The Origin of Church Strife

“From whence come wars and fightings among you?  Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” (James 4:1)

We must remember the context of this verse when we are trying to understand it. James is writing to believers, persecuted Christians who have been scattered abroad as a result of their persecutions. So, he is not addressing wars and conflicts in the world among nations. He is addressing church conflict.

How embarrassing we must be to our Savior, “…who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, He threatened not…” (I Peter 2:22,23) The Bible also tells us that we Christians are to, “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war  against the soul…” (I Peter 2:11) 

Pride plays its part in church conflict. The Book of Proverbs tells us, “Only by pride cometh contentions...” (Proverbs 13:10) When filled with pride some folks had rather die than to not have the last word.

Wisdom from Above

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:17-18)

Wisdom from above, from God in heaven, has the traits of the fruit of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. It has the qualities of the Beatitudes found in our Savior’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3-11.

It is not surprising that the wisdom from above has the qualities of love found in I Corinthians 13:3-13, the Love chapter in the Bible. In short, the wisdom from above comes as a result of a life surrendered to Jesus and His Spirit dwelling within the individual.

If you are carrying a glass full of liquid and someone carelessly bumps into you causing the liquid to spill, what spilled out will be determined by the contents of the glass. If you were carrying a glass of water, then water was spilled. If the content was milk, then milk was spilled. If it was liquid acid then what was spilled was acid. In this life we will get “bumped” by careless, thoughtless people from time to time. The content of your life will determine what is spilled when you get bumped. Fill the container of your life with Jesus Christ and be ready for the bumps when they come.

God is not the Author of Confusion

 

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:16)

 

The interpretation can easily be that confusion and evil work result from envying and strife or just as readily that envying and strife result from confusion and every evil work. The two halves of this verse go hand in hand.

 

Where does confusion among brethren in a church come from?  The Bible says, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”  (I Cor. 14:33) If there is confusion in a church you can be sure that God did not initiate it.  

 

This envying, strife, confusion and every evil work of which James writes is the product of the earthly, sensual, devilish wisdom described in verse fifteen.

 

Satan will use anyone who will cooperate with him to propagate envying, strife and confusion in a church. He knows it will result in a church split and ultimately will result in lost souls not being saved. 

 

The Source of True Wisdom

“This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” (James 3:15)

Going back to James 1:5 we read that if we “lack wisdom we are to ask of God who gives to all men liberally.” This kind of wisdom we have been reading about in chapter three of James does not come down from God.

The wisdom of the world sees the clear teachings of the cross of Jesus as foolish. But the Bible says, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (I Corinthians 1:21) Paul further sees Christ as the personification of wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30)

Insistence on one’s own rights above others, elbowing to the front of the line, so to speak, ignoring the feelings of others and thinking more highly of oneself than of others is not the wisdom from above but is earthly, sensual, devilish wisdom.

What’s in Your Heart?

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  (James 3:14)

That which is in the heart has a way of coming out and manifesting itself in actions. Our Savior said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts false witness, and blasphemies.” (Matthew 15:19)

Someone with an evil heart broke into our house and stole keepsakes and personal items, no doubt to sell for cash to buy drugs. The man who killed forty-nine people in a night-club in Orlando, Florida a few days ago was motivated by an evil heart.

Strife among church members has its origin in the heart of one or more people.

The word, “bitter," used here means “sharp pointed,” like a briar or thorn. “Envying” is zeal. The word, “strife” has to do with faction. One may express these things thinking to get his way but the Bible says to not glory and to not lie, thinking the end justifies the means or that you are doing God a favor.

How very, very sad when someone’s theme song is, “I want my way, Lord, I want my way,” instead of "Have Thine own way, Lord, Have Thine own way."

Consistent Teachers

“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:13)

James began this chapter with a caution to “would be” teachers telling us that not everyone should pursue teaching. Not everyone has the Spiritual gift of teaching. And some of us with that gift do not do it as well as some others who have the gift.

Meekness is not weakness. Jesus said, “I am meek and lowly…” (Matthew 11:29) He was no weakling. Also, “The man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) A teacher must be meek but not be weak.

A teacher teaches from knowledge but he must have wisdom to go with his knowledge. You have heard it said that someone has “book learning” but no common sense.

