Inside Out || James 1:26-27

What does the phrase "inside out" mean to you?

Think about that as you read the story below.

"There's a story told about a tree that grew in the center of a small town. It was huge. Massive. Beautiful. Over the years, it had become the pride and joy of the town. Kids climbed onto its branches, families ate lunch under its shade, and visitors were given directions using the tree as a reference point.

Every fall, as the temperature dropped and the winds shifted to the north, the tree began to lose its leaves and settle in for the dormant winter months. It endured wind and rain, snow and sleet, and bone-chilling temperatures.                            

But one spring, just as the trees were beginning to bud again, a massive thunderstorm blew into town, complete with strong winds, lightning, and hail. Everyone huddle along the storefronts under the awnings to stay dry and safe. In the midst of this wild storm, they heard a massive crrrrrack, followed by an even louder thud. 

To the town's dismay, the sound they had heard was the destruction of the beloved tree. The strong winds had toppled the tree. It lay in the center of town, broken across its base. The people stood in shock. How could wind--even a strong wind--cause such a mighty tree to fall? 

When they looked inside the tree, they found their answer. Unknown to them, just as the leaves were falling from the trees, a disease infiltrated the tree from the roots and continued spreading straight into the heart of the tree itself.

 The outside still looked fine, but the core of the tree was dead."

Does this story resemble your relationship with Christ? As you read James 1:26-27, really examine your your life to determine whether your relationship with God is truly genuine or you're simply maintaining the outward appearance of godliness--like a tree that looks great on the outside but is diseased within.


JAMES 1:26-27
26) If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27) Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

What does James say about the religious person / Christian whose tongue isn't under control?








He said that that person's religion is WORTHLESS. In other words, we're WORTHLESS Christians. We have no right to call ourselves Christians. Because as a Christian, we should be producing attitudes, actions, and speech that is Christ-like. 

Worthless. That's a strong word. Yet, that's how James described the religion of a person who didn't control her tongue. Earlier, James talked specifically about keeping your words in check when you're angry. This time, James didn't get specific. He just challenged believers to control every aspect of their speech, not just when they got their feathers ruffled.




When we compared verse 26 to verse 19 (Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;), we are reminded of the concept of why we have been given two ears to hear and only one mouth -- so we can hear twice as much as we say. So that we can WATCH OUR TONGUES! Though it's a small part of the body, it can still do a whole lot of damage if we are not careful.

As painful as it is, we need to be reminded of this truth: we can't do all the outward stuff of religion (going to church, fasting, worship) without also showing signs of an inward change that results in controlled speech. Again, James said that our religion is worthless if we can't control our speech. Ouch!

So then, what does real, true religion look like? James highlights a couple things in verse 27 that are good indicators of someone having true religion. What are these two example of authentic faith?









"to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." 


This was a concept the Jews were very familiar with since it was part of their heritage, history, and laws. In their culture, the orphans and the widows were the most needy people. They had no source of income, and no one to protect or provide for them. They were the most vulnerable. James wanted his readers to understand what was that these people felt the weight of being alone and vulnerable.

James made it clear - when you are receptive to God and His Word, your interaction with others will change. Your life will bear the mark of kindness, compassion, and mercy toward others.


James also challenged his readers to keep themselves "unstained from the world" meaning no blemish, spot, or defect. PERFECT. He said not to be stained by the world. In other words, believers are to seek moral purity, a life that is free of the things the world values, like self-reliance, selfishness, greed, lust, power, and violence,.




Evaluate your own life. What worldly pursuits are staining your life right now? Is there anything stopping you from really living for Christ?

May your love for Christ and the love you have for others because of Christ begin from within, from the inside out.

LET THE WORD TAKE ROOT

taught by Nicole Herrera

LET THE WORD TAKE

JAMES1:19-22

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ 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.²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Read verses 19-20. Write down the warning that James’ is telling to the church or to his readers.

To be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to be angry.

Why does James warn us TO KEEP OUR ANGER IN CHECK? (Reread vs. 19-20)

James wants us to be slow to be angry because he knows that anger does not show the righteous life that God desires us to have.

James is telling us that nothing good happens when we let our anger get the best of us. Unchecked anger results in heated words that can cause severe and painful damage. In this instance, the word righteousness carries the idea of what is right or what brings justice. When you and I are quick to get angry, we decide that the other person is wrong, guilty, or at fault, which often leads us to treat that person in a way that isn’t right or fair.

