Practical outworking

(Message by Philip Joseph on 21st March, 2010)

Some time ago at the local bank, the bank teller did not accept a Rs.500 note from a customer because it was fake. I had also seen the note from a distance & it looked very much like the genuine note. Only on close examination, one could notice that the note was fake. The Apostle James in his letter warned about being deceived (James 1:16,22,26) & clearly distinguishes the true from the fake. He tells us about true religion vs fake religion, true faith vs fake faith & true wisdom vs fake wisdom. His letter hardly contains any doctrinal expositions but mainly focuses on the practical outworking of the true Christian beliefs.

1. TRUE RELIGION
“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his {own} heart, this man's religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of {our} God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, {and} to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:26,27)
i. Tongue : We need to bridle our tongues & keep it under our control. We are exhorted not to “curse our fellow-man” (James 3:10), not slander (James 4:11) & not swear (James 5:12). We are to always speak the truth…our yes should be yes.
ii. Unstained by the world : Though we are “in the world, we are not of the world.”(John 17:15,16). We are not to be “conformed to this world” in our thoughts, words or deeds. God wants us to be exclusively His. (James 4:5)
iii. Compassion : God desires that we have a passion for Him & a compassion for people. He desires that we have show compassion for “orphans and widows in their distress”. Our Lord told the Pharisees to go & learn what it means to have compassion.

2. TRUE FAITH
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14)
i. Works of obedience : True faith expresses itself in works of obedience. Abraham was a man of great faith, but James says that his “faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected” (James 2:22). We are exhorted “not be merely hearers of the word, but doers” (James 1:22)
ii. Purpose of trials : True faith recognizes that trials & difficulties in life help to make us “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:4)
iii. Persevere in trials : “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which {the Lord} has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12). True faith enables us to persevere in our trials

3. TRUE WISDOM :
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and {so} lie against the truth.
This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.” (James 3:14,15)
The earthly wisdom leads us to be jealous & have selfish ambition & further our own ends by manipulating others. Earthly wisdom teaches us to love things & use people. But heavenly wisdom leads us to love people & use things. The purpose of the book of Proverbs is to acquire wisdom. “Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars” (Proverbs 9:1). These seven pillars of wisdom are enumerated in James 3:17 - “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”


May God help us to distinguish the true from the fake & enable us by His Spirit to increase in the practical outworkings of true religion, true faith & true wisdom. Amen