TRAITS of TRUE CHRISTIANS—James 1:26—2:13
Attention:
Two daughters often tease their grandfather about being stubborn, a trait he strenuously denies.
One day Grandpa was telling them about a horse-pack trip he had taken up the Continental Divide. "The guides felt that the personalities of horse and rider should be compatible," he related. "They matched us up carefully."
"What was your horse like Granpa?" one daughter broke in.
Grandpa’s answer was reluctant. "They gave me a mule," he said.
Grandpa had a distinguishing trait which others easily recognize.
Likewise, true Christians possess traits which distinguish them from the world.
James revealed the practical aspects of true Christianity.
True Christianity is both conceptual & inherently tangible & practical.
So...
How is true Christianity manifested?
Tell-tale trait of True Christians are...
1—A tell-tale trait of True Christians is...
LIVING BRIDLED(Controlled)(1:26)
Explanation:(1:26)Bridled Tongue
1:26—“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, & does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.”
1)Many people have convinced themselves that they are “religious,” in that they ‘do the right thing.’ However their ‘right thing’ can be merely that which is learned by observation from those who actually do know ‘the right thing to do.’
One brand of religious behavior is gained thru 2nd-hand observation.
While true religion is one gained thru a personal observation of God Himself. This observation is acquired thru a personal relationship with God in Christ.
A merely “religious” person who does nothing to hold his tongue in check, has beguiled his own heart. He is not religious at all because his religion is of no practical use. It is a mere religion which has no ability to bring real change to a person inwardly—in the heart of hearts— & thus outwardly—thru heart-directed actions—is of no use.
2)Hearers may consider themselves & actually be “religious” people. However in relation to their response to trials with much being speaking & wrath(:19-20) on their part, it becomes obvious that their religion is “useless.” Their “tongue” has not been “bridled” by that religion so it has no value in practical living. Any personal “religion” which has no realistic personal transformational power before men, is an affront to God & His desire for our redemption from sin. Thus the unbridled tongue speaks of the condition of one’s very “heart.”
Js. 3:2-3—“For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, & we turn their whole body.”
“Thinks”—dokew—1) To be of opinion, think, suppose; 2) To seem, to be accounted, reputed; 3) It seems to me. Refers to the subjective judgment, which may or may not conform to the fact.
“Religious”—yrhskov—1) Fearing or worshipping God; 2) To tremble. yrhkov is one who is diligent in the performance of the outward service of God. It applies especially to ceremonial worship. Strong—Ceremonious in worship (as demonstrative), i.e. Pious:-- religious. Used 1X.
“Bridle”—calinagwgew—1) To lead by a bridle, to guide; 2) To bridle, hold in check, restrain. To be a bit-leader, i.e. to curb (figuratively):-- bridle.
“Tongue”—glwssa—1) The tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech; 2) A tongue—1a) The language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations. Strong—The tongue; by implication, a language (specially, one naturally unacquired):-- Tongue.
“Deceives”—apataw— To cheat, beguile, deceive.
“Heart”—kardia—The heart, i.e. (figuratively) The thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) The middle:-- (+ broken-)heart(-ed).
“Useless”—mataiov—1) Devoid of force, truth, success, result; 2) Useless, of no purpose. Strong—Empty, i.e. (literally) Profitless, or (specifically) An idol:-- Vain, vanity.
Argumentation:
Prov. 14:12—“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”
Lk. 8:18—““Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; & whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.””
1Cor. 3:18—“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.”
Gal. 6:1-5—“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, & then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, & not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.”
Ps. 39:1-2, 9— “<
Ps. 141:3—“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”
Prov. 13:3—“He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.”
1Pet. 3:10—“For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.”
Col. 4:5-6—“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
Eph. 4:29—“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
Illustration:
My dog without a lease vs. with one/Totally different response toward other dogs & people/Totally different response from neighbors/Living BRIDLED
Application:
?You possess the tell-tale trait of Living BRIDLED?
?You a True Christian?