We are all guilty of losing our temper and being slow to listen, quick to speak, and very quick to get mad. Think about this: Would James have told his readers to pay attention to his word about anger if they were all really good at keeping their anger under control? Probably he wouldn’t have.

How does James connect the lesson about LISTENING AND ACTING on God’s Word with what we are talking about now CONTROLLING OUR ANGER?

(READ James 1:20-21) Complete the thought below to get a clearer picture.

WHAT TO GET RID OF:        moral filth and evil

REASON TO LOSE THE:        this doesn’t reflect a righteous life

WHAT TO RECEIVE:             Word (scripture)

REASON TO RECEIVE IT:     saves us

In verse 21, why did James use the word prevalent to explain moral filth and evil?

Dictionary: Prevalent - powerful; generally or widely practiced.

Because all men have evil desires in them and they are prone to practice them.

Why did he use the word humbly and planted?

God graciously gave us the word. His Word is the only way that can save His sinful and helpless creation.

In verse 21, James descried what it is like when God’s word doesn’t take root in someone’s life. He used the word “moral filth” and “evil excess”. The message, describes a word-less life as “spoiled virtue” and “cancerous evil” that should be thrown away like trash.  In other words: a life without God’s Word isn’t a pretty existence. The Word that isn’t rooted in a man’s life leads to evil actions.

The Word saves us. It saves is like a man rescued from a fire, a girl air-lifted out of a flood, a woman healed of an incurable disease or , a child freed from kidnappers. The heart of the problem though isn’t fire, flood, disease or a person. It is “sin”. We are saved from sin and being saved means being brought into the kingdom of God.

How can the Word save us?

The Word that James is talking about is the Scripture that came from God. In God’s Word we read about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ and its significance in human history. It tells us the story of redemption, the story of how you and I can be rescued, healed and freed.

Why is it important to be doers of the Word? (vs. 21-22)

 Unless the Word takes root in our lives and we act on it, we will never be saved.

We will be deceiving ourselves into thinking that we are O.K. without Christ; when the truth is that He is everything.

 

Read verses in 1John 3:1-8. Being with Christ is freedom and without Christ is death. John also teaches us how to be like and being the “children of God”.

John also tells us that God desires what is best for us. He wants us to live like His Son, Jesus Christ. God wants us to be His children that are pure and blameless. This is why He gave us the perfect law and the Holy Spirit to understand His word and to be lead by Him (vs.4-6). Children of God are ought to sin no more but we all know that we can’t be perfect by our own works this is why He sent His Son to die for us and to redeem us from the punishment of our sins (v. 8).

DEEP ROOTS:

James understood that it is not enough just to read the Bible like you read the morning newspaper or the latest book. God’s Word needs to take root in our lives. It needs to find a humble (v. 21), receptive, willing and open heart.

Our lesson connects to one of Jesus’ parable in the book of Luke.

Luke 8:4-8, 11-15 -The Parable of the Sower

God teaches us four different soils representing a person’s receptiveness to God’s Word.

1st-a path like heart: a person who heard the word and lets the devil come and take away the word from his word so that they may not believe and be saved.

2nd- a rocky heart: a person who received the word with Joy when he heard it, but he has no root. He believes for a while but in time of testing he falls away.

3rd- a throne-infested heart: a person who hears the word but as he goes on his way. He gets choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures and they don’t mature.

4th- a good(open) heart: a person who hears the word, retains it and by persevering procedure a crop (good fruit).

What are you doing with the seed planted in you?  Think about Jesus’ parable and evaluate how your life is with or without Jesus.

Are you going to throw away the good soil of your life?

Choose to be a tree that uses its roots to hold tight into the source of life (good soil which is the Word).

Hearing and Doing - James 1:22-25

James 1:22-25 ²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ 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.

Based on these verses, complete the thoughts below:

1.        Be ________________of the word and not just __________________.

2.        When you don’t do anything with what you have heard (or read) in the Word, you are ______________________ yourself. Why would James use that word? Explain.

3.        According to this passage, a person who hears but doesn’t act on what she hears is like what?

4.        James called Scripture ___________________________.

5.        What does this mean?

6.        According to these verses, what happens when you hear AND do what God’s Word says?

7.        What happens if you just take in God’s Word and don’t do anything with it?

-          The word decieve shows that the person who reads, but doesn’t follow God’s word is being misled or fooled. How? This person thinks less of scripture than what it really is, which is the truth- God breathed, authoritative, sacred words to us. 

