None of us who are Christians would ever dream of setting ourselves up in the place of God; of trying to assume the role of God. None of us would be so arrogant as to think that we could do a better job than God at laying down moral rightness and judging the hearts and actions of men and women. Yet that is what James warns us about. He warns us that my smallest criticism of someone else is my biggest attempt to supplant the Lord. He does this by making two assertions, and then demonstrating the arrogance of our attitudes.
I) Our attitude to God’s Word is reflected in our attitude toward others
The first assertion that James makes is that our attitude toward God’s WOrd is reflected by our attitude toward others. He uses two separate but related ideas to prove his point. Notice the parallel statements he makes in verse 11:
He who speaks against a brother… speaks against the law; He who… judges his brother… judges the law.
He asserts that there is a direct correlation between how we relate to our fellow Christians and how we relate to God’s Word. In order to better understand James’ meaning, it would be helpful to examine the words ‘speak against,’ ‘judge’ and ‘law.’ We’ll do this in the sub-points for roman numeral 1 on your outline.
A) Contempt for a brother indicates contempt for God’s Word
During my preparation for this sermon, a brother made a request that I clarify why James uses the term ‘law’ in his epistle. I’ll do my best.
i) law
In order for us to understand this, we really need to make a few contextual and historical considerations. The first consideration is contextual. Turn to James 1:21.
James begins speaking of the word. He references the word in 1:21, 22 and 23. Then, unexpectedly he shifts to referring to the Word of God as the law in 1:25. Verses 22-24 are parallel to verse 25. From 1:25 on, he no longer makes reference to the Word, but continually utilizes the term law. It’s clear that when he makes reference to the Law, he is actually speaking about the Word of God - Scripture. 1:22-25 has set the precedent for defining the term in the epistle. The question remains though, as my brother asked me, ‘ why does James use the term Law?’
To answer this question we turn to some historical considerations, namely the date and intended recipients of the epistle.
a) date
Remember at the beginning of our study we made reference to the fact that this was probably the earliest book written in the NT? It came before the council at Jerusalem which discussed whether or not new converts to Christianity needed to be circumcised and observe the Law of Moses (Acts 15:5). This is an important point. The Church still had not fleshed out exactly what was required in Christianity. The law of Moses apparently still played a significant role in the lives of some of the early Christians, especially those who were converted Pharisees. Indeed we know that this was a major struggle of the early Church from other books of the NT.
b) recipients
Also knowing that the recipients were Jewish Christians, we should understand the significance of the term for them. The Jewish Scriptures consisted of what were called ‘the Law and the Prophets.’ The Law was the first five books of the Bible, know by Christians as the Pentateuch. The Prophets consisted of the Major and Minor Prophets. There was also a third category called the Writings, which would include the historical books, psalms and wisdom literature. The Old Testament Canon was generally referred to as the Law and the Prophets. The term Law was sometimes used exclusively for the Pentateuch and sometimes for the entire OT Scriptures.
Keeping in mind that James’ epistle was the first book written from the NT canon, his usage of the term ‘law’ would have been a clear statement to his recipients that he was referring to the revealed Word of God up to that time. His readers would have easily understood this. Not only this, but his readers would have understood the esteemed position the Law had among the Jews. The Jews took great pride in the fact that the Law was revealed to them. They took great care in studying it and held it in high esteem. Because of the esteemed place it held on the Jewish people’s hearts and minds, James was able to elicit more notice to what he was saying. The statements that he makes about the Law would have been very provocative to his readers. In today’s passage, for example, his readers would have been horrified to be considered as a judge of the Law. So it seems that for the purposes James had in mind, he used the term ‘law’ because of the effect it surely would have had on his readers.
Which brings us back to our first point in 4:11, that when you ‘speak against’ a brother, you ‘speak against’ the law, the Word of God. What does the term ‘speak against’ entail? Most translations translate this word as ‘speak against,’ ‘speak evil of,’ ‘slander,’ or ‘backbite.’ The word is also used in 1 Pet. 2:12 and 3:16 and is translated in the NASB as slander.
These translations give us a good view of what James has in mind. The word literally means ‘speak against.’ I think that with the context of this passage, that translation, speak against, is best. Our passage is found in a book that speaks in detail about sins of the tongue. More specifically, our passage, as well as the passage immediately following, are meant to amplify what James said in the beginning of Chapter 4 and earlier. In 4:1 he notes that these believers were quarrelling. I personally feel that they were quarrelling over matters of wealth and possessions, but that is just speculation, and so we won’t spend any time developing that thought. In 3:14, James talks about bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, which leads him into his exhortation to humility and now in our passage to some examples of jealousy and selfish ambition, in 4:11-16. The issue is quarrelling, and quarrelling arises from jealousy and selfishness as seen in 3:14,16; and 4:1-4. So to speak against is something that arises from these evil motives.
