Taming the tongue. James 3: 1-13.

James 3:1 NASB Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.

Raised in the church, we frequently had missionaries come back into the church, with videos and slides, demonstrating the work they had been doing. They NEVER spoke to the crowd with the hope of making new teachers; it was always a push to be missionaries. To be honest, good Bible teachers were rare, and therefore there was little to inspire us to be a Bible teacher.

When I “came back to the Lord,” I was about 23, and almost immediately I was fortunate enough to get involved with a few “good” Bible teachers. I felt like I finally had people that I could emulate. Unfortunately, I got married to a girl I met in church, and thought she would be perfect, she was not, and getting married to her was nothing more than a fulfillment of my selfish desires. With that marriage, my dreams of being a Bible teacher came to a crashing halt for almost 40 years.

The verse says, “we (teachers) will be judged more strictly.” Let me give you the KJV for contrast.

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. (James 3:1 KJV)

It seems as if the emphasis changes. Is it possible that this has nothing to do with a judgment from God, as the majority of the teachers emphasize?

What if this has everything to do with the opposition you receive from the religious and the world, who have just enough religion in them to be a thorn in our flesh?

When I look at the KJV I get the word knowing. Knowing is the Greek word eidō and means to see. Again, the KJV states: we shall receive. We assume that it means we shall receive from God. It is the Greek word lambanō and means to take up a thing to be carried.

My experience teaching is limited to you, and a very small handful of men, rarely exceeding myself and two others. I am not a pastor, not do I want the responsibility of being a pastor. I have enough trouble handling my own life. However, I do feel the weight of responsibility to teach these guys an appropriate, intelligent, and Holy Spirit inspired message. I am fortunate as, currently, we all seem to be like-minded; there is that, and the way I teach is to demonstrate that there could be alternate ways of looking at a passage. This approach has been very freeing, as I do a reasonably thorough job of researching the subject matter, and point out things like, how the Book of Revelation, is a Jewish oriented book.

“the greater” is the Greek word meizōn and means larger. The KJV finishes off the sentence with the word condemnation. This word is kríma and means to judge. The suffix -ma indicates the result of judging.

Maybe my speculation is off track and it is judging.

The Holy Spirit acts as a control in the life of the believer, but here is something else.

Romans is a letter that Paul wrote to the church of Jewish converts that were meeting in Rome. Having returned after an expulsion, they have brought Gentile believers into the mix. Sadly, the Jews are exhibiting far too many traditional ideas and aspects of the law in their interactions with the Gentile believers. Paul had to address this in his letter. Notice the terminology that Paul uses, as it seems to speak to this theme of being judged.

But if you bear the name "Jew" and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? (Romans 2:17-21 NASB)

Let me break down what we just saw in Romans. It begins with an admonition to the Jews, who:

• • rely on God,
  • know His will,
  • approve the things that are essential;
  • are instructed out of the Law,
  • and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind.
  • a light to those who are in darkness
  • a corrector of the foolish
  • a teacher of the immature
  • having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth
  • you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?

So, if you feel condemnation from James 3:1, then ask yourself, do you not teach yourself?

James 3:2 NIV 
We all stumble in many ways.
Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect,
able to keep their whole body in check.

Did you catch that?

The one who is never at fault in what they say is PERFECT.

Is that even possible?

If it were, then this person, perfect as they are, would be perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. Eugene Peterson's Message, says this person is “in perfect control of life.” Surely Peterson did not mean that this person who controls their tongue, controls all of life? Maybe with control of their own tongue, they are in control of their own life, and that, I think, would be enough. Nonetheless, I am snickering as I write this, as I have never met anybody like this.

Almost as if to say, you are all that, what about horses? Well, that's a brutal comparison.

James 3:3 NLT  We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.

And if James hasn't gotten your attention yet, what about ships? Ships are mindless machines that do what the competent commander directs the crew to do.

James 3:4 NET. Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot's inclination directs.

To be honest, all this could be nothing more than a contrast and comparison example, and the next verse proves that out.

James 3:5 NET. So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze.

Well, it's true; the tongue, in comparison to the entire body, is quite small, but look at the damage it can do.

Why just recently, my lovely wife, had to add, when I pointed out how vacant the streets of our local community were, and how I still miss our times of sitting at one particular coffee shop. Mind you, Starbucks had not taken over every street corner as yet. To my comment, she added, and your family drove everyone away from that lady's coffee shop. I found myself thinking, did she really intend to be insulting by her comment, especially when we all knew that the lady was running two business out of the same small shop at once, and, at the time that quaint little street was suddenly losing the theater crowd, as the theater was going to undergo major structural repairs; and, yes, Starbucks did move in on the next corner. Whether she chooses to realize it or not, she kindled a fire with her so-called innocent comment. Oh yes, that reminds me, I need to refill the fire extinguishers.

James 3:6 is rather straight forward in the NET Bible.

And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence -- and is set on fire by hell. James 3:6 NET.

How about something a bit different?

James 3:6 CEV  The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person's entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself.

Any questions? None from me either as the verbal lashing continues.

James 3:7-9 NET. For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. (8) But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (9) With it, we bless the Lord and Father, and with it, we curse people made in God's image.

Well, maybe not cats, but if there was anything that should be trainable, you would think it was a human. James, seems to say, NOT SO.

• • But no human being can subdue the tongue.
  • it is a restless evil
  • full of deadly poison.
  • With it, we bless the Lord and Father, and with it, we curse people made in God's image.

Every one of these statements cuts me to the heart. Dear God, there has to be some hope.

James 3:10-12 NET. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. (11) A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? (12) Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

• • From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.
  • A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter.
  • Can a fig produce olives, or a vine produce figs?

I think we get the point. I, for one, need answers, and yet what does James do, shift gears and begin to talk about wisdom.

Think about what we have just heard: the tongue is a fire that can destroy, not only the body but everything around it. The obvious factor is that this is a problem for all of us and that NONE of us is perfect. I can't help thinking about the “man cave,” and how there seemed to be NO desire, in several of the men, to change the speech patterns. Maybe I am judging, but it makes me think that there is nothing motivating them to change.
I know that this last thought is completely unsound because we have the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us, therefore He is NOT going to quit speaking to our hearts, about living a more controlled life. Hence the transition to wisdom.

James 3:13 NET. Who is wise and understanding among you?
By his good conduct, he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings.