A teacher’s manner of life and conduct, which is what the word “conversation” means here, should be a part of his teaching package. Some teachers speak as an angel on Sunday morning but talk and act like the devil the rest of the week. Teachers and all other Christians should live lives that exemplify the change Christ has made and continues to make in our lives.

These Things Ought Not to Be

"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” (James 3:10)

James is addressing “brethren,” fellow Christians. It is hard to fathom Christians, believers, followers of Jesus being double tongued but James uses the personal plural pronoun “we” in the previous verse to let us know that he has that problem also. There are many things that “ought not to be,” and inconsistent speech unbecoming a child of God is one of them.

James then asks about a fountain giving two kinds of water. He answers his own question by asking two others. Can a fig tree yield olive berries? or a vine figs?

A deacon friend of mine had a fellow worker tell my friend he had stopped sinning. As they worked on a large bulldozer a wrench slipped and the “perfect” man skinned a knuckle whereupon he punctuated the air with some choice curse words. My deacon friend said, “I believe you’re going to need to work on that sinless perfection some more.”

No, these things ought not to be but since they are we need to learn to run to the Savior for help in overcoming our sinful tongue.

Speaking with a Forked Tongue

“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.” (James 3:9)

Too often folks stand, with hands raised toward heaven, with tear filled eyes and sing, “Oh, how I love Jesus, O, how I love Jesus…” and leave the church and defame the preacher for his sermon. He preached too long, too loud or too soft. Then they begin to share the latest about the woman whose hair looked like a bird’s nest, who sang through her nose and off key.

The late Dr. Robert G Lee told of the time a lady came forward at invitation time and told the preacher she wanted to repent of her gossip and to lay her tongue on the altar. He said, “Lady, you’ll have to wait for the carpenters to rebuild the altar and make it longer.”

There is no such thing as a Christian praising God in one breath and cursing his fellow man in the next. There is not a partial salvation that allows part of you to be repentant and another part to be unrepentant.

The Untamed Tongue

“For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:7-8)

All kinds of animals are trained to do all kinds of tricks as well as useful things. Dogs are trained to assist the blind or go into crime scenes or on battlefields and locate potential dangers. Dogs as well as cats are comforting creatures for residents of many nursing homes.

But man cannot tame his own tongue. Our tongue is like the maniac of Gadara who could not be tamed except by the Lord Jesus.(Mark 5:1-20) The tongue seems to be attached directly to one’s heart. Let Jesus cleanse your heart, or better, give you a new heart and the tongue will be under control.

Until the tongue is given to the Lord for His control it is like a venomous snake striking fear and death all around. It is like deadly poison placed in the food of an unsuspecting spouse. 

It takes the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse the tongue of all its poison, hatred and vicious blasphemy and to tame it for use by the Lord. 

The Fires of Hell, or the Fires of Pentecost

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6)

Perhaps James is thinking of the hateful, blasphemous words the Jewish leaders, the Romans and the common folks were hurling at his older half-brother during His trials and crucifixion. Maybe he was remembering the insults he directed at Jesus while he was still an unbeliever. James knew the destructive nature of an uncontrolled tongue. 

He had very little good to say about the tongue. He said the tongue is set on fire of hell.

People who gossip and use their tongues to frame bitter and unkind words about or at fellow church members need to remember that the fires of Pentecost will not rest where the fires of hell are working.

A Bit, a Rudder, a Match and Your Tongue

“Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth (chooses).  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! (James 3:3-5)

James gave us three illustrations of large items affected by the smallest of things to show the power of the tongue.

A huge horse can be controlled by an average size man or woman holding the reins of a bridle which is fastened to a bit in the horse’s mouth. A large ship is controlled by a small rudder or helm. A large fire burning thousands of acres can be ignited by a single kitchen match.

The tongue has strength out of proportion to its size. It is one of the smallest organs of the human body and is capable of doing more harm or good than any other organ. The Christian’s tongue must be under the control of the Lord Jesus Christ or else the devil will use it to destroy homes, lives and churches.

Guard Your Words

“For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2)

The New American Standard Bible has this verse reading, “For we all stumble in many ways…” Who has not stumbled in speech? We speak a word in anger or we stretch the truth a bit, or we swear on God’s name or use a vulgarity. It could be we repeat something that was spoken in confidence or we tell something, the telling of which causes hurt and pain to the person about which we have spoken.

