Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
There are two different ways in which we might look at this passage,
both of which are extremely profitable and may be seen to overlap
The word wherefore (v19) denotes a link to what has gone before
Two things have gone before, hence the divergence
From the very beginning, James has tackled the error of Christians
supposing that they had been tempted of God when they fell into sin
This was being used to relieve themselves of responsibility for their sin
Such a view had to be tackled and it is here in this passage
While temptations are allowed by God to test the mettle of His people -
yet God is not the author of sin, but their own lusts and nothing else
James goes on to show how God is the author of good/perfect gifts
(v17) and especially of regeneration (v18)
This brings us up to our present place in the passage
It may be argued that the wherefore introduces a new thought
based on the truth of regeneration i.e. that a new birth leads to a new
life
Might be argued that the rest/chapter deals with the evidences of the new birth i.e. a practical holiness
Evidently there is nothing wrong with taking the passage that way
A new birth does infallibly lead to a new life
I believe though: James has not finished with the matter of temptation
Speaks in vs2-12 re: the good which God brings out of our temptations
Speaks in v13-16 about (as already said) the error of blaming God for
our sins and shows where the sins originate - in our own wicked hearts
Speaks in vs 17-18 about the perfect gifts which God gives us and especially regeneration which is sovereign in its dispersal
The "wherefore" consequently relates to the pastoral implications of the previous doctrinal thoughts
We have seen the origin of sin - ourselves
We have seen the origin of the new birth which we profess - God
Now what? How does this help me face temptation?
Doctrine is a wonderful thing - vital in the church - but it must
carry a wherefore with it - instructions on how to use it to
live/God's glory
4 things/passage relating then to this ongoing matter of being tempted
1) LISTEN TO GOD ON THIS MATTER OF TEMPTATION
Be swift to hear and slow to speak, slow to wrath
A/ Has been well said that we have two ears to hear with, but only one mouth with which to speak
Again our tongue is rightly found behind the bars of our teeth - we must open our mouth to speak which should slow us down
Certainly, David saw the wisdom in slowing down his ability to speak:
I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will
keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. (Psalm 39:1)
How quick we can be to speak - opening the mouth before putting the brain in gear is not recommended at any time
B/ Running as we are with the idea that we are still considering the
idea of temptation - we should not be quick to open our mouths and
blame God (or anyone else) for our sins
Instead of reverting to a built in survival mode that seeks a harbour in any kind of storm - we should not be quick to do so
Even as the storm clouds gather - be slow to speak
There is nothing wrong in silences between one sentence and another
It is better to have said nothing than to have indicted God with sin
C/ If we are to be slow to speak - we are to be quick to hear
i.e. be quick to hear what God has to say on the matter
Only then can we begin to deal with the sin/temptation issue
There are all kinds of theories out there about this matter
[i] Secularism: Sin is only a figment of the imagination - a throw back to a religious, superstitious age when people burned witches etc.,
[ii] Romanism: Confess your sins to a RC priest and start again
[iii] Liberal Protestantism: Concentrate on love and love your sins away!
[iv] Antinomian Evangelicalism: Since we are accepted entirely in Jesus Christ, God does not look upon our sins nor require us to confess them
[v] The problem here/James: Blame God or at least implicate Him
2) THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO THE FORSAKING OF SIN
Forget the justifying of it…no matter who we seek to blame
Prevention is better than cure or trying to offload the responsibility
A/ In vs19ff we have the fusion of the two streams of interpretation
The way to resist temptation is to live as new born babes in Christ,
born with the new nature biased towards holiness, would have us to live
B/ There needs to be a purposeful, deliberate avoidance of sin - not just sin in general/principle but actual sins
[i] v19 may be applied to listening first to God (our first point) but it also is applicable in other ways and to other people
The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. (Proverbs 15:28)
If we must reply and say things that are hard (but true), then let it be with the right spirit and to the right end
[ii] So easy for us to fly off the handle when reproached or attacked
But James says that man's anger, especially if we are shooting from/lip, does not have a righteous end (v20)
Objection: Can I be angry and sin not?
