Put it into Practice
James 1:17 – 27
Today we start a month long study in the Book of James. Of all the other books in the Bible, this book has a unique perspective. The author wasn’t a hand chosen disciple of Jesus, picked out of obscurity to travel and learn from the wisdom of Christ. The author wasn’t a man called while out in the desert by a vision, hand chosen by God to save his people like Moses and Paul. This book is written by a person that shared the same womb as the one sent to save the world. This book was written by the younger brother of Jesus the Christ, James.
Both were born of Mother Mary, grew up in the same carpenter’s shop of Joseph, played together, read the scriptures together. James must have benefitted from the divine insights that Jesus had about the scriptures from a very early age. Although until after James saw Jesus after His resurrection, James did not believe in Jesus’ divinity. Much like us. James had quite an interesting perspective wouldn’t you say?
The Book of James is an intensely practical book, filled with exhortations to Christians about the way they should live their lives now that they have been given new life in Jesus. The pages of James are filled with direct commands to pursue a life of holiness. He makes no excuses for those who do not measure up. For James, a faith that does not produce real life change is a faith that is ineffectual. We will endeavor to learn from James, brother of Jesus, over the next month.
In verse 21 James writes: “Welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
“Implanted word with the power to save your soul” is a curious phrase. You see if the word of God is going to have an impact on our lives then it is important that we receive the words properly, that they are properly planted into us. James calls us to “welcome” the Word into the soil of our souls. He is telling us we should receive the divine teaching of the Word through the faithful hearing of the Word.
Faithful teaching without faithful hearing, is like scattering seed on the ground indiscriminately. A man can go out and spread the same seed over a wide area and the effort will achieve differing results depending on the quality of the soil. Same seed, different results depending on the soil. The seed can be of great quality, but the receiving ground may or may not as receptive. In the case of the Holy Scriptures, the “seed”, is the Word of God that is given to us not only to increase our knowledge alone but it is also given to us to change us and the world around us.
James also goes on to say that we are not to simply receive the Word by being active listeners, additionally in verse 22 he says, “be doers of the word, and not merely hearers”. So, in addition to a faithful welcoming, a faithful receiving of the Word, there also must be a deepening spiritual understanding and application of the word, to be good stewards of the Spirit instilled wisdom that we have received, we must Put it into Practice. Proper application of God’s Word is the basis of James’ epistle as he tells us that it is the bedrock of our faith and of the living our faith.
Friends, only when we approach the Word of God either through the reading or the listening of the true word with a true desire to find the wisdom within, can we truly come to fully appreciate the wisdom that it provides to us. It is only with a desirous heart, a longing and hungry spirit that we can come to value the word and apply it correctly. That is a genuine longing after the truth found only in the Word.
These truths are what James is confronting as he addresses the danger of self-deception. If we are only listeners of the word and are not internalizing the word, not Putting it into Practice, then we are deceiving others but, more importantly, we are deceiving ourselves into the belief that we are being faithful and righteous doers of what God expects us all to do.
The real danger for those who are hearers only, is that we don’t know that we are hearers only. We will live under a delusion, a deception until and unless we are impressed upon by the Holy Spirit that we need to turn our knowledge of what is needed and required then into righteous actions, put it into effect, Put it into Practice.
If we don’t accept the fact that every time the Lord brings these lessons found in the Holy Scriptures to us time and time again and that there is a purpose and a meaning to be had on every occasion, then you are deceiving and shortchanging yourself about the edification and intentionality of God’s truth which is always edifying to us, first time and every time.
James calls us to a habitual submission, a constant preparedness to always comply with the requirements of the word of God, to Put it into Practice. When we find ourselves in the situation that we feel that we are not getting anything out of the Word of God or not getting anything out of the faithful teaching that is given to us then we need to consider whether it is the quality of the seeds that have been sown, is it the quality of the spiritual soil in our soul or is it our lack of obedience to the hearing, learning and doing what is expected by the Word that is the problem. Hint it isn’t the seed!
In his next verse James, being the ideal teacher, gives us an example of looking at yourself in a mirror. He says that anyone that hears the Word but does not act upon what they hear is like the man that looks at themselves in the mirror and sees how they are presently, broken and flawed, but then walks away and soon forgets. What does he mean?
James is saying that man, the Christian that hears the Word but does not act, is like looking in the spiritual mirror and seeing a changed man but he soon forgets where he came from, who he was and the acts of grace and sacrifice that took to get him into the condition that he sees. James says that we must appreciate the change that the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus brought in you. He says remember and do something about it.
James is telling us that the Word of God is the spiritual mirror that reflects the true image of our faithfulness, righteousness and obedience, for better or worse. When we look into that mirror we can remember what we once were and what we have become through obedience to the word and the actions of those around us to help us continually grow into the reflected perfect image of Christ.
We must not walk away from the mirror of God’s Word without acknowledging the changes that have occurred in our lives, else we are deceiving ourselves and dismissing the changes made in us. James tells us that we cannot look at the Word of God with a casual glance but rather we must have a constant gaze. We must continually look intently at the word of God. We must not receive the word as though it is unimportant.
We should find ourselves desiring to learn the Word, own the Word for our very own, and apply the Word in our actions. James is telling us that we need to place the importance of the Word above all other priorities in our lives because the law is perfect.
Those that look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, become not just listeners and hearers but most importantly, doers that act according to the compelling of the Word. For those that gaze intently and intentionally at the Word of God, those believers will see a divine instruction that allows them to slip the chains of their brokenness and to act without the burden of human selfishness.
Hear the Good News my friends……….
This Word of God is perfect and it is the standard for the living of our lives and ultimately for our glorification. It is the Word of liberty, the Word of freedom, because it gives us freedom through our humble submission to do what we know is right, to Put it into Practice! It commands us and empowers us by setting us free of our sinful nature and enabling us to do good in the world around us.
You have all probably heard the name of St. Francis of Assisi who was a 13th century Italian Catholic friar, deacon and priest. There is a story about St. Francis that he was praying in an ancient church that was badly in need of repair when he heard a voice from a crucifix which was hanging over the altar which said, “Francis, go and repair my church, you see falling into ruin.”
Francis went to get his tool chest, but the voice of God spoke to him once again saying, “Not the bricks, Francis, the people are in need of repair.” “Tell them” the voice said “to listen to my Word and do what I require of them. My children need their help”.
Brothers and sisters, the voice of God still speaks to us from above the altar today and says, “Go and repair my church which is falling into ruins.” God is not talking about bricks and mortar. The physical structure is a church, the people of God are the Church. God is saying listen to my Word and do what I require and help the people come to me, to be changed, to be transformed. Take my Word and Put it into Practice!
God reminds us Put into Practice what you have told you and it will bring blessings to you and to others. Today we hear echoes of the admonition that Bonhoeffer gave to Christians, do not believe in cheap grace but rather “I beg you, don’t only hear the message, but Put it into Practice; otherwise, you are merely deluding yourselves”.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “One act of obedience is better than one-hundred sermons.” James is challenging his readers in the same way. It isn’t enough to merely hear the word. A hearer only of the word is like one who looks at his reflection and turns away, forgetting what he sees. Those, however, who look into the perfect law of liberty and persevere; those who do or act, they are blessed.
Hearing the Word but then not acting in a manner acceptable to God makes us spiritual hypocrites, our faith is meaningless. But if we Put it into Practice, we become righteous before God, servants to the people of God, and prove ourselves to be on the path of righteousness. Amen.