435: Hearing and Doing the Word | +Quigg Lawrence

Introduction

So we're in James chapter one. If you have a Bible or an app, that would be awesome because we're actually gonna spend time in the Scriptures. James one nineteen and following. But first, I just want to acknowledge something — like the elephant in the living room. It's been a tough month. It's been a tough month. Somebody sent me a meme recently, and it said, January. Boy, it's been a long year. Does anybody relate to that? Campy, femur broken, colds, sickness, people we love, have lost loved ones. It's been a tough month. And I'm so glad that we can be together, and where we are, the Lord is in our midst. I believe more than anything else that God will speak to us through His word today. If I didn't believe that, we would just go home. I'm expectant — expectant that God was gonna speak from His word to us.

The Context of the Passage

So we're in James one. Now, can you remember what the book of James is about? Somebody get you in an elevator. What’s the book of James about? Faith and works, right? And it almost seems like the Bible is contradicting itself. Because there are passages like Ephesians 2:8-9. Do you remember that one?

For by grace you've been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it’s the gift of God, not a result of works. — Ephesians 2:8-9

Pretty clear — grace, grace, grace, grace, grace. Not of yourself; it’s a gift of God, not works. Or Galatians 2:16. Somebody can turn quicker than me, go there.

yet knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ — Galatians 2:16

Anybody got it? So Ephesians 2, Galatians, also, I think Romans 4, and other places. This place is saying, we're not made right before a holy God based on our behavior and what we do. And yet James seems to be contradicting that. He seems to be saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, Paul, but you can talk all day long, but really, if there's no good works, then your faith is just a big lie. It's just a deception. It’s a Hollywood set. It’s a lot of hot air. And so Luther called this an epistle of straw. He said, I don't see the gospel in a lot of this. And in fact, in James 2:24, he particularly loathed this verse:

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. — James 2:24

And so critics of Christianity have said, you see, there's a contradiction. Well, what I would say is, you see, there's an apparent contradiction. We don't admit that it looks like a contradiction. But two things can both be true at the same time.

And so, the first thing I want to say is, who wrote this book? James. James grew up as the brother of Jesus. I think maybe he had a little insight that Luther did. And so what I want to say is, Paul, St. Paul is right. What he said in Ephesians two, in Galatians two, in Romans four — salvation is not earned. It's not earned. And all Christians go, Amen, grace, grace, grace.

Salvation is not earned. But James also is right. He's also right. The saved — those who have been justified by faith, which is a gift — the saved will do good and godly works. Ephesians — it's all right there in Ephesians 2:8-9, but also verse 10. Before the foundation of the earth, God prepared good works for His people to walk in.

But this is why it's not a contradiction. You're saved by grace through faith. This — not of yourselves; it’s a gift of God. But once that happens, and that's settled, the man or woman of God, or the child of God, will out of his thankfulness or her thankfulness, want to do things to bless God, to serve Him. Not because somebody has a gun to your head, because you love him. You want to serve him; you want to serve him.

So ripping off John Calvin, around 1547, Calvin said this:

We are saved by faith alone. But the faith that saves is never alone.

Let me repeat that: We're saved by faith alone, said Calvin. But the faith that saves is never alone. True faith will always produce godly fruit in the believer's life. Works are not a quid pro quo — you do this and I'll do that. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Works are not a quid pro quo to earn the Lord's love, but a natural outflow of a life saved by grace alone.

And so what James is saying, basically, the punchline is, you can talk all day long about your faith, and you can memorize long passages of scripture and have commentaries and be very religious, and go to church every Sunday and take notes and journal and all that. But at the end of that, like what does that produce? Are you being transformed into the image of Christ? Or are you just hearing a great message and going, boy, you really stepped on my toes, pastor. And you leave that, and go live like you would normally live, and then you come back next week and the pastor steps on your toes again.

The Lord wants us to hear His word, and let His word do its work in us. And by the power of His Spirit, to enable us to serve Him with a glad heart, because we love Him.