If we were to amplify the word we might say that to speak against is ‘to speak against the interest of another,’ or ‘to talk degradingly about them when they are not present.’ Some translations, as we mentioned before, translate the word here as ‘slander.’ Slander means to make false statements about someone. For that reason I would avoid using that word in our passage, because it is too restrictive. James doesn’t simply have in mind a lying tongue, although that is included. He has in mind a derisive tongue; one which shows contempt for another person. This can be done through false or true statements.
In order to understand this more clearly, let’s take a look at some illustrations. First, let’s take a look at a possible illustration from the Book of James itself. In 2:2-4 James gives us a scenario. This scenario may actually have been occurring among these early Christians or it may have just been an exaggerated example. Regardless, we could see that it would be a strong temptation for the poor man who was dishonoured to speak derisively about the rich man, or the people who treated him badly. You thought I was going to talk about the rich man, didn’t you? James’ very point is that when we speak degradingly of other people, we reveal a proud, jealous heart; certainly not one that is humble before the Lord.
Let me give you a second illustration that comes from my own life. A few years ago, I found out from a friend that one of the elders’ wives at the church I had been attending made some malicious statements about me. She had made the statements to my friend’s mother. While you may think I’m intending to use her as an example, which I certainly could have, I’m actually not. The illustration comes from the way I reacted.
I carried a wounded pride with me for a couple of years. I was actually quite stunned by the incident. I didn’t react favourably, though at the time I thought I did. I talked about it with other people trying to get their ‘advice’ on how to handle it. The truth is, however, that in reality I was hoping that these other people would know how ungodIy this woman had acted, and that they would see how godly I was trying to handle the situation. I would ‘decide’ before talking people that I would not mention her name, and that this would be okay. Had I really wanted to talk about the issue with people to gain advice on what to do, I could have done so by speaking generally and not allowing a clue about who I was talking about. Every time I talked about it though, I gave enough hints that people would inevitably guessed who it was, and then we could talk about it more freely. By making people guess who it was, I alleviated my conscience at the time, because I wasn’t actually telling them. By feigning humility and godliness, however, I was in actuality maligning this lady. I wasn’t slandering her, because what I was saying was true, but I was speaking truth about her behind her back with the intent of damaging her reputation.
That’s what James is telling us not to do. In order for us to avoid this, we need to check our motives when we talk of other people when they’re not around. This is such a dangerous sin, because it seems so innocent. It is not. It reveals an arrogant heart which is not submissive to God (4:7). In fact James says that if we speak derisively against a brother, we are in fact speaking derisively against the Word of God. He already told us in 2:8 that the royal law is loving your neighbour as yourself. He is most assuredly making reference to his half-brother who is quoted in Mk. 12:29-31 as saying that loving your neighbour as yourself is one of the two greatest commandments. By speaking against our neighbour, as James broadens his application in verse 12 to include our neighbour, we are in fact displaying contempt for this ‘greatest’ commandment of God. That is a serious charge which would have certainly captured the attention of his readers. That is why it is so important for us to be careful of what we say about others, and how we say it.
B) Judging a brother indicates judgement of God’s Word
As we said earlier, James uses parallel ideas to amplify his thought. He doesn’t only have in mind the words we say, but also the attitude of our hearts.
He who… judges his brother… judges the law.
The idea of judging is so confused in our generation. We’re taught by TV and movies not to judge people in any capacity. The cries can be heard calling out everywhere: “Don’t judge me!” The application has been made in today’s church that for us to confront someone else about sin is entirely unbiblical and contrary to the loving nature of God. Oh, how misguided we are!
In the first place, it’s clear that James is not saying ‘don’t make any judgements on other people at all.’ He is not forbidding confronting, or making ‘judgements’ about people’s sin outright. This is clearly observed by even the most casual reading of the letter. The whole tone of our passage today is judgemental! Look at the end of verse 12: ‘But you, who are you…?’ The construction in the Greek is very emphatic and very pointed. In verse 8 he calls them sinners; in verse 4 he calls them adulteresses! He uses harsh and pointed words throughout his letter, and takes a judgemental tone towards them. That then does he mean by the term ‘judge?’
The key to understanding the Biblical teaching on judging others is to understand the criterion for judging. In 2:12 James tells them to speak and act as those to be judged by the law of liberty; that is, the Word of God. The closing of James’ epistle (5:19-20) cannot be done without passing judgement on sin. In 1 Cor. 5:3 Paul tells us how he has already judged a sinning brother. Jesus himself tells us how to confront a sinning brother. The act of judging is not the problem here, rather it is the criterion by which we judge, as vividly illustrated in our passage today. Our criterion for judging sin and confronting it is the Law, the revealed Word of God. James is forbidding passing judgement on someone for something outside of the Word of God.
