Seeing the Inside of Man

James 2:1-5 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. (2) For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; (3) And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: (4) Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? (5) Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 

Our passage today deals with a lesson that we all so desperately need:  Being able to see past the physical of a person (whether good or bad), and understand that the internal can be so much different than we might first conclude.  This teaching causes me to have two obvious impressions:

1.  Praise be to God that what we LOOK like is not WHO we are!  How many times in life have we gotten to know a “popular” person; one that has everything going for them as far as looks, clothes, physique etc. and then once we get to know them we wonder how they got so popular.  On the other hand, how many times have we gotten to know someone that was superficially “lacking”; whether it’s that they are overweight, or dress with a distorted sense of style or they are just ugly, but when we get to know them they are a wonderful person.  All of us have experienced these interactions and yet, we tend to fall back and make judgements about people based upon their outward appearance.  If you are like me, I was not born physically perfect, so I am thankful that God looks upon something COMPLETELY different in order to judge who I am.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 

In this passage, Israel is in turmoil with Saul being king so God desires to replace him.  He sends his prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse to choose one of his sons to anoint as the next king of Israel.  The first son that Samuel encounters was a physically ideal specimen, but God rejected him and verse 7 was his explanation.  Because God does not look on the physical as man does but looks on the heart.  Now look at verse 5 of James 2.  Notice who God says will inherit heaven.  Not the rich!  Not the good looking.  NOt the physically fit.  But those that LOVE God!  That is a characteristic of the heart.  A characteristic that ANYONE can achieve!

2.  We Therefore Cannot Judge People on superficial Characteristics!  The primary point of this lesson, is that because God does not judge from the outward, that we too should learn to do the same.  Unfortunately, not only we draw conclusions upon what we see from a person, but that we often act upon it as well.  James illustrates a scenario where two men walk into an assembly, and the socially preferred person is treated in a very welcoming manner, while the socially “outcast” person is escorted to the back.  His attendance and importance is minimized due ONLY because of his appearance.  If we are not careful, we can behave in a very similar manner over race, gender, money or any other physical characteristic.  The fact is, we are all fortunate that God does not judge us in this manner, and we MUST do all that we can to see man as God does.  We must strive, every day to learn to see that everyone has POTENTIAL!

Having an Effective Religion!

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. 

On the heels of yesterday’s discussion of keeping our religion from being vain or worthless, James comes back to discuss how that our our religion can be pure and undefiled.  We are told to visit the fatherless and the widows and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.  Let’s look at these teachings in two separate categories.  I think this verse breaks Christianity down into two main focuses.

1.  Living a Positive Life for God

2.  Refraining from Sin

1. Positive Living.  We may somewhat neglect this avenue of Christianity in our teaching.  I think there is a host of Christians that believe that as long as I don’t do any of those big sins then I am safe.  But the Bible and Jesus himself are VERY emphatic that if we neglect this aspect of Christianity, we deceiving ourselves.

Matthew 25:14-26 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (16) Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. (17) And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. (18) But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. (19) After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. (20) And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. (21) His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (22) He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. (23) His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (24) Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. (26) His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 

When you compare this one talent man to the other two guys, Jesus is trying to show that they differ only in this one aspect of using their talents.  In other words, we should NOT assume that this one talent man was excessively more evil or sinful than the other two servants.  The only reason that he is rebuked is because he didn’t do anything.  James says that we ought to visit the Fatherless and the widows; two groups of people that typically cannot help themselves.  So we ought to use our talents to help them, comfort them and to enrich their lives.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

2. Refraining from Sin.  These two aspects of Christianity should not be viewed as buffet items, in that we have a choice between doing one or the other.  Instead, to have a pure, undefiled religion, we must do both.  The second thing that James informs us of is refraining from sin.  

Sin is what separated us from God initially (Isaiah 59:1-2) and all sin has the power to continue to separate us from God.  With that in mind, we need to avoid sin at all cost.

Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 

For those of us that are Christians, we have made the commitment to abandon sin, In fact, the language that Paul uses in Romans 6 is that we have died to sin.  That should be the attitude that we have.  I have died to sin.  I am done with it.  I have put it behind me.

We must apply both of these aspects of Christianity in our lives. It is the ONLY way that we can have a religion that is effective and meaningful to God!.

