Please turn with me to James 1 - starting at verse 19.

There’s a theme in chapter one that we’ve been looking at.  That is this:  For God’s children there is purpose in trials.  God allows us to go through trials - times of struggle and difficulty where our faith is put to the test - so that as we choose to seek God - His wisdom and His way through the trial - as we seek God we have the opportunity to grow - to mature - to be strengthened for the things of life - to become more of who God has created us to be. 

Last Sunday we saw that our natural inclination - when we encounter a trial - often our natural inclination is to not seek God.  We’re tempted to avoid God and His wisdom.  Remember this?  We talked about how we often blame others for our problems.  We even blame God.  We’re tempted to turn to the stuff of this world - the latest toys and stuff that money buys - turn to escapes like adultery or technology or sports or just about anything to try to handle things on our own - cover our emptiness or pain - anything but seeking after God and letting Him deal with the real issues in our lives.

James has been very honest with us - very practical.  When we encounter trials we always have a choice - choose to seek God - or go it alone.  Going it alone is self-destructive.  Choosing God leads to growth - blessing - life - becoming who God has created us to be.

Starting at verse 19 - James is going to go on with this theme - God’s purposes in trials and the choices we have.

Verse 19:  This you know, my beloved brethren.  But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;  for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Murphy’s law says whatever line is moving the fastest will move the slowest once you - what? get in it.  Heard that?  I was in line at Staples the other day - shortest line there - cruised in and the one lady in front of me went through the whole routine - about a thousand individually scanned items - price checks on every single one - couldn’t seem to get her credit card to work right - all the time yakking away - ta da da da ta da ta da….  oblivious to the thousands of people now trapped in this line.  Ever been there?  I have to confess my anger was right up to here.  I had a few words I was thinking of encouraging her with.

The Greek word here - verse 19 - the word for “anger” is even more powerful.  It has to do with ongoing deep seated hostility - bitterness - anger that builds up inside us when we harbor resentment because of things that have been done to us.  Anger just sits there - like a little pent up reservoir of poison - ready to explode - splatter all over the place.

There was a classified ad:  Wedding dress for sale, never worn.  Will trade for .38 caliber pistol. (1)  People harbor anger.

When Jesus cleared out the Temple in Jerusalem the religious leaders had all these rules about sacrifices that were oppressing the people and increasing their own power.  The businessmen in the Temple area were using the people’s desire to worship God as a profit making opportunity - selling what people needed for their offerings at inflated prices - changing money at skewed rates - ripping people off in the name of God.  Remember this?

Jesus goes in and tears up the place.  Takes this whip and goes through the court - turning over the tables - the chairs - money is flying around.  He opens the pens and drives out all the animals and the businessmen.  He’s ticked.  Angry.  Why?  Remember this line?  “Its written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer;’  But you’re making it a robber’s den.”  (Matthew 21:13)

Read through Scripture - Jesus never got angry because someone came after Him - when He was mistreated or abused.  But He was livid with anger when people went against God’s agenda.

Its important for us to see that the anger James is talking about here is focused on self - what wounds us - ruffles our pride - gets us whining about injustice.  

When we encounter a trial - the trial taps into that reservoir of self - that harbored resentment - anger that wells up - that can come out in our words - gripping - complaints - blaming - accusations - caustic - poisonous - damaging - angry - words.  All showing us that the focus of our hearts is not on seeking God - our focus is on us.  Are you with me on that? 

This is James’ ecclesiastical super-spiritual way of saying, “When you encounter a trial, shut up.”  “Before you open your mouth and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt what’s going on in your heart - start listening to God.  Be quick to hear.  Listening to God in trials is where righteousness - living God’s way - comes from.”

Verse 21:  Therefore - in contrast to words spoken in anger - our natural tendency to spill poison - Therefore, putting aside filthiness and all that remains of wickedness - make a choice - put it aside - don’t go there - instead choose to - in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

Instead - listen to God.  Notice three words.  What listening to God means.