The only person who never stumbled or offended in speech was Jesus, the Son of God. James uses the pronoun, “we,” thus including himself in the ability to stumble in word. Again, only Jesus is not guilty.

A man who has his speech under control is able to bridle or control his whole body. The Psalmist wrote, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, Oh LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) Let that be our prayer today.

The Gift of Teaching

“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”  (James 3:1)

James had a half brother who was the greatest teacher of all time. He was Jesus, the Son of God. James knew how to identify good or bad teaching.

James continues to address Christian brothers reminding them that not everyone should seek to be a teacher. One of the legitimate spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church is the gift of teaching. (I Corinthians 12:28)

The Bible says the time will come when sound doctrine will not be endured and there will be an abundance of false teachers because folks will have “itching” ears. (II Timothy 4:3)

Teaching Biblical truth is a tremendous blessing, but it carries an awesome responsibility. Every teacher will give an account to God for what he teaches or fails to teach. Paul the apostle, teacher, preacher saw himself as, “a steward of the mysteries of God,” and stated that, “it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.” (I Corinthians 4:1-2)  Christians should pray for their Sunday School teachers and other teachers in the church.

Do You Have Faith in God?

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” (James 2:21)

Abraham has been called the father of the faithful. When God instructed him to go to Moriah and offer Isaac as a sacrifice, that was the greatest test Abraham would ever face. According to Hebrews 11:17-19, he had the faith necessary to believe God would raise Isaac from the dead. God would allow Abraham see if his faith would produce works. Every generation since then has seen the depth and reality of Abraham’s faith.

Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works…? (James 2:25) Find her story here, and in Joshua 2:1-24 and Hebrews 11:31

In his book, “The Power of Positive Praying,” Pastor John Bisagno, of Second Baptist Church, Houston, Texas told about his five year old daughter asking him to build her a doll house. He said, “Yes,” and went about his studies until he looked out his study window and saw his precious daughter taking all her dolls, baby buggy, tea pots, cups and saucers and stuffed animals and placing them where he had promised to build her doll house. He stopped everything, went to the lumber yard, got needed supplies for the doll house and started building. She was acting on the faith she had in her father. He was acting on the promise he had made to her and on her faith in him.

Do you have faith in God?

Believing Devils

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, Oh vain man, that faith without works is dead?  (James 2:19-20)

James congratulates those who believe there is one God. They do well having their doctrine of God correct. At least they are not atheists or polytheists.

The demons also know there is one God, but they are still demons. They even tremble at that truth. They know that Jesus is the Son of God, but they continue to be demons. (Matthew 8:29)

If your faith produces no evidence it is a dead faith and is worthless. My father, who was a pastor, had lengthy conversations with a gentleman about Bible doctrines. The man’s doctrines lined up correctly, but he was a lost man. Nothing my dad would say would move him to saving faith. As far as my father and I knew the man died as a lost man.

Evidence of Faith

"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:18)

It has been asked, “If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence against you to bring a conviction?”

This is what James is talking about. Show me your faith without the evidence of repentance, without prayer, without worship, without Bible study, without helping and loving others, or any other good works as evidence, and I will show you my faith by my works. What does the evidence in your life show?

Yes, one is saved by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The faith that saves is a living faith and will show evidence of being real.

Is Your Faith Living or Dead?

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14)

Martin Luther called this epistle, “an epistle of straw,” because he believed that it was teaching works for salvation and not faith alone, in contradiction to Paul’s teaching on salvation by grace through faith.

In verses 15 and 16 James gives the illustration of someone in need of clothing and food being told  by another to be “warmed and filled,” expressing with the mouth great faith, but not helping with the destitute person’s needs. “Of what profit is it?” James asks. Then he concludes, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:17)

The difference is not between faith and works but between living faith and dead faith. In verse 14 when the question is asked, “Can faith save him?” a better translation is, “Can that kind of faith save him?”

Study the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 and see what actions their faith prompted. Someone said that a faith that does nothing is worth nothing.

God Be Merciful to Me the Sinner

“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” (James 2:12-13)

Jesus told of the king who had a servant who owed the king a huge amount. The king demanded payment or else he and his family would be sold into slavery. The man begged for mercy and the king mercifully forgave the entire debt.

