Notes from James 1:19-27 - "Doers of the Word"

Here are some notes from this morning's study in James. We ran out of time to talk about the last section.

-Dakota

Introduction

• Does our culture see the gospel as practical? (see 1 Corinthians 1:18)
• This passage, like much of James, is counter-cultural. Our secular culture might disagree with or laugh at many of these directives. But the life of Christian action and purity will look significantly different from the world’s norms.

Living in Purity (verses 19-21)

Reflection questions:

• Which one of the three areas from verse 19 (quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger) is the biggest challenge for you personally?
• What do you think would be our culture’s reaction to these instructions?

Other notes:

• Regarding anger: It is possible to be angry without sin, but an angry lifestyle will not lead to righteousness; anger is contagious; see Psalm 4:4 and Proverbs 22:24-25
• The phrase for “get rid of” in verse 21 is generally applied to taking off a set of clothes. Another use in Scripture that gives a good parallel is Zechariah 3:3-4.
• Our role vs. God’s role in becoming pure: Both are necessary! We must put forth some effort as He works in us. See Hebrews 12:1 and 2 Corinthians 7:1.
• What do we need to put away or take off? What do we need to work, with God’s help, at removing from our lives so the Word can grow and bear fruit? Or, to put it another way, so that we can be clean and ready for Him to use as He needs?

Do! (verses 22-25)

Reflection questions:

• Why is it so easy to hear but not to follow through with action?
• What are some examples of how this tendency shows up in your life?
• How can we combat this tendency in ourselves?

Real Religion (verses 26-27)

• If we don’t have control of our tongues, we may again be deceiving ourselves about our relationship with God. James talks much more about the tongue later in the book.
• The Greek word for “religion” connotes outward acts of worship. James is hinting here at something we also see elsewhere in Scripture, like Romans 12:1 for one example—our act of worship is our obedience to God.
• When James talks about orphans and widows, he’s not saying that taking care of them is all we have to do. John Calvin put it this way: “he does not define generally what religion is, but reminds us that religion without the things he mentions is nothing.” Orphans and widows are symbols, even in the Old Testament, of those who are helpless. Helping the helpless is critical if we’re truly obeying God. It’s not all we need to do. But it’s important.

Application

• What are one or two specific areas in which God is leading you to make a change as a result of studying this passage?
• Prayerfully consider creating an action plan for how you will accomplish those changes.