade away. We deceive ourselves in thinking that just attesting to truth is adequate.  Being a doer of the word is to take His word and apply it to our daily walk with Him. “We not just talk the talk, but we walk the talk.” Our lives need to speak louder than what we say. As a matter of fact, speaking the truth and not living it, can become a great stumbling block for those under our influence. James says it in another way when he writes, “Faith without works is dead.” Putting our faith into action (being a doer) is the completion of our religion. Pure religion is not just a profession of our faith, but a living relationship with our God. If our faith is dormant we become ineffective for God. May we step out with our faith, and become doers of the word, believing God that He through the power of the Holy Spirit is able to help us to be doers of His word. 

Man's Religion

 James 1:26

If any man among you seems to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

 

To be religious implies that someone follows a belief system. In our culture, it indicates that that person believes something or someone. I often hear, “I’m not a religious person, but…” In the days of Jesus, most people in Israel followed the Jewish religion. James is saying that following the ritual of the Jewish faith or Christian faith is not enough. Words that come from your mouth are an indication of what is in your heart. You are deceiving yourself if you think that your faith will save you if you speak unkindly, lash out with hurtful words, spread gossip about other people, use words of profanity or vulgarity. You may believe that God is real and Jesus is the Son of God, but it is all in vain if you don’t speak from a heart of love and compassion.

Pure Religion

 James 1:27
 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this…
I often hear, “Being a Christian is not a religion, but a relationship.” Hard to argue this point, because a religion that is founded on keeping rules and following the law is an empty religion,  but being a Christian is also about being religious. Our religion is to love those who are less fortunate, take care to help others when there is a need, consider the needs of others before your own. A religion without charity (love) is a religion without a relationship with Christ. Religion and relationships go hand in hand, much like faith and works. You really need them both to have a pure religion or a true relationship. A relationship with Christ requires that we keep him commandments, “If you love me (If we have a relationship), you will keep my commandments”. A pure religion requires that we remain unspotted by the world. You cannot have a relationship with Christ and not have a pure religion.

The Religion of Christianity

Mark. 6:12 12 And they went out and preached that men should repent.

The commission of Christ to believers is to spread the news that men need to repent of their sins and turn to Christ to have their sins forgiven. Those that heed, and repent will find a personal relationship with Jesus that will bring everlasting life. Such relationship goes beyond a mere religion of following a set of rules and rituals. The religion of Christianity is without sin. To be in harmony with Christ, and to abide in the Vine, a person must repent of a life style that violates His commandments. Repent is to turn away from the way you were living and turn to Christ for a new life. To abstain and repent of sin without Christ is to follow a man made religion. Christianity is not a man made religion, it is a religion that God created in order to have fellowship with man. This fellowship in Christ results in man loving God with all their hearts and their neighbor as themselves. Therefore, pure religion is undefiled before God and the Father, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jame 1:27)

Hearing and Doing

James 1:16-27

Review: We ended the series of Chronicles of Kings with King Hezekiah, a prototype of Israel. A king who had a good start, but ultimately was concern about preserving self and his self interest. We must not just start the race, but we must finish it with patience believing God until the end. Keeping revival fires burning in our hearts will help us run this race with patience and to endure suffering as a good soldier of the cross.
What is Pure Religion?
Do not err concerning this question!

Do not err concerning the nature of God
• God, The Giver of Good Gifts
• God, The Source of True light
• God, The One who Changes Not
• God has chosen His creation to reflect His truth

How is one’s religion Judged? How do you judge your religion?
Are you?
• Quick to listen to what God has to say
• Do you think through what you are going to say before you speak?
• Is your anger a manifestation due to self-injury or pride?
• Examine your anger in light of God’s righteousness Why are you angry? Sanctified emotions.

Does your religion go deeper than religious rituals?
• Have you forsaken the sinful pleasures of this world?
• Have you had the truth of God graphed into your heart?
• Do you have a head religion or a heart religion

A good listener is essential. Many seem to take it all in, but fail to deliver when the “rubber meets the road”

Believers are to be doers of God’s commandments. How?
• Take care of those in need? The orphan and widows: Show MERCY
• Unspotted from the world: abstained from the appearance of evil: SIN NOT- Live a life of HOLINESS.