A fellow servant owed the king’s servant a paltry amount. The first servant took the other servant by the throat and demanded payment. When the king heard about it he changed the sentence and demanded payment in full from his servant. The servant who showed no mercy now was judged without mercy. (Matthew 18:21-35)

James is teaching us that as God has been merciful to us we must be merciful to our fellow man.

How Many Sins Does it Take to Need Forgiveness?

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ said also, ‘Do not kill.’ Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” (James 2:10-11)

A sinner is a sinner even if he picks and chooses his transgressions selectively. Therefore, he needs pardon from God through the blood of Jesus.

Someone says, “I would never commit adultery,” but he shortens his work day by fifteen minutes and accepts pay for a full day. That’s stealing. He is a law breaker. He that keeps all the law, but does not love his neighbor as himself does not fulfill the “royal law.” He is a transgressor, a law breaker.

A chandelier on a ten-link chain fell to the floor with a crash. It was discovered that only one link had broken, but that was enough to bring down the light. It was not necessary for all the links to break. Neither is it necessary to break every one of the Lord’s commandments to be a transgressor.

The Bible says, “We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden. We were born sinners by nature and became sinners by choice. God loves us, however, and provides forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ.

Love One Another

“If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,’ ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” (James 2:8-9)

Someone asked Jesus, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 about loving God with all our heart, soul, strength and one’s mind, and said, “That is the first commandment.” Then our Savior said, “and the second is like unto it,” and quoted Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” and said, “on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

James refers to the second of those two commandments as “the royal law.” If one keeps that law he does well, James says. But, as A.T. Robertson points out, having respect of persons among brethren in church is more than an error of judgment or a breach of etiquette. It is an act of sin. Robertson further says that a church is only of use when it is open to the people who need the help of the gospel.

Someone wrote this little poem:

“Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout;

                        He drew a circle and drew me out:

            But love and I had a will to win;

                        We drew a circle and drew him in.

Common Folks and the Uncommon Christ

“But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? (James 2:6-7)

I remember a song from many years ago that had these words: “Don’t you know no common folks, just plain old guys and gals; can’t you resist and not insist on presidents for pals?” The Bible says that the common people heard Jesus gladly. (Mark 12:37)

A poor man who despises the poor just to be in favor with the rich is a contradiction. James describes the disfavor of many (not all) rich folks toward the poor. Poor Christians are often oppressed by the rich, brought before magistrates and judges by the rich, as experienced by Paul and Silas at Philippi. (Acts 16:19-24)

James reminds us that the rich often blaspheme that Name which is above every name, before whom everyone will bow one day and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Philippians 2:9-10)

Rich Poor Folks

“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him?" (James 2:5)

Our Savior, though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor that we through His poverty might be made rich. (II Corinthians 8:9) On earth He had no place to lay His head. When He died He was placed in a borrowed tomb.

It has been said that God must have loved poor folks because He made so many of us. Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

When we read the testimonies of great Christians we are impressed with the faith of poor servants of the Lord and their testimonies of God’s provision for them.

A Hospital for Sinners

“For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, sit here in a good place; and say to the poor, stand thou there, or sit under my footstool: are ye not partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” 

(James 2:2-4)

 

These scattered Christian Jews now had a place to assemble. We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves with other believers. Then as now there were wealthy worshippers and those with little or nothing. 

 

I was ministering to a new Christian, a man with a family, a hard working man. He had a lot of rough edges but he loved Jesus. A deacon in the church told me one day that I would be better off giving more time to the upstanding members and less to the “riff-raff.”

 

We all need to be reminded that the church is not a private club for well off, affluent saints, but it is a hospital for sin-sick sinners.

 

God Looks on the Heart

“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” (James 2:1)

Samuel the prophet was looking for a man to replace King Saul. God said to Samuel, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

The Bible says that God is no respecter of persons, meaning that He loves us all alike, whether we are tall, short, fat, skinny, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, black, white, red or yellow, or whether we reside in the slums or in a penthouse apartment.

In our text we are told not to profess our faith in Christ and at the same time have respect of persons and play favorites. We are not to favor a rich man over a poor man. Neither are we to respect a white man over a black man or vice versa. We are to treat all persons alike.

Pure, Undefiled Religion

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

Widows and orphans were in the society of James and his readers in the first century, especially among the population of persecuted Christians. Many bread winners had been martyred in that day leaving behind widows and orphans.

