"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 that God requires. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye 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 1:19-25 ESV).
How are you at controlling your anger? James teaches that the Christian should be "quick (alert, motivated) to hear, slow (think it through) before speaking, and very slow (not reactionary) to anger. God is not pleased with our angry outbursts or anger that seethes under the surface of a seemingly calm demeanor. Anger cannot produce the fruit of righteousness. There are things we should cast out of our lives as we would an uncomely garment. Filthiness and wickedness of any kind are anathema to allowing the word of God to have its work in our lives. You, as I, probably memorized James 1:22 as a child: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." A great difference exists between hearing and knowing the word and actually putting the word into practice-doing it, living by it.
"Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (v.21). Can the word save? We must hear and receive the word before accepting the Word. Paul made an important statement that sheds light on this verse. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17, KJV). "The Word is like a seed lying in the heart, which, under favorable conditions, would grow and bear fruit in life." (J.R. Dummelow, ed. A Commentary on the Whole Bible. McMillan, 1958, p. 1034) It is good to remember our own salvation experience. We heard and thought upon the word of God which gave us the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The Spirit empowered us to understand, and then it came: it may have been in a quiet way like a plant emerging from a planted seed. Others may testify to having a burst of inspiration and insight. Whichever way, God's work was done through the "implanted word" and another soul saved.
James uses a sermon illustration to nail home the truth about the difference of merely hearing the word and living the word. A person looks into a mirror hoping to see his image clearly. But then, shortly afterward the viewer forgets what he saw. This is like the person that hears the word but does not practice it, forgets its percepts. The implication is that if the person had remembered what he looked like in his mirror image, he would have acted upon it-made improvements to his appearance. Likewise, if we sincerely delve into the word of God, we will want to follow its teachings-live them out in our daily lives. The mirror image we receive of God will be reflected in our life, our actions and our deeds. And the end result will be a great blessing from God to us. I can remember my father grafting apple trees on our farm. When the graft of a better apple tree grew into the former one, the tree produced must better fruit. Likewise, if the Word is engrafted (implanted) in our heart, the fruits we produce as a Christian will bless us and others. James gives solid advice here for a growing, developing Christian. Let us pray that we can apply this teaching and experience the blessings God wants to give us.
Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, October 14, 2010
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