"Stop Kidding Yourself! or How To Avoid Self-Deceit!"
James 1:19-27
INTRO. Many in our world today are deceived. Some are deceived in thinking~themselves to be saved when in truth they are not. Others are decieved in believing they are growing, spiritual Christians when in all actuality they are not. The Mark of a mature Christian is that they realize day by day, the more they need Christ and His Word! Jesus said in John 15:5b, "Without Me ye can do nothing."
James addresses the problem of self-deceit in vv. 19-27 of Chapter 1. The Key Verse is v22, which declares, "But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only..." Many Christians are content to hear a good sermon or read a good BIBLE study but it what we do with what we hear or read that counts! The lost man is saved after hearing and receiving the Word Of God. The Christian grows by hearing and heeding the Word Of God! Hebs. 2:1 warns us, "...We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."
It's as if James was saying in our Text, "Stop Kidding yourself," his emphasis being on "How To Avoid Self-Deceit" in our Christian Life! God has given us a wonderful Book called The BIBLE. Someone has called it, "God's Loveletter to mankind." In its pages are seen the Law of God and the Love of God! It is where we must draw all our Strength, Wisdom, Hope, and Life!" True Spirituality rests in a honest walk before God and men! 1 Thess. 4:12 says "That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing!"
This can only happen if we know what God expects of us! What He expects of us is written in the pages of this blessed old Book! James in vv. 19-27 gives us Three Responsibilities we must fulfill to walk honestly with God and man. If we do these things, we will "Stop kidding ourselves and avoid self-deceit!"
TO AVOID SELF-DECEIT, WE MUST:
(1) Receive The Word
James 1:19-21
*James is addressing Believers, for in v19 he calls them, "My beloved
brethren." These brethren were asked in v21 to, "Receive with
meekness the engrafted word..."
*The word "receive' in the Greek means "to take by deliberate and ready
reception that which is offered."
*When we hear the Word of God through preaching, teaching, or Bible
study; we should take it as our own and apply its Truth to our hearts by
submission to God through the Holy Spirit! because it is God speaking
to us! God's word cannot work in our hearts unless we receive it in the
right way!
*James Gives Us Four Things We Must Do Prior To Receiving The Word:
a) We Must Be Swift To Hear (vl9a)
*Someone has said, "We have two ears and only one mouth, therefore
we should listen twice as much as we speak."
*God hath brought us, that are Saved out of Spiritual darkness and
death unto Spiritual Light and Life; Now we must be "swift to
hear..."!
*We should ever be alert and ready to hear what He speaks!
ILLUS. A beautiful example of this is when David was in Adullam
away from his blessed Bethlehem because the Philistines had
overthrown the City. He longed fro a cool drink from the wells
of Bethlehem, which is by gate, saying, "Oh, that one would
give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is
by the gate!" His mighty men heard, and in jeopardy of their
very lives, went and brought it to him. They were swift to
hear!
*How swift are we to hear when God speaks? We should be as young
Samuel, saying, "Speak, LORD, for your servant heareth!"
b) We Must Be Slow To Speak (vl9b)
*A wise man will listen to others and answer only if he is certain he
has something worthwhile to say. (1)
Provs. 10:19—“In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin:
But he that refraineth his lips is wise.”
*TOO many times we argue with God's Word, instead of pondering it
in our hearts!
*A wise man is of quiet spirit!
Provs. 17:27—“He that hath knowledge spareth his words, and a
man of understanding is of an excellent spirit”
*The Child of God well "taught in the Word" will be slow to speak!
Why?
Matt. 12:36,37
*The Growing, spiritual Christian will not use useless, vain words;
but will be "swift to hear and slow to speak!"
Ps. 19:14
c) We Must Be Slow To Wrath (vv. 19-20)
*When God's Word is proclaimed, we should not get mad at the
bearer, for He is just God's Messenger! If we do that we are not
getting angry with the man, but with God!
Provs. 14:29—“He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding:
But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”
*Many times if we do not like the preaching of the word we are quick
to voice our disapproval! This only leads to wrath! That is why
James linked these two together, "slow to speak, slow to wrath!"
*The Spiritual man will practice self-control at all times! This is one of
the Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Gals. 5:23, where it says,
"temperance." The word "temperance" simply means "self-control."
*There is a poster which says, "Temper is such a valuable thing, it is a
shame to lose it" (2)
*Why must we be able to control our temper? v20 gives the answer,
"The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."
*There Are Two Types Of Anger Found In The Word Of God:
1) Sinful Anger
Matt. 5:22
*This is what James is describing.
2) Righteous Anger
Ephs. 4:26-27
*We, as Believers, are to hate evil, but Love People!
*Sinful Anger must be subdued in the Life of a Believer!
ILLUS. Lehman Strauss relates this true life incident in his
commentary on James. A young married man came to the
study requesting membership in our assembly, but he felt
that in all honesty I should know that he had recently
been released from prison, having served two years for the
crime of involuntary man slaughter.
One day while at work the foreman of his department
issued a order which the young man disapproved. An
argument followed, words became hatred, tempers flared,
and fists flew. In the fracas, the foreman was knocked to
the floor, his head striking a sharp object causing his
death.
The Christian was tried in a court of Law, found guilty,
and sentenced to from two to twelve years in prison. After
serving two years he was released on good behavior, but
he must remain on parole for ten years. He now had
gotten the victory over the sin of wrath, but what a price!
