As we close out chapter one of the book of James, he has already given us some everyday practical advice…be quick to hear…slow to speak…and slow to anger…to put aside filthiness and wickedness…in today’s message James is revealing the danger of not being a doer of the word.
That sums up the ideas that we should be aspiring to in our Christian walk …be quick to hear…slow to speak…and slow to anger…put aside filthiness and wickedness…and…not just be a hearer of the word but a doer as well.
Now in verses [26, 27] he identifies two kinds of religion…one is a picture of useless religion…the other a picture of pure religion.
Something I haven’t shared with you for a while is the purpose of the book of James…it’s important that we continually remind ourselves of the purpose because throughout the book the emphasis is separating true Christians from those who aren’t.
James’s purpose is for professed Christians to test their faith to find out whether it is genuine or false.
Here’s the importance Jesus puts on being a doer of the word…after preaching the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave a parable to illustrate how important being a doer is: [Matthew 7:24-27]
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
In [26] James is reiterating the importance of what Jesus said by identifying more specifically what ‘words of mine’ we should be putting into practice.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
Couple things up front about that verse.
FIRST…It would seem to indicate that religion is ‘work’ based…if I’m not cussing or speaking bad about people I’m in pretty good standing with God.
SECONDLY…’This person’s religion is worthless’ is pretty strong talk…so who is that person whose religion is worthless?
The Bible identifies at least four different types of people when it comes to religion…last week James identified the unbeliever as a person one who is a hearer of the word but not a doer because they see no benefit in living a Christian lifestyle…religion means nothing to them…therefore
The unbeliever is without Christ and without the Holy Spirit…seeing spiritual things as foolishness…having no desire to accept anything that is remotely tied to the church.
This goes along with the other two types of people the Bible speaks of besides the unbeliever…one type Paul calls the ‘natural man’ [1 Cor. 2:14] …Jesus refers to them as being ‘lukewarm’ [Rev. 3:15]…the second person is the carnal Christian.
Here’s the danger with lukewarm people…whose religion is also worthless… BUT… unlike the unbeliever who flatly refuses to be associated with anything ‘religious’ …the lukewarm person feels secure because they do all the things associated with salvation…they attend church…they make a profession of faith …they’re baptized…they take communion…mistakenly believing salvation is just doing things.
As a result they don’t live by faith…their emphasis is on doing things…they don’t genuinely seek God…the influence of God’s Word has no effect on their lives…because they believe all salvation consists of is in doing things.
Here’s how they deceive themselves…Jesus makes reference to them…those who mistakenly believe salvation is in doing things.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ [Matt. 7:22.]
Look at all the things I did…attempting to convince themselves …and more importantly Jesus…that they did show evidence of being born again.
Here’s the danger…being a doer is destructive when fueled by wicked motives.
Hypocrites perform religious duties in order to convince THEMSELVES of their righteousness.
They think… ‘Just look at all the good things I do…I must be a Christian’… believing they’re saved when they’re not.
Deceivers perform religious duties for two reasons:
…1) in order to convince OTHERS of their righteousness…the more I do the more righteous I appear.
… 2) believing themselves to be better than you but in actuality their lives really aren’t any different from the unbeliever.
The mark of religious deceivers and hypocrites is that they selfishly pick and choose which works they want to perform…those that will bring them the greatest admiration.
When people’s spiritual eyes are open that is what makes it possible for them to turn themselves from darkness to light…BUT…that is not SALVATION.
Their eyes may be opened and they may be able to discern the darkness from light…and they may even acknowledge the truths about Jesus but that is not salvation either.
Salvation means that we are brought to the place in our lives where we are able to RECEIVE something from God…the forgiveness of sin and the Holy Spirit.
No matter how sincere our acknowledgment about who Christ is…the mere intellectual acceptance of divine truth does not bring salvation.
Here’s how Jesus will respond to their claims of those who do things in Matt 7.
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’
See the danger of deception?…it has eternal consequences.
Then in [26] James introduces another type of person…it’s what theologians have come to call the carnal Christian…so who is that?
The carnal Christian is somewhere in between the unbeliever…who is not saved…the lukewarm Christian who believes they’re saved, and the spiritual Christian who is saved.
It’s someone who has trusted Jesus as Lord of their life…but because their faith is weak they often return to their old way of life.
This is where the ‘lose your salvation’ argument comes in… ‘well if they’re saved but they’ve reverted back to their old habits / lifestyle they must have lost their salvation.’
NO…it doesn’t mean they’ve lost their salvation because Paul refers to them as brethren [1 Cor. 3:1] …something he would not call an unbeliever…but because they have failed to grow spiritually Paul calls them infants in Christ.
It’s not that these people aren’t Christians because they are…BUT because they are immature in their Christian walk, Paul can’t even address them as spiritual because they were still so worldly.
Here’s the difference between an unbeliever and a carnal Christian…both may resemble each other outwardly…BUT…a Christian will not remain that way for a lifetime.