Let me give an illustration. There has been, and unfortunately still is in some circles, a ridiculous debate about whether or not translations other than the KJV are acceptable. There was an incident at a church I attended where a man actually preached against the NIV from the pulpit. This was an unfortunate incident, and it ultimately resulted in a divide in the church. It would have been one thing if this man had held his own conviction quietly and not spoken out against his brothers and sisters who believed and acted differently than him on this issue. By speaking out against the NIV, he had gone farther than the Word of God has in explaining what the Word of God is. All of the strife and division that resulted was completely unnecessary, but came about because a man was passing judgement on something that the Bible itself doesn’t speak to. We actually see this quite often, sadly. Someone gets a ‘hobby horse,’ a topic that they begin to be so consumed with that they start treating people harshly and judging them because they don’t conform to their standard.
Personal preferences are not a valid criterion for judging others. In fact, James tells us that when we do pass judgement on people for things outside of Scripture, that we are actually passing judgement on the Word of God itself. We’re showing that we don’t think the Word of God went far enough. Again, something that would have been shocking to James’ readers. Who in their right mind would possibly say outright that the Law revealed to the OT prophets wasn’t adequate? James tells us that we then are no longer doers of the law, something he’s already commanded us to be (1:22), but judges of it.
So by these two examples (speaking against and judging our brother) James shows us that our attitude toward God’s Word is reflected by our attitude toward others. Having pointed this out, he then really drives the point home by showing that...
III) Our attitude toward God is reflected in our attitude towards His Word
James immediately points out how preposterous it is for us to consider ourselves as judges of God’s Law. He points out emphatically that there is only one Lawgiver and Judge. ‘One’ is placed first in the Greek, giving it strong emphasis. He is contrasting us with God. God is the only one who can rightfully command His creatures. He is the only one who sits in the office of Judge. James gives us 4 qualities of God with which He wishes to contrast the person who speaks against his brother: Lawgiver, Judge, able to save and able to destroy.
A) God as Lawgiver
Something which is almost uniformly rejected by today’s generation is God’s role as Lawgiver. The Lord who created us has the right to dictate what our conduct should be, but today men tend to reject any authority outside of themselves. They trash the Church of God because we make judgements on sin, and say that certain things are true and binding. They characterize us as intolerant. If we are intolerant, that is simply because God’s Word is intolerant.
The Church says that homosexuality is wrong not because we simply ‘don’t like it,’ but because God has authoritatively decreed in His Word that it is wrong. We believe the wife should be submissive to her husband, not because we are chauvinists, but because God has authoritatively declared it to be this way in His Word. The fact is that if we ‘don’t like’ something in Scripture, or simply choose not to obey it, we are actually rejecting God and assuming that we are wiser than He. How foolish!
B) God is able to save
Related to Lawgiving is the fact that He is able to save. God has declared in His Word that there is only one way to be saved, through repentance of sins and faith in Jesus Christ! If we reject this we again are sitting in the absurd position of assuming to be wiser than God.
C) God as Judge
The Lord is also the only one able to Judge rightly. He is the only One with the authority to judge. James uses this thought in chapter 5 to encourage believers to patiently endure suffering. God will judge the wicked. He will deliver justice. Today it seems that people don’t really believe this to be true. ‘God is love,’ they say, ‘He won’t really judge the wicked.’
D) God is able to destroy
But James indicates otherwise and affirms that He is able to destroy. He has the power to destroy, and He has the authority. Hell is real. Judgement is real. God has revealed these things to us in His Word. He is the only One with the power to judge, and the wisdom to judge rightly.
After saying this James contrasts the power and true office of God with the pathetic man or woman who tries to usurp those offices from the Lord. He makes a very sarcastic contrast to show how outrageous it is for us to speak against or judge other people.
Conclusion
How then can we respond to James’ warning? We need to keep it in our minds that the way we treat others is reflective of the way we relate to God. We need to be careful to watch our tongues and examine our motivations. We need to, as James just finished saying in the previous section, humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
James 1:26-27
Today we’ll be continuing to look at the book of James. In order for us to understand today’s context, I’d just like to review the previous two passages that we looked at, in order for us to gain a better understanding of today’s passage.
In verses 19-21, James told us that we are to receive the Word. James (Howard) had talked about how we needed to put ourselves in the position of being exposed to the Word, whether by reading it or hearing sermons, etc. We were able to see from that passage the importance of receiving the Word.
In verses 22-25, James told us that receiving the Word doesn’t mean merely hearing, or coming in contact with the Word. He qualified his statement by saying that we need to be doers of the Word. We talked about the importance of spending time in the Word - that we must first meditate on the Word of God before we can do the Word of God.
Today we’re going to learn what it means to ‘do’ the Word of God. We’ve established the great importance in taking in the Word of God through meditation, but today we’re going to learn what doing the Word of God is and isn’t.
JAMES 1:26-27
I) Religion - what is it?
In studying this passage, I have to admit that I was perplexed as to why James would use the word ‘religion’ here. I grew up in an environment where that word was almost a dirty word. I was always taught to juxtapose religion with faith. I’d hear people saying about others that such and such a person wasn’t a Christian, they were merely religious. Due to this prevalent attitude in my upbringing, I find myself becoming uncomfortable with this word ‘religion.’
But what is it that James is talking about when he says ‘religion,’ and why is it that he uses this word instead of a more spiritual word like ‘faith.’ In order for us to answer that question, we need to take 2 things into consideration: the meaning of the word religion, and the context in which it’s placed.
The meaning of the word ‘religion’
This word caused me all kinds of problems in my study of the passage. It’s only found 5 times in the entire NT - 3 of those in this book! The other 2 passages are Acts 26:5 and Col. 2:18.
ACTS 26:5
Take notice here that he is identifying the Jewish belief system as a ‘religion.’ What was it about the Jewish belief system that qualifies it as a ‘religion?’ What united the Jewish people? The centrepiece of Jewish worship was the temple in Jerusalem, and the extensive list of practices that they had to perform. Males had to be circumcised. They had to rest on the Sabbath. They needed to remember the festivals. They needed to offer sacrifices in a certain way. It can be said quite concretely that the Jewish people were united in certain rites/practices which were used in worshipping the God they believed in. The Pharisees, of which Paul was a part, was the strictest sect of that religion. They adhered to the most rigourous of external practices.
COL. 2:18
Notice in this passage that the word ‘religion’ is translated as ‘worship.’ This passage speaks of those who are given to asceticism and worshipping angels. Their ‘worship’ is actually a series of rites and practices in which they show their devotion to angels.
The lexical definition of the word is this:
expression of devotion to transcendant beings, esp. as it expresses itself in cultic rites
The word itself, then, is representative of a system of practices intended to show devotion to a particular being. Now that we have a good understanding of what the word means, let’s look into the context of how James uses it.
The context of James’ usage of the word ‘religion’
Remember that in verse 22 James tells us to be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers. Verses 23-25 show the importance of meditating on the Word and taking it into our hearts. Verses 26-27 continue the thread of ‘doing’ the Word. James is writing to primarily Jewish believers, and so they would have a natural respect for the rites/traditions of the Jewish belief system. We saw in the book of Acts what a struggle the early Church had with severing the old way of doing things. James is now using a word which very deliberately and pointedly highlights the external, visible mode of worship, and he will contrast that with what God says is true religion.
II) What religion is not
As we move into our next consideration, I have to confess that I’ve always been baffled at the Christians I was taught to look up to. I grew up in a conservative church, and the lives of most of the leaders were squeaky clean. That’s not a bad thing. What always baffled me though, was the favourite past-time of those who were supposed to be spiritual giants. It seemed like there was always whispering going on. ‘Did you hear about so-and-so?’ Gossip. Non-stop gossip. Praising the God of heaven with a loud voice while whispering about His children out of the side of their mouth.
It seems to me that this is a serious problem within the church. The classic, caricature of the ‘preacher’s wife,’ is that she’s the town’s gossip. It just doesn’t make any sense; and James is telling us it shouldn’t. He says quite clearly (1:26).
Admittedly, he’s not simply talking about gossip. He’s talking about all kinds of sins. Lately God has really been working on my heart over my attitude while driving. I get angry when I drive. Really angry. And that anger sometimes works itself out in unkind words.
Col. 3:8-9 give a pretty good list of these kinds of sins.
These are the kinds of things that show us the inner character or a man or woman. What’s sad, and a little frightening, about this is that this is a test for people who think they are walking closely with the Lord. If they find themselves not able to have a command over their tongue, James says that they are deceiving their own hearts.
Here, I’d like to offer a very clear explanation of a very difficult statement. James is not saying that a slip of the tongue is an evidence that you are not a Christian. He’s saying that a regular habit of being given to gossip, slander, etc. is an evidence that your external practices don’t emerge from a heart close to God. A person who regularly is given to such things is not a ‘doer’ of the word, and is deceived. Remember in 1 John we learn that Christians will sin, and that includes sins of the tongue, but it’s if we find ourselves in the regular habit of sinning that we ought to start examining ourselves and see if we really are in the faith.
