By Elliot Ritzema
Scripture Reading: James 1:19-27, Matthew 7:24-29, Romans 2:13, 1 Peter 3:8-12
I love to study the Bible and theology. I always have. I’ve enjoyed learning in Sunday School since I was a kid. I’ve enjoyed being in small group Bible studies since I was in college. I have one theology degree, and I’m working on a second. Over time, I’ve gone from participating in Sunday School to teaching it, from participating in small group Bible studies to leading them, and from listening to sermons to preaching them.
None of this is bad, but there is a danger in it: that I would be only a hearer of the Word and not a doer. That my goal in listening and learning would be to have correct theological opinions and not to put them into action. That I would deceive myself into thinking I was making progress while going in the wrong direction completely. Humans are very good at self-deception, and I am no exception. How can I avoid becoming the sort of person James described, who looks in a mirror and then immediately forgets what he looks like? How can you?
One way James mentioned is by cultivating the habit of listening. As I’ve grown in knowledge, I’ve been given opportunities to teach and preach. But if I were to decide that I no longer needed to learn and listen—to other people and above all to the Word—then I would already be in trouble. If you decide that you would rather get your own opinion out there first before humbly asking for wisdom, then you are already in trouble too.
Another way is to eliminate what James called “moral filth” and “evil” from our lives. (James 1:21). While these comments could be taken in a general way, speaking about all sorts of things that keep us from remaining pure, one thing he mentioned specifically is anger (vv.19–20). Wanting to “accomplish God’s righteousness” is a good thing, James said, but the means by which we pursue it matters. We must come to believe that we do not need to be wrathful to pursue righteousness and justice. If we think we’ve moved past “not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult” (1Peter 3:9), then we are in danger of not putting the Word into action.
Finally, we should observe “pure and undefiled religion,” which James said consists of looking after the vulnerable and keeping ourselves “unstained from the world” (James 1:27). Hearing and doing the Word go together. If we are truly hearing the Word, then it should spill into our actions; we will both be burdened to serve the less fortunate and pursue holiness in ourselves.
The good news is that the Word is an “implanted word” (v.21). It is in us. While it is possible to stifle the Word’s work in our lives, to drown it out with our own angry and prideful words, it never stops speaking. We only need to receive it, let it sink down into us like a seed in the ground, and it will bear much fruit.
Written by Elliot Ritzema
Post Comments (0)