First:  Receive.  Say that with me, “Receive.”  “In humility receive God’s word.”

That means dropping our defenses.  Letting go of our pretenses.  Getting off of our pedestals of pride.  “I can handle this.  I’m not that bad.”

We need what God offers.  We need to let God’s word penetrate down the deepest levels of our pride - our greed - our hateful thoughts - our lusts - grudges - bitterness - those things that defile us at the deepest level.

Choose to get off the pedestal of pride.

Second:  Implanted.  Say that with me, “implanted.”  “In humility receive God’s word implanted.”

Jesus told the parable about the sower and the seeds.  Remember this?  A sower goes out to sow seeds.  Four places where the seeds fell.  What were they?  By the road; rocky places; among thorns; good soil.  Where the seeds took root and grew into healthy plants was where?  In the good soil.  The ground responsive to God’s word produced fruit.  (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)

If we humbly receive God’s word then His word - implanted -  is going to take root - grow within us - going to produce God’s fruit in our lives.

Third word:  Save.  Say that together, “Save.”  What’s God’s implanted  word going to produce?  Fruit.  James describes it this way:  “Its able to save your souls.”

Now let’s be careful here.  “Save” here “sozo” has the idea of “rescue.”  Throwing a life preserver to a drowning person - keeping them from going under permanently.  The implanted word of God - while we’re drowning in trials - the implanted word of God rescues us from spiritual disaster.

Bottom line:  James is saying, “Instead of lashing out in anger - saying stuff in anger - whining and focusing on yourself - letting all the crud that’s deep in your heart control you - instead, turn from focusing on yourself and receive what God will tell you in His word - that’s what’s going to save you and get you living God’s way.”

Verse 22:  But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.  But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

When I was in High School our Spanish language class performed the play “Blancanieves” - Snow White.  My part was the Espejo - the mirror.  I made this wooden frame with a wire mess for the mirror part.  The audience could sort of see my face - but not really.

The evil queen would come and ask the question:  “Espejo, Dime. Soy la más hermosa?”  “Tell me.  Am I the most beautiful.”  I would have to answer:  “No, Reina.  No eres la más hermosa.  You’re not the most beautiful.  Más bella es la dulce princesita Blancanieves.”  Snow White.

The queen would go off in a rage.  “No!  No!  La más bella soy yo!  I’m the most beautiful.”

Sometimes we don’t want to hear what the mirror says.  When it comes to listening to God’s word some of us have selective hearing.  We pick and choose from God’s word.  We only want to do what we think makes sense to us.  Sometimes we’ve gotten so accustomed to the trial - the pain - that we’re fearful to trust God’s word.  Fearful to risk doing something unknown.

Remember Naaman?  The mighty captain of the the army of Aram - a valiant warrior - highly respected - a great man in the kingdom?  Naaman is a leper.  From this captured Israeli slave girl he finds out about Elisha - the prophet of God - who can cure him.

Naaman arrives in front of Elisha’s house with letters of introduction form the King of Aram - comes directly from an audience with the King of Israel.  Naaman shows up at Elisha’s house with his horses and charriots.  There’s a rumbling and dust and this military contingent is arrayed right outside the door..  Impressive.

Naaman - the great warrior - comes up to the Elisha’s door - and Elisha sends a messenger out with instructions.  Elisha won’t even meet Naaman face to face.  He’s a leper - unclean - no matter how impressive the person.  Its a humbling moment for the great warrior.

The instructions for healing were what?  “Go wash in the Jordan River  seven times and you’ll be clean.”  God’s word to Naaman.

Naaman is furious - angry.  Speaks words of anger.  “I thought that Elisha would at least come out and stand before me - the great Naaman - and call on the name of the Lord his God and wave his hand over me - do some kind of spiritual mumbo jumbo - and I’d be cured.  I could have stayed in Damascus for this.  Go wash in that swamp the Israelis call a river.  Why I’ll level this place.”