MYTHS ABOUT SCRIPTURE THAT PEOPLE (really do!) BELIEVE:

1.      The word is simply relative and not absolute.

         The bible is just an alternative way of living. I’ve heard people say that you must take scripture “with a grain of salt”, specifically by catholics who believe that the church has an equal authority as God’s word and need to interpret or correct where the word is “not relevant”. In other words, everyone gets to pick and choose what parts of the bible to live by. 

2.        God’s word is a good luck charm.

           If you carry your bible with you, you will be protected and will have a good day. If you read your bible before a test, in the morning before school, or every night, everything will be okay and God will bless you for your efforts. 

3.        God’s Word will make you feel better about yourself. 

          Sometimes we only read what makes us feel good, and discredit any scripture that does otherwise. Examples include how the most widely used verses are John 3:16 (For God so loved the world), Psalm 23 (though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…), Isaiah 40:31 (run and not grow weary). These are awesome verses, but quoted out of context they are simply "feel good" verses. 

           People will stay away from deeper  scriptures with more weight because they are either “hard to understand” or make them feel “guilty”, which people often think must be wrongly placed in the bible. I’ve heard people argue Genesis 1, how “God made everything good”, without even thinking about Genesis 3, how Adam and Eve gave in to sin. The truth is that God’s word DOES bring us happiness and true joy, but this comes when we are humbled, have contrite hearts (regret and sorrow for sins or offenses), and then learn to trust God and have love for Him. 

4.        God’s word is a tool for debate. 

          People will use the bible only to get their way. Some parents never put a finger on the bible, but will instantly quote “honor thy mother and thy father”. In the same way, some of us hardly ever read the bible, much less follow it, and will use the bible to support what we want. For example, just because a boy is a Christian and you are “equally yoked” does not mean you should be dating, if you are not even ready to handle a romantic relationship. If you’re not ready to commit to marriage, this is a sure way to have sin in your life. 

          Your own wants do not define God's word. 

We can go our entire lives believing any of those myths, but without taking the bible to heart and acting on it, we will never choose to repent of our sin and confess our need for a Savior- which leaves us with no hope.

-           

   What does it really mean to persevere?

In verse 25, the word PERSEVERE reminds us that we must continually feed on God’s word.  

John 15:5-6
        I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

1.        What does it mean to abide in Jesus and he in us?
              We need to LIVE in him, in his sacrifice for us which we find in his word, the Bible.

2.         It doesn’t matter what we think we are doing or consider to be “good fruits” if we aren’t living in Jesus. 
              Apart from him we can’t do anything, because if we aren’t worshipping God, the creator of all things, we are only continuing to worship the things he created instead, which is sin. (Romans 1:24-25)

3.        Practically, we can’t read God’s word only once. 
              If we aren’t living in it, then our spiritual growth will stall or even die out.

Another verse to look at is 1 John 1:5-10:

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

-If we are not walking in the light, no matter what we say, his word is not truly in us.

-              If we ARE walking in the light, some proofs of that is that we have confessed our sins, are forgiven and cleansed through the blood of Jesus, and have fellowship with one another.

-         -  The word says (Romans 3:23) that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
               It doesn’t matter if we read the bible. If we don’t admit how we have sinned against God, we are lying and not saved, or not truly Christian.

Let’s look at verse 25 again: “the perfect law, the law of liberty”. Just like when he says “joy” and “trials” together, James is again using a paradox to show a point:

  How can a law bring freedom?

Although laws are meant for good, we have all broken God’s law, and therefore have all sinned against a loving, perfect, and holy God of infinite worth. The law in itself can’t save us, because we can’t fulfill it. That means that the law only shows us that we have sinned. However, Jesus frees us of that curse by becoming that curse for us, and fulfilling the law perfectly for us so that we can be justified. 


Galatians 3:10-13:

¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”¹² But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

OVERVIEW:

-          -The bible is nothing less than the actual word of God. It reveals truth about God and ourselves to us.

-          - If we’re not actually living by what we read in the bible, then it shows we don’t truly believe it and there is no point – we are just deceiving ourselves about who God truly is.

-          -We can’t truly follow the bible if we aren’t consistently reading it and thinking about it.

-          -God’s word is the perfect law of liberty. It frees us from the eternal death that we deserve for sinning, and gives us eternal life and true Joy through Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

JAMES 1: 16-18// Good gifts from a loving Father

What is God like? How would you describe His character? Why?

 ***This bible study will focus on a certain aspect of God’s character and why that trait would be important for the people who received James’ letter—and to you!

