Faith, Works, and Conflict

James 1:17-27

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.
Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Faith without Works

James' teachings are relevant for today. We are called to remember God's generosity (verse 17) and God's constancy. Other gods were known to be changeable, inconsistent, capricious, and even deceptive. Any god made by human beings take on these human weaknesses.
The image of being "born of God" appears frequently in the New Testament. The activity that brings sinners to faith is no accident; it is the result of God's purposeful work (verse 18). The implanted word (verse 21) is an agricultural image that implies that God's word is sown into the "soil" of our hearts with the potential to produce righteous fruit.
For James, a person whose behavior does not "reflect" the word that he or she has heard is deceived. Modern social psychologists would probably use the term in denial.

Looking in the Mirror (verses 22-25)

In James' discourse, God's Word is likened to a mirror, and Christians are measured against its standard of beauty. Those who see no need for adjustment are like people who look in the mirror and forget what they were like. James' expectations are clear: Christians live transformed lives. What do we see when we look in the mirror, and how do we respond to what we have seen? Michael Jackson sang it well in “man in the mirror”. We should be able to look in the mirror and be brought into conflict by what we see (ourselves) vs. what we should see (Christ living in us).

Got Religion?

Religion is such a loaded word that we often avoid it. In James, religion is defined by the ways that believers responded to teachings of the faith in their personal lives and in their communities. Several of the illustrations that James uses point to personal piety issues such as self-control and to social responsibility issues, such as care for the defenseless (widows and orphans. We need to teach and encouraged personal holiness and social transformation. We must be able to reframe our concepts of "religion" in ways that encourage us to practice what we profess.

A Lost World is Watching!

When we look in the mirror, we see what those yearning for a meaningful relationship with God see. We are called to let them see Christ in us, through us, and because of us.
When those who profess Christ see other Christians who reflect Christ and are brought into conflict with their own lack of commitment, faith, or compassion – they either repent and renew their zeal for transformation or strike out at the one who causes their inner conflict. As a result, those who try to live Christ before the world are most often struck down by other “Believers”.

“Lord, protect me from your followers!”.