James asks,

• • “who is wise and understanding among you?”
  • “By his good conduct, he should show his works – (works) done in the gentleness that wisdom brings.

Refresher course.

Paul, in his letter to the church in Rome, says in Romans:

• • 1:17 – that the righteous by faith will live.
  • 4:11 – that Abraham gained his righteousness by faith.
  • 5:1 – (states that) we have been declared righteous by faith.
  • 11:20 - tells us, that if we stand, it is only by faith.

James, on the other hand, seems to advocate works. Having gone through two chapters of James already, we know that is a misconception, as faith without works is dead.

So we shouldn't be shocked when James tells us that Godly understanding (wisdom,) should bring about a gentleness, that shows up in our works.

Earlier in James, we saw this:

But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. James 1:22 NET.

It is not as though we have a huge ugly list of does and don'ts, and we see this fact in James 1:27.

The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world. James 1:27 CJB 

Our list of do's are simply:

• • to care for those who have no one to set a good role model for them, or feed them - orphans are a good example of this;
  • take care of the widows in their distress;
  • and, most importantly, keep yourselves from being contaminated by the world.

Yes, we are subject to the law, it's called “the perfect law of liberty,” and it is written upon our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

We don't need oppressive tablets of stone, we have the grace and mercy of God, that allows us to walk in this freedom that the law brings. If the “law” that motivated us was simply to care for others, as we see above, that would be enough, but James added the most difficult law of all, keeping ourselves from being contaminated by the world.

What is the world's contamination?

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. (17) The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:15-17 NASB

There is your answer: “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.”

The enemy will try to tell you that it is people; people are trying to take you down because they are flaunting their stuff, things, and bodies at me.

And, to that, I would have to agree that it seems that way, however, they are merely puppets playing a role. The true enemy, that fights against the wisdom of God, is this:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NASB)

Keep your mind straight, and keep your armor on and polished. This action of polishing your armor will simply remind you that you did not take it off. Since you are armored and prepared, walk-in wisdom because the world that surrounds you is filled with evil.

Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom.
Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom.
Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom.
James 3:14 MSG 

The NET Bible says, “do not boast and tell lies against the truth.”

Who is the truth? That, of course, would be Jesus. So acting in opposition to what we saw in James 3:13b “Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” and being mean spirited it acting against Jesus, the truth.

For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
James 3:15 NLT 

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
James 3:16 NASB

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
James 3:17 NASB

And finally, we finish off with this.

You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. James 3:18 MSG 

Are we, in general, doing that? No.

Since the church is failing in this regard, then this command falls back on us. We have to do the hard work of getting along with each other and treating each other with dignity and honor.

Faith without works is dead. James 2:14-26.

James 2: 14 through 26.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

My friends, what good is it to say you have faith when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? James 2:14 CEV 

My son in law will occasionally say, I am a Christian, but try talking to him about His relationship with the Father, and he will tell you that his relationship is private. I suppose, on an intimate and personal level, I can understand that, but then there is that admonition from Jesus.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NLT)

What does that say about your private and personal relationship?

Perhaps a lot, but who am I to talk, as I was a shy introvert most of my life. It was only the power of the Holy Spirit that changed me and gave me a boldness that I simply do not understand at times. I find myself scratching my head, and asking who was that guy because that was never who I was?

The NLT version of the Bible reads like this:

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”

Let's examine this idea of faith for a moment.

Is it only a demonstrative faith that brings about your salvation?

Well, that was not the case for the thief on the cross. Pay attention to the conversational interaction between Jesus and that particular thief.

Luke 23:32-43 NLT

(32)  Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him......

(39)  One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

This is the first thing we have heard out of the other two. If they are of the same mindset, then it should not go well for them, but watch what happens.

(40)  But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?

The “other” criminal protested, by saying, don't you fear God? Now, where did he get that understanding from?

The thief's addendum, “even when you have been sentenced to die”, alludes to the idea that he has an understanding that there is a God to fear.
Assume a couple of scenarios:
1. They don't know God. If that is the case, how would anyone perceive or recognize that there was a relationship between this man in the middle of them and God?
That is a great question, and the only thing that would change this equation is that the one doing the protesting is a Jew. (Another assumption we make, is that the Jews are so constrained by the laws of God that they would never do anything wrong; this is, an illogical assumption, for we are ALL broken by sins effects.) We might make an assumption that the thief saw the traditional garment worn by all Jews, the one with the blue tassels, but that would not have happened as Jesus was stripped of His garments, beaten to look like hamburger, and a purple robe was draped over him. The Roman soldiers did gamble over a piece of clothing he had been wearing. But this could have been thought of as a common undergarment.
2. We can make the assumption that the protesting thief had seen and heard some of what Jesus said and did, but then, what do we know about Jesus that might best respond to that assumption? He went about doing good and healing all who were oppresses of the devil, and that should be enough to change any life.

(41)  We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

At this point, what has this thief done that demonstrates faith?
He acknowledged that Jesus was God, and then makes the most remarkable assertion, “this man has done nothing wrong!”
Is it possible, that he said this by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, because in saying that, hasn't this thief just openly declared that Jesus is God's perfect son? 

(42)  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

Here is another piece of acknowledgment, that would only come out of traditional Jewish training – that there is a kingdom that is expected and it is coming.

(43)  And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

In response to those three things, in which Jesus saw faith in the man, this man was guaranteed an eternal place with Jesus in paradise.

If I base my comprehension of what faith looks like upon the thief on the cross, then salvation is rather simple and non-dramatic, and yet, even if it is too simple, there are components within the man's declarations that are earth-shaking; and, if you were honest, you would probably have to admit that you know very people few people with that kind of depth or understanding of God.

Now remember that James is writing to Jewish converts, so don't let your Gentile mindset creep in here, as these people held tightly to traditions, the Holydays, and the law of God, just as James did.

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works?”(NASB)

Works is the Greek word ergon, and means that which one undertakes to do.

Since we have only been given one job - to be His witnesses, telling people about Him, what is He expecting us to do?

Simply that, tell people about Him. For those that struggle with this whole concept of demonstrably showing Jesus to others, James offers these words.

James 2:15-16 NASB If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

Once again, the mindset of James, as he seems to keep it in the family.

If we ignore the Jewishness of James for a moment, what can we see here?

