Living Out Our Faith: Actions Reflect Beliefs

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, we often encounter the challenge of aligning our actions with our beliefs. The phrase "Do as I say, not as I do" is a common refrain that highlights the hypocrisy we sometimes fall into. This morning, we delve into James 1:19-25, where James confronts this very issue, urging us to live out the Word of God, not just hear it. The core message is simple yet profound: We do as Jesus says because of what He has done for us.

James, often referred to as the Proverbs of the New Testament, emphasizes moral instruction over systematic theology. He writes to early Christians from a Jewish background, encouraging them to see trials as opportunities for growth and to recognize every good gift, especially the Word of God, as coming from above. As we transition into verses 19-21, James shifts our focus from being born by the Word to humbly accepting it, highlighting the attitudes that hinder this acceptance.

James calls us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. These attitudes are crucial for spiritual growth, as they allow God's Word to nourish our souls. Anger, in particular, is a prevalent struggle. James distinguishes between righteous and sinful anger, urging us to be slow to anger, as hasty anger often leads to sin. Our anger reveals what we love, and by engaging with it, we can uncover and surrender our idols to God.

Moving to verses 22-25, James emphasizes the importance of not just hearing the Word but doing it. He warns against the deception of antinomianism, which suggests that obedience to God's commands is unnecessary. Instead, true freedom is found in living according to God's design. The perfect law that gives freedom is the law of Christ, fulfilled by Jesus, who frees us from the condemnation of the Mosaic law and teaches us how to live in true freedom.

As we look intently into God's Word, seeking Christ, we find the path to freedom and joy. God's commands are not restrictive but liberating, guiding us to live life as it was meant to be. This week, let us be doers of the Word, fueled by the knowledge that we have been born by the Word of truth and freed to enjoy life in Christ.

Key Takeaways:

- Hypocrisy is a common struggle, but as followers of Jesus, we are called to live out His commands because of what He has done for us. Our faith should be reflected in our actions, not just our words. [01:14]

- James emphasizes the importance of attitudes like being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. These attitudes allow God's Word to nourish our souls and prevent spiritual stagnation. [09:17]

- Anger reveals what we love, and by engaging with it, we can uncover and surrender our idols to God. Being slow to anger involves examining our loves and aligning them with God's will. [17:45]

- True freedom is found in living according to God's design. The perfect law that gives freedom is the law of Christ, fulfilled by Jesus, who frees us from the condemnation of the Mosaic law. [31:07]

- God's commands are not restrictive but liberating, guiding us to live life as it was meant to be. As we look intently into God's Word, seeking Christ, we find the path to freedom and joy. [34:21]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:33] - The Hypocrisy We All Know
[01:14] - Following Jesus in Faith
[02:11] - Main Idea: Do as Jesus Says
[03:14] - James: The Proverbs of the New Testament
[04:19] - The Word of Truth
[05:19] - Humbly Accepting the Word
[06:33] - Salvation and the Word
[08:13] - Our Attitudes: Quick to Listen
[09:17] - The Tarp of Our Attitudes
[11:07] - Human Anger vs. Righteous Anger
[12:40] - The Sinfulness of Hasty Anger
[14:28] - Engaging Our Anger
[17:45] - Anger Reveals Our Loves
[20:12] - Personal Reflection on Anger
[22:14] - Our Actions: Doers of the Word
[24:07] - The Deception of Antinomianism
[25:29] - Illustration of Forgetfulness
[27:43] - Looking Intently into the Word
[29:56] - The Perfect Law That Gives Freedom
[33:50] - True Freedom in God's Commands
[36:24] - Spiritual Blessing in Obedience
[38:34] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- James 1:19-25

