3. We have deceived ourselves, because we have not applied God’s Word in regards to humility if we think we are great, when our mouth shows just how filthy we really are on the inside.
B. Though men may see the facades that we put up, God always knows our hearts.
C. Men will, however, notice our inconsistencies because we cannot keep up a perfect lie over a lengthy period of time with everyone, especially those who are close and personal to us. As Jesus said, eventually, our heart will show itself through our speech in one way or another.
II. Appearance of True Fruit (v. 27)
A. Sometimes, our mindset becomes, “Well, if I can make everyone think I have good fruit, then I’m okay.” What we forget is that the fruit is supposed to be a result of our love for God, not the fruit resulting in us loving God.
B. James uses the phrase, “In the sight of God”- yet another way of saying God’s standard of holiness, or according to God.
C. If we go back to Zechariah 7:8-14, we see a passage where the people of Israel were told what would happen if they stopped loving God, how they would oppress the poor and orphaned, they would not dispense true justice, peace, loving kindness and compassion, and go the way of the world around them. Here James, tells us in a slightly different way the same warning that God gave to the Israelites:
1. If we truly love God, we will show it in our service towards one another
2. If we truly love God, we will do all that we can to stand up for what is right, and to make a difference in the world around us.
D. “Unstained” = set apart, made holy, sanctified; (present active tense) This has the idea that the object which has been sanctified for God will continue to be sanctified for Him. It’s the idea that this sanctification is a continuing action (until glory, that is, when we shall receive our perfect sanctification by being made into the very likeness of Christ’s holiness)
E. Though we have been sanctified and made holy positionally, we have not been made holy practically. Though all of our sins have been washed by The Blood of Christ, we will spend the rest of our lives fighting against our old sin nature even though we now have the new nature of The Holy Spirit indwelling within us.
1) Are you focused on self or God? Do people just see a façade with inconsistencies, or do they see that you are who you claim to be spiritually?
2) Are you doing things because you have a heart for God, or because you’re trying to make people think that you do?
3) Are you living as if you’ve been set apart for God?
4) Where’s the fight? Are you even struggling against sin and trying to bear fruit for Him?
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2 comments:
"Pure And Undefiled Religion"
"Pure religion and undefiled before GOD The Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world." (James 1:27)
Simply, all other religion is impure and defiled!
Faith will not create a system of religion.......
Hope is there would be those who take heed unto The Call of The Only True GOD to "Come Out of her, MY people"!
For they will "Come Out" of this wicked world(babylon) and it's systems of religion, into "the glorious Liberty of The Children of The Only True GOD".
They will no longer be of those who are destroying the earth(land, air, water, vegetation, creatures)" and perverting that which is Spirit(Light, Truth, Life, Love, Peace, Hope, Faith, Mercy, Grace, Miracles, etc.).
Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(religion) that is of this world, for "the WHOLE world is under the control of the evil one" (1John5:19) indeed and Truth.......
Truth is never ending.......
thedestructionoftheearth.wordpress.com
Thanks for the