Helping people in need:

• “ If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,”

Where else do we find some substantiation for feeding and clothing the needy?

In Matthew 25; there, Jesus, as the final judge, brings all the dead before Him; separates them into two groups, the sheep and the goats; and then, extends His invitation to the sheep to enter “the kingdom prepared for you.” Well, of course, these are shocked because they did all the religious things, we the pious, expect to see. But what was Jesus looking for?

For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. (Matthew 25:35-36 MKJV)

They saw the hungry and those without clothing.

What if these ignored what they saw?

Then they would hear some ugly words, like what we see when He addresses the crowd referred to as the goats.

Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; (Matthew 25:41-42 MKJV)

So what are we seeing so far?

Faith demands some action. For some it's words; for others it is actions; perhaps doing both is good.

I love how the Contemporary English Version conveys this next verse.

James 2:17 CEV  Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

Many of you can see a pattern here, as some, it seems, are working and gaining God's favor, while others have faith. The standard assertion: Isn't faith a mandatory method of gaining entrance into the kingdom of God?

Well, that is certainly what I was told, but then I saw these passages in Matthew 25 and they made me start rethinking what I had been taught. Paul, in writing to Philemon, said,

And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. (Philemon 1:6 NLT)

So, there can be a generous action generated by faith. However, Paul also makes this statement:

We are Jews by birth and are not sinners like Gentiles. But we know that God accepts only those who have faith in Jesus Christ. No one can please God by simply obeying the Law. So we put our faith in Christ Jesus, and God accepted us because of our faith. (Galatians 2:15-16 CEV)

If I skimp on my reading and merely glance at the passage, I might only see, “God accepts only those who have faith in Jesus Christ.”

Now that is a true statement; but, it does not explain, for me anyway, Matthew 25 and the sheep; and, it seems a little short-sighted – let me explain. The passage continues to explain, “No one can please God simply obeying the Law.” Paul was writing to Jews just as James did, so he has to deal with some deep-seated teachings and traditions, one of which conveyed that keeping the law (and making a sacrifice) was the path to righteousness. Jesus, however, became our righteousness; having learned that, I put it into action and accepted Jesus as my salvation, and therefore, my righteousness.

I am so glad that the sentence continues to say,

“ So we put our faith in Christ Jesus, and God accepted us because of our faith.”

Paul, more than any of the others, would have been considered the expert among this lot, therefore we see what I, the Gentile, see as brutal, “We are Jews by birth and are not sinners like Gentiles.” I suppose this is where my grace kicks in because I know NONE of them to have an exclusive any more than I have with the Father – Thank you, Jesus, for that.

The Complete Jewish Bible reads:

Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead. (James 2:17 CJB)

I put actions to my faith and gained His righteousness, and therefore a promised home in His kingdom.

This next verse reminds me so much of the world right now.

James 2:18 CJB  But someone will say that you have faith and I have actions. Show me this faith of yours without the actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions!

Eugene Peterson makes this so clear.

I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. (James 2:18 MSG)

If you take away one thing from this passage it should be this:

“Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.”

You can't have one without the other. After a speech like this, you would think that much of this argument would be obvious; I guess not, for James has to throw in the concept of one God.

James 2:19 CJB  You believe that "God is one"? Good for you! The demons believe it too—the thought makes them shudder with fear!

As you can see above, the Complete Jewish Bible comes across rather sarcastically, maybe the CJB reflects what many of us pick up on, that the Jews tend to be blunt. The Moffatt translation conveys this a bit differently.

You believe in one God? Well and good. So do the devils, and they shudder. (James 2:19 Moffatt NT)

Perhaps this too could be perceived as sarcastic, as what follows comes across harshly.

The demons believe it too—the thought makes them shudder with fear!

Stop for a minute and ask yourself, what did he just say?

• That there is only one God.
• The other thing that James gives acceptance to, is the fact that there are fallen angels/demons ever-present and battling about us in the spiritual realm.

Moving on.

James 2:20 NET. But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Don't be this person. May of 2020, the year of infamy and quite probably the Lord's return, we remembered that the Thunderbird aerial demonstration team would possibly be flying nearby. Calling to the children to come outside quickly, one of them responds back with, “why!” To which, I responded, in your case, you can just stay in the house. Go back to whatever you were doing. Where is our sense of adventure?

While the Bible is filled with acts of faith combined with works, James only focuses on two.

Abraham

James 2:21-24 NLT  Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  (22)  You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.  (23)  And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.  (24)  So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

In Genesis 15 God spoke to Abram in a vision. A vision happens when you are awake and it is very much like watching a movie about your life or someone else's. In this vision, God spelled what He would do with and to Abram, and in Genesis 15:6, it tells us, that based upon what Abram saw, that:

“.. Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.” (Genesis 15:6 NLT)

So God spoke words unto Abram's life, and Abram believed it, accepted what God had to say, and therefore demonstrated faith. This belief was counted as righteousness.

Righteous, according to Webster's dictionary = Just; accordant to the divine law. Applied to persons, it denotes one who is holy in heart.

What we saw in Abram's life were faith and actions. James refers to Abram, now called Abraham, and his offering of Isaac on the altar, as being the thing that brought about God's righteousness, but obviously it was much earlier than that, and the works that James speaks of, were not so evident that day when God showed him the vision.

Our other reference is Rahab.

James 2:25 NIV  In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?

I will tell you straight that I hate this because it demeans her when it calls her a harlot/prostitute, but when I look up the words, in both the Hebrew and the Greek, it is an unavoidable ugliness. In the church I grew up in, prostitutes were merely sinners destined for hell unless God changed them, and most of the old ladies in the church held little hope for such women.

The story of Rahab comes from the book of Joshua chapter 2, and has Israel in attack mode and headed toward Jericho. Spies were sent out by Israel and they entered the town. Within a very short period of time, they entered the abode of Rahab and tell her, under the penalty of death, who they were and what is coming. Watch what happens as she demonstrates faith and then the associated action.

Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. "For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. "When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. "Now, therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth, and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." (Joshua 2:8-13 NASB)

Because of what she knew and the fact that the Israelites were here in her home, she exhibited faith and then action by her bartering.

“Now, therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth, and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”

As you know, the walls fell and Israel attacked, but all those in Rahab's home were spared. Considering that she was prostitute, do you think her family held her in high regard? Just that thought alone changes so many things about this woman, as she went to her, told them what was coming, and they followed her explicitly.

