James 1:19 Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Even believers have anger issues, and they can poison everything if we’re not careful. James wanted his readers to be mindful of this and he offered helpful instruction: listen more and talk less.
A university offered several courses on public speaking that were constantly full. They offered another course on skillful listening, but it had to be canceled due to lack of interest. We are more inclined to speak our minds than we are to listen carefully. We want to be understood more than we want to understand. This is why communication often breaks down.
When two people want to communicate, but are having trouble, they should try the following exercise. The first person should hold an item (such as a pen) that gives them permission to speak, without interruption, until the second person can repeat their concerns accurately.
Then the second person should hold the item (which gives them permission to speak without interruption) until the first person can repeat their concerns accurately. When each person can repeat the other’s concerns accurately, they have communicated. This is a practical way of being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
James 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.
We live in a world of moral filth that wants to invade our lives, but here we’re told to take out the trash. This verse suits me well because I hate clutter. I like to go through the house and get rid of stuff that we don’t need. I also enjoy throwing out whatever isn’t helpful to my relationship with God. Some TV shows have to go. Some habits have to go. And some pastimes have to go. If we want to make room for God, we must declutter our lives.
James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Nothing is more common than listening to sermons, week after week, without making any improvement. James may’ve been tired of preaching so often, and seeing so little change. He compared it to someone who looks in a mirror but doesn’t clean himself up (James 1:23-24).
If you looked in a mirror, and saw dirt on your face, you’d wipe it off at once. Likewise, when the Bible reveals sin in your life, you should confess and repent. We use a mirror to make ourselves presentable physically, and we should use God’s word to make ourselves presentable spiritually. It’s not enough to listen to God’s word, or to read it; we must do what it says.
James 1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
One of the best indicators of what we believe is what comes out our mouths. It doesn’t matter how often we go to church, how much we give, or how much we pray. If we don’t keep a tight reign on our tongues, our religion is worthless, said James.
James probably got this idea from his brother Jesus. [E]veryone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:36-37), he said.
Few things are more incriminating, in a court of law, than a recording of the accused person talking about their crime. On Judgment Day God will call for a transcript of every word we’ve ever spoken, as an indication of who we really were. A good rule to follow is this: if you wouldn’t write it and sign it—don’t say it. This is worth repeating: if you wouldn’t write it and sign it—don’t say it!
James 1:27 [Keep yourself] from being polluted by the world.
Pollution is a serious threat to the environment, and to everything that lives here. The autopsy of a large turtle showed that one-quarter of its weight was garbage. Inside was a golf tee, plastic beads, a rope, part of a plastic bottle, and more. Through indiscriminate feeding the turtle became a trash can. Like Jesus, we must do our work in the world, without being polluted by the world. This is a difficult task but, with God’s help, it can be done. We must keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.
James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
James described a rich man who came to church, and was well received. A poor man also attended, but he was treated badly (James 2:2-4). This is not uncommon since rich people can also enrich the church, while poor people may seem to offer little.
But the poor are precious to God, and Jesus will say, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40). If Jesus came to church in disguise, he’d probably appear poor. That’s why believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
James 2:9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
Favoritism doesn’t seem like a serious sin, so James underscored the seriousness of all sin as a violation of God’s law. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10), he wrote. According to James, there are only two kinds of people: those who have kept God’s law, and those who haven’t. Jesus kept the law (Matthew 5:17), and we haven’t.
This is not to say that all sin is equally bad. Abusing children is usually worse than overeating. Murder is usually worse than anger. Stealing is usually worse than coveting. Jesus said to Pilate, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin (John 19:11). There are greater sins, and lesser sins, but every sin is serious.
If you’re arrested for stealing, but tell the judge you’ve never murdered, it will not help you. You’ve broken the law and are guilty. Christians shouldn’t excuse themselves for lesser sins, but turn away from all their sins, and trust in Christ for his forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
Reflection and Review
How can we be better listeners?
Why is our speech important?
How should believers view the poor?
Even believers have anger issues, and they can poison everything if we’re not careful. James wanted his readers to be mindful of this and he offered helpful instruction: listen more and talk less.
A university offered several courses on public speaking that were constantly full. They offered another course on skillful listening, but it had to be canceled due to lack of interest. We are more inclined to speak our minds than we are to listen carefully. We want to be understood more than we want to understand. This is why communication often breaks down.
When two people want to communicate, but are having trouble, they should try the following exercise. The first person should hold an item (such as a pen) that gives them permission to speak, without interruption, until the second person can repeat their concerns accurately.
Then the second person should hold the item (which gives them permission to speak without interruption) until the first person can repeat their concerns accurately. When each person can repeat the other’s concerns accurately, they have communicated. This is a practical way of being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
James 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.
We live in a world of moral filth that wants to invade our lives, but here we’re told to take out the trash. This verse suits me well because I hate clutter. I like to go through the house and get rid of stuff that we don’t need. I also enjoy throwing out whatever isn’t helpful to my relationship with God. Some TV shows have to go. Some habits have to go. And some pastimes have to go. If we want to make room for God, we must declutter our lives.
James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Nothing is more common than listening to sermons, week after week, without making any improvement. James may’ve been tired of preaching so often, and seeing so little change. He compared it to someone who looks in a mirror but doesn’t clean himself up (James 1:23-24).
If you looked in a mirror, and saw dirt on your face, you’d wipe it off at once. Likewise, when the Bible reveals sin in your life, you should confess and repent. We use a mirror to make ourselves presentable physically, and we should use God’s word to make ourselves presentable spiritually. It’s not enough to listen to God’s word, or to read it; we must do what it says.
James 1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
One of the best indicators of what we believe is what comes out our mouths. It doesn’t matter how often we go to church, how much we give, or how much we pray. If we don’t keep a tight reign on our tongues, our religion is worthless, said James.
James probably got this idea from his brother Jesus. [E]veryone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:36-37), he said.
Few things are more incriminating, in a court of law, than a recording of the accused person talking about their crime. On Judgment Day God will call for a transcript of every word we’ve ever spoken, as an indication of who we really were. A good rule to follow is this: if you wouldn’t write it and sign it—don’t say it. This is worth repeating: if you wouldn’t write it and sign it—don’t say it!
James 1:27 [Keep yourself] from being polluted by the world.
Pollution is a serious threat to the environment, and to everything that lives here. The autopsy of a large turtle showed that one-quarter of its weight was garbage. Inside was a golf tee, plastic beads, a rope, part of a plastic bottle, and more. Through indiscriminate feeding the turtle became a trash can. Like Jesus, we must do our work in the world, without being polluted by the world. This is a difficult task but, with God’s help, it can be done. We must keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.
James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
James described a rich man who came to church, and was well received. A poor man also attended, but he was treated badly (James 2:2-4). This is not uncommon since rich people can also enrich the church, while poor people may seem to offer little.
But the poor are precious to God, and Jesus will say, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40). If Jesus came to church in disguise, he’d probably appear poor. That’s why believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
James 2:9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
Favoritism doesn’t seem like a serious sin, so James underscored the seriousness of all sin as a violation of God’s law. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10), he wrote. According to James, there are only two kinds of people: those who have kept God’s law, and those who haven’t. Jesus kept the law (Matthew 5:17), and we haven’t.
This is not to say that all sin is equally bad. Abusing children is usually worse than overeating. Murder is usually worse than anger. Stealing is usually worse than coveting. Jesus said to Pilate, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin (John 19:11). There are greater sins, and lesser sins, but every sin is serious.
If you’re arrested for stealing, but tell the judge you’ve never murdered, it will not help you. You’ve broken the law and are guilty. Christians shouldn’t excuse themselves for lesser sins, but turn away from all their sins, and trust in Christ for his forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
Reflection and Review
How can we be better listeners?
Why is our speech important?
How should believers view the poor?