*   INTRODUCING THE FATHER OF LIGHTS

Review:

You learned that

·        …trials are EXPECTED. Everybody will experience them in life.

·        …when (not if!) you face a trial, God will give you the STRENGTH you need to endure that trial.

·        …when you ask for wisdom, you need to BELIEVE that God will provide for you.

·        …you will receive a CROWN OF LIFE for enduring through trials.

·        …ENDURANCE—sticking with a life of faith in Jesus Christ—is worth it.

·        …trials and temptations, the source of both, and how one can lead to the other.

This study will wrap up the focus on trials and the Christian life.

Read JAMES 1:16-18 – now what do these verses say about the character of God, use these verses to make your cloud.

JAMES 1:16-18

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

*   GOD AS GOOD

o God is the generous Giver of perfect gifts.

o God’s gifts are good because He is good.

^{Psalm 119: 68} You are good, and what you do is good;
    teach me your decrees.

o What exactly does the fact that God is good and generous have to do with trials and temptations?

§ A good God doesn’t bring temptation. (v.13-15)

^{James 1: 13} When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

If a situation involves a temptation to do something wrong, it’s not from God. Ever. God will never contradict His character (He is holy) or His Word (God is not the author of temptation).

Ask yourself, Will this lead to sin?, if you’re not sure what to do in a situation. If it would lead to disobeying God, then you know it’s not from God.

§ The fact that God is good matters when you are in the fires of a trial.
When you’re in the middle of a nasty trial, you will be tempted to question God’s goodness –“If God was good, He wouldn’t do this to me.” Or, “If God really loved me, then this wouldn’t be happening.” Or the classic, “If God is good, then why does bad stuff happen?”

Never allow your circumstances to define the character of God. Situations change. God’s character does not.

What trials are you facing? How can the fact that God is good, even when the situations of your emotions don’t seem to show God’s goodness, help you in the middle of that trial?

*   GOD AS UNCHANGING

o God is constant, consistent, and dependable.

o God is the Father of lights – sun, moon, stars, and other stellar bodies up in the sky. He is the “creator, preserver, governor of all men and things, watching over them with paternal love and care.”

o God is the Creator of everything but He doesn’t change like the things He created.

o Everything is in a constant state of change… except God. (The only permanent thing in this world is change.)

o “There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle” (v. 17, The Message)

Why would it matter to people going through trials that God is constant and consistent?

What difference does God’s unchanging presence make in your life? Why does it matter?

*   GOD AS MERCIFUL

o God is merciful and gracious.

verse 18: Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

o God chose us; He gave us a new birth through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

o We don’t deserve forgiveness, but He offers it.

o We don’t deserve eternal life with Him, but He made it possible. He chose to give it to us.

Why does the mercy and grace of God matter to people who are in the midst of a trial?

Because of God’s grace and mercy, we have access to God.

^{Romans 8: 38} For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

^{Romans 8: 28} And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

You are never alone—and your trial is not useless. Jesus meant it when He said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

*   ONE MORE THOUGHT

The last character trait of God from these verses is actually in verse 16. What is it?

verse 16: Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

Yes, James loved the church at Jerusalem—but more importantly, those people were dearly loved by God.

GOD IS LOVING.

o God loves furiously and without condition—even when one rebels against Him in huge ways.

o God yearns for a relationship with you. (Jeremiah 31:18-20)

¹⁸“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:
    ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf,
    and I have been disciplined.
Restore me, and I will return,
    because you are the Lord my God.
¹⁹ After I strayed,
    I repented;
after I came to understand,
    I beat my breast.
I was ashamed and humiliated
    because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’
²⁰ Is not Ephraim my dear son,
    the child in whom I delight?
Though I often speak against him,
    I still remember him.
Therefore my heart yearns for him;
    I have great compassion for him,”
declares the Lord.

You are the apple of His eye, the object of His holy affection, the one for whom He was willing to die.

You may be reading this in disbelief. No one has ever loved you unconditionally. In fact, you may have been the object of fierce violation of others through abuse or betrayal of some sort. The idea that love could be real and true, pure and holy, good and free, and perfect and healing is just beyond your realm of possibility. But there is a God who loves you—purely, freely, perfectly. His love is real. It is good, and it heals. His love is the one thing you can count on in this life and in the next. No matter what you have done—or what has been done to you—you can fall safely into the arms of a God who promises that you can rest securely in Him (Deuteronomy 33:12 “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders. ”). Having a safe, secure place to fall makes all the difference in the world. And it can make all the difference in your heart. Thank you, God!