"The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent." (Joshua 6:17 NASB)

One other thing about this amazing woman. Matthew chapter one spells out the lineage of Jesus through Joseph.

Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. (Matthew 1:5 NASB)

And Jesse was the father of King David. And God, to show His righteous ways and cause, brings this woman into the line of Christ.

James ends this chapter with this:

James 2:26 NASB For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Put your faith into action. What's the most predominant thing we can do? Pray and withstand this evil plot of the enemy.

A Standard Jewish perception? James 2:1-13.

Now we are looking at James chapter two. Here is a standard read of James 2:1.

James 2:1 NASB My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

You should know that italicized wording is an add on, for the sake of clarity. Sometimes it adds clarity, and sometimes it detracts. Without any additional knowledge, what could I ascertain that James, through the NASB, is trying to tell me?

First, he is either trying to say that the faith I have received from Jesus Christ is glorious or, it's my faith and something worthy of bragging about. The first option is more likely. Secondly, according to the NASB, these people, and by extension, we, have been displaying an attitude, in which God sees some of us as personal favorites. Well, it's either that or we think that I have some special privilege.

But what do we know about the immediate audience James is writing to?

He tells us the answer to that when he opened this letter.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. (James 1:1 KJV)

James is writing to Jews. I have a touch of Jew in my background, but my grandfather, who died when I was around 15 years old, had been a follower of Jesus Christ for the better portion of his life. Now, he had immediate family who maintained their Jewishness, but, to the best of my knowledge, he never did. So where could I get a real feel for how a Jew, or a Jewish convert, would feel about this “new” Christianity, in which they are integrating with Gentiles who have no concept of Jewish traditions and patterns. (Make a note of something before we move on. God has not walked away from His people, or these patterns and Holy Days – traditions.) So I did an internet search and found this.

“In view of the well-known fact that the overwhelming majority of so-called Jewish converts in Austria and Germany - there are very few of these pseudo-neo-Christians in Russia, and almost none in other parts of Europe or on this continent - enter the Church for merely selfish reasons, a Jewish wit offered the following definition of them: " A Jewish convert is one who pretends to believe in dogmas and to follow traditions which the educated Christian himself is gradually abandoning." I know this statement will be a hard blow to those pious Christian souls who contribute to the Jewish Missions; but there is consolation for the millions of genuine followers of Christ in the other fact that thousands, yea, tens of thousands, of educated and noble-minded Jews in our day, while firmly standing upon the monotheistic platform of the Synagogue, are gradually giving up the attitude of their forefathers toward the central figure of Christianity - which was a pathetic mingling of ignorance, antipathy, and fear. I can bear witness to this momentous change from my own personal experience. When I was a boy - that is, between thirty-five and forty years ago - in my little native town in Moravia, had my father or any other member of the congregation heard the name of Jesus uttered from the pulpit of our synagogue, he would have immediately left the building in indignation, and the rabbi would have been summarily dismissed. Today, however, it is not strange in many synagogues, especially in this country, to hear sermons preached eulogizing this same Jesus; and nobody, except a few Pharisaic followers of the Neo-Romantic school of Judaism, thinks in earnest of protesting against claiming - with some dogmatic reservations of course? Jeshua ben Joseph as one of the noblest twigs of the old branch of Judah Joseph as one of the noblest twigs of the old branch of Judah.”¹

The generalization is that most Jews perceive Jewish converts to Christianity as pretenders who are buying into traditions that even the educated Christians are abandoning, so why wouldn't this be a comparable attitude against the Jewish converts within the early church, and perhaps played a role in the attitude of those same converts, as they held to standard Jewish perceptions that are tied to the Abrahamic covenant.

Alternative translations of James 2:1 can be very revealing.

(BBE)  My brothers, if you have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, do not take a man's position into account.

To take a person's position into account could imply that you are regarding or considering them as what, practically a god, and not to be challenged? And all this is in regard to your faith in Christ Jesus. I am not even sure how this looks unless I am in the Catholic church or some spin-off, since to the best of my knowledge, the Catholics buy into the idea that the Pope is god.

(GW)  My brothers and sisters, practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by not favoring one person over another.

Typically, we show favoritism to people who are on the same economic plane as us or higher. I have seen this all my life in church settings, and yet, it also happens within the faith movement, so that those who do not hold a strong faith in the Word of God are excluded, intentionally, from the conversation.

But what did I say, this is directed at Jewish convert congregations, who hold fast to an attitude that God loves them more, simply because they are Jewish; that, and they have these precious traditions, given to them by God, with little to no desire to explain them to those around who are not Jewish.

Follow James' explanation of his own words.

James 2:2-4 NASB For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, (3) and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," (4) have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

James, possibly trying to evade a fight, focuses on the obvious, a man with money (or so we think.) I added that comment, “or so we think,” because I know a “brother” in Christ who has an occupation in medical sales. In order to elicit trust in his products and confidence in his sales abilities, he bought a Rolex watch and wore very expensive shoes; and yes, he took out a large personal loan to create that appearance.

What is the result of the scenario that James spells out?

You have made bad or improper distinctions and have become judges with evil motives.

James 2:5 NASB Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

If I were to perceive this as an admonition to improve my people skills, James hardly gives it a chance to sink in, when he dishes out the next verse. But before we go there, note what this says.

• “did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom ...”

God told Abraham that He would make the man rich; mind you, this was said in a time when having herds of sheep was an indication of your wealth, well, that and a donkey. A donkey was like having a Mercedes back then. The reality is that most of our Biblical characters scratched out a living, and apparently that was enough.

Just to muddy the water, I want to throw Daniel into this idea of God choosing the poor of this world. When Daniel was taken into captivity, he had been primed to lead, either the priesthood or the village government. How do we know this? Look at the job qualifications that Nebuchadnezzar puts forth.

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. (Daniel 1:3-4 NASB)

Pick one, or pick several, as many of these descriptions fit Daniel. There is one other thing that you need to consider when you think about Daniel. If he was on a fast track to the priesthood, many are married. Daniel does not tell us that he was made a eunuch; however, information gleaned from Isaiah 39:7 gives us what we are looking for. Don't waste your time in the NASB, as they apparently could not handle the strength of the Hebrew word that they translated official. The KJV straight out tells the reader, “your sons will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Eunuch is the Hebrew word sârı̂ys and means to castrate.