Yes (Ephesians 4:26) but such anger is with the anger of God working in/through men
Such anger does not come readily to Christians, hence the warning
Do not mistake fleshly anger even for a good cause as God's work
We are not called upon to be quick on the draw
Words spoken can never be totally withdrawn - damage limitation
Even with a full withdrawal and a full apology, thought lingers long
[iii] All filthiness and abundant evil is to be laid aside (v21)
Same Greek word is translated differently in the NT:
The night is far spent, the day
is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us
put on the armour of light. (Romans 13:12)
The English phrase cast off is used in our AV in different settings:
But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies. (Psalm 44:9)
A total casting off as seen in shame/absence
Edom…did pursue his brother
with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear
perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever: (Amos 1:11) Obvious again
And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
(Acts 22:23) To indicate horror/indignation and so could not be a restrained act
Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. (1 Timothy 5:12)
The severe punishment meeting the depths of the crime i.e. a total casting off
C/ Why try and concoct excuses and rationalisations that blaspheme God,
when sin can be confronted and dealt with in a Biblical manner?
This is what the new birth is all about (v17-18)
We are born again with a new nature that hates sin/loves righteousness
If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29)
3) THE PURSUING/RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE FORSAKING OF SIN CAN ONLY BE DONE THROUGH THE RIGHT APPLICATION OF GOD'S WORD:
The word/God is very central in this short passage (vs21-25)
A/ All fine, me stating the obvious: "Forsake sin" but we need to show the "how" bit as well -
Otherwise, we will all fail and feel guilty and then start looking for excuses which we have been already tackled/exposed
B/ Two descriptions of the word of God in this passage
[i] The perfect law of liberty (v25)
Mighty! Confuses the world who think that law and liberty are opposites
Laws are thought to restrict - The "nanny state" idea ruining our joys
But this is not so - A lawless society is one that is full of fear
People have no liberty to go out and couch terrorised in their homes
But a lawful society, where the law is clearly enforced is a happy society
People walk the streets, even late at night, without any fear whatsoever
The only fear known are among those whose desires are unlawful
David: I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. (Psalm 119:45)
Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. (Psalm 119:133) The truth sets men free by ordering their steps:
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (Psalm 37:23)
So if we discover the Bible forbidding us to do something which our
sinful desires yearn, then let us see that such forbiddance is actually
for our liberty whereby the green light would be for our bondage
[ii] Bible is also referred to as the engrafted word (v21)
We were born into God's family through the word/truth (v18)
It entered into our very souls so that there is a desire there to obey it
An unsaved man does not have this engrafted word there
He might be outwardly restrained by the word/God because of his upbringing (no mean mercy from God) but he may trample over it
Although the Christian too can trample over the engrafted word, yet it
is harder for him to do so - the Spirit will strive greater to prevent
it
The conscience has been awakened more and there are other brakes to
either prevent outright such things or at least make them difficult
C/ Note the emphasis: that the engrafted word is able to save our souls
(v21) Not merely in the regeneration/justifying sense (v18) but in the
ongoing sanctification part of salvation- saved from the bondage/sin
D/ Note: Not automatic - not even with amassing great Bible knowledge
We are not only to be hearers (although important) but actual doers of the word/God (v22)
A mere hearer and not a doer has no advantage on a man who refuses to
hear at all - See the almost humorous illustration of vv23-24
Greater disadvantage: Goes from greater light to greater darkness
For this to have any real effect so we can work the righteousness/God:
[i] We need to hear the word/God (v22) but not hearers only
[ii] Apply the word to our own hearts (v24) Never followed it through
[iii] We continue in the word/God (v25) Reminds us of John 8:31
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
The eth on continueth carries the thought of an ongoing action
Little use resisting today only to fall tomorrow
We cannot be good soldiers/Jesus Christ in fits and starts
[iv] We do the word of God i.e. we obey it
We flee heartily the sinful and we heartily embrace that which is good
If this happens - we don't need to be looking for excuses like v13
4) ANYTHING LESS IS A VAIN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
A/ Our passage makes it clear that not every religious experience is
accepted with God (v26) Only pure/undefiled religion is accepted (v27)
And that not in the sight of men…but in the sight of God (v27)
B/ Passage speaks twice about being deceived in religion (v22/v26)
In each case - the deception is self imposed - no escaping responsibility
C/ Good works automatically follow the new birth - James develops this
later on more fully, but if there is no fruit, then there is no root
If salvation is not seen by its evidence, then its absence is a sad and a very dangerous reality. May God deliver us from such
THE END