2— A tell-tale trait of True Christians is...
LIVING HELPLESSLY/Helpfully(1:27a)
Explanation:(1:27a)Relief/Help for the Helpless
1:27—“Pure & undefiled religion before God & the Father is this: to visit orphans & widows in their trouble, & to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
Truly godly behaviors, divulging “religion,” which are untainted by sin’s character, manifest themselves in 1)One’s actively looking to the care of both “orphans & widows” in the midst of their unaided pressure.
In so doing for others, one is also better able to proactively guard his/her life from any blemish imposed by “the world.”
Living Helplessly means carrying in our hearts the very concerns of life that others do. It means loving as we want to be loved. To be helped as we would need to be helped. Giving the same help we ourselves would desire, & hopefully receive, should we be in that position.
In Christ, & with His compassion, we are capable of understanding loss of income...Having no family support...Having our means of support swept away(Father & mother, Husband) in a culture where mothers raised their families without pay or income.
We were at one time helpless ourselves. We were destitute spiritually...slaves to sin, separated from God & without hope in the world. But willingly accepting the gracious ‘charity’ of saving faith in Christ, our lives are vastly different.
Thus all ‘True Christians’ can easily identify with the helpless! Without God we too are helpless.
“Pure”—kayarov—Clean, pure. Denotes freedom from defilements, of the flesh & the world. That which is pure as being clean, free from soil or stain. The meaning of both in the N.T. is distinctly ethical.
“Undefiled”—amiantov—1) Not defiled, unsoiled—1a) Free from that by which the nature of a thing is deformed & debased, or its force & vigor impaired. Unspotted, describing that which is far removed from every kind of contamination.
“Visit”—episkeptomai—1) To look upon or after, to inspect, examine with the eyes—1a) In order to see how he is, i.e. to visit, go to see one—1a1) The poor & afflicted, the sick, 1b) To look upon in order to help or to benefit—1b1) To look after, have care for, provide for: of God, 1c) To look (about) for, look out (one to choose, employ, etc.). Strong—To inspect, i.e. (by implication) To select; by extension, To go to see, relieve:-- Look out, visit.
“Orphans”—orfanov—1) Bereft (of a father, of parents)—1a) Of those bereft of a teacher, guide, guardian, 1b) Orphaned. Strong—Bereaved ("orphan"), i.e. Parentless:-- Comfortless, fatherless. “Widows”—chra—Strong—feminine of a presumed derivative apparently from the base of casma(a "chasm" or vacancy (impassable interval):-- gulf.) through the idea of deficiency; A widow (as lacking a husband), literally or figuratively:-- Widow.
“Trouble”—yliqiv—1) A pressing, pressing together, pressure; 2) metaph. Oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits. In its figurative sense it is that which presses upon the spirit, affliction. Strong—Pressure (literally or figuratively):-- Afflicted(-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.
Argumentation:
Gal. 6:2—“Bear one another’s burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Mat. 5:8—“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”
1Tim. 1:1, 5-7—“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior & the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,”....“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, & from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.”
1Tim. 5:3-10—“Honor widows who are really widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home & to repay their parents; for this is good & acceptable before God. Now she who is really a widow, & left alone, trusts in God & continues in supplications & prayers night & day. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. And these things command, that they may be blameless. But if anyone does not provide for his own, & especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith & is worse than an unbeliever. Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, & not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.”
Job 31:16-23—““If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or eaten my morsel by myself, So that the fatherless could not eat of it (But from my youth I reared him as a father, And from my mother’s womb I guided the widow); If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or any poor man without covering; If his heart has not blessed me, And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I have raised my hand against the fatherless, When I saw I had help in the gate; Then let my arm fall from my shoulder, Let my arm be torn from the socket. For destruction from God is a terror to me, And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.”
Mat. 25:34 -46—““Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for I was hungry & you gave Me food; I was thirsty & you gave Me drink; I was a stranger & you took Me in; ‘I was naked & you clothed Me; I was sick & you visited Me; I was in prison & you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry & feed You, or thirsty & give You drink? When did we see You a stranger & take You in, or naked & clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, & come to You?’ “And the King will answer & say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil & his angels: ‘for I was hungry & you gave Me no food; I was thirsty & you gave Me no drink; ‘I was a stranger & you did not take Me in, naked & you did not clothe Me, sick & in prison & you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, & did not minister to You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””
Illustration:
Working in a food kitchen for indigents requires empathy/Can’t pre-judge others & truly meet their need/To grasp their plight we must Live HELPLESSLY ourselves!
Application:
?You possess the tell-tale trait of Living HELPLESSLY?
?You a True Christian?
3— A tell-tale trait of True Christians is...
Living SPOTLESSLY(1:27b)
Explanation:(1:27b)Influence/Conveyance/Untainted/Separation/Apart
1:27—“Pure & undefiled religion before God & the Father is this: to visit orphans & widows in their trouble, & to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
In so doing for others, one is also better able to proactively guard his/her life from any blemish imposed by “the world.”
Influences: TV, Media, Politics(political correctness), Neighbors, Friends, Siblings, Parents, etc.—Innumerable psychological problems persist into adulthood & even to death by these influences!
Homosexuality is often billed as stemming from abuse of a homosexual nature. (This may be fronted by those wanting to discredit Homosexuality on social grounds only.) Regardless of the polls, it is detrimental to society as a whole. Look at the Influence here.
“Keep”( See 2:10)—threw—To attend to carefully, take care of. Expresses watchful care & is suggestive of present possession.
“Unspotted”—aspilov—Unblemished (physically or morally):-- Without spot, unspotted.
“World”—kosmov—Strong—Orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, The world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively [morally]):-- Adorning, world. Thayer—3) The world, the universe; 5) the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family; 6) The ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, & therefore hostile to the cause of Christ; 7) World affairs, the aggregate of things earthly—7a) the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow & frail & fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God & are obstacles to the cause of Christ.
“Heart”—kardia—1) The heart—1a) That organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, & hence was regarded as the seat of physical life, 1b) Denotes the centre of all physical & spiritual life, 1c) Of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate. Strong—The heart, i.e. (figuratively) The thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) The middle.
“Useless”—mataiov—1) Devoid of force, truth, success, result; 2) Useless, of no purpose.
Argumentation:
Lev. 20:26—“‘And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, & have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.”
Num. 16:1-3, 12-14, 19, 23-26, 31-32—“Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan & Abiram the sons of Eliab, & On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; & they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred & fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses & Aaron, & said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, & the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?””....“And Moses sent to call Dathan & Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up! “Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk & honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us? “Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk & honey, nor given us inheritance of fields & vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!””....“And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.”....“So the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, & Abiram.’” Then Moses rose & went to Dathan & Abiram, & the elders of Israel followed him. And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.””.... “Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, & the earth opened its mouth & swallowed them up, with their households & all the men with Korah, with all their goods.”
2Cor. 6:14—7:1—“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons & daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Illustration:
My White Shirt/When dirty, I placed it on top of the washer/Separated & treated differently from everything else/Wash them using bleach/I want them to be spotless, to have no stain from that which will ruin its perfect whiteness/Living SPOTLESSLY
Something used for the wrong purpose & becoming stained
Museum pieces/Recognize the flawless craftsmanship & beauty/See the original intent/Some of us are so beaten up by sin that our original intent is absolutely marred & unreadable, even unatainable so that some other purpose must be engaged/Living SPOTLESSLY
Application:
?You possess the tell-tale trait of Living SPOTLESSLY?
?You a True Christian?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Grandpa’s Mule compatibility
Action:
Tell-tale traits of True Christians are...
1—LIVING BRIDLED(1:26)
2—LIVING HELPLESSLY/Helpfully(1:27a)
3—Living SPOTLESSLY(1:27b)
Presented 10/24/2010am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
