James Pt2 Grace in Action. (Audio is available on www.gciwales.org)
The last time I posted, I started looking at the book of James. By way of introduction we went through the first 18 verses and set the book in context. What is evident is that we're talking about things which are not natural for humans, like being joyful in trials. The book has a strange structure which starts off with a series of bullet points in the first chapter, talks about other things then goes back and re-visits the bullet points at the end. We looked at one point last time when he talks about the rich being humbled then in chapter 5 he explains the problem. What I'll do to finish the series is re-write the book putting the thoughts together, however for the next sermon or two I would like to remind you of the very practical nature of the middle section of the book when we look at grace in action. There will however be an Easter message in the middle which will break the sequence.
Today I'm going to explore some of the very practical advice that James gives the Jewish Christians, so we can see the work of the spirit rather than our natural human behaviour being explored in the book.
The first point is that we should hear, listen and do - rather than hear speak and ignore - this is found in Chapter 1 verse 19 - ___ READ
This can be seen two ways, firstly when we hear from God, the secondly in the way we interact with each other.
HEAR FROM GOD
It is important to make sure we listen to the word of God, when we pray, it is a two way communication and we should be prepared to hear God. The Holy Spirit is constantly prompting us and bringing things to our attention, however we filter most of this out by dismissing the thoughts or making excuses. I can think of numerous occasions when I've seen something, thought about doing something and haven't, then thought later that I should have done. James says we should be quick to listen to God and slow to get in the way!! God also speaks to us through the bible and there is much knowledge and wisdom which we need to listen to rather than clouding what God says by our opinions.
How about our relationships with each other? I'm speaking as much to myself as to anyone else here because it's something I'm not very good at. I've told you this story before. Years ago when I worked in South Bedfordshire District Council there was a girl called Nicola in the admin section. One day when I was walking into the office I said "Hiya Alright" which was a standard greeting, then carried on walking - but she said "Actually no, but you don't care because you haven't even stopped to hear my answer." At this I stopped and apologised, but it was a good point that I still remember. I had asked a question albeit in the form of the greeting, with no intention of actually hearing the answer.
The other thing that people are guilty of, is being quick to offer a solution rather than actually listening to the problem. The solution may be that the other person just needs to get it off their chest and be listened to, however people - and it's mostly us men apparently - jump in and don't actually listen.
The bible offers advice which is contrary to the typical human reactions.
Lets turn to a few scriptures from the old testament .
Eccles 5v2
Prov 13v3 & 15v2&4&7
There is a resounding lesson here that we should listen to God and listen to each other rather than rush in and speak for the sake of it.
Verse 19 doesn't end there - it says to be slow to wrath. This is another un-natural response when people upset us. How many times however have you not let the person finish before butting in and getting upset only for the person to explain themselves and if we hadn't interrupted we would have heard the full story.
The advice continues in v20-21 READ.
Again this can be applied to God and each other. When challenged about personal conduct, the natural reaction is to become defensive and either deny it or justify it. What James is saying here is shut up and listen. Don't get angry, defensive or aggressive, but listen with meekness and accept the word that saves. I would like to suggest that many people reject God because they don't want to be challenged or be held responsible for their behaviour. James is saying to set aside the wrong doing and choose life. Notice it says the word is within - we need to listen to the presence of God within us. This is grace in action in that no matter what a person has done, God offers life! Jesus has already died for everyone and whoever believes and accepts this life will be saved.
Notice James is saying that there is action here, get rid of the moral filth and humbly accept the word that can bring life. As I've said a couple of times, it's fallen into place in my brain recently that God's love and grace leads to change from within and this change in direction is repentance.
So the next point is that hearing must result in action. Again this is unnatural and it takes Grace in Action to have the confidence to Step out in Faith and do something.... This is an important point and we'll spend the rest of the sermon on this.
