Practical Christianity Series

A man leaves his business in the hands of someone to look after things while he is gone. When he returns, he asked the one he left in charge, did you get my letters and read my instructions? Yes, he replied I received them, and I read them.

How could it be that this man received the letters and read them, and the business was in such a mess. It is because he read them and did not do anything. What good are reading the letters if you are not going to do anything.

That is what James wants to know? What good is reading the Bible and having good Bible knowledge if you are not doing what the Bible says? That is not practical. James insists we need practical Christianity that puts knowledge into practice.

The practical book of James is written by Jesus’ brother. James speaks to the practical side of Christianity. Christianity is doctrine, but it is more than doctrine. His point was to influence believers to a practical Christianity. It is written to Hebrew Christians. It seems that some people were hearing the word but not doing anything.

There is a righteousness in practical Christianity.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. (James 1:19-12)

James wants us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. James says as Christians we need to pay more attention to others have to say rather than what we ourselves want to say. In other words, listen more and talk less.

You may have noticed those who talk who talk all the time and not listen to anyone. They just talk, talk and more talk.

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,

and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,

and discerning if they hold their tongues. (Proverbs 17:27-28)

You can remain silent and appear dumb or speak and remove all doubt. (Ha ha) One man was so quick to talk and talked so much and so fast that it was said he talked 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 70 MPH. Slow down the talking. The only thing we are told to speed up in this passage is our listening. Once you say it then it is like toothpaste that has

We are also told to slow down our anger. No wonder James is the book of practical Christianity. If we did these two things, slow down our talking and slow down our anger we would be very practical Christians. We would also be off the charts in our righteousness. Not getting angry quickly produces the righteousness that God desires James tells us.

That means getting angry quickly is a very big deal. It is exactly the opposite of the righteousness God desires. We follow this one verse James 1:19 and we are incredibly righteous Christians. You don’t get more practical than having the righteousness God desires.

James says get rid of all moral filth. The idea is like putting off dirty clothes. You put off the dirty smelly shirt and put on a clean one. There is a spiritual idea that you get rid of what is filthy and put on what is clean.

We are to accept the word planted in you. Already in James 1:18 we are reminded that God gave us birth through the word of truth that was planted in us. What James is against is someone who accepts the Word of God in their life for salvation and then does not allow the word to work righteousness in their life. The work of righteousness in your life through the planted word is part of your practical Christianity.

Your spiritual birth is followed by exhortations to shun evil of the old life. You are to live by the word of truth that saves you. This will mean a work of righteousness in your life. The word that saved you must work righteousness into your life. We continue to grow like a baby grows and develops we grow in our walk with the Lord.

Do something about it! James is a book of action. We are not told to improve our intellectual knowledge, but put in practice what you already know to do. We used to have an expression for people who gain knowledge but are not very practical, we would say they are “ivory tower” Christians. James does not want us sitting in our ivory tower, he wants us out in the streets applying what we know.