This really is the point that James is making here, is that we needn’t look solely to the practices of prayer, meditation, singing praises, fasting, etc. to show us where we stand in the sight of God. Simply doing these external ‘spiritual’ practices, doesn’t mean that we are children of God. If there is evidence to the contrary, if we notice that we’re really critical of people, ungracious, quick to anger and so on, then we ought to examine ourselves and see where we really stand before the Lord. Our belief in the Lord will ultimately show itself not only in the ‘spiritual’ rites/traditions that we perform (the use of the word ‘religion’), but that ultimately our faith will work itself out in very particular ways. In verse 27, he gives us 2 things which show ‘pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God.’
God’s view of religion
Notice that he’s careful to point out that this is God’s view. It’s not his own desire of what his Christian brothers’ lives would look like, it’s God’s view on the matter. Whenever we see in Scripture how God views something, we should always pause and listen carefully to what he has to say. And what does God have to say?
Caring for the needy
He says that a true Christian will ‘visit orphans and widows in their distress.’ This statement really hits home. God says that if we truly are affected by the Word of God, that we’ll visit orphans and widows in their distress. This is something that I haven’t done a whole lot in my life, and quite frankly I don’t know many Christians who do. If we really are in the Word of God though - if we really know the Word of God intimately - we won’t be surprised one bit by this statement.
JOB 31:16-17; PSALM 146:9; ISAIAH 1:17,23
This is a recurring theme in the Word of God. The fatherless and the widow have a special place in the heart of the LORD. Certainly this call is to be literally fulfilled by us, however, we understand that orphans and widows are a picture of the needy. James is talking about these two classes of people in a way that is inclusive of more than just these two classes. He’s not saying that true religion cares only for orphans and widows, but is using orphans and widows to represent the needy. And who fits that category? This is the question that we need to answer. Certainly orphans and widows are in this category, and so we should be looking to care for them. ICC has an orphan ministry that goes once a month to visit with the orphans. This is an important ministry and truly faithful to the Word of God. What are some other types of needy people, though, and why does James use orphans and widows to represent the needy?
It’s hard to think of a more desperate situation than being either without parents, or being a woman without a husband. This is highlighted much more when we think about what the life of an orphan or widow would’ve looked like in James’ time. Widows wouldn’t have had access to pension funds. They would be on their own to provide for themselves. Having relied on their husbands to provide for them before they died, more than likely they wouldn’t have acquired any kind of craft/skill with which they could earn a decent wage. It would be hard living as a widow at the time this letter was written.
Orphans are probably in a much more desperate situation. This has become emphatically illustrated to me by the birth of our daughter. She depends on us for everything! Sometimes when we’re not in the room with her she’ll start to cry. Her crying won’t cease until she sees either her mother or I’s face, which upon seeing, she smiles. It’s amazing to me that she already seems to know love and recognizes those who are there to comfort and support her.
An orphan is not only bereft of material provisions, but they also lack the comfort, guidance and spiritual care that a parent provides. There’s nobody for them to teach them. No one to point them to the Word of God and teach them how to walk in His ways.
These people are truly needy. They really are in need of the love, care and comfort of righteous people. Recently my wife and I were part of a Truth Project small group study. In the last episode, we talk about community. Without giving too much away, I’d like to talk about an important concept that we learned. God’s commands stem from His nature. His actions as well stem from His nature. He says that He supports the fatherless and widows. It’s part of His very nature to care after those who need it. This is the reason He saved us - because we needed it. He works patiently with our broken and battered souls, and He has compassion on the lowliest of people. This is exactly why we should also care for the needy around us. God’s nature is compassionate, and we also should be compassionate to widows and orphans.
Not only widows and orphans, but also all others who have real, felt needs. The sick, the lonely, the outcast, the person nobody wants to talk to. What does it say about our character when we exhibit an aversion to these kinds of people. Are we comfortable when we’re these people? I referenced George Muller last week. George Muller was a man who devoted his life to helping orphanages. He opened 4 orphanages and cared for more than 1,000 fatherless children. He wasn’t naturally disposed to be with the truly needy; if you read his autobiography he talks about how he spent his youth in selfish sin. But God changed Him, and that change worked itself out in his life.
One final thought on this subject. A lot of people have the idea that if they give their money to organizations which help the poor or to their churches to help the poor that they are fulfilling God’s command. Nothing could be further from the truth. While giving to the poor is a good thing, it doesn’t replace spending time with those who have a poverty of spirit. Notice that James says visiting orphans and widows in the time of their distress. That means spending time with them when they need it. There is more to be done than just giving from your wallet. This may be why the poor are left off of this list, because James is not speaking of finances. We need to give of ourselves to these people who need it. Recognize the needy around you and visit with them… tend to their needs.
