Mirror mirror on the wall…
Tomorrow night just prior to our prayer time I will be teaching from James 1:19-27. It is an amazing passage and I have included my closing notes for you to read ahead. They are as follows:
Mirror mirror on the wall am I a spiritual person after all?
Three Traits of A Spiritual Person
Now what are these three traits that should characterize the person who is truly religious in the purest sense of that word?–truly spiritual, a true Christian? OK, let’s look at verse 26 and 27 for the answer, and we’ll close with these verses. “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his own heart. This man’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
If you’re truly religious, you’re a true Christian, a spiritual person,
#1, you’ll control your tongue. This re-enforces what James has already said. The true test of a person’s religion is not his ability to speak his mind, but to hold his tongue. And that is why the psalmist said in Psalm 39:1, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin. I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
We as Christians may pride ourselves in the fact that we don’t steal from others or attack other people or commit immoral acts, but you may bring a pain worse than a blow to the body by wounding the heart of someone with your words. You can steal their good name and their reputation.
Because that too is sin. And gossip and slander and backbiting are sins that are extremely widespread in the church today and we must seek to control our tongue. If you’re a godly person you’ll have self-control over what you say.
Number 2, a truly spiritual person will care about others, verse 27. “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, you visit orphans and widows in their trouble.”
This phrase “to visit” suggests the idea of “caring for” or “looking after.” It’s the idea of not just seeing someone in need, but acting on it and doing something for them. Remember Jesus said, if you gave a drink to a stranger, or invited them into your home, or clothed them or visited them when they were sick or prison, it was doing it for him. And he said “I will assure you that when you did it to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you are doing it for me.”
Number 3. And third and lastly, a truly spiritual person “will keep themselves unspotted from the world.” A truly spiritual person will keep themselves unspotted from the world.
Now, this is interesting–“Keep themselves unspotted from the world.”
Have you ever had an outfit on and you did not want to spill anything on it? And doesn’t it seem that you always spill? There’s all sorts of amazing stains. You have to make a conscious effort to keep clean and stay clean. Doesn’t it seem like whenever you wash your car, you know you go through that mud puddle, or all of a sudden it drizzles when it wasn’t supposed to rain. It’s just the way it is. You have to make an effort. OK, God says, “Keep yourself unspotted from the world.”
But Keith “I thought God would take care of us in that way. I mean, doesn’t the Scripture say that we are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time? I’m kept by God.” True.
But I am also supposed to keep myself pure, 1 Timothy 5:22.I am also supposed to keep myself in the love of God, Jude 1:21. I’m also supposed to keep myself from idols, 1 John 5:21. And as the text before me says, I’m to keep myself unspotted from the world. Is this a contradiction? No. It just simply shows there’s God’s part, and there’s my part.
God will keep me, but the question is, do I want to be kept?
Have you ever tried to hold hands with someone who does not want to hold hands?
Have you ever tried to hold the hand of a child that wants to get away? It’s not really holding hands; it’s like holding their wrist, right? ‘Cause they’re pulling–‘No, No!’
You see, God wants to hold hands with you, in the sense that he holds your hand and you hold his, two people walking together. You join to each other willingly. You move at the same pace. You’re not dragging him or pulling him back, he’s not pulling you along against your will. You’re moving with him. You’re watching the Lord, you’re keeping pace with the Lord, your holding his hand. You are keeping hold of him and he’s keeping hold of you. God will keep you. Do you want to be kept? God is looking for cooperation.
“Keep yourself unspotted from the world.”
Well, how do we get spotted or soiled by this world in the first place? First it begins with friendship with the world, that we’ll look a little bit later in James, where he says “friendship with the world is enmity with God, and whoever will be this world’s friend is God’s enemy.”
Which leads to #2, a love for this world, where we’re told over in 1 John 2, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world.” So, it’s the love for the world that will then result in being conformed to this world.
Romans 12:2, “Be no conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Lot, of the book of Genesis, is the classic example of this. Remember how he ended up in Sodom and Gomorrah? And when the angels came to deliver him, they had to practically drag him out of the city? How did it all start?
First, Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom, the Bible says, where he could keep a good view of it. And the next thing you knew he moved into Sodom, and before long, Sodom moved into him. And he lost his testimony and ultimately his own family. And when judgment fell on Sodom, Lot lost everything.
But it was Abraham, the separated believer, the friend of God, who had a greater ministry to the people than Lot did–the friend of the world.”
What have we learned?
First of all, we’ve learned that true spirituality is measured primarily not by what we say but by what we do.
A truly godly person will come humbly to his Word, recognizing the great need for him and its truths. They’ll reach out to those that are hurting. They’ll keep themselves unspotted from this world. In short, they’ll be doers of his Word, not just hearers. Let’s pray:
Lord, help us to be spiritual people. Help us to be godly people. Help us to heed the admonition given to us here in James, that we would be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Lord, we ask that you would help us to come with openness and a meekness to your Word, not with a heart filled with bitterness and anger, but one that is filled with openness and receptivity to what you would say. And then Lord, when we see our reflection in your mirror, when you show us ourselves as we are, and we see things that need to be acted on, help us not to be like the forgetful hearer that walks away. But help us to be the man or woman that acts on what we see, and does something about it. Help us Lord to keep ourselves unspotted from this world. Help us to care about others. Help us, Lord, to control our words. We commit ourselves to you now, in Jesus name, Amen.”
Be sure to join us Wednesday evening at the chapel commencing at 7 and see what James says prior to all of this!
Equally as import however, become a serious prayer partner with CCSH and join us for a time of prayer as well. Your praying with others will be a powerful message to one another and a great support to this time of important prayer – In His grace – Keith & Helen