James
1:19-25 – “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
Everyone 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. Anyone who listens
to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face
in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away
and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever
looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not
forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they
do."
The Book of James is written in a very
direct way. It contains a lot of “imperatives” or things that we must do
because of our faith. The Book of John 20:31 states “These things are written
that you may believe…” But, the Book of James is written to give us the things
we need to DO because of what we believe. I would say that most of Paul’s
writings were for the same reason.
I want to focus in on the words in verse 19
- “Quick to listen” and bring out four principles of faith that concern how and
why we should listen to God’s Word. How we hear has a direct effect on our
faith;
Romans
10:17 – “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is
heard through the word about Christ.” John 10:27 - Jesus said “My sheep listen
to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”
Our readiness to hear reflects upon our
relationship with God. For instance; There are those who are “slow to hear.”
These listeners can hear sermon after sermon and it never seems to affect their
lives or their thinking. They may even nod their heads in agreement at some
point, or even understand that what they heard was truth, but it makes no
difference at all. Matthew 13:13-15 – ““Though seeing, they do not see; though
hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the
prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will
be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become
calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise
they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their
hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”
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