True Faith That Works: The Fruit of True Religion James 1:21-27
James: True Faith that Works • Sermon • Submitted
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I’m a King…but not really.
I’m a King…but not really.
Charles Spurgeon once wrote of an actor who played his role so well that he convinced himself he was the actual character of the play. Spurgeon writes,
There was a certain actor who had acted the part of Richard III so admirably, and had thrown his whole soul into it so thoroughly, that he imbibed the idea that he was actually a king, and became so extravagant in his living—and in addition so haughty in his behavior—that he brought himself first to contempt and next to beggary.”
What is so striking about this story is how the actor deceived his own heart. He convinced himself he was a king but he had no kingdom, no subjects, and no authority. Moreover, his deception led to his ruin.
Unfortunately, there are too many actors in the church. They act the part of a Christian, and even throw their whole soul into religion, that they imbibe the idea that they are actually a believer, and put forth a type of piety that hears the word of God, but does not express love for Jesus through obedience. In the end, they die and stand before God in contempt and eternal ruin. They hear Jesus say, “Depart from Me, for I never knew you.”
Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit speaks to those who have recieved the implanted word of God, that is those who have accepted the gospel-Christians. In speaking to the church he says to them they are not to be inconsistent with their faith. He exhorts believers to not be mere actors who play the role of a Christian by just hearing God’s words. They prove their religion is genuine when they express their love for Jesus in both hearing and bearing fruit, or working their religion out in real time. In other words,
Christian, your love for Jesus will prove itself with a true religion that works to bear fruit from faith.
Christian, your love for Jesus will prove itself with a true religion that works to bear fruit from faith.
There are four works from faith James speaks of that display a right response to God’s implanted word. These are four works of true religion or right religion.
The Work of remembrance (James 1:22-25)
The Work of remembrance (James 1:22-25)
There are two notable ideas James makes clear in verses 22-27; remembering and forgetting. He uses a metaphor of a man looking at himself to in a mirror. The one who does not do the word of God is like a man who forgets what he looks like. The one who obeys is one who remembers. In verse 25, he says
James 1:25 (ESV)
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.
The one who perseveres, who hears and acts all signify that the person has remembered God’s word because they are moving, acting, and doing something.
Why is James concerned about remembering?
Why is James concerned about remembering?
James is concerned with remembering and forgetting because of the severe consequences of forgetting. James says,
James 1:22 (ESV)
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
The word for deceive means to delude yourself, or to be deceived by false reasoning, or to draw false conclusions. The word is in the present tense, so it implies a continual deception. What is the deception? The deception is being convinced you are a true believer even though your religion does not prove itself with faithful works; just like the actor who believed he was a king, when in fact he was nothing of the sort. Those who forget God’s word deceive themselves and suffer his judgment.
You see the warnings to not forget in the Old Testament, particularly with Moses warning Israel.
Moses pleaded with Israel to not forget God’s covenant or his commands. He says to them,
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—
and
Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you.
again
“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build,
and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full,
then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today,
Moses goes on to repeat this warning in chapter 9, 12, 16, 18, 23, and 31. He pounds and pounds into Israel’s ethos as a nation, “Do not forget God’s covenant and his commands.
There are over 55 warnings about forgetting God’s covenant and commands in the Old Testament. The reality is, to forget God is to forsake God. To forsake God is to invite his catastrophe on you. God warned Israel through His prophet Isaiah,
Isaiah 65:11–12 (ESV)
But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,
I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.”
Those who forget God forsake him through disobedience. He calls, you do not answer. He speaks, you do not listen. He’s given you the way of righteousness and you choose to do what is evil in His eyes. Israel was God’s chosen people who were given his law, land , and blessing, and yet they forgot his covenant and commands. Yes they were religious, but they were not obedient. They were hearers of the word, but not doers of the word. And because they did not obey him, he judged them with exile and slaughter. Hear the warning, church. There are no hypocrites in heaven. Those who forget God’s commands and covenant, though they have piety, they do not have genuine saving faith. True Religion remembers God’s word by keeping his word.
One of Jesus’ biggest problems with the Pharisees of his day was that they knew God’s commands, his covenant, hey heard it, but did not keep it. They played the part of priest so well that they truly believed, with their whole soul, that they were right before God. Jesus, however, warned the people,
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,
so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
The Pharisee was one who heard God’s word, but did not put it into practice. You may say, “But wait a minute. I mean, their whole life was practical. They were a works oriented bunch of men. How can you say they were hearers of the word and not doers or the word?”