Practical Christianity and the Call to Action

Now, let's go to verse 19. I want you to notice, who is James writing to? James, the brother of Jesus. Who's he writing to? Is he writing to a church in a city? Is he writing to a city? Is he writing to one particular person? No, he's writing basically to everyone. It's a general epistle. But he's writing — when I say everyone, he's writing to believers. Believers. He's trying to tell believers the practical way to walk with Jesus. Practical Christianity.

And so he says this, he says, know this, comma, beloved brothers. See, if you don't get that part, all the rest just sounds like rules. What he's saying is, you are my — the Lord's — beloved. You're already His beloved. So we're not talking about earning His love here. You're already His beloved. And we are brothers in Christ, or sisters, brothers and sisters in Christ.

He says, know this, my beloved brothers, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Now, I don't know about you, but I've got two ears, and I got one mouth. And yet my mouth does 95% of the work. Even in my time with God. Like this idea of sitting still before the Lord and listening. Lord, your servant is here, speak, I'm listening. So often I just tell God everything I need to tell Him, and I whip through the scriptures, and we're good.

So what the scripture here is saying is, every person should be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. What's the problem with that? What's the problem with it? We don't do it. Well, maybe you all do it. So often I get mad, and we're gonna get into that in a second.

I want you to see verse 20, because really there are like two or three main points in this passage. And from that passage flow behavior. So verse 20, look at that. You might want to underline this one.

The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. — James 1:20

The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. The anger of man does not, will never produce the righteousness of God. You see, before I was a believer, I just figured if something was wrong, I'm a settled business. I'm a southern redneck. You hurt me, I hurt you. I was a nice kid and all, until you hurt somebody or someone I love.

I remember one day I was in our little tiny house, little front yard, and I hear my dog Thomas — Thomas dog. He came after Earl Scruggs, our other dog. But Thomas dog was awesome, and we basically were Sammy's twins. Where I went, he went. He slept in my bed. He licked me right on the mouth. I didn’t care, man. I loved that dog. I loved him so much.

But one day I hear this dog going, and I look across the street and I see a 13-year-old kid kicking my dog in the ribs multiple times. What a cruel, sadistic, sick person. And I want to tell you, on that day, history was made. Bob and I just looked up — the fastest 40 in the history of the world. And I think, you know, 4.21, whatever. Some people say Darryl Green ran 4.09 multiple times. That ain't nothing. That kid that kicked my dog, I ran about a three six across the driveway into his yard, and I found him and I administered justice. So hard, his mother had to bring a broom out and beat me away from her son.

See, I was angry. And so what do angry people do? Instead of trusting that God's gonna take care of it, let's go. No, no. Hey, bless your heart, God, I'm taking care of it. And I’m guessing I’m not the only one in the room that has anger. Sometimes it’s righteous anger, but righteous or unrighteous, the anger of man, it says, does not — will never — produce the righteousness of God.

There's a sense of where we can trust that God, who is more just than us, because He's without sin, will handle it. And yet, most of us don't allow Him to, because we want to get our pound of flesh.

Now, I want to set up a quick, just short video. It's about a minute and a half. The year is 2018. The city is Dallas. There's a young man who's 26 years old. He had moved from St. Lucia, I guess that's in the Caribbean, St. Lucia. He's just chilling out after work in his apartment. He's eating some ice cream, and I relate to that. I love that. He's eating ice cream and watching sports on TV, just minding his own business.

And about that time, a policewoman, 30 years old, five years on the force. So she's a Caucasian woman. He's a brown man. Anyway, that may be important, may not, except for she did write — we found out later she had put racist things on social media. But anyway, the policewoman, Amber, comes back from a thirteen and a half-hour shift, and apparently her apartment was on the 4th Floor, so she'd go in the parking lot to the 4th Floor, walk five or six apartments down, and then just go into her apartment, and that would be great.

