Let’s continue our worship of God by listening to His Words from James….
Last week we focused on the important actions of being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger because God desires for Christians to live righteously. We continue with a passage from James 1 to learn more about living the right way as Christians. Read along with me James 1:19-27….
Christians are to live righteously (the right way to live):
v19: quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry
v21: get rid of all moral filth and evil ; what does this mean? Let’s look at other English translations…
New King James Version (NKJV)
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness……….
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness…………
English Standard Version (ESV)
21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness ……………..
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
21 You must stop doing anything immoral or evil……………
Ang Dating Biblia (1905) (ADB1905)
21 Kaya't ihiwalay ninyo ang lahat na karumihan at ang pagapaw ng kasamaan…………
Let’s try some Greek, the original language of the New Testament:
rhuparia (Greek) = filth, dirt, pollution
And so God is telling us get rid of anything which filths, dirts, or pollutes our godly lives!
We’ll think more about this later in the message.
kakias (Greek) = evil, wicked – meaning anti-God because God is holy, perfect, and right!
God is telling us to get rid of anything anti-God! Again, we’ll talk more about practical application of this later.
What else can help us live right?
v22: The Word of God (The Bible) is always right but it does not do us any good if we don’t study it and actually live it!
v23- 24 tells us what it is like for not doing what God says in the Bible. When Christians don’t do what God says in the Bible is like forgetting who they are! Christians are a reflection of God. If they don’t reflect God by doing what He says, are they really Christians? If one proclaims to be a Christian, they should live like one!
You’ve heard the saying “Jesus said it! I believe it; that settles it!” I think a much better saying is “Jesus said it; that settles it!” But here is how we really should live: Jesus said it, I will do it!
We noted last week several reasons why God desires Christians to live righteously.
Christians are to be like Jesus Christ. Christians represent God! And as noted in v25: Christians are blessed when they live God’s way.
We will look at v26-27 in more depth next week. Let us summarize the main points from our passage today.
There are actually 4 things a person needs to do:
First of all, one cannot fully understand and do God’s Word without the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will indwell a person who believes in Jesus Christ. And so, the first thing a person must do is,
1. Believe in Jesus Christ as God and only Savior!
Secondly, a Christian is instructed by God through the Bible; and so,
2. Study the Bible everyday and do what it says! Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 4:4 - Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
And God tells us that we are to 3. Get rid of all moral filth and evil. As we noted earlier, although they may seem the same thing, moral filth and evil are 2 different things and God made sure we understand by adding the word and between them. Evil is filth! Filth may will pollute us! Let’s talk about evil first.
a. evil is whatever is anti-God! What anti-God things can be in our presence??
b. filth is not necessarily evil but can pollute us! What are examples of filth which can pollute Christians today??
As we close, let us make all of these things personal. In your notes, write down your answers then pray about them before we worship with our offerings:
Do I truly believe and accept Jesus Christ as my only Lord and Savior?
Are there any anti-God things in my life that I need to get rid of?
Are there things in my life /I need to get rid of which pollutes me as a child of God?