One of his servants comes and says to Naaman.  “Had the prophet told you to do some great thing - all kinds of ritual and magical words -  wouldn’t you have done it?  How much more then, when he says something simple - just as strange - to you, ‘Wash and be clean.’”   

So Naaman does what?  Humbles himself before God’s word through His prophet - dips himself seven times in the Jordan River - and - surprise surprise - he’s completely cured.  (2 Kings 5:1-14)

God isn’t impressed when we read His Bible.  “Ooouuu.  You read the Bible.  Impressive.”  Or when we come to Him for wisdom.  “Prove yourself dooers - not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

Have you ever noticed that kids can look in a bathroom mirror - see all the dirt on their face - splash water everywhere - and still leave with dirt on their faces?  They will swear up and down that they’re clean.  We can have devotions five times a day and it wouldn’t impress God.

Jesus told the parable about the two men who built houses - one on a rock - one on sand.  The trials of life come up against the man who built his house on the sand and the house on the sand goes - what? splat.  The wise man built his house on the rock - the trials of life come - and the house on the rock - what?  stands firm.

Both of those guys could have been listeners to the word of God.  Read their Bibles everyday - twice a day.  Been to church every Sunday.  Gone to Bible study - Sunday School.  Had a Bible on their coffee table and commentaries on the shelf.

But, what did Jesus say was the difference?  “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them.”  That’s the wise man.  (Matthew 7:24-27)

Look again with me at verse 25.  James calls God’s word the law of liberty.  We’re to “look intently - scrutinize - study - mediate on - look intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abide by it.” - obey it - live by it - from the heart.

One of the great joys of my life has been assembling U-Build It Furniture.  You know what I’m talking about?  Furniture that comes tightly packed in a box with a set of instructions and a parts bag - lots of little parts.  The way go from a box full of random parts to something that resembles the picture on the box is to follow the instructions.  Step by step.

There have been a number of times - following the instructions - when I’ve said to myself, “They’ve got to be kidding.”  I have no clue how this is going to accomplish that.  Ever been there?

But, the responsibility to be creative with the instructions isn’t mine.  My choice is to trust the manufacturer and follow the instructions.  Step by step.  And if I do that.  What results is what the manufacturer intended - which is what I needed - which is what was pictured on the box.

The law of liberty is freedom.  Not the freedom to do what we want - follow our own pride into disaster.  But, the freedom to do what we should - what God has created us for.

When we do God’s word - follow His instructions - we’re set free from being bound by all the crud and sin and anger and resentment and stuff that we carry around that seems so important to our “selves.”  We’re set free from trying to do life on our own and to figure out how it all works together - trying to make sense out of all this.  When we choose to turn from that - to follow God’s word - we’re set free to become all that God has created us to be.

That - James writes - verse 25 - puts us right square in the center of God’s blessing - being with God - in trials - His presence in our lives - His provision for our needs - His healing - His rewards - His pleasure with us.  So that we don’t just exist in trials - enduring and trying to make it through.  But we triumph in trials - living God’s way.

Verse 26:  If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.  Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:  To visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Any of you students take a test last week?  Any of you teachers give a test last week?  James gives us a test to see if where we really are with God. 

The word here for religion is “threskos.”  It describes the outward things we do to worship God.  What we do in response to what God reveals to us in His word.  In other words - looking at how we live our lives in trials - what we do - our actions demonstrate what’s going on deep within us.   Our actions show us if God’s word really has penetrated in to our hearts  and if we’re really living in obedience to God’s word.  Looking at our actions is like taking a test.

There are three parts to the test.  Part one focuses on what comes out of our mouths - the tongue.

We live in a Christian culture - at least here in the church.  Which may or may not be a bad thing.  As we go along in the church we learn to live according to an expected standard of behavior.   That standard can vary from congregation to congregation.  But, as long we’re going along - living by that standard - going to Bible study - showing up for worship - putting money in the offering - not getting wasted - or gambling away the kids education money - not beating the wife - we get the idea that we’re doing okay.  We’re doing the Christian life.  The outward “threskos” things we’re suppose to do.