James 1v22 READ - you can't get clearer than that can you! Do what it says.
v23-24. I love the analogy - listening to God and not doing is like looking in a mirror and immediately
forgetting what you look like, sort of listening without hearing so it does not sink in. He's mixing metaphors here with sight and hearing but hopefully we all get his meaning.
We are not called to be spectators - James keeps emphasising the point that the result of Grace is action. God loved us, and we are called to love Him and love others. James shows us that the way we live and treat others is important and we can't just say that we're saved and then do nothing with it.
v25 talks about keeping the perfect law, and James carries on that thought later in the book, so we'll read thought it now to keep the thread and look at the law in more detail next time. READ
There have been a few videos circulating recently about being not religious - Loving Jesus but not Religion - and counter videos saying they Love Jesus through their religion. James however says that religion is good - but he defines what he means by it. Lets READ James 1v26-27 Is he saying that keeping every law, command and observance in the old testament is good? No, in this context James is saying that religion is helping others and keeping yourself from being polluted by the world. This again underlines Grace in Action, not self righteous observance of the law for the sake of it. Jesus himself demonstrated that action meant more than observance - don't forget in Mark 3v1-6 he healed on the Sabbath - which was preposterous for the religious leaders of the day. I love John 10 which says that Jesus did many good things and asked them which one they would stone him for... You get the impression he liked winding them up!!
In the style of the book, James raises an issue then goes back to it later, so lets skip forward to Chapter 2 v 14 -19.
Seeing the poverty around and just saying to people "be fed" serves no useful purpose!! James makes it crystal clear that the way we treat others is a vitally important part of our Christian lives. Again we're saved by Grace for Action.
Is it either faith or works or is it faith resulting in good works? Works without faith is not enough, and if you are saved by faith and walking in step with the spirit, the good works will naturally follow. You have to get the cart behind the horse but make sure it's hitched up.
James uses Abraham - the father of the faithful as an example and says the two are hand in hand. 2v20-24 Don't forget he was writing to a Jewish Christian audience so reference to Abraham and Isaac would have had utmost significance. Notice v22 His faith was made complete through his actions.
The faith and action went hand in hand as demonstrated in v25-26 talking about Rehab. READ To James you couldn't have one without the other.
We see in later writings by Paul the position is clarified as Paul is clear that we are saved FOR good works rather than BY good works. Again we see that salvation and works are hand in hand, but that salvation leads you by the hand to good works that God has prepared. Perhaps this is evidence that the church, led by the Spirit was refining it's theology as time went on. Don't forget that James is written to a Jewish audience before the Jerusalem Council, so some of these things were clarified later.
Let's break out of James and see what I mean in Eph 2v10. READ Note the context of salvation by Grace through faith, but that it led to action. READ v 8-10 READ See how the thinking has evolved - the faith is a gift and the action is pre-ordained by God. That doesn't however get us off the hook as we have to be living sacrifices as it says in Romans 12, willing to do God's will. For this we need Faith and that is a gift, so we go around in circles which are all resulting from God's Grace.
Paul didn't only say this to the Ephesians. He passed this call to action on to Timothy and Titus. Lets have a look at a few more scriptures.
Lets look at 2 Tim 3v 16-17 Notice the purpose of all scripture was to perfect the saints to good works, again they are hand in hand, but the good works were the purpose rather than the means.
Titus 2v11-14 This again puts the cart behind the horse but makes sure it's there - Grace in action, changing & perfecting for a purpose.
Titus 3v3-8
The writer of Hebrews also had a few things to say on the matter.
Heb 10v22-25
The bible shows that the purpose of our behaviour is not for us to boast and show how good we are, no, 1Peter 2v12 shows that the purpose is to glorify God.
So we've seen today that our salvation has a purpose. God wants us to hear the word within us and accept life. But not only hear but do. We need to hear God and also hear others and when we see need, we need to help, we need to show Grace in Action, which we see demonstrated in James. I'll carry on next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment