A Faith that Obeys Part 2
Point 1: Obedience Demands a Negative Action
James 1:21a: "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness."
The first spiritual step in embracing obedient faith involves a deliberate act of removal, a negative action on our part that might initially feel uncomfortable, unnecessary, too radical, or even impractical.
Life Application: Honestly ask yourself this week: What negative actions do you need to take personally to cultivate a faith that truly obeys? What boundaries do you need to establish to protect your heart and mind? What sacrifice might God be calling you to – perhaps of your time, resources, comfort, or a sin you need to surrender? Consider the areas in your life where you need to "let go."
Point 2: Obedience Leads to a Positive Action: Receiving the Implanted Word
James 1:21b: "...and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
The negative action of obedience is not an end itself; it leads to a positive action that defines true obedient faith. When we empty our hands and deny ourselves (the negative action), we then become able and ready to receive with open hands the implanted Word of God (the positive action).
Life Application: Have you truly "planted" God's Word in your heart through consistent reading and study? If so, what are you actively doing this week to cultivate it through prayer, meditation, and accountability? Examine the "trees" you are nurturing in your heart. Are they producing the fruit of the Spirit, or the fruit of the flesh?
Point 3: The Danger of Being Hearers Only
James 1:22: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
While James calls us to be quick to hear (verse 19), he now warns us against the danger of merely listening and not acting on what we hear.
Life Application: Reflect on your own experience after hearing sermons or reading scripture. Does it consistently lead to tangible changes in your life and actions throughout the week? Be honest with yourself. Are you merely charmed by the Word, or are you allowing it to truly transform you?
Point 4: The Blessedness of Being a Doer Who Acts
James 1:23-24: "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."
This forgetfulness is not due to a lack of memory or cognitive decline. As we look in the spiritual mirror of God's Word, we may see our "face" is dirty, our "hair" is messy – we see things in our lives that need fixing, sins and problems that need addressing.
Life Application: Consider how often you recognize areas for growth or change in your life through God's Word, but then quickly become distracted by the world and forget those insights. What steps can you take this week to intentionally remember what the spiritual mirror reveals to you and commit to addressing those areas?
James 1:25: "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."
The "perfect law, the law of liberty" refers to the new covenant where the Word of God is implanted in our hearts.
Life Application: This week, commit to looking intently into the "perfect law, the law of liberty" – God's Word. Don't just read passively, but examine it, meditate on it, and ask God how it applies to your life. Strive to be a doer who acts on what you learn, and trust that you will be blessed in your doing.
