James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
This passage is so jammed packed with powerful truths that can help us, I am going to break down this verse by its key points. I don’t normally dissect a passage in this manner for the Reflecting the Son, but for this verse, it just seemed to be the most effective way to extract the truths contained there in.
1. We CAN Lay Aside Sin in our lives
There was an old TV show when I was growing up called the "Flip Wilson Show". On it was a character named Geraldine. That personality would often explain away her bad behavior by saying...”The Devil Made me do it!” As much as we would love to blame someone else for our shortcomings, the Bible is quite clear that sin is a choice that we make. And if it is a choice that we make, it is equally a choice that we can AVOID! Certainly there are influences that can have an effect our decision making, but if we choose to live the life of sin, there is no one to blame but ourselves. Therefore, to be a true follower of God, we must learn to lay aside ALL sin!
2. The Nature of Sin - A Disgusting Filth & Overflowing Evil.
It is amazing how that labels on things can make such a huge difference in the way that we perceive things. I’v seen TV shows where people were enjoying a weird food like “Escargot” but when they learned it was nothing more than snails, they spit them out and refused to eat them. Sin is the same way. If we could see sin like God does, we would have a much easier time refusing it, but Satan has convinced the world to rename it to make it more palatable. This verse, and many others in the Bible, describe sin as a disgusting filth. Therefore, Like any other disgusting, putrid filth, we should teach ourselves to see it as it is, and like God, be revolted by it.
3. How to Receive the the Word of God!
James tells us that we are to receive the WORD with Meekness. A more common word for meekness is humility. Humility is an attitude that has the proper understanding and perspective of ourselves.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Arrogance and pride says that “I have no need to change!” Arrogance and pride says that “the Bible isn’t for me, it’s for someone else”. Arrogance and pride says that “My heart tells me that this is OK regardless of what the Bible says”. However with the proper humble attitude, we will understand that that God knows us best, that he wants the best for us and that submitting to his will and following his EVERY command will benefit us in this life and the life to come!
4. Making the Word of God a Part of your Life!
James, in this verse, describes the Word of God as the Engrafted word. That word Engraft is a horticultural word that describes taking a branch of one tree and inserting that branch into the trunk of a different tree, and when left there and nurtured, that branch will grow and eventually become part of the second tree! That is how the word ought to be part of our lives. We must insert it and make it a part of our everyday life. The word of God CANNOT simply be an accessory on a bookshelf.
5. The Word of God is Able to Save Your Soul!
James is clear, the Bible is able to save our souls....but How? Contained within the Bible is the instructions or prescription for healing our sick souls. Jesus describes himself as the Great Physician and the words that he speaks, the words contained in the Bible, are his prescription. When we follow it as we should, we can find the salvation that we are looking for.
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