Keeping Religion from Being Vain!

James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 

The Bible never ceases to amaze me.  Today’s passage is dealing with what can make a man’s religion vain. 

First, let’s make sure we understand the word “vain”.   Vain simply means:  “worthless, having NO value”.  So James is telling us that something that we can do can make our attempt at drawing near to God have not value to either us or God!

If we were to take a poll of people, unfamiliar with this verse, and ask them how a man might make his religion in vain, I would imagine that know one would give the answer that James does.  In today’s crazy world we might hear things like...”by not taking good care of the environment”.  Or by not loving one another.  By not accepting everyone despite their choices or lifestyles.

Even religious people might give the wrong answer like...by losing faith....or by failing to attend worship services regularly.  But none of these are the correct answer.

So James, what can we do that can make our religion in vain?  Failing to control our tongues.  Our speech, what we say, what we choose not to say, the jokes that we tell, the descriptions that we make, all tell others about who we are.  If we use foul language on a regular basis, then James says that our religion is worthless!  If we cannot refrain from telling jokes then our religion has no value.  If you are mean spirited and regularly belittle people with your speech, then your religion is in vain.

I think that Jesus has insight for why this is so significant...

Matthew 15:18-20 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. (19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (20) These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 

Jesus says that what comes out of the mouth (speech) comes from the heart.  And ultimately, what is in the heart defiles a man.  If we continually lie, use foul language, tell dirty jokes, or demean people with our speech, it is much larger indicator of who we really are....a defiled person.

If you regularly use foul language in any form, but do not like the idea that you are defiled, then it is not too late to change.  You can control your speech.  You can think before you speak and become the kind of person that you want to be.

What’s the Point of Looking?

James 1:22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (23) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. (25) But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

Yesterday, we discussed James 1:22....being DOERS of the word and not hearers only.  But in verses 23-25, James continues this thought and so shall we.

James ended verse 22 by saying that if we are hearers only we deceive ourselves.  In verse 23-24 he elaborates that concept by offering an illustration to support his statement.

James 1:23-24 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (24) For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 

For most of us, what is the LAST thing that we do before we walk out of the door to go into public?  If you are like me, you look at the mirror.  Why do we do that?  Because it is the final look!  The last inspection!  We want to make sure that everything is properly done; that we have not forgotten something.  It gives us one last chance in case we find that something is lacking.

Now, here really is the crux of this point...What if we find something wrong?  For instance, what if we look in the mirror and realized that men, we didn’t shave our face or ladies, you didn’t put on your make-up?  What if you look in the mirror and see that there is a big coffee stain on your shirt?  What do you do?

Really we have one of two options:

1.  You can say.....”aah, no big deal, that interviewer won’t mind that big stain”

2.  You go and fix the problem that you found in the mirror.

If you go with option number 1.....If you see a problem and choose not to fix it...Why did you look?  What was the point?  Isn’t the WHOLE point of looking in the mirror, right before you walk out the door, to make sure everything is RIGHT?  

That is exactly the illustration that James is making as it pertains to our spiritual lives. If we look in the “Perfect Law of Liberty”, the Bible, and see that our lives do not measure up, What do we do?  Will we go away and say to ourselves ”aah, no big deal, God won’t mind that sin”?  If we react that way, we are the forgetful hearers that James is warning us about.  If we walk away without changing the problem, we are deceiving ourselves by thinking that reading the Bible is having any benefit to us.

The alternative of course is that we do as the text suggests and be Doers of the word.  We see the problem in our lives and we make the proper adjustments to make things right.  Remember what James said in verse 21 from a couple of days ago?

James 1:21 ...and receive with MEEKNESS the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 

James said that we should receive with humility or meekness the word of God.  If we look at Bible and say to ourselves that we are not going to change, that is not receiving it with humility, it is REJECTING it with ARROGANCE.

In James’ last statement, he said that if we do what we find in the word of God, we will be blessed in our deeds.  There is a real benefit, to US, for changing our coffee stained shirts before we walk out the door.  Likewise, there is a REAL benefit to both us and God if we look into the word of God, recognize that there is a problem and become DOERS of what we read, by making the proper changes in our lives.

Be Doers...Not Just Hearers!

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

As Americans, we understand that one of the things that makes us special is our American Constitution.  That document that makes sets us apart, establishes our freedoms and in many ways, makes us special throughout the world.  Because it is the foundation for our government and liberties, we cherish it, value it and defend it.

For those that claim to be Christians, the Bible in many ways is much like the Constitution.  The Bible is our law.  Likewise the Bible establishes our Freedoms. And if used correctly sets us apart from the rest of the world.

But that statement is really the main point of our text this day:  “If used correctly”!  It is amazing to me how that the Bible can be so easily discarded as irrelevant.  The Power in the word comes from its Application!  But don’t so many other things in life?  How useful is an electrical socket if you do not stick the plug into it.  It has enormous POTENTIAL in its unused state, but it is useless without application.  Medicine is the same way.  You can be dying with a bottle of medicine in your hand and still die if you don’t put the medicine in your mouth.  The Bible is NO different!  The Bible ONLY has great Potential, unless and until it is applied to our lives!

James tells us not to be hearers only but to do what it is that we hear and read.  But look at the last statement that he makes here.  “Deceiving our Own selves.  If we think that we can read the word of God, maybe even become great students of it, even to the point that we have it largely memorized, but we do not APPLY the commands, restrictions and liberties contained within, we are only FOOLING ourselves.

Don’t lie to yourself.    If you want to be a follower of God, know the word of God by studying it regularly.  But don’t stop there....Do what the Bible tells you to do.  Refrain from what the Bible says to avoid!  Think how it tells you to think!  Be what it tells you to be!

Don’t Just Read It...Live It!

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.

Controlling Anger!

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: (20) For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 

In our text today, James gives us sound advice on how to deal with people, especially in contentious situations. Controlling our emotions, especially anger, takes effort. However if we try, it will, in time, become more natural and allow us to appear more Godly to the one’s we are around.  

When we take time to think about what is being said, we will understand that the message of this text will greatly reduce conflict between people.  We will also see that it is the EXACT opposite of what our natural reaction is.

So if it is so useful, why do we not do it?  Pride!  We always want to be right!  We always want to save face!  As humans, we generally do not want to utilize the principles of humility that our Savior taught us and himself demonstrated so well. 

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

What then should we do to control anger?  Three separate things.

1.  Quick to Hear.

Jumping to conclusions is the quickest way to have conflict  How often do we THINK that we hear something negative, react emotionally, and then later find out that what we heard was not the complete story.  This is such a problem, that when we get ready to give difficult news, we often have to tell the hearer to “hear me out”.  We know that people, by nature, will hear only a portion of the news and react!  We need to teach ourselves to gather all of the necessary information before we react prematurely!

2.  Slow to Speak.

If we properly learn this first principle, the second two will be much more natural.  If we are carefully listening, we cannot be talking.  When we talk in these contentious situations, we generally do not make the situation better.  Instead, we tend to further escalate it.  Therefore, if we have the desire to NOT be angry, then controlling ourselves from talking is a beneficial way to managing the situation.

3.  Slow to Wrath.

A significant antithesis to reasoned thought is anger.  We simply are unable to process analytical reason when we are angry.  Anger is pure emotion and often it dominates over reason.  If we then, begin talking or acting based upon this pure, raw emotion, it will not bring about a positive solution but rather an escalation of the conflict.  Therefore, to be the kind of people that God wants us to be, we need to fight the urge to allow anger and wrath to take over our being!

Notice carefully the wording that we have used to describe this text today:  CONTROLLING Anger not “thou shalt not ever be angry”.  There is a huge difference that needs to be understood.  Anger in and of itself is NOT sin.

Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 

Even Jesus was angry at times.  At least once he was so angry he was moved to violence!

John 2:13-16 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, (14) And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: (15) And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; (16) And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 

Jesus was angry.  He even acted in a manner that could be described as violent.  But he acted with a righteous indignation.  The point is, that being angry is not a sin. But as James pointed out in verse 20...

James 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 

In general terms, anger is not a characteristic that causes man to think of God.  So if we want our light to so shine, that they see God (Matt 5:16), then we must not be people that are quick to get angry.  Anger can be controlled and we must do all that we can to do so!