James 1:19-27

James 1:19-27

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

• v19 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”

  • When in times of trial, our first reaction should not be to react at all.

  • Instead, we should listen and consider our actions before we commit to them.

  • Human instinct is to lash out. To react quickly. To get angry over things that are not within our control or that went in a way we did not desire.

  • These are feelings of pride, not humility. Instincts of human nature, not righteousness found in Christ.

• v20 “because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

  • Human outbursts of anger never lead to righteous deeds.

  • In our own power, mind, strength we cannot produce righteous results from anger.

  • Even though we may be angry over sin, or angry over something God would disapprove of, we do not have the capacity or ability to produce a righteous outcome from the anger. We need to leave that to God.

• v21 “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

  • Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

  • Because anger does not produce righteousness, we must cast aside anger and all other reactions that are initiated from our own sense of morality or self-righteousness.

  • Moral filth and evil is so prevalent within us.

  • We must accept the word planted in us, for it can save us.

  • This is a message coming in the midst of a passage that has largely focus on our reactions in times of trial.

  • Our reaction to trial should be to listen and seek God through His word. We should not speak. We should not get angry. We should listen. We should be still, knowing that He is God (Ps. 46:10) and allow His Word to direct us.

• v22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

  • A true Christian will not just listen to God’s Word. He/She will heed it. 

  • James 2 we will expand on this where he stresses that “faith without works is dead”.

  • If you claim Christ, but have no desires to follow Him or do what His Word says, then you are likely deceiving yourself. And the result of this self-deceit will be Hell.

  • This is a strong warning and a good reason to self reflect, but should not cause you to doubt your faith. If you are here to learn more about God, seek Him, and follow Him, then this is likely not directed at you.

• v23-24 “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like”

  • The Word reflects absolute truth about you when you look at it sincerely. 

  • If you look in a mirror with a dirty face, and say you look clean then you’re deceiving yourself.

  • If you look into the Word, and do not see the depths of our sin and heights of God’s holiness, then you’re deceiving yourself.

• v25 “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

  • As opposed to the initial law (given to Moses) that showed our bondage and our need for a savior, we are now under the perfect law that gives freedom!

  • This perfect law is the gospel of Jesus, that all we need is Him. Here it says if we follow Him and His Word (not forgetting what He teaches), then we will be blessed. Note: this is not a promise of physical blessings.

• v26 “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

  • If you are so religious that you consider your own words worth listening to, then you must not be doing as you are taught in the Word of God.

  • We should be slow to speak. When we speak we should take care to say things that glorify God.

  • If we cannot control our own tongue, then what can we control?

• v27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

  • Our religion should echo the life of Christ. One of selfless servitude of God.

  • Here it uses the examples of looking after orphans/widows (Psalm 68:5,146:9; Job 29:12) and remaining holy and set apart from the Lord (1 Peter 2:9).

  • We are told that the religion God accepts as pure is the one that follows what He teaches us.