But, if you squeeze a lemon, what come out?  Lemon juice.  Trials have a way of doing that.  When a person gets squeezed by a trial - when we’re under pressure - part one of the test is to listen to what comes out.  You can look like a lemon on the outside - doing all the things a lemon is suppose to do.  But, if something else comes out - something is seriously wrong inside.

That’s what James is saying here.  If you’re feeling pretty confident in your relationship with God - listen to what comes out of your mouth when you get squeezed.  If its poison - anger - blaming - lashing out - then you’re still focused on yourself and not humbly receiving the word implanted.  We need to change.

Part two of the test focuses on our behavior towards others - orphans and widows.

When I go to a retirement home or convalescent facility in most of the places around here there’s a little book to sign:  My name and who I’m visiting.  I have no idea who keeps track of all that.  I’ve never had anyone from a home contact me and ask me who I am and talk about the visit with me.  Visiting widows is not something that gets a lot of attention.  Its quiet - behind the scenes - ministry.

The Bible uses orphans and widows as examples of people who are on the fringe of society - marginalized - oppressed - dependent on others - many are desperately needy.  To visit them isn’t a self-focused - applause getting - thing to do.

James is pointing out that someone who’s going a through a trial - and isn’t focused on themselves - who’s focused on God - someone going through a trial with God is going to be concerned about the needs - the distress - the suffering - of those around him - the others going through trials.

If we’ve really come to Jesus and laid our hearts open before Him and His word - then - James writes - one evidence of that will be our concern for others demonstrated in quiet - hidden acts of compassion.  If that isn’t happening - then we know we need to change.

The third part of the test focuses on what we let into our lives - keeping ourselves “unstained by the world.”  Purity before God.

Long ago in a church far far away - I’ve actually heard this - more than once.  “My wife had an affair so its okay for me to have an affair.”  If your husband commits suicide does that make it okay for you too?

Trials can make seemingly rational people think in very irrational ways.  Dwelling on thoughts of vengeance - harboring grudges - imagining all kinds of ways to get back at someone.  People go for lifetimes using their wounds to gain sympathy from others - turning people against whoever wounded them.  People encounter trials and end up hooked on alcohol - drugs - sex - pornography.

There’s a way that the world handles trials and its not pretty.  James says, “Don’t do trials by the world’s system.  Keep yourself unstained by it.”

It’s a test.  Under pressure - are we living in purity before God - unwavering in our commitment to live in obedience to His word?  If we are getting the stain of the world’s sin all over us we need to change.

That’s a tough test - isn’t it?  Listening to what’s coming out of our mouths.  Observing our actions towards others.  Seeing the character of our relationship with God.  Let’s be humble here.  There’s room for change. 

We need God’s word implanted making a difference in our lives.  Not just looking in the mirror and walking away.  But to become doers of the word not just hearers.

One last thought - coming to the end of James chapter one.

The chancellor of the University of Glasgow introduced to the young men of that university, God’s missionary, David Livingstone.  When Livingstone stood up and walked to the front of the platform to speak to that group of university men, the students looked at him earnestly and in silence.  They saw his hair burned crisp under the torrid tropical sun.  They saw his body wasted and emaciated from jungle fever.  They saw his right arm hanging limp at his side, destroyed by the attack of a ferocious African lion.  God’s missionary. (2)

Life is not about us - God owing us a wonderful life - what we may think life is all about.  What we often get bent out of shape about when life doesn’t meet our expectations.  Life is about God.  The things we go through in life - trials - its all about God - what He wants to do in us and through us.

In trials - God gives us choices - opportunities - to go through the trials on the same page as God.  James chapter one - what we’ve been looking at these last three Sundays - James chapter one is about those choices.  The next time you’re in a trial - which may not be too long from now - think about these choices.

1. The choice to seek God - to turn to Him for His wisdom and purposes in allowing us to go through the trial.

______________________________
1.  Preaching Magazine, March-April 1993
2.  W.A. Criswell, Expository Sermons on Galatians

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.