James has been dealing with trials and sufferings in the Christian’s life. Here, he continues to lay out a lifestyle and a people that deals with trials and sufferings in a way that’s different from the world.
(A) People who receive the word, not indulging in self-righteous anger (v19-21)
Before we look at this section of James, it will be helpful for us to consider the context. James has set the stage of how the Christian lives under trial. In James 1:2-4, James exhorts them to count it all joy when they encounter trials of various kinds. Trials test our faith and produce character. They are a universal experience of all Christians, rich and poor. Those that are a bit more wealthy are not insulated from trials! In James 1:12-17, the man who remains steadfast under trial is blessed. Trials and the circumstances are the condition for temptation and God does not tempt us. Rather, each person is tempted by his own desire. Our trials will also cause us to question and clarify what we believe about God.
If you are a Christian and are not prepared for trial, this book is for you. If you are undergoing a trial now and are not sure whether you can continue to believe, this is also a kind of trial. And all of these should raise this question: Why do we not expect to suffer more often? Why are we not used to suffering in the Christian’s life? James seems to think that what we really need to learn is to suffer.
Are we trained in this? Do we know what to do? Or do you rely on instinct, action or community… and just wing it?
Trials are also going to make us angry. James desires that the beloved brothers know this: to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger (Jas 1:19). Does it surprise you that this is here? What should you do when you are angry? What is spiritual success in this sense? See that God cares about our response, especially what we do with our anger.
James is not clear about the situation or circumstance of anger here, i.e. we do not really know what James is referring to. But we know this: the word for anger here is not a sudden, explosive anger, but is a word referring to the wrath of God — a settled opposition in a clear-minded way.
James is warning about a fleshly behaviour that tends to arise when we are in times of testing and trial — when life does not go the way we want. In this circumstance, James reminds us to be slow to speak, slow to anger and quick to hear. Later in James 3, we read of the tongue described as a world of fire. We also see something similar in the Proverbs too — Proverbs 10:19, 11:12, 15:1, 17:28.
What does it mean to be quick to hear? The next few verses imply that it means to hear something specific.
What negative and positive instruction does James present, and what does it look like? James calls the people to “put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness” (Jas 1:21a). Commit that your mouth is for God and you desire for it to be clean. You certainly need God’s help and power, but resolve that your speech is for God’s glory and free of filthiness. Let your words not be used for tearing others down. Commit your lips to God. Resolve to think before speaking. Are there also things you need to stop putting into your brain, so it stops coming out of your mouth?
James also calls the people to “receive with meekness the implanted word” (Jas 1:21b). If you are struggling and angry, James is calling us to turn to God’s word. Receive with meekness — humility — the implanted word. But if it is implanted, why do we need to receive it? Christians are recipients of the word and have been brought forth by the word (Jas 1:18). But in our trials and anger, we need the humility to receive the Scriptures.
Let us pause and also consider the issue of inner anger. The Christian life is designed to make us feel powerless. We worship a God who is sovereign and has full control. We are not and life is hard. The Christian life is designed to point to the lingering effects of sin in us. And our good churches and faithful preachers seek to bring God’s word to us in a way that sheds a spotlight on our sin and Jesus is a great Saviour.
Ministry and service in church will be hard. Follow Jesus and we will suffer. We will definitely struggle with anger on this side of heaven. And this is why we need to learn that if we are going to follow Jesus and struggle with anger, we need to figure out what to do with our mouths and the pride that is often attached to our anger.
Do you know how to run to the Bible in the midst of all the difficulties, trials and temptations?
Men, here is a word for you. You may have an inordinate struggle with anger, a rage and being upset that life does not turn out the way you desire. Many feel like they cannot extract their desired results from life, family, work and church etc. And it often stems from a heart that desires to be God. Men, hear God’s word in James 1:20. And be the kind of man that comes under the authority of God’s word, as a restraint over you.