John Flavel gets to the heart of the issue when he describes the one who forgets. He said,
“Sin, in the reign and power of it, may cohabit with the most excellent natural gifts under the same roof—I mean in the same heart. A man may have the tongue of an angel and the heart of a devil.… The learned Pharisees were but painted sepulchers.” John Flavel
“Sin, in the reign and power of it, may cohabit with the most excellent natural gifts under the same roof—I mean in the same heart. A man may have the tongue of an angel and the heart of a devil.… The learned Pharisees were but painted sepulchers.” John Flavel
The problem with the Pharisees was the same problem with Israel as is the same problem with us. It is a matter of the heart. The Pharisees and Israel had hearts of stone (Ezekiel 36:24-27). Therefore their spiritual eyes were blind and they could not see themselves through God’s perfect law.
I’m reminded of a story I read of a missionary in the bush among tribal people. He hung a small mirror on a tree so use to shave in the morning. A local witch doctor walked by one day and saw her reflection in the mirror. Immediately she began to bargain with the missionary for the mirror. After wearing him out a bit, he finally gave her the mirror-whereupon she threw it to the ground, breaking it into pieces, shouting, “There…it won’t be making ugly faces at me anymore.” She had no idea that was her face in the mirror, and until God opens our hearts with is implanted word, we cannot see our reflection in the mirror of his perfect law. We need faith. We need faith that opens our eyes to see and ears to hear and our hearts to respond with loving obedience. James describes this person in
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 describes the doer as one who looks into the perfect law, perseveres, and obeys.
What is the perfect law?
What is the perfect law?
This is God’s commands, his word, his way of life. The law is the Torah. The torah was taught to Israel to instruct them on how to truly live as worshipers of the one true God, the Jews loved the Tora. They always speak of it in superlatives, like it is the greatest gift every given to Israel. David describes the law like James, as “perfect” Psalm 19:7.
The difference between David and James, however, is that James sees the law as fulfilled in Christ. He hints at this by the way he uses the “word”in verse James 1:22-23 and the “law” in v25 almost synonymously. For James, the word is the “Word of Life”(James 1:18). We know that James refers to Jesus and the gospels for much of his letter. In John’s Gospel, he refers to Jesus as the Word (John 1:1-3), and this “Word” became flesh and tabernacled among us (John 1:14-15). In John’s epistle, he refers to Jesus as the “word of life” (1 John 1:1), which is the same destination that Jesus gives himself in John 14:6.
Knowing that James refers to much of Jesus’ teachings in the gospel’s, it seems likely that James is looking at the Law from a New Covenant perspective, as it is fulfilled by Jesus. To be a doer of the word is to be a born again Christian whose heart has received the implanted word of God, and is cooperating with it to transform their life into one of obedient love. Furthermore, this is not a one act play kind of living. The one who perseveres is one who continuously, habitually obeys the things of God. This person is not an actor, but are genuine lovers of Jesus who express their love by remembering Jesus words and looking forward to the day when their faith becomes sight and they receive their blessing for being faithful.
The Fruit of Wise Words (James 1:26)
The Fruit of Wise Words (James 1:26)
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
When the word of God is implanted into your heart, God’s words flow out of your mouth. James is going to elaborate more on the tongue in chapter three. For now, his main point in verse 26, is uncontrolled speech. A bridle is used to control an animal, to restrain its speed and direction. True religion, saving faith religion, exhibits self-control, especially with your words. It means not using words that are slanderous, boastful, defiling, hurtful. True religion works to not speak with empty religious platitudes. If you are a teacher or elder in the church, it means being wise in not creating dissension by your words.
If you have an unbridled mouth that does more harm than good, then you are deceiving yourself. Your religion is worthless because you are no different than the man who looked in the mirror and forgot what he looks like. Your faith is not real faith.
Unfortunately, no one in the church is immune from foolish talking. Many of us have hurt people with our words or have been hurt with other people’s words. If the Spirit of God lives in you, however, your heart will feel compelled to repent of your harsh or foolish words, and you will seek to reconcile with your brother or sister immediately.
The one who forgets, however, forgets repentance and reconciliation. They will keep spewing foolishness and hurt out of their mouth. This person will continue to teach heresy and deceive many with their impassioned nonsense. This applies, by the way, to your social media platforms. Too many professing believers have unbridled tongues sewing impassioned nonsense on facebook, twitter, instagram, and snapchat. Your words have consequences. They reveal if you remember your God or not. They reveal if Jesus lives in you and is working top produce fruit in you that upholds the convictions of His gospel while you genuinely care and love your neighbor.
The Fruit of Social Welfare (James 1:27)
The Fruit of Social Welfare (James 1:27)
James 1:27 (ESV)
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction...
Widows and orphans represent the weak and vulnerable of society. Don’t get me wrong, James is speaking of literal orphans and widows. Many orphans and widows were subject to extreme poverty because they dod not have any status, power, or wealth to care for themselves. There was no welfare or government funding for social programs. They were helpless.
In the Old Testament, God called Israel to care for the helpless. In Exodus 22:22, God says to Israel,
You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.