Observation Questions:
1. What are the three attitudes James emphasizes in verses 19-21, and why are they important for spiritual growth? [05:19]
2. How does James describe the person who only hears the Word but does not act on it in verses 23-24? [25:29]
3. What does James mean by the "perfect law that gives freedom" in verse 25? [31:07]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does James differentiate between righteous and sinful anger, and why is it important to be slow to anger? [11:07]
2. In what ways does James suggest that our anger reveals what we love, and how can this understanding help us align our loves with God's will? [17:45]
3. How does James' teaching on being doers of the Word challenge the concept of antinomianism, and why is this significant for Christian living? [24:07]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you were quick to anger. What did this reveal about your loves, and how can you surrender these to God? [17:45]
2. James calls us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. How can you practice these attitudes in your daily interactions this week? [09:17]
3. Consider an area of your life where you have been a hearer of the Word but not a doer. What steps can you take to align your actions with your faith? [22:56]
4. How do you perceive God's commands in your life? Do you see them as restrictive or liberating, and how can this perspective change your approach to obedience? [34:21]
5. Identify a specific idol in your life that your anger has revealed. What practical steps can you take to surrender this idol to God and seek His guidance? [19:07]
6. How can you look more intently into God's Word this week, seeking to find Christ and experience the freedom and joy He offers? [29:23]
7. Reflect on the concept of true freedom as living according to God's design. How can this understanding influence your decisions and actions in the coming week? [33:50]

Devotional

Day 1: Aligning Actions with Beliefs
In our journey of faith, we often face the challenge of aligning our actions with our beliefs. The phrase "Do as I say, not as I do" highlights the hypocrisy that can arise when our actions do not reflect our faith. As followers of Jesus, we are called to live out His commands because of what He has done for us. Our faith should be evident in our actions, not just our words. This alignment is crucial for authentic Christian living, as it demonstrates the transformative power of the Gospel in our lives. By living out our faith, we become witnesses to the world of the love and grace of Jesus Christ. [01:14]

James 2:14-17 (ESV): "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Reflection: Think of a specific area in your life where your actions do not align with your beliefs. What steps can you take today to bring them into alignment?


Day 2: The Power of Listening and Patience
James emphasizes the importance of attitudes like being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. These attitudes are essential for spiritual growth, as they allow God's Word to nourish our souls and prevent spiritual stagnation. Listening actively and responding with patience creates an environment where God's truth can take root in our hearts. Anger, when unchecked, can hinder our spiritual progress and lead us away from God's will. By cultivating these attitudes, we open ourselves to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, allowing God's Word to shape our character and actions. [09:17]

Proverbs 19:11 (ESV): "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense."

Reflection: Consider a recent situation where you were quick to speak or become angry. How might the outcome have been different if you had been quick to listen and slow to anger?


Day 3: Uncovering and Surrendering Idols
Anger reveals what we love, and by engaging with it, we can uncover and surrender our idols to God. Being slow to anger involves examining our loves and aligning them with God's will. When we experience anger, it often points to something we hold dear, perhaps too dear. By reflecting on our anger, we can identify these idols and surrender them to God, allowing Him to take His rightful place in our hearts. This process of surrender leads to greater freedom and peace, as we release our grip on things that cannot ultimately satisfy us. [17:45]

Ezekiel 14:3-4 (ESV): "Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent moment of anger. What does it reveal about what you love or value? How can you surrender this to God today?


Day 4: True Freedom in Christ's Law
True freedom is found in living according to God's design. The perfect law that gives freedom is the law of Christ, fulfilled by Jesus, who frees us from the condemnation of the Mosaic law. This freedom is not about doing whatever we want but living in alignment with God's will, which leads to true joy and fulfillment. By following Christ's law, we experience the abundant life He promised, free from the bondage of sin and legalism. This freedom empowers us to live as God intended, reflecting His love and grace to the world. [31:07]

Galatians 5:1 (ESV): "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Reflection: In what ways are you currently experiencing the freedom that comes from living according to Christ's law? How can you deepen this experience in your daily life?


Day 5: The Liberating Nature of God's Commands
God's commands are not restrictive but liberating, guiding us to live life as it was meant to be. As we look intently into God's Word, seeking Christ, we find the path to freedom and joy. His commands are designed to protect us and lead us into a deeper relationship with Him. By embracing His Word, we discover the true purpose and meaning of life, experiencing the joy that comes from walking in obedience to our Creator. This week, let us be doers of the Word, fueled by the knowledge that we have been born by the Word of truth and freed to enjoy life in Christ. [34:21]

Psalm 119:45 (ESV): "And I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts."

Reflection: How do you perceive God's commands in your life? Are there any areas where you view them as restrictive rather than liberating? How can you shift your perspective to see them as a path to freedom and joy?