That means his dreams of being married are over, and he would never be allowed into the temple of God again. Now, knowing all this, was Daniel the poor of the earth?

• “a kingdom, by the way, that is promised to those who love Him.”

It is not entirely as though we are awaiting a kingdom, as Paul explains in his letter to the church at Colossae.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (Colossians 1:13 NASB)

Although it is an aspect of who we are in Christ, there is still an awaited kingdom. In 1 Thessalonians 2:12, we are being called into His own kingdom, as though it is something to long for. However, in 2 Timothy 4:1, that kingdom is something that will arrive at His appearing (as the ruling Messiah). Paul tells Timothy, in 2 Timothy 4:18 that, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom;" (NASB)

All this is promised to the one who loves Him. Love is not a difficult word, but living it seems to be. The word love is agapáō; and means to esteem, love, and indicates a direction of the will. I suppose I could say, I will myself to love Him, but then that seems like such a struggle, as we compare that love to some people.

Paul and James said that they were bondservants of Jesus Christ – a relationship that does not require or engender love. Both Paul and James understood the depth of that word and how it applies to a slave who has given themselves over to a lifetime of voluntary service.

James 2:6 NASB But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

Can you hear the tone in his voice?

“Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man.”

Dishonored is the Greek word atimazō and it carries these meanings: dishonor, insult, treated with contempt.

So when I talked about Daniel, can we see any of those attributes associated with him?
The answer is, certainly, although we NEVER look at them because we choose to only see Daniel walking in Nebuchadnezzar's courts, carrying himself with esteem, and that he did, but it was a choice he made in the midst of a life-altering situation.

What else does James 2:6 say?

It tells us that it is not the poor and the broken that drag you into court; it is the rich and wealthy in this world; in doing so, they oppress you.

Poor is the Greek word ptōchos and means to be destitute of wealth, influence, position, and or honor.

Oppress: To load or burden with unreasonable impositions; to treat with unjust severity, rigor, or hardship; as to oppress a nation with taxes or contributions; to oppress one by compelling him to perform unreasonable service.

Perhaps we could say that the wealthy, in their acts of unreasonable impositions, quarantine entire nations, destroy economies; disallow us from attending our churches, but allow for pot parlors, liquor stores, and abortion clinics to remain open.

James 2:7 CEV  Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord?

“They” is referring to the rich and the wealthy. Other translations include:

“Do they not say evil of the holy name which was given to you?” (BBE) 

“Aren't they the ones who insult the good name of Him to whom you belong?” (CJB) 

All of these things are happening on a daily basis.

Now, if they make fun of or blaspheme the name of the Lord, is God crippled by their words?

No, but it often causes us to withdraw or respond in anger. This possibility of an angry response becomes more valid when you look at James 2:8,9.

James 2:8-9 NASB If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. (9) But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

With people talking evil about the Lord, a name, that we, as followers of Christ, have been given, suddenly, it seems as if the focus of their blasphemy is now directed at me. Why do you suppose that is; do you think it has anything to do with how reactionary we are?

But I have to remember how this study initiated.

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? (James 2:1 NLT)

Based upon James 2:1, I can assume that with an attitude that causes exclusion of others, especially if they are not as acceptable as prosperous people, then I may be the one that promoted the blasphemy. Simply because hardly anyone knows what blasphemy is, I include the words of Jesus, who defined blasphemy after the scribes and Pharisees attributed the healing of a blind and deaf man, to the work of a demon by the name of Beelzebul. You can look this up in Matthew 12:22-32.

What does the CEV translation tell us about James 2:8-9?

“You will do all right if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves.  (9)  But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.” (James 2:8-9 CEV)

There is, however, another way to look at this section of scripture.

(For those who feel they are NOT under the law, James very clearly pushes back against that false idea when he says, love others as much as we love ourselves. Leviticus 19:18 NASB)

If we are doing what the Lord commands us, then, as James says, you are fulfilling the royal law of Scripture, and you will do alright. In other words, then you won't be showing partiality, committing sin, and be convicted by the law as a violator.

But doesn't operating in this mindset put us back under the law; and put us under a mountain of guilt and shame?

It could, and James will give us the answer to that momentarily.

James 2:10-11 NASB For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. (11) For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now, if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

For one, James is addressing a crowd - the Jewish community, that struggles with the guilt of the law already. Becoming a follower of Christ rarely strips all the caustic emotional damage off you and that damage can and will leak out at times, and when it does, it gets on other people; and that creates an entire scenario, which James found it necessary to address.

I am sixty-six years old at the time of this writing, and I still struggle with legalistic religious guilt and self-esteem issues because of the way I was raised. I feel as though I have a strong understanding of God's word and His love toward me, so go figure, I can only impute this lifetime struggle to the brokenness of this human body, that all of us struggle with. Thankfully, there is a day coming, and soon, when I will be changed, and so will many of you.

James 2:12 NASB So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

What if it was just that simple?

Just speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law; NOT just some arbitrary, strike you dead, law, but THE LAW OF LIBERTY – a law that brings you life. We already covered this to some degree when we looked at the first chapter of James, but let's look once again.

“But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25 NASB)

The law that brings liberty is the Word of God – the God that never changes, and neither does His Word. His Word stands forever, and if you struggle to understand who He is and what He is like, then look at Jesus. For it was Jesus who said, if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father; that's because He is the Son of the Father, an unblemished representation in every form. And James told us that if you want to walk as though the law guides your paths, then we should, not just look into, but make it an integrated part of our lives. Think about that for a moment.

Why would that be important, or perhaps even worse, critical?

Because we are broken. Look, I don't care how pious you may think you are, or how much money you have, none of that matters when they arrest you for spousal abuse, or a manslaughter charge because you were driving under the influence. You and I are broken, and our only hope lies in Jesus Christ. No wonder both Paul and James, declared, I am a bondservant of Christ Jesus. Slaves do not get to express their own will, and yet, in this bondservant relationship, I see men most free because they came to understand that the soundest of decisions come from the Holy Spirit of God.

How does James end this section?

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:13 NASB)

Judgment, what a horrible word, especially if you have NO hope, but we do, and His name is Jesus.

Judgment is the Greek word krísis, meaning to judge. But look at the other words that the Word Study Dictionary communicates as part of the meaning: Separation, division, dissension, decision, crisis, turn of affairs.