(B) People who do the word, not hearing and forgetting (Jas 1:22-25)
Now that you are under the word, there are some choice to be made. James describes two groups of people — one group only hears the word (Jas 1:22b) while the other group hears and does the word (Jas 1:22a). The law is likened to a mirror. The group that only hears is described as a man who looks intently at himself in the mirror and immediately forgets after (Jas 1:23-24). In contrast, the man who hears and does looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty and perseveres (Jas 1:25a).
What do we do with the knowledge of ourselves over time? The man who only hears ends up forgetting (Jas 1:25b). On the other hand, the man who hears and does, acts and will be blessed in his doing (Jas 1:25c).
Thus, the person who only hears is one who has gone to the word, gained knowledge and information about himself and is put into a position to do something about it but forgets. Is this us every Sunday, Wednesday and every time we go to Scripture? We learn something about our own need every time we go to God’s Word. God’s Word shines a lamp into the dark corners of our hearts and we are to do something about it when He shows us our sins.
On the other hand, James speaks of one who hears and does. One of the functions of the law is to show us God’s good, perfect and righteous standard. When we look into the law, we see what life ought to be light. When we do so, we see how we are falling short. The as our mirror shows us the defects on our face. As we read in 2 Timothy 3:16, all Scripture is for correction, teaching, reproof and training in righteousness. We do not look into the law for comfort all the time. We also look into His word to be told what God’s righteousness is like and our state of sinfulness too.
And when we look into this law, we need to persevere too! There is blessing on the other side of obedience.
What would change in your life if you lived this way? Ask God to show you your sin, the Saviour, and areas of your life that you will need to obey God and also the blessing of obedience. God does not tell us to obey in a vacuum and also promises a blessing from obedience.
(C) People who bear fruit under the word, not self-deceived (Jas 1:26-27)
James provides an extended warning here in James 1:26-27. There is a kind of religion and following Christ that is useless. These are harsh and heavy words, especially to an audience that is facing trial. Is your life gospel-seed planted and is bearing fruit even in trial? Or, you might want to question if there is anything growing there at all.
James speaks of 3 things that can indicate that we are self-deceived:
If we do not bridle our tongue and allow instinct, flesh, reaction to take over (Jas 1:26).
If we do not visit orphans and widows in their affliction (Jas 1:27b). James is speaking of OT love for neighbour. (c.f. Prov 23:10-11) Widows and orphans are under God’s special care. Christians should love justice, righteousness and mercy because if we don’t care for them, who will?
If we do not keep ourselves unstained from the word (Jas 1:27c). God’s people were to organise themselves and live in a distinct way.
These should make us ask ourselves if we are only hearers, or do we hear and do.
Are you self-deceived? Do you go to church and serve? Even go on missions trips? But are there merely programmes? What about your life, or your heart, or your mouth? These things are not about what we do for God but about what we are becoming. So what are you becoming? If you are a hearer only and not a doer too, perhaps you are self-deceived.
Taken all together, these are a people that endure trials in a different way. They are a people mastered and ruled by the word and bear fruit in their life. What a charming vision this is! Perhaps it also sounds almost too good to be true. But there was one who was like this and lived this way. He did not give in to self-indulgent anger under trial and lived under God’s word His whole life. On the cross, He quoted Psalm 22. God’s word was on His mind all the way to His death. He was intent on fulfilling Scripture. He was the seed that fell to the ground and died, and bore fruit, a hundred-fold, a thousand-fold. He was clear about who He was and His mission and purpose. And when what He came to do was accomplished, He said, “It is finished”.
We suffer trials because of Him. We bear the same marks of the cross. Christians have always been called a cross-shaped people, and this is the centre of our faith! We gather every Sunday to remind ourselves that Jesus died. It is like going to a funeral. But we celebrate His death. So, why should we not expect to die with Him. This is what we are called to do in Christ.
How are you pursuing a life of living out God’s Word? Are you self-deceived in thinking that your faith is real - how do you know?