Except she was tired or not paying attention. As she's yapping on her phone, she actually pulls in on the 3rd Floor, and she walks the five or six apartments down, and she goes to what she thinks is her apartment. She tries to unlock her door, and the door springs open. She goes into her apartment, and there is Botham Jean, a 26-year-old accountant eating ice cream and watching TV. She thinks he's a burglar, she pulls out her firearm, and she administers two shots to him — boom, boom — and kills him. Probably an accident, still a tragic loss.

Now I want you to see what I saw in 2018. And when I saw it, I just started weeping. Because the brother of the man who was murdered, his name is Brandt, Brandt did not do what I do. He didn't fly across the street and administer justice. He knew that the anger of man will never, never work out the righteousness of God.

So let's see what he did — a man trusting in this word.

Darken the light. I personally want the best for you. And I, I wasn’t gonna ever say this in front of my family or anyone, but I don't even want you to go to jail. I want the best for you because I know that's what — that's exactly what Botham and I would want you to do. And the best would be to give your life to Christ. I'm not gonna say anything else. I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham and I would want you to do. Again, I love you as a person, and I don't wish anything bad on you. I don't know if this is possible, but can I give her a hug, please? Please? — (Brandt Jean)

What can you say to that? That's not human. That's not normal. But that's a man who believes the Scriptures. That's a man who believes God is just, and that God is king, and that He will take the crooked things and make them straight. And He will administer justice. But it’s God who will do it, because He's the only one who can do it rightly with love and holiness.

I'm so stunned by Brent, the brother of Botham Jean, because he knew the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

And as verse 21 says:

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word of God. Receive the word of God. — James 1:21

The Bible says of itself, God's law and God's word are not burdensome. That's the lie in my head. I think it's burdensome. That's why I want to do something else. But it’s not burdensome; it's your very life. God's word is a light and a lamp. It’s a blessing. And the man who receives the implanted Word, he's going to be blessed. If you do it, you're going to be blessed. And that's what the Lord wants.

The Call to Do and Live the Word

Let's go to verse 22. So the first point is the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. So we want to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. The second point is this: James, the brother of Jesus, speaking, be doers of the word and not hearers only — deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away at once, and he forgets what he was like. It goes on and says:

but the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. — James 1:25

And so, the call from God is to be a doer of the word, and not a hearer only. It's great that you hear teaching. You can listen to every good podcast. You can sit under the teaching of Tim Keller, or other very famous people who are awesome. You can journal, you can take notes.

And what that is, is stuffing good truth into your head. But if that truth stays in your head and never drops down into your life, then he says you're actually deceiving yourself — much like a Hollywood set. To be hearing the word of God but failing to do it.

And then all of a sudden, I’m thinking, well, that sounds like be good, do good. It doesn't sound much like gospel. But that's because we forget the context. And the context is, He's already made us His children. He's already given us the Spirit of God. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

Jesus said, "I'm not gonna leave you as orphans. I'm gonna come to you." We're not left alone trying to be good, trying to do good. But it's just a fact. Just like a tree that's healthy will bear fruit, people who have received the gospel, and who look into the Word of God, we will be moved to do.

And it's not to earn. Think back to Ephesians. It's by grace you're saved through faith, right? It's the gift of God. This is not of yourself; it’s not by works. But then in the very next verse, it says, God before the foundation of the earth has ordained good and holy works for you to walk in.

And so it's not, "Hey, these are the dues to pay so I’ll love you." No, that's already been established. And once that's established, you can't help but taste the mercy of God, but to want to love the God who loves you first and serve the God who serves you first.

The Scripture is clear: be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourself. And it uses a metaphor that didn't really work for me. It doesn't work for me because I don't look in the mirror very often. I was driving here this morning, and I realized I hadn't looked in the mirror.

