Say What?

Scripture: James 1

19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.   (James 1:19-22)

Observation:

The first chapter of James spanks me.  It tells me to do things that are opposite of what I know.  “Take joy in my suffering”?  What?  Let me clean my glasses, nope, I didn’t read it wrong, it really says that.  “The poor are to take pride in their high position and the rich in their humble one?”  Really?  No, I’m not kidding, it really does say that.  And when we fail at it, we can’t even blame God for setting the bar too high, for it also says “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desires and enticed.  Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”  Say What?  We are all tempted, even Jesus was tempted!

That’s kind of the point James is trying to make. 

We can’t do this on our own.  The temptations are enough snare us if we allow ourselves to wallow or if we react without thinking first.

Luckily, James goes on and gives us a glimpse of the better way to handle ourselves.  He says we should be “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 the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves, do what it says.”

There is one phrase in there that makes me pause.  He says to “get rid of all Moral Filth”.  What does that mean? 

Does it mean the human desire to be “good enough”, moral, without being Godly?  Is that what he’s calling filthy?

When we are born again, it’s an experience where a supernatural God says “you were bought at a price and you are no longer your own” but have become “slaves to righteousness”.  That transformation changes our way of thinking; and takes our bodies, our time, our priorities, and our resources and offers them to Him to do with as He pleases.  We cry about the things that make Him sad, we rejoice over the things that make Him happy, and we become consumed with looking at life the way He does, and bringing that vision into our every day. 

And it’s a radical viewpoint.  It a view point that calls us to do those unnatural things I was talking about in the beginning of this devotion.  Things that we can’t do on our own resources.  It’s how we know that He’s alive – and living inside of us.

But that way of thinking is scary.  It makes us different.  It also costs a lot.  “Take up your cross and follow me” Jesus said.  “You must lose your life to find it” he said.  “The Pearl of Great Price”, where you abandon all the things you see, feel and love in this world in order to set your heart on the things you can’t see.  In fact, because the people you love can’t see it either, and they trust in the science of the things they can see and explain, you might lose them too. 

So, instead of risking all of that, we worship a god of the “good enough”.  “I have to keep my feet on the ground”  “I have responsibilities” We universally agree on what moral standards are good, and most of us will follow them, provided our particular circumstances don’t get in the way of it.  This passage calls that kind of living “Moral Filth.”

Application:

What is our take-away from this?  It’s a warning.  Watch yourself, test yourself against the word, accept it and let it be the standard that you adjust yourself to.  The last verse in this chapter says it eloquently: “Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 

Prayer:

Father, I pray that you examine my heart and reveal to me the places where I have allowed myself to be polluted.  Show me the compromises I’ve made that keep you from having power in my life.  Help me, Lord, to slow down my reactions.  I want to bring you honor!  Amen.