Pure Religion Series

Theme: Pure Religion

Text: James 1:19-27

Greetings: The Lord is good and His love endures forever!

Introduction: "YOU WILL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY, THE LORD YOUR GOD." In Jan we have learned the attributes of God as Holy. In Feb we have seen that the worshippers God must be holy. The holy individuals recognise one another and create a distinct identity, community, and known as Holy Race. Now, in March we would learn what it means religion and a pure religion.

James, the half-brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55), and the brother of Jude (Jude 1), who led the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13). James says that Holy God expects this Holy Race with specific morals, spiritual practices, and a useful social existence (James 1:27). I would like to share with you the religion of Empathy, religion of Experiment or doer, and a religion of Empowerment.

1. Religion of Empathy (James 1:19-21)

We must quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. The word Tachus means quick, swift, and speedy. Akouo means exercise the faculty of hearing to understanding that which has been heard. Bradus means take a relatively long time to act with deliberation. Slowing down is a blessing. In the digital world, quick to speak means quick to respond through our comments, our text responses, our emoji, and any other forms of communication on social Medias.

Jewish Fathers saying goes like this: "There are four characters in scholars. Quick to hear and quick to forget; his gain is cancelled by his loss. Slow to hear and slow to forget; his loss is cancelled by his gain. Quick to hear and slow to forget; he is wise. Slow to hear and quick to forget; this is an evil lot."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his book ‘Life Together’, "The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of listening to them. Just as love for God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brothers is learning to listen to them."

Rabbi Simeon said: "All my days I have grown up among the wise, and have not found aught good for a man but silence...Whoso multiplies words occasions sin." Zeno said:"We have two ears but only one mouth that we may hear more and speak less."

We are not following a religion of condemnation but a religion of love, care, and concerns. We listen, we encourage, we never react with anger. Millions and millions have embraced Christianity and followed Christ for one reason of its love concept exhibited in Christ. The forgiveness offered to all.

Proverbs warns on hasty speech. "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent" (Proverbs 10:19).

"He who guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin" (Proverbs 13:3).

"Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise" (Proverbs 17:28).

"Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (Proverbs 29:20).

Anger is a human emotion that everyone experiences, and it can be justified. But, we need to learn to control and slow down angry responses. We lose our integrity, the trust of others, and our self-control when we live by anger. Human anger is nearly always an expression of human selfishness, fear, or desire to control the world around us. It affects our relationship in the community.

“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32 ESV). “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered” (Proverbs 17:27).

The spiritual house cleaning. Take off filthy clothes after a long day working outside. To take off something is a choice, a conscious action. The true Christian does not allow immoral, filthy behavior to remain in his or her life. James taught we are lured and enticed by temptations because of our own desires and weaknesses (James 1:14).

2. Religion of experiment or doings (James 1:22-25)

James uses the Greek word poietes to indicate doing. Doer describes one who does something as his occupation, a poet, a farmer, a carpenter.

A Teacher may have many students but he may have a few Disciples. Students are the hearers but disciples are doers. Jesus was looking for disciples or doers, and not mere listeners or hearers. Jesus concluded His Sermon on the Mount challenging the hearers to become His disciples comparing to the builders of the houses on Sand and on Rock, and the inevitable storms of life and the judgment of eternity will come and lasting is important (Matthew 7:24-27).

Spurgeon says: “I fear we have many such in all congregations; admiring hearers, affectionate hearers, attached hearers, but all the while unblessed hearers, because they are not doers of the word.”