James 1:21-26 Act on What you Hear

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201:21-26&version=51

What and incredibly tall order. To get rid of all filth and evil in your lives. To wrap my head around what is considered ‘filth and evil’ and to see the ‘message’ that God has implanted into our souls, my mind went to two other (many others) scripture passages.

Galatians 5:16-23 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%205:16-23;&version=51;


Philippians 4:8 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=philippians%204:8;&version=51;

James 1:22-24 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=james%201:22-24;&version=51;

That’s the crux of the problem isn’t it? I hear the message, I’ve listened to the message over and over again – how often do I ‘fool’ myself? Because I know the message, hey, I’ve even preached the message, -- I wonder – “how is it that I fool myself.” We know that our heart can be deceitful- it constantly seeks to justify itself, our ‘flesh’ resists the life of the Spirit God calls us to. There are moments, either in a message, in a private devotions time, or my prayers that for that brief second I catch a glimpse of myself ‘in the mirror’. If we are truthful we all have these times. Our ‘spirit’ is pricked – we know that there is movement required on our part, but as soon as we look away the desire fades. But there is a corner of discontent that remains, because we know that we are out of sync with where we ought to be. As Christians we have a problem. We can easily create a dualism within our lives that prevents us from finding contentment and peace of mind. The dualism is created when we know we are not what we should be, but continue to retain within us elements of the ‘filth and evil’: attitudes, behaviours, habits etc. We need to bring our spirit, which is willing, and our flesh that is weak to the throne of grace and truth. Our mind and heart (our intellect and will), and our body (our passions, emotions, and impulses) need to be united by Spiritual renewal and formation. When we don’t we create great conflict within ourselves that cause the split. Last week we saw James refers to this as being ‘double minded and unstable’. We will never truly find contentment of heart, mind and spirit until we do.

As far as God’s Word is concerned, there is only one way to bring our divided selves back into one.

James 1: 25 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=james%201:25;&version=51;

There is a great effort required on our part, and our flesh resists it greatly – it complains of being tired, or to busy, or a host of other excuses that we use – blaming others, letting our emotions and ‘feelings’ make our decisions rather than obedience to direct truth from His Word. We know the very familiar passage “Love your God with ALL OF YOUR heart (our emotions and feelings), ALL OF YOUR mind (our intellect and will), ALL OF YOUR soul (our eternal infinite self) , ALL OF YOUR Strength (our body).

All these things must be wrestled into control, and dragged at times, kicking and screaming under the Lordship of Christ.


James 1:26 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=james%201:26;&version=51;

I pose myself a question – and invite you to ask the same question – ‘is my religion worthless?” Am I controlling my tongue? Or does my tongue control me? Am I living beyond my selfishness motives and opinions? Am I the living the gospel to others? Am I refusing to the let the world corrupt me

Can I be vulnerable with you for a moment? It is not a question that I can answer quickly. I must confess, in each of the areas I fail – it is so easy for me to justify, to allow, to be lazy and passive. I must bring myself back – perhaps, drag myself by the scruff of the neck - before the mirror of Christ, and gaze intently into it, regardless of my own personal pain and fleshly struggle not to – it’s mine and it’s your only hope.

And because it is not ‘all about me’ I must realize there are other in this room – having a ‘spirit that it is willing and a flesh that is weak.’ Not in a ‘justification or allowance’ kind of way – but in an open, forgiving, together we are on a journey’ kind of way.

Let’s pray.
Father, I come before you this morning, we come before you this morning – we seek to look intently into Your image, painfully and perhaps shamefully aware of the reflection we see of ourselves in Your mirror. Grant us the courage and the strength not to look away – or because of that pain to walk away. May we hear Your gentle voice inviting us closer, urging us to with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, all our body, take a step toward you this moment. As we step, consume the filth and evil we’ve allow to attach to us – as we live here, may we not step away from your mirror, but keep it before us that we not forget whose image we seek to become.

Neil