As Pastor Paul Begley would say, are you kidding me! These words define our everyday lives. One moment you and the Mrs. are fine, and the next moment you are at each other's throats; within the church body we have separation, division, and dissensions; and, because you are “not” under the law, you took your liberties with a few too many alcoholic beverages and now you have a crisis and a drastic turn of affairs.

Far too many Pastor's love to fling this word judgment around because they feel a need to manipulate and control the sheep. The Greek word Bema is almost always attached to the sermon. Two of the places we can find this word is in Romans and in the letter to the church in Corinth.

But why do you judge your brother? Or also why do you despise your brother? For all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (Romans 14:10 MKJV)

Here, the application applies to how we are treating a brother in Christ, and that is exactly what James has been saying. Now, try to apply to some ghastly judgment before the Father, who doesn't change, and sent His son to die for you, at a time when you did not love Him. Something is not right about the logic, is it?

Another reference, as I mentioned, comes from Corinthians, so let's go there.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB)

Here we are, once again, before that judgment seat. For the believer, there is only one place for judgment, and it is NOT the great white throne of final judgment. It is that moment when we, as believers, with broken human bodies, are changed. What that looks like, or exactly when it happens, is not clear, but we know that NOTHING unclean enters God's kingdom. (Rev. 21:8)

The word I want you to focus on is the word recompensed. That word recompensed is the Greek word komízō. And yes, the idea of judgment is a part of its definition, but look at the words and phrases that define it: to take care of; to bear or bring to oneself, acquire, obtain, receive. 

We are brought before this judgment seat, and, as I pointed out to a friend, as we studied the first chapter of James, that when we have endured the test/trial we shall receive the crown of life. Where and when do you think that this happens? It only happens at the Bema seat of Christ. To teach anything else makes you a false teacher and not to be followed.

Having told a fellow believer, years ago, that I was ashamed of them, I came to realize what this judgment looks like, as it came crashing down on me six months later. The impact of that decision and the resulting turn of affairs has lasted for the rest of my life – in my head. This is why the words of James, though directed at a Jewish audience of believers, still rings true for all of us.

1Singer, Isidor. “The Attitude of the Jews toward Jesus.” The North American Review, vol. 191, no. 650, 1910, pp. 128–134. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25106564. Accessed 10 May 2020.

When desire has conceived. James 1:15-27

I ended the last post on the book of James with this:

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. (James 1:13-14 NASB)

So, if you think you get to blame this trial, you are going through on God, you can't because God doesn't send these tests. Currently, we are all enduring a trial; it is called COVID 19 or, the Wuhan virus since that is where it came from. You are foolish if you do not understand that God has ordained this egregious man-made and deadly virus as part of the sorrows or, as Matthew's gospel puts it, labor pains that are leading up to 1. The catching away of the church, and 2. The time of God's wrath that is about to be poured out upon the earth.

Well, if I can't blame God, then who?

Although you don't want to accept it, you were tempted when you got carried away by your own desires.

But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. (James 1:14 NET.)

Lured - Enticed; attracted; invited by the hope of pleasure or advantage.

Enticed - Incited; instigated to evil; seduced by promises or persuasions; persuaded; allured.

Desires = Lusts – It is the Greek word epithumia and means a longing (especially for what is forbidden).

Look at what James continues to say.

James 1:15 NET. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full-grown, it gives birth to death.

When desire conceives?

Conceive is the Greek word sullambanō and means to seize (arrest, capture), specifically to conceive.

A rewrite of James 1:15a, will look like this:

“Then when my longing for what is forbidden has seized, arrested and captured me,”

Then what happens?

If I am thinking in terms of making a baby, we used to have the concept, that once you made it, there is no walking away from it, and if you weren't married to the girl, you now would be, because you have a responsibility in this product of your pleasure.

But we aren't necessarily talking about making a baby are we, we are talking about our poisoned desires and passions giving birth to something, ah, but what?

James 1:15b, “.. when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin,”

Sin, isn't that the thing that will send me to hell?

First off, SIN does not mean exactly what you think it means. It is an old English word that means to miss the bullseye in target archery. If you are familiar with my writings, then you would know that I used to shoot competitive archery, but I was NOT good at it. The point here is that I can visualize, as I write, a target, with a ten ring of about three inches in width when close, but at distances, looks to be about the size of an American quarter.

If you are equating SIN to your everyday life, a life in which you have to be able to put every shot into that small circle, you are asking for what seems impossible. Fortunately, it is possible because we have the Holy Spirit to help us. Difficult as our lives can be, our mission, as followers of Christ, is to try.

Secondly, while we all have a proclivity to SIN, we are forgiven of all sin. This forgiven state was extended to everyone, but the payment due for our sin was paid by Jesus on the cross. (Hebrews 9:28; Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21.) An obvious factor is that people have to accept what Jesus did for them in order to gain the full benefits of this acquittal.

Your desire grows inside you until it results in sin. Then the sin grows bigger and bigger and finally ends in death. (James 1:15c ERV)

Lured by the attraction, which is really just the desires that your brokenness yearns for until that longing for the forbidden thing comes full term, and then the indulgence called SIN is birthed. It pulls at you, crying feed me, I'm hungry, change my diaper; and now it wants a baby brother to keep it company. One way or another, this lustful demand for your devotion is going to kill you.

Does this pursuit of desire end in the death of the soul, and an end to your relationship with the Father?

I don't think so, at least not on His part, but there are people in the prison systems that will kill you if the “drug” doesn't get you first. While I am not a big fan of John MacArthur, we, at least, agree on this point.

James 1:16-17 NASB Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. (17) Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

The things I see in this verse are:

• That it is possible to be deceived,
• that things you perceive as good, could come from some other source – like Satan.
• You could believe that God, like many politicians, can change their vote, party affiliations, and the things they say, to suit their immediate needs, and therefore cannot be trusted.
• What if you thought that God's plan, and therefore what He sends you, is not perfect; where would that leave you?

If you learned anything, you should learn that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights; and that there is NO variation in Him, nor shifting. Look at how the NET Bible translates verse 17.

James 1:17 NET. All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.