For whatever reason, widows and orphans are among us today. James reminds us that they are in affliction. Some of their affliction is that of being homeless. Other affliction is hunger, lack of warm clothing or lack of proper medical attention.

We are to “visit” them in their affliction. The word “visit” means to carry to their door sufficient goods to meet their afflictions and needs. Sadly, we have too often turned the care of widows and orphans over to a government agency. We Christians must meet our responsibility which God has laid on our door step.

We live in a dirty, sinful world as described in the Bible in Paul’s letter to the Romans in the first chapter. It is very easy to incorporate the filth of the world’s sins into our lives and thus spoil our testimony. God would have us to be helpers of those in need and to remain untainted by the sins around us.

Practical Christianity

“If any among you seem to be religious and brideleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” (James 1:26)

The sub-title of the epistle of James could be, “Practical Christianity.” James gets down to where we live. He is not talking about religious theory. He is writing to real Christians in a real world.

James mentions something about the tongue or speech in every chapter. Whereas Leviticus forbids us going around as tale-bearers, James tells us that if we cannot bridle our tongue our religion is vain. That’s pretty straight forward. He will tell us later in this epistle that we put bits in horses’ mouths to control them. Now we are told about the bridle to which the bit is attached.

Next to prayerlessness and pride, gossip is perhaps the biggest sin in the churches of today.  It will absolutely destroy lives and churches. We must put the bridle’s reins in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ and allow Him to be in control.

Are You Looking for a Blessing?

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”  (James 1:25)

It has been said often that twenty percent of the members of the average church do eighty percent of the work of the church. God does indeed bless in numerous ways the ones who make up the twenty percent while those in the eighty percentile wonder why they aren’t being blessed.

I encourage you to get involved in a local, Bible believing church. Start by giving your life to Christ, trusting Him to be your Savior. Follow Him in baptism, take up your cross and follow Him daily. Continue in the Word and its teaching and doctrines.

Don’t just be a hearer of the Word, but be a doer.

What Do You See in the Mirror of God’s Word

“For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (James 1:23-24)

Have you ever been walking down the sidewalk and saw your reflection in a plate glass window? Perhaps you were amazed at how much weight you had gained or how stooped you had become. You think, “I must do something about my weight and my drooped shoulders.” On your way home you consume a deluxe pizza and a large cola, go home and sack out on the couch.

Have you ever heard a soul searching sermon that described some of your hidden sins and how you should repent and let Jesus Christ be your Lord? On you way home you met some old friends and it was back to the sinful routine.

Tomorrow morning I will see myself in the bathroom mirror. I will see a face that needs to be shaved and hair that needs to be combed. I can take care of those two items or just walk away and forget what I saw in the mirror.

Sometime tomorrow I will read a portion of Scripture that will likely describe something in my life that needs attention. What would my Savior and Lord have me do?

Hearing a Sermon and Saying “Amen” is not Enough

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”  (James 1:22)

James’ initial readers were Jewish believers who had been persecuted and scattered for accepting Jesus as the Christ.

Persecuted, scattered Christians are still under a mandate to live and do the Word of God. It is one thing to hear a good sermon; it is another to do a good sermon. We are never told to ease back when living the Christian life is difficult.

The prophet Ezekiel’s generation spoke to each other of how wonderful his preaching was. They invited folks to come hear the word of the Lord. God said, “They hear the words, but will not do them.” Ezekiel was to them as one who has a pleasant voice. (Ezekiel 33:30-32)

I am reminded of the person who goes to a physician because he has a good bedside manner but refuses to take the treatment or medicine the doctor has prescribed.

Discard the Dirty Garments of Sin

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity (excess) of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)

This old life of sin which we wore as a garment before we were saved is to be cast aside. It is like the smelly, stinking rags we wore when we were beggars and tramps, down in the prodigal’s pig-pen. Lay them aside, not to be worn again.

We are clothed as the Prodigal Son was clothed with the best robe, given to him by his father. When we were children, after a day of playing in the hot summer sun we got a bath and came out clean and fresh. We did not put the old filthy, smudgy, smelly, sweaty garments back on. We put on clean clothes. So it is when someone gets saved.

The old song, “Are You Washed in the Blood” instructs us in the last verse; “Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin, And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;  There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, Oh be washed in the blood of the Lamb!”