Book of James Part 3.
Hearing AND Doing the Word of God
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James 1:19-27
Faith is tested by God to produce spiritual growth and maturity. James 1:1-12
Faith is tempted by our own desires, worldliness and Satan to produce broken relationships and bankruptcy of sin.
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James 1:13-18
Faith is tested by our response to the Word of God.
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James 1:19-27 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; (20)for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (21)Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
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(22)But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (23)For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. (24)For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. (25)But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
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(26)If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (27)Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
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My greatest challenge is the man in the mirror.
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Hearing the Word of God
James 1:18-20 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (19) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; (20)for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
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Listen more, talk less and calm your self down.
1. LISTEN MORE “ Be quick to hear”
The Bible is not just words about God but more importantly, it is words of God. Simply put, the Bible is God speaking.
2. TALK LESS “Be slow to speak”
Ecclesiastes 5:2 “God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.”
Proverbs 29:20 “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
• We are not as smart as we think.
• It is easy to kill relationships with unkind words.
• You cannot erase a foolish comment completely.
3. CALM DOWN “Be slow to anger; for the anger of a man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
Anger under control
Prov. 16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Receiving the Word of God
James 1:20 …for the anger of a man does not produce the righteousness of God.
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Doing the Word of God
James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (23)For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror.
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(24)For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. (25)But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
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James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
“Doer” implies the person who habitually submits and complies to God’s Word.”
“Hearer only “implies the person who casually listens but not a disciple.
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Therefore, a hearer who is not a doer only deceives himself.
Luke 11:28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
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James 1:23-25 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. (24)For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. (25)But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
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Paradox of the Gospel:
We are free when we want to do what we ought to do.
“…he will be a blessed in his doing.”
James 1:26-27 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s is worthless. (27)Religion is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
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Religion requires a life worth living.
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Don’t go to church.
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Be the church.