My hair was every which way. There's Sundays I come here and I go through the first service, maybe Sunday school, and I’ll go in the bathroom, look in the mirror and think, oh my gosh, look at all those whiskers I missed in the shower when I was shaving without my glasses on when I first woke up. I had big patches of whiskers, crazy hair, whatever. So I don't really understand mirrors. It's just not my thing. I have other sins you all know about. Mirror looking is not one of them.

But Annette's father now has Mr. Fleet. That's who Fleet was named after. Mr. Fleet's name is Alexander. He was a big man — bigger than life — and he was missing an eye, and that might have been part of the problem. But he'd go up every day in front of the mirror and go:

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the best looking man of all? — Alexander, Alexander, Alexander.

And he'd walk away, and instead of forgetting all day long, he thought he was the best looking man in Irvington, Virginia. Friends, that metaphor again, it doesn't work super well. But the mirror of God is the Word of God. I mean, mirror in that metaphor is the Word of God. He said it would make no sense — like you go and see, look intently into the Word of God.

And the Word of God is strong and effective, and it changes lives. He says, if all you do is look and gaze on it, take notes and ponder it, but then you walk away and forget it — you’re deceived. You're cheating yourself and cheating others.

So be doers of the Word. How are you going to be a doer of the Word? How are you going to put that anger and wrath and trust God with that? How are you going to be a doer of the Word? Is it just your own strength? Good luck with that. That would last about nineteen seconds.

And so when we read this, James is not trying to put heavy burdens on you. He's just saying, if the Spirit of God lives in you, if you've tasted of the mercy of God, your life will start to be transformed and look a lot like Jesus. Sure, you're gonna mess up. Sure, you're gonna fall. That's why we have confession.

But he says, this is the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in and through you. Maybe hit one more verse. You might say, well, James is legalistic. He's legalistic. That's what you always say when somebody says something you don't like to hear. He's legalistic. I would say this: well, if James is legalistic, so is Jesus.

In the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:26, Jesus, the merciful one, says:

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. — Matthew 7:26

And so Jesus makes it clear, it is important not just to study and hear the word of God, which is awesome, but to do the word of God. And so maybe you're like me and you're thinking, but I tried and I failed. I try and I fail. I try and I fail.

Jesus just said, stare intently into the Word, and we have to ask the Lord, Lord, would You help me to walk in these good works? Not to earn Your favor, but because I want to love You back. And I can't do this myself. I really can't do this myself. I can't put away anger, and be like that man, Brandt. I can't walk out the word of the Lord perfectly, unless Lord, You help me.

And the promise of Scripture is, He will help you. He sends the Spirit of God, which is the Helper, to give us strength to do the things He's called us to do — to be transformed like Him.

Conclusion

Alright, let's close down. Once we are brought to faith by grace alone. Once we are forgiven by grace alone. Once we are made sons or daughters of the Most High, by grace alone, we remain under grace. But under grace, we will want to love our Savior.

Once you've tasted the love of Jesus, you will love Him back. Once you've tasted the mercy of God, you'll want to be merciful. And once you understand that God knows all things and loves you so much that He says no sometimes to this, and yes to that. He says, do this and don't do that. It's not a burden. It's actually a path of life. And He wants His people blessed.

And so practically, I want to ask, what are we going to do with this? Because we're angry people. We hide it. I’m great at hiding my anger. Great at hiding it, but it's still there. I want exact judgment and vengeance. And yet the Word of God reminds me, Quigg, you're not the judge. I love hearing the Word of God. I really do. But it’s the doing of it sometimes that’s the problem.

And so when I read this Word, it can lead to despair, but actually, it doesn’t. It leads me to call out and say, Lord, I cannot live for You in a way that pleases You, unless You give me the grace to do it. And yes, when I read the Scriptures, I’m gonna say, Lord, I want to be a doer, I do, it’s my desire. But I can’t do it unless You give me the power and the grace to do that.

You pray that prayer, the Lord will do it. You pray that prayer, God will do it. Transform you into the image of His beloved.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.