I used to visit nursing homes with an elder at the church I grew up in. I never really put much weight into going, because the people we met with never really engaged in great conversation. I never really realized how much it meant for them that I was there, spending time with them. We need to think very seriously about how we can reach out to the needy around us - not just financially.
Keeping free of the world’s mindset
There are a lot of people though, who feel a sense of responsibility for the needy, but who are certainly not regenerate Christians. This is why God tells us that we also need to be ‘unstained by the world.’ What He’s telling us here is that we need to live holy lives and have a mind that is filtered through the Word of God, and not tainted by worldy viewpoints. The holiness aspect of this is something that we’ve talked about many times in our church, and it’s really something that we ought to know. We need to live lives of holiness and purity. We are called to live by a higher standard than the culture around us.
But this passage is saying more than just that. James is also telling us that our minds need to be free from worldly influence. In our day we’re seeing a real battle of worldviews, and I have to admit that I’m sometimes very pessimistic about our generation of Christians. There have been many times that I’ve been talking with a Christian about social issues or moral issues and just thought to myself, ‘What are you saying!?!?! You’re supposed to be a Christian!!!’ It’s puzzling to me how a generation of people who say they believe the Bible and all that’s written in it, are so apathetic towards knowing what’s written in it, and towards shaping their worldview by it. The Bible speaks to every major area of our lives, and we need to be careful to form our ideas of the world based on what we see in Scripture.
If you’re sitting here today and are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit by His Word, that’s a good thing. Do not let this opportunity pass. Submit to the Holy Spirit and seek out those areas in your life which need to be changed. Seek out the areas of your thinking which is not in line with the Bible. Seek out the areas of your life that are impure and unholy. Seek out ways in which you can help the needy around you. Pray for the grace of God to have a controlled tongue. If you’re unconfident about your spiritual position before the Lord, or are feeling guilty about the way you live your life, I challenge you today to take time to think about these issues. These are the things that God says are the marks of pure and undefiled religion; true faith. If these things are missing from your life, I challenge you to seek out the reason why.
In verses 19-21, James told us that we are to receive the Word. James (Howard) had talked about how we needed to put ourselves in the position of being exposed to the Word, whether by reading it or hearing sermons, etc. We were able to see from that passage the importance of receiving the Word.
In verses 22-25, James told us that receiving the Word doesn’t mean merely hearing, or coming in contact with the Word. He qualified his statement by saying that we need to be doers of the Word. We talked about the importance of spending time in the Word - that we must first meditate on the Word of God before we can do the Word of God.
Today we’re going to learn what it means to ‘do’ the Word of God. We’ve established the great importance in taking in the Word of God through meditation, but today we’re going to learn what doing the Word of God is and isn’t.
JAMES 1:26-27
I) Religion - what is it?
In studying this passage, I have to admit that I was perplexed as to why James would use the word ‘religion’ here. I grew up in an environment where that word was almost a dirty word. I was always taught to juxtapose religion with faith. I’d hear people saying about others that such and such a person wasn’t a Christian, they were merely religious. Due to this prevalent attitude in my upbringing, I find myself becoming uncomfortable with this word ‘religion.’
But what is it that James is talking about when he says ‘religion,’ and why is it that he uses this word instead of a more spiritual word like ‘faith.’ In order for us to answer that question, we need to take 2 things into consideration: the meaning of the word religion, and the context in which it’s placed.
The meaning of the word ‘religion’
This word caused me all kinds of problems in my study of the passage. It’s only found 5 times in the entire NT - 3 of those in this book! The other 2 passages are Acts 26:5 and Col. 2:18.
ACTS 26:5
Take notice here that he is identifying the Jewish belief system as a ‘religion.’ What was it about the Jewish belief system that qualifies it as a ‘religion?’ What united the Jewish people? The centrepiece of Jewish worship was the temple in Jerusalem, and the extensive list of practices that they had to perform. Males had to be circumcised. They had to rest on the Sabbath. They needed to remember the festivals. They needed to offer sacrifices in a certain way. It can be said quite concretely that the Jewish people were united in certain rites/practices which were used in worshipping the God they believed in. The Pharisees, of which Paul was a part, was the strictest sect of that religion. They adhered to the most rigourous of external practices.
COL. 2:18
Notice in this passage that the word ‘religion’ is translated as ‘worship.’ This passage speaks of those who are given to asceticism and worshipping angels. Their ‘worship’ is actually a series of rites and practices in which they show their devotion to angels.
The lexical definition of the word is this:
expression of devotion to transcendant beings, esp. as it expresses itself in cultic rites
The word itself, then, is representative of a system of practices intended to show devotion to a particular being. Now that we have a good understanding of what the word means, let’s look into the context of how James uses it.
The context of James’ usage of the word ‘religion’
Remember that in verse 22 James tells us to be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers. Verses 23-25 show the importance of meditating on the Word and taking it into our hearts. Verses 26-27 continue the thread of ‘doing’ the Word. James is writing to primarily Jewish believers, and so they would have a natural respect for the rites/traditions of the Jewish belief system. We saw in the book of Acts what a struggle the early Church had with severing the old way of doing things. James is now using a word which very deliberately and pointedly highlights the external, visible mode of worship, and he will contrast that with what God says is true religion.
II) What religion is not
As we move into our next consideration, I have to confess that I’ve always been baffled at the Christians I was taught to look up to. I grew up in a conservative church, and the lives of most of the leaders were squeaky clean. That’s not a bad thing. What always baffled me though, was the favourite past-time of those who were supposed to be spiritual giants. It seemed like there was always whispering going on. ‘Did you hear about so-and-so?’ Gossip. Non-stop gossip. Praising the God of heaven with a loud voice while whispering about His children out of the side of their mouth.
It seems to me that this is a serious problem within the church. The classic, caricature of the ‘preacher’s wife,’ is that she’s the town’s gossip. It just doesn’t make any sense; and James is telling us it shouldn’t. He says quite clearly (1:26).
Admittedly, he’s not simply talking about gossip. He’s talking about all kinds of sins. Lately God has really been working on my heart over my attitude while driving. I get angry when I drive. Really angry. And that anger sometimes works itself out in unkind words.
Col. 3:8-9 give a pretty good list of these kinds of sins.
These are the kinds of things that show us the inner character or a man or woman. What’s sad, and a little frightening, about this is that this is a test for people who think they are walking closely with the Lord. If they find themselves not able to have a command over their tongue, James says that they are deceiving their own hearts.
Here, I’d like to offer a very clear explanation of a very difficult statement. James is not saying that a slip of the tongue is an evidence that you are not a Christian. He’s saying that a regular habit of being given to gossip, slander, etc. is an evidence that your external practices don’t emerge from a heart close to God. A person who regularly is given to such things is not a ‘doer’ of the word, and is deceived. Remember in 1 John we learn that Christians will sin, and that includes sins of the tongue, but it’s if we find ourselves in the regular habit of sinning that we ought to start examining ourselves and see if we really are in the faith.
This really is the point that James is making here, is that we needn’t look solely to the practices of prayer, meditation, singing praises, fasting, etc. to show us where we stand in the sight of God. Simply doing these external ‘spiritual’ practices, doesn’t mean that we are children of God. If there is evidence to the contrary, if we notice that we’re really critical of people, ungracious, quick to anger and so on, then we ought to examine ourselves and see where we really stand before the Lord. Our belief in the Lord will ultimately show itself not only in the ‘spiritual’ rites/traditions that we perform (the use of the word ‘religion’), but that ultimately our faith will work itself out in very particular ways. In verse 27, he gives us 2 things which show ‘pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God.’
God’s view of religion
Notice that he’s careful to point out that this is God’s view. It’s not his own desire of what his Christian brothers’ lives would look like, it’s God’s view on the matter. Whenever we see in Scripture how God views something, we should always pause and listen carefully to what he has to say. And what does God have to say?
Caring for the needy
He says that a true Christian will ‘visit orphans and widows in their distress.’ This statement really hits home. God says that if we truly are affected by the Word of God, that we’ll visit orphans and widows in their distress. This is something that I haven’t done a whole lot in my life, and quite frankly I don’t know many Christians who do. If we really are in the Word of God though - if we really know the Word of God intimately - we won’t be surprised one bit by this statement.
JOB 31:16-17; PSALM 146:9; ISAIAH 1:17,23
This is a recurring theme in the Word of God. The fatherless and the widow have a special place in the heart of the LORD. Certainly this call is to be literally fulfilled by us, however, we understand that orphans and widows are a picture of the needy. James is talking about these two classes of people in a way that is inclusive of more than just these two classes. He’s not saying that true religion cares only for orphans and widows, but is using orphans and widows to represent the needy. And who fits that category? This is the question that we need to answer. Certainly orphans and widows are in this category, and so we should be looking to care for them. ICC has an orphan ministry that goes once a month to visit with the orphans. This is an important ministry and truly faithful to the Word of God. What are some other types of needy people, though, and why does James use orphans and widows to represent the needy?
It’s hard to think of a more desperate situation than being either without parents, or being a woman without a husband. This is highlighted much more when we think about what the life of an orphan or widow would’ve looked like in James’ time. Widows wouldn’t have had access to pension funds. They would be on their own to provide for themselves. Having relied on their husbands to provide for them before they died, more than likely they wouldn’t have acquired any kind of craft/skill with which they could earn a decent wage. It would be hard living as a widow at the time this letter was written.
Orphans are probably in a much more desperate situation. This has become emphatically illustrated to me by the birth of our daughter. She depends on us for everything! Sometimes when we’re not in the room with her she’ll start to cry. Her crying won’t cease until she sees either her mother or I’s face, which upon seeing, she smiles. It’s amazing to me that she already seems to know love and recognizes those who are there to comfort and support her.
An orphan is not only bereft of material provisions, but they also lack the comfort, guidance and spiritual care that a parent provides. There’s nobody for them to teach them. No one to point them to the Word of God and teach them how to walk in His ways.
These people are truly needy. They really are in need of the love, care and comfort of righteous people. Recently my wife and I were part of a Truth Project small group study. In the last episode, we talk about community. Without giving too much away, I’d like to talk about an important concept that we learned. God’s commands stem from His nature. His actions as well stem from His nature. He says that He supports the fatherless and widows. It’s part of His very nature to care after those who need it. This is the reason He saved us - because we needed it. He works patiently with our broken and battered souls, and He has compassion on the lowliest of people. This is exactly why we should also care for the needy around us. God’s nature is compassionate, and we also should be compassionate to widows and orphans.
Not only widows and orphans, but also all others who have real, felt needs. The sick, the lonely, the outcast, the person nobody wants to talk to. What does it say about our character when we exhibit an aversion to these kinds of people. Are we comfortable when we’re these people? I referenced George Muller last week. George Muller was a man who devoted his life to helping orphanages. He opened 4 orphanages and cared for more than 1,000 fatherless children. He wasn’t naturally disposed to be with the truly needy; if you read his autobiography he talks about how he spent his youth in selfish sin. But God changed Him, and that change worked itself out in his life.
One final thought on this subject. A lot of people have the idea that if they give their money to organizations which help the poor or to their churches to help the poor that they are fulfilling God’s command. Nothing could be further from the truth. While giving to the poor is a good thing, it doesn’t replace spending time with those who have a poverty of spirit. Notice that James says visiting orphans and widows in the time of their distress. That means spending time with them when they need it. There is more to be done than just giving from your wallet. This may be why the poor are left off of this list, because James is not speaking of finances. We need to give of ourselves to these people who need it. Recognize the needy around you and visit with them… tend to their needs.
I used to visit nursing homes with an elder at the church I grew up in. I never really put much weight into going, because the people we met with never really engaged in great conversation. I never really realized how much it meant for them that I was there, spending time with them. We need to think very seriously about how we can reach out to the needy around us - not just financially.
Keeping free of the world’s mindset
There are a lot of people though, who feel a sense of responsibility for the needy, but who are certainly not regenerate Christians. This is why God tells us that we also need to be ‘unstained by the world.’ What He’s telling us here is that we need to live holy lives and have a mind that is filtered through the Word of God, and not tainted by worldy viewpoints. The holiness aspect of this is something that we’ve talked about many times in our church, and it’s really something that we ought to know. We need to live lives of holiness and purity. We are called to live by a higher standard than the culture around us.
But this passage is saying more than just that. James is also telling us that our minds need to be free from worldly influence. In our day we’re seeing a real battle of worldviews, and I have to admit that I’m sometimes very pessimistic about our generation of Christians. There have been many times that I’ve been talking with a Christian about social issues or moral issues and just thought to myself, ‘What are you saying!?!?! You’re supposed to be a Christian!!!’ It’s puzzling to me how a generation of people who say they believe the Bible and all that’s written in it, are so apathetic towards knowing what’s written in it, and towards shaping their worldview by it. The Bible speaks to every major area of our lives, and we need to be careful to form our ideas of the world based on what we see in Scripture.
If you’re sitting here today and are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit by His Word, that’s a good thing. Do not let this opportunity pass. Submit to the Holy Spirit and seek out those areas in your life which need to be changed. Seek out the areas of your thinking which is not in line with the Bible. Seek out the areas of your life that are impure and unholy. Seek out ways in which you can help the needy around you. Pray for the grace of God to have a controlled tongue. If you’re unconfident about your spiritual position before the Lord, or are feeling guilty about the way you live your life, I challenge you today to take time to think about these issues. These are the things that God says are the marks of pure and undefiled religion; true faith. If these things are missing from your life, I challenge you to seek out the reason why.
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