Carnal Christians can and do fall outside of God’s will at times…being disobedient for a while…BUT…the key thing to understand…a true Christian will not remain carnal but will eventually come back into fellowship with God.
Unfortunately…during the time the carnal Christian is outside of God’s will… doing worldly things they will not be receiving God’s blessing.
Here’s how people are deceived…people attempt to pass themselves off as being a carnal Christian…commonly called ‘backsliders’ …people even joke about it…I’m really a Christian…just not living like it.
NO…you’re not a Christian…an unbeliever will continue to live that lifestyle their entire life…with no hope of salvation without accepting Jesus as their Savior, believing they are saved when they’re not.
A carnal Christian may live that type of lifestyle for a while…but will eventually return because the Holy Spirit will continue to convict them until they do.
Then there’s the spiritual Christian…that is the person who more and more is controlled by the fruit of the Spirit…earnestly seeking to rid themselves of all their old sins and habits…James calls those filthiness and wickedness …all the while striving to live a life that is glorifying to God.
It’s important that we continually evaluate ourselves because based on how we conduct ourselves will determine which one of those four categories we’re in… a Christian…a carnal Christian…an unbeliever…or those who are lukewarm.
But really there’s one more category that can result in deception…another issue that needs to be addressed.
Those who claim to be ‘spiritual’ as opposed to those who identify themselves as being ‘religious.’
There is a difference between being religious and being spiritual…because they’re not the same.
Some differences between being religious and being spiritual:
…Religion is communal…involving groups of people holding the same belief and worshipping the same God.
…Spirituality is more of a personal quest rarely following a set of external rules…preferring to ‘go solo’.
…Religion is structured…having moral rules…creeds…and doctrines… fellowship with God based on lifestyle that is Bible based.
….Spirituality breaks from the restrictions and rigid structure associated with religion…because religion is too confining…too restrictive.
…Religion deals with the future…when we will be eternally joined with Jesus …Spirituality is concerned with the present…experiencing life as it happens.
…Judgment is central to religion…there will come a time when we all will answer for how we conducted ourselves during our time on earth.
…Spirituality has no right or wrong and therefore no judgment.
This ties back to the previous verse regarding being a doer of the word…and how we can determine which category we’re in.
James gives an indicator for us to judge the category we’re in.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
Bluntly said…the indicator to determine your position in Christ…no one should think of themselves as being ‘religious’ if they cannot control their tongue.
If we cannot control the words that come out of our mouths…then we are lying to ourselves about being a Christian.
In chapter 3 James goes even further into the evils of the tongue.
3 Now if we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. 4 Behold the ships though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines.
5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the entire body and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by Hell.
7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. these things should not be this way.
It’s been said we should taste our words before we speak them.
When there is no desire to improve your character…no ambition in seeking to be a better person…we stunt our growth and run the risk of stagnating in our fellowship with the Lord…our religion is worthless.
Looking at verse [25] most all English translations translate it alike….being a doer of the word.
BUT what it actually says in the Greek is not ‘word’…but ‘work’ which adds a whole new dimension to what James is talking about [25].
not having been a forgetful hearer but a doer of work, this one will be (future indicative) blessed in his work.
What’s it mean to be a doer of work? …seems James is emphasizing the importance of doing things by using the word ‘work’ …which is counter to everything I’ve said up to now about how futile your religion is if it’s centered on works.
It’s the spiritual Christian who is earnestly seeking to rid themselves of all their old sins and habits…James calls those filthiness and wickedness…all the while striving to live a life that is controlled by the fruit of the Spirit.
People have the mistaken idea that becoming a Christian is sitting back and coasting through life until I get to be with Jesus…even thinking that going to church is an obligation I don’t have to participate in…‘cause I’m saved.’
One of the ways that believers go astray is to forget the things we have been taught…that’s why James insists that the one who looks intently at the perfect law and abides by it will be blessed.
Our ears can quickly become blocked and our sight can grow dim if we take our eyes off the truth of God’s Word.
We can become forgetful hearers, powerless in our ministry and ineffective in our testimony if we do not take this warning to heart…and the consequences of doing that is missing out on being blessed in all we do.
Hence the importance of being in Sunday School and church…it’s possible to become careless in our Christian walk and drift away from the narrow pathway that leads to life…why it’s important we don’t judge how religious we are by:
–Our church attendance.
–Our ministry activity.
–By the fact that you haven’t broken any major laws…haven’t robbed anybody…murdered anybody…haven’t lied or cheated on your Income Tax …haven’t abused your wife.
That isn’t what makes you a Christian…nor is going to church…being baptized …or taking communion.
Those who have been saved by faith in Christ understand that we have already received God’s favor…the ‘works’ part of religion is not in doing things…it’s being controlled by the Holy Spirit so how we act…what we say…how we conduct ourselves brings glory to God by our actions…which is the natural result of having our lives dwelt by the Holy Spirit.