Sermon Tone Analysis

*James 1:26, 27*

*What the Faith Looks Like*

 

“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

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.”[1]

The story is told of a little boy who asked his father, “Daddy, what is a Christian?”

After pondering this question, that father gave a somewhat extended answer.

He told the lad about salvation through faith in Jesus the Saviour, and he explained that Christians worship Jesus and live to honour Him.

He explained that because a Christian is born from above, he is compassionate and generous, willing to be involved in helping all who are in need.

When the father had concluded explaining what a Christian is, the little lad looked up and asked, “Daddy, do we know any?”

There are times that each of us may be tempted to ask whether we know any Christians.

The tragic truth that is not often declared is that each of us is capable of living in such a manner that we dishonour the Name of the Saviour at times.

Though saved by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus, we are fallen creatures; and but for the grace of God, we would all be under sentence of death.

However, God, in mercy, has redeemed those who believe on His Son; and having redeemed them, He appoints them to serve Him through exercising the gifts that He has given each one.

Together, we unite in communities of faith where we worship the Risen Son of God and build one another in this most holy Faith.

We also reveal the presence of the Living Saviour through doing the work that Jesus did when He was in the flesh.

Wherever the Faith is found, you will discover the Body of Christ, which is His church.

How will I recognise the Body of Christ?

The true Body of Christ will be busy doing the things that the Saviour did when He was in the flesh.

Was Jesus compassionate?

Then the Body of Christ will reveal His compassion toward those who are vulnerable and weak.

Was Jesus truthful?

The Body of Christ will both speak the truth and live the truth as revealed through the Word of God.

Was the Lord Jesus bold in confronting sin?  Wherever His Body is found, you will witness people who boldly live for His Name’s sake as they rebuke evil.

This is the essence of James’ statement in the verses that comprise our text for this day.

He speaks negatively to rebuke the tendency for those who name the Name to Christ to reduce their religious affections to mere words; and then he speaks positively to remind them of what the Faith consists.

Join me in exploring James’ teaching that together we may build a church to the glory of the Father and to the praise of Christ the Lord.

*A Popular View of Religion* — “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”

It will be beneficial for us to place this portion of the Word in context.

In order to do that, let’s read the preceding verses.

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

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.

For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

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” [*James 1:19-25*].

James’ immediate concern was to encourage Christians who were even then being horribly persecuted to live godly and holy lives.

He is focused on the reaction, whether verbal or physical, of believers to unjust attacks.

Just as they needed to be encouraged to be holy, so Christians today must be encouraged to be holy.

Godliness is more than mere piety; godliness is discovering what is pleasing to God in a given situation and courageously doing what has been discovered.

Holiness is not optional for the child of God; holiness is mandatory.

The Apostle Peter writing the same Christians, wrote, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” [*1 Peter 1:13-16*].

Undoubtedly, each of us has known someone who justified their refusal to believe because of the failure of professed Christians to be godly.

Perhaps we ourselves have at one time expressed serious reservations about openly confessing the Faith because of a negative view of Christianity that resulted from people whose lives disgraced the Name of Christ.

Tragically, Christendom is filled with examples of precisely such people; and we ourselves have perhaps at times inadvertently disappointed someone through a thoughtless word, or a careless deed, or because we failed to live up to the standard expected by the world.

In this past year, many of us witnessed a tragic display of unbridled tongues.

People who have a reputation of being religious, people who clearly boast among themselves how religious they are, came to a church meeting with hatred in their hearts and determination to hurt others.

The effect of their bitter calumny was more destructive than had they thrown a grenade into the meeting.

Professing to be deeply concerned about newer believers, their actions drove most of those newer Christians from participating in their religious exercises.

James would say of such people that they are self-deceived and that their religion is worthless.

The damage done through godless speech is far more lasting and far more detrimental than any of us could imagine.

The popular view of religion appears to be that it is to be minimally intrusive on the conduct of our lives.

Religion, in the estimate of the masses within Christendom, must not inconvenience us.

In fact, religion, according to many, must affirm us in the way we now live.

Religion must never be permitted to make anyone feel badly about their lifestyle, it must make us feel good about our worship without intruding on any other aspect of our lives, and it must permit us to imagine that God is pleased to have such great people as us worshipping Him.

Frankly, there is little to distinguish between much of modern religion and the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.

In an extended passage recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus excoriated these advocates of religious precision.

I will not read the entire passage, but I do ask you to note the reference and read it for yourselves.

Then, consider what Jesus said, applying it to those who exalt themselves today.

The scribes and Pharisees impose heavy burdens on others, perform their religious duties publicly and in an ostentatious manner.

They have exaggerated opinions about themselves and the honour they claim is essentially self-generated [*Matthew 23:2-12*].

Their actions are detrimental to the growth of the Kingdom, for though they gather adherents for themselves, they shut the door to the Kingdom in the face of those who seek God.

They gather proselytes, but they are unconcerned about making disciples for God’s glory [*Matthew 23:13-15*].

They create new religious tests that make them feel good about their pitiful efforts, and they impose those tests on others, thinking that in doing so they honour God [*Matthew 23:16-22*].

They are ever so careful to “pay the tithe,” for money is the mark of their devotion.

They constantly seek more from those about them so they can do what they want to do, but in their mad pursuit of acquiring goods for their own religious efforts, they have neglected the very things that God desires and which honour His Name—justice, mercy and faithfulness.

They are masters of minutiae, though they have yet to fulfil the commands of God [*Matthew 23:23, 24*].

They are crooked—self-serving thieves that promote their own interests.

Icily precise in the conduct of their religion for one hour on Sunday, they are devoid of righteousness the remaining 167 hours in the week [*Matthew 23:25, 26*].

Of these religious frauds, Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” [*Matthew 23:27, 28*].

The Master concluded that these religious phoneys were one at heart with those who had murdered the righteous in the past.

He concluded His condemnation with these excoriating words that surely must have stung, which when rightly applied to smug, religious hypocrites today, must still sting.

“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?  Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth” [see *Matthew 23:29-36*].

Man seems to have concluded from earliest days that religion consists of what one does to impress the gods.

However, God who gives us life and who has called all things into being, informs us that what pleases Him is less what we do than who we are.

We naturally endeavour to make religion easy, attempting to eliminate all sense of guilt through our own efforts; so, we conclude that we can give money, or recite prayers, or sing songs, or perform some ritual, and thus placate God.

God, however, says that we need changed hearts as evidenced through a godly life.

Since no man can change his heart, we must depend upon God to transform us.

This point is stressed throughout Paul’s writings.

Listen to a few instances where the Apostle emphasises the necessity for a transformed life.

Writing the Corinthians in his first letter, Paul cautioned, “Neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God” [*1 Corinthians 7:19*].

He had first advanced this warning to the churches in Galatia, where he insisted, “Neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” [*Galatians 6:15*].

And this was an iteration of something he had written earlier to these same churches.

“In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight—the only thing that matters is faith working through love” [*Galatians 5:6 NET Bible*].

Underscore in your mind that your actions, divorced from a transformed heart, are meaningless.

What you do will never deliver you from divine condemnation—you need a changed heart.

You cannot live a life that is good enough to deliver you from condemnation.

You must be born from above; and those who are born from above demonstrate the reality of what God has accomplished through a holy life.

This truth is sufficiently important that I am convinced that I must press it home by pointing you to the clear Word of God.

Consider what the Apostle of Love has written on this issue.

In his first letter, the Apostle John penned, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness.”

“You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Little children, let no one deceive you.

Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” [*1 John 3:4-10*].