God had to put him in a prison cell fro two years to teach
him a lesson he might have learned more easily! (3)
d) We Must Prepare Our Heart (v21)
*For us to receive the Word of God correctly, we must be ready to
receive it! This preparation is necessary or the Word will profit us
nothing!
*To Prepare, We Must:
1) Confess Our Sins Before God
1 John 1:9
*We are told to "lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of
naughtiness...”
2) Allow God Through His Spirit To "plow up" Any hardness in
our Hearts!
Hosea 10:12
Hebs. 3:7-8a--"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not
your hearts..."
3) Receive The Word With Meekness (v2lb)
*Until we come to a place where we are ready to humble
ourselves to Cod's Word and lay aside our pride, we are not
prepared to receive the Word!
*Meekness is the direct opposite of wrath!
James 3:13
*James says, "Receive... the engrafted Word....” The word
"engrafted" in the Greek means "Implanted". The Word Must be
implanted to bear fruit! Jesus' Parable of the Sower!
*When we receive the Word with meekness, we accept it, do not
argue with it, honor it as the Word of God! You do not try to
twist it to conform it to your way of thinking. (4)
*If a person will not receive the implanted Word, He is "Kidding
himself and living in Self-deception!"
(2) Practice The Word
James 1:22-25
*James says in v22, "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves." It is not enough to just hear the Word, we
MUST LIVE IT!
PS. 119:9,11,105
*Many believe they will grow as Christians simply by hearing the Word
proclaimed or by doing BIBLE study everyday! This is Self-Deception! We
MUST BE "doers of the word, not hearers only!"
*It is the doing which brings the blessing!
Phils. 2:15-16a
*Someone has said about the BIBLE, "The central issue about the the
BIBLE is whether we live it!" John F. Alexander (5)
*James in these verses compares the WORD OF GOD to a Mirror. God's
Word as a Mirror are referred to in two other places in the Word of God. (6)
When we gather these three together, we see how to "Practice The Word!"
*To Practice The Word, There Must Be:
a) A Time Of Examination (vv. 23-25)
*James illustrates this Truth for us in these verses. The main purpose of
a Mirror is to view one's self! God's Word acts as a Mirror to our hearts
and Lives!
Hebs. 4:12-13
*James mentions several mistakes men make as they look into the Mirror
of God's Word:
1) They Merely Glance At Themselves (vv. 23-24a)
*When we read and study God's Word, we are to, through its
pages, apply what we read to our lives, so as to grow more like
Christ!
Ps. 1:1-3; 119:97—“O How I love thy Law! It is my
meditation all the day.”
*Someone has said, "The Christian who is careless in BIBLE
reading will be careless in Christian living." Max I. Reich (7)
2) They Forget What They See (v24b)
*We need to ponder what we hear and see! It is said of Mary, after the visit of the Angel, "Pondered these words in her heart!" Isaiah responded by saying, "Woe is Me, I am undone;" Peter declared, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, 0 LORD," and Job confessed, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes!" (8)
*When we really allow God's Word to show us our true condition,
we will do the same!
3) They Fail To Do What The Word Instructs (V25)
*Once we hear the Word, Receive it, and Apply it to ourselves, then
is a time of Action!
Ps. 19:8-11
*James calls God's Word, "The Perfect Law of Liberty," Why?
Because when we do what God says, He sets us free!
Ps. 119:45; John 8:31-32
b) A Time Of Restoration (Exod. 38:8)
*When Moses built the Tabernacle, he took looking glasses of the
women and from them made the Laver. The Laver was a huge basin
that stood between the Brazen Altar of Sacrifice and the Holy Place.
The Basin was filled with water, and the priests washed their hands
and feet before they entered the Holy Place to Minister. (9)
*Water, in the Scripture symbolizes the cleansing power of the Word Of
God!
John 15:3
*God's Mirror of His Word, not only examines and reveals our selves to
us, but it helps cleanse as well!
*Christ's Blood shed on the Cross washed away the penalty of our
sins (1 John 1:7), but because we are in contact with this world, we
must be daily cleansed of its defilement! (John 13:1-11)
*The Word acts as our cleanser as we meditate on it, it cleanses our
hearts and minds from defilement!
c) A Time Of Transformation (2 Cors. 3:17-18)
*After our LORD restores us, then he desires us to change so we will
grow in His likeness and Grace, and not practice the same sin
continually!
*God has washed away our sins and now we are to daily "count
ourselves dead to sin," and walk in the Light of His Word!
*We must realize all of us sin and need daily cleansing of sin!
1 John 1:8
*We must allow God through His Spirit and Word to search us and
show us where we have failed Him! Then we must allow God's Spirit
to transform us!
Roms. 12:1-2
*When a believer spends time looking into God's Word and seeing
Christ, He is transformed: The Glory on the inside is revealed on the
outside. (10)
(3) Share The Word
James 1:26-27
*The word "religious" in v26 implies "the outward appearance" A man or
woman may seem to be "religious" but by their very actions disprove
themselves!
*James Gives Us Some Marks Of "Pure Religion":
a) Speech (v26)
*James says, "Pure religion bridles its tongue...” The word
"Bridleth" in the Greek means "to hold in check, restrain"
*Many in our world call themselves Christians yet they cannot or
will not restrain their tongue! They are practicing Self-deceit!
Provs. 21:23—“whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue
keepeth his soul from troubles.”
*Criticism, Gossip, and Evil speaking should not be named
among God's People!
Cols. 4:6
*Someone has said of Gossip, “Gossip is a beast of prey who does
not even wait for the death of his victim."