Having gone through a dark time myself, I had to figure out what God's nature and character were. Oh sure, I knew what the fairy tales they had been telling me looked like, but things did not make sense. For example: how could God, who gave His own Son to die for me, hate me and my sin the next day? God would have to go out of character to do that, and verse 17 tells me, without a doubt, that there is NO changing or shadows in God's character.

Almost as though to say, and don't you dare forget this, He gives us verse 18.

James 1:18 NET. By his sovereign plan, he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

The Amplified Bible tells us:

“And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons].”

Freewill and sovereign plan, seem to be the same thing.

The NASB states:

“In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits among His creatures.:( James 1:18 NASB)

The fact that we can discuss this life we have in Jesus is proof that He brought us forth.

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. (John 1:1-3 NASB)

James 1:19 – 27 are entitled:

Hearing and Doing the Word

James 1:19-20 NASB This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; (20) for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Consider that you were brought forth by the Word of Truth, not as though this is some secret word that must be spoken in order to gain entrance; Jesus was and is that Word. He, as we can see in John's gospel, is the magnificent creator of all things. In light of that information, here are some words to live by.

• Everyone must be quick to hear.
• Slow to anger
• (Because) “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Dr. J Vernon McGee says this, almost as if it is a scriptural passage, “The anger of man is contrary to the will and work of God.”

There is a multitude of interpretations for verse 20. We may think that anger is what God might be looking for, but anger tends to be the exact opposite.

(AMP)  For man's anger does not promote the righteousness of God [wishes and requires].

(CJB)  for a person's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness!

(MSG)  God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger.

Knowing that anger is not what He is looking for, we have our next instruction.

James 1:21 NLT  So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

“The word here rendered filthiness, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, and It means filth; and is applied to evil conduct considered as disgusting or offensive.” (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)

This next commentary makes sense.

“According to the Greek, this is a once-for-all action. Why should we do this? Progress in our spiritual lives cannot occur unless we see sin for what it is, quit justifying it, and decide to reject it. James’s word picture here has us getting rid of our evil habits and actions like stripping off dirty clothes. After we “get rid,” then we need to humbly accept the message of God, seeking to live by it because it has been planted in our hearts and becomes part of our being.” (Life Application New Testament Commentary)

This entire process, as we migrate through James, is a progressive change in our way of life. If you have already been living in this manner, then see it as a refresher course or reminder; But, if on the other hand, you let life run you, then you need to make some huge adjustments. James 1:22 is such an adjustment.

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

While I can understand what the KJV is telling me, clarity would be good. How about the CEV? It has a very straightforward approach.

“Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it.” (CEV)

The ERV is very simplistic but effective.

“Do what God's teaching says; don't just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves.” (ERV)

Not only are we fooling ourselves by not putting the Word into action, but -

James 1:23-24 NASB For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; (24) for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

Time, once again, to break these verses down.

• If anyone is a hearer and not a doer,

My stepson would hear what his mother said to him; and, he would respond with, sure, I'll get right on it. The problem was he would NEVER do what was asked of him.
Do we do that with God?
How about all the time.

What does it mean to be to a doer?
Webster's dictionary tells us: One who performs what is required; one who observes, keeps or obeys, in practice.”

Jesus gave us a good example when he told this parable. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” (Matthew 7:26 NASB)

So we are supposed to act on the Word we received, whether it be by reading or by hearing.

• “he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”

I heard a teaching on this within the faith movement. The example given describes a guy shaving. For all the time you spend looking at your face, you are never really looking, paying attention to details. In a world where we can get sun cancers, that might be an important thing. So the guy shaving is done now; all the shave cream is gone, and he is good to go. Can he describe what he saw there? Probably not, as he had ten other things on his mind that morning. That's the way we are with the Word of God; we read with ten other things on our mind.

There is only one way to change that, and that is to read with a purpose. If you hadn't noticed, that is what I do when creating these studies - tearing the text apart, word by word, if need be, and making it understandable to others. Personally, I do not want to forget what God is saying to me and then to you. We are in our last days on this earth as a church; I am confident of this.

We are still talking about how to look at the Word of God.

James 1:25 NASB But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Looks, in the Greek, means to stoop down and to peer inside and to become absorbed by what you see.
If you intend to learn, then that is the kind of attention you have to give to a subject. Maybe not, but you are certainly giving this a tremendous amount of attention, and that, is a good thing.

Intently is the same Greek word parakupto which was translated looks. It means to stoop down and to peer inside.
Whenever you see duplicated words in Hebrew or Greek, the basic understanding is that you are about to learn something vitally important.

The perfect law is the Greek word teleios and means complete, faultless, and perfect.
Earlier, as an example, I looked at John's gospel, where it described the creation and who did the creating.

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5 NASB)

In this, did you get any sense of something less than complete, faultless, and perfect? Yeah, me neither. It was God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit, in and at their finest, creating the most splendid of creation for their creation, humanity.

So, you paid attention, and have not forgotten, putting what you learned to work. You will be blessed in what you do.

I will tell you straight out, verse 26, 27 is going to hard on many of you, especially if you insist on saying, I am NOT under the law but under grace.

James 1:26-27 NASB If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. (27) Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

• “ If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.”

I know many people who think they are religious and can't seem to bridle their tongues. So it's time to ponder the meanings of words again.
Religious is the Greek word thrēskos and means ceremonious in worship (as demonstrative), that is, pious: - religious.
In other words, this person is putting on a pretty good show. Well, guess what, your good show means nothing, especially if you can't hold your tongue. Do you realize that most people perceive that the idea of holding your tongue means cussing alone, and that is certainly an aspect of this, but there is more; as it also applies to the person who uses their religiosity to shred those who can't understand the words they use as they dispense their high theology.

Example time. And yes, I have used this before. A former pastor recommended the book The Shack, by William Paul, Young. He had read it and was so touched by it that he bought a stack and sold them for face value. I bought one. Struggling to understand who God was, this book changed my life. In it, I found mercy, grace, and a comprehension of God's love, which I have never known. I also had some immediate questions, and so I turned to a man who had an earned Doctorate in Theology, who used to attend the church and attempted to open a conversation about The Shack. He immediately responded with harshness and said, I would never waste my time discussing a book that was so theologically unsound. I never bothered that man again; I did, however, take my questions to God, and when I came to things that challenged me, I could hear the Holy Spirit say, keep reading, and I will explain it as we go, and He did. Mr. High Theology couldn't seem to bridle his tongue. Can you imagine the amazing conversations we might have had, exploring the love of a boundless God?

Give me a moment to address cussing.

I will tell you that I can cuss with the best of them, and I usually find I am susceptible to doing that when I am tired and pushed. It is possible that we/I think that the bluster can push uncomfortable people and situations away from us. I suppose, like animals growling, it could be perceived as a warning, but most of the time, it is an attempt to make the person saying the garbage look braver than they really are. Since FEAR is a monstrous factor in all of our lives, then simply admitting to the Father that you are afraid may be a part of your solution.

I spent some time in a small group called “the man cave.” Several of the attendees acted as though they belonged in a cave, as they refused to bridle their tongue. I remember thinking, oh yeah, it's that grace thing that we love to take advantage of. As I got to know them better, the two major offenders were highly intelligent men; odd, considering that most perceive those with unbridled tongues, as having limited, and uneducated vocabularies. That scenario demonstrated, to me, that what they were doing was purely a choice. How do I know that? Because my mother would not permit foul language to be used in her presence. Family members had to develop at least two language sets, one that was usable around mom and the church crowd, and one that they used with much of the world.

Something I have not brought into this conversation is the fact that the Holy Spirit, in my worst of times, has always been there calling me back to the Father. This is important because I understood, through faulty teaching, that God was angry with me and could not have anything to do with me. No, an unbridled tongue does not cut you off from God, but it certainly makes you look like a fool to many others.

Continuing in James 1:27

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (James 1:27 NLT)

All the pretense, and yes, the “church” is full of it, means nothing to God. What carries weight is this:

• • “Care for the orphans in their distress.”
  • “Care for the widows in their distress.”
  • “ And refuse to let the world corrupt you.”

The KJV version of verse 27, reads like this:

"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."

Pure can also mean clean.
This has nothing to do with ceremonial washings but leans more living a life that has been purified by the fire. (This fire is the fire of life that you have successfully made it through and can therefore now show God's love to other people in a relevant manner.)

Religion – I don't even like the word, as it has terminology like High Theology associated with it; and, usage of phrases like that have dominance and oppression attached to them.

In the Greek it is the word thrēskeía and includes, the worship of God; but It also conveys that there was a worship of angels since they were the messengers; a spin through Hebrews can help to clarify how wrong that is. So, a proper understanding of pure religion would be an untainted worship of God, in the manner suited to you, that excludes the false worship of angels and a few other things.

Undefiled before God – The Greek word is amiantos and means free from that by which the nature of a thing is deformed and debased, or its force and vigor impaired.

Maybe this will help.

The “Law” states that you shall not take the Lord, your God's name in vain. I had that law thrown in my face for years when I was younger, and we could not even say Gosh, as that would be declared a derivative of God's name. I am not kidding you. Get real! To take God's name in vain is to diminish its power and authority through some manner of common, or nonsensical usage. At what point does God say to you, are you serious at this point, and, do you really want this person damned to hell? While we all have our moments when we think a person deserves to go the place of permanent, fiery, torment, where there is no relief, but the words of Jesus, who is God, may change your mind about that.

For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. (Matthew 7:2 NLT)

So, if you can read words like this, and still feel good about flinging God's name around, in a vain manner, then perhaps you deserve what comes your way.

That was an unexpected twist, but a necessary one, sadly, though, it gives the impression that God works around our human frailties to make His kingdom work, and that will never happen. Remember, we are the ones who are broken, NOT Him. So if you think you will be sent to hell because you can't bridle your tongue, you are wrong. Allow me to remind you of something.

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7 NLT)

When you look up the word cleanses in The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury, you get this: A reference to Matthew 8:2.

Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” (Matthew 8:2 NLT)

That man not only asked Jesus to stop the disease in his body, but he also asked for restoration and a declaration to the community that he should be, once again, accepted. We did not see Jesus going through all that, and I think it was because Jesus would have circumvented a perverted temple system, which made these people pay to be declared clean to the public. If Jesus had done all that this man asked, He would have been prematurely put on that cross, and Jesus was no fool. There was a time for that, and it had not come yet.

The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury Goes on to say He, “Not only forgives but removes. The cleansing is present and continuous (Vincent). The thought is not of the forgiveness of sin only, but of the removal of sin. The sin is done away, and the purifying action is exerted continuously (Westcott).

If sin has been forever forgiven, then what is this judgment we see?

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. (Romans 14:10 NASB)

You also see this theme in 2Corinthians 5:10. This is that Bema seat so many throw at you in hopes of manipulating you, as they announce that you will stand before the judgment seat. Let's look at the words for a moment.

Bema, a Greek word that has, as one of its meanings, judgment, but it is so much more. “By implication (according to the Word Study Dictionary), it is an elevated place to which the ascent is by steps.”

Where else do we see something like this?

At the Olympic games, at the finish of an event, where the winners are awarded for a job well done. We also the usage of the word for judgment seat in Acts 12:21, where we see Herod having a raised platform with steps built, from which he addressed the crowd.

Look at 2Corinthians 5:10, as this is more revealing.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB)

There is that ominous word judgment once again, but Paul adds some additional words for clarity.

• “So that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body,”

The word recompensed is the Greek word kolumbaō, pronounced kom-id'-zo, and according to Strong's Concordance, means to tend to, take care of, to properly provide for, and by implication to carry off as if from harm.

• In short, we are there to receive our reward.

Thayer's definitions add that we are there to receive, obtain: the promised blessing; and, to receive what was previously one’s own.

God put the man on this earth to reign in dominion; this dominion is not some twisted political theme as we are now witnessing; it was perfect, and it included a pure and open relationship with the Living God. You and I can only taste those moments and then settle back into the obscurity of our brokenness.

Since we come with nothing but unacceptable, filthy rags, is it us taking care of Christ?

Hardly, therefore the logic of this process is Jesus receiving into the kingdom those who are His own and giving us rewards for jobs well done. One of those jobs became apparent as we were doing this study.

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12 NASB)

Imagine that, one of our jobs is to persevere under trial. I wasn't aware I signed up for that, but having come to know this Jesus more fully, I, like Paul and James, consider myself a bondservant to Christ the Messiah. This crown of life only happens at this Bema seat. So, instead of fearing God for our failures, and we have all made many, how about putting some faith in His ability to see us through the blood of Jesus Christ.