In Deuteronomy 14:28-29
“At the end of every three years, bring a tenth of all your produce for that year and store it within your city gates.
Then the Levite, who has no portion or inheritance among you, the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow within your city gates may come, eat, and be satisfied. And the Lord your God will bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.
In the same tone as our passage in James, God says in Isaiah that he will refuse the worship of his people because of the way they treated the orphan and widow. Israel must repent,
learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
Israel was to have a heart for the orphan just as the Father has a heart for the orphan and widow. God is a
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
God is a defender of the weak and a present and strong help to those who are in need (Psalm 46). God helps the helpless. And we imitate him when we do the same. So it makes sense that James would contend that pure and undefiled religion is having a faith that works itself out in helping the weak and vulnerable. Who are the weak and the vulnerable besides the orphan and the widow? Consider for a moment immigrants trying to adjust to a new life in a new country with no natural resources. We live in one of the poorest counties in Illinois. Surely the poor in our community are vulnerable. What about the disabled? These folks are extremely vulnerable. According to the Census Bureau, 12.4% of the residence in Litchfield, IL have a diagnosed disability. That is roughly 868 people in our community have a disability. A survey found that more than 70 percent of those with disabilities polled said they had been abused and over 60 percent of family members indicated that their loved one with special needs had been mistreated. The church is meant to be a refuge for these image bearers and their families. Finally, consider the homeless. At one point, Litchfield School district has over 30 children who were considered homeless.
Does our religion at FBCL allow these folks to joyfully enter our space and experience the love of Jesus?
Does our religion at FBCL allow these folks to joyfully enter our space and experience the love of Jesus?
True religion that works social welfare from faith is one that understands that everyone is broken, and the only hope we have for reconciliation and restoration to God and each other is through the redemption of Jesus Christ. All of us are weak and vulnerable. All of us were spiritual orphans at one point. That was part of our brokenness. We were separated from God and without hope in this world. But God, in his sovereign mercy, pursued you like a husband and wife without children would pursue a child for adoption. And he did all the work that was needed, costly work, to save you, reconcile you to himself, make you righteous, and his adopted children. He did that by sending his Son to die on the cross, to atone for your sin, satisfy his wrath, and adopt you as his child. That adoption was secure when he raised Jesus from the dead. And when Jesus ascended into heaven, he sent his Spirit, as a seal of approval to all who call upon his name to be saved, a Spirt that enables your heart to cary out to God, Abba Father.
We know what it means to be weak and vulnerable.
The Fruit of Godliness (James 1:27)
The Fruit of Godliness (James 1:27)
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.
Douglas Moo says that, “James is careful not to give the impression that religion pleasing to God consists simply in outward acts or in social action. The “world” is a common biblical way of referring to the ungodly worldview and lifestyle that characterize human life in its estrangement from the Creator. It is “the system of order contrary to the heavenly order.” Christians who have ended that estrangement by accepting the reconciling work of God in Christ must constantly work to distance themselves from the way of life that surrounds them on every side—to keep themselves “spotless” from the world’s contaminating influence. To be unstained from the world is to keep oneself from being polluted.
Kent Hughes wrote of a story told by Frank Gaebelein, beloved headmaster of Stony Brook School, emphasizes the point James is making at the end of verse 27:
“Early in his ministry Dr. Maltbie Babcock, who was the distinguished pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York, was approached by a physician who was a member of his congregation.
The physician, a good friend of Dr. Babcock, was concerned about the health of his pastor, who had been working very hard and clearly needed relaxation. Handing Dr. Babcock some theatre tickets, he said: “Take these, you need the recreation of going to this play.”
His pastor looked at them, and seeing that they were tickets to a play of a kind he could not conscientiously attend, said kindly: “Thank you, but I can’t take them. I can’t go.”
“Why not?” the physician asked. “You’re tired and need the entertainment.”
Then Dr. Babcock replied somewhat in this way: “Yes, I am tired, and I do need recreation. But, doctor, it’s this way. You are a physician, a surgeon, in fact. When you operate you scrub your hands meticulously until you are antiseptically clean. You wouldn’t dare operate with dirty hands. Well, I am a servant of Christ; I deal with precious human souls. And I wouldn’t dare do my work with a dirty life.”
For many of us, this will apply to what we watch on TV, or Facebook, or Youtube. True religion that remembers God’s word will discern what enters the heart through your eyes. Jesus warned to be careful about your eyes. He says
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
We read the story of the actor who believed he was a king simply because he played the part, and we think that is ludicrous because it is ludicrous. He tried to live a life he had no means to live. But isn’t it just as ludicrous for people to live pious lives, religious lives in the church, community, and home, but have no genuine faith? True religion that embraces Jesus as Lord will work four glorious fruits from faith: remembering, wise words, social welfare, and godliness.