Quotes

"We do as Jesus says, because of what he has done. And we're going to have two points this morning. Matt did two points last week. I'm doing two points again. We're setting a trend here. Two points this morning. Point one, our attitudes, which is verses 19 through 21. So point one, our attitudes versus 19 through 21. And point two, our actions versus 22 through 25." [00:02:17]

"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 evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Now, there are a couple of important things to notice here. First, James is talking to Christians. Okay, James is talking to Christians those who are brothers and sisters, as he says, and those who have already had the word planted in them." [00:05:56]

"To James, these three attitudes are meant to be like the fertilizer that allows God's word to nourish the soil of our souls. But if you're not listening, are quick to speak, and are hasty to anger, it's like putting a tarp on top of the soil. The rain can't reach the soil because the tarp of our attitudes. So James is calling us to change. Otherwise, our growth in Christ will be stunted and may even die from lack of water." [00:08:55]

"Alright, two things to notice. First, James says human anger. By which he means sinful anger. That doesn't mean there isn't a place for righteous anger. The Bible has a category for righteous or godly anger. This is why Ephesians 4 .26 says, Be angry and do not sin. So there is an exceptional category for righteous, non-sinful anger. But remember, James is concerned with attitudes that block the reign." [00:11:21]

"God is love and his anger is a response to when what he loves is mistreated or threatened. And his love is a holy, perfect love. So when his love is mistreated, he's a holy, perfect love. When his holy, perfect law is mistreated and broken, he is angered because he loves what is good. He also loves whom he chooses to love, like his people. So when his people are mistreated or threatened, he is angered because he loves them." [00:16:29]

"Instead of ignoring anger and bottling it up, we're engaging it. In Alasdair Grove's book, Untangling Emotions, and I recommend this to all of you all, Untangling Emotions, he discusses the need to engage our emotions, not to bottle them up or seek to just remove them altogether. You see, so many of us think that we can stop undesirable emotions if we just turn the faucet off and then the leak will stop." [00:18:10]

"Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Here, James is drawing from the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7, 24, which was our scripture reading. I'll read it again. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. According to Jesus, wisdom isn't just hearing, it's doing." [00:22:56]

"Now, it sounds pretty logical, but it is deception, friends. Just as legalism, trying to earn grace, trying to earn grace, trying to earn grace, trying to earn grace, trying to earn God's favor by your works is deception, so antinomianism, justifying a lawless life because of Jesus' word, is deception. If anyone tries to teach you this, you got James 22 in your tool bag, or 1 .22 in your tool bag, same with Matthew 7 .24, and then especially Romans 6 .1 and 2." [00:24:42]

"Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it, not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it, it will be blessed in what they do. The point he's making is nestled into these little dashes in verse 25, not forgetting, but doing. That's the point. The first character in verses 23 through 24 looks and forgets. The second looks and remembers and does." [00:25:52]

"Well, most likely James is referring to the law of Christ, the law of Christ, or in other words, the law of Moses as it's interpreted and fulfilled by Jesus. Let me, let me repeat that. The law of Christ, which is the law of Moses as it's interpreted and fulfilled by Jesus. So let me explain that. In the old Testament, God gave the people of Israel on Mount Sinai, his law and this law called the mosaic law reflected God's perfect character that all of humanity was meant to live by, but failed to do." [00:30:21]

"for sabbath or when he shows the true extent of the law showing how it's applicable to the sins of the heart like lust and anger so christ has freed us he's fulfilled he's freed us from the condemnation of the law by faith in christ alone but he also teaches us how to obey god and therefore experience freedom to enjoy life the way it was designed to be enjoyed and this is what james has in mind friends we have been freed by the law and its demands but there is also freedom in following christ in his commands" [00:31:50]

"Now, these guys may sound like unrelatable religious zealots, but really, they've just internalized what James is saying here. There is joy. There is delight. There is fulfillment. There is freedom in God's commands. And you see, it's only when we believe that, that we actually begin to remember and do what he says. In verse 25, James says, you'll be blessed as you do. Now, this doesn't mean you're going to start living the hashtag blessed life as represented online." [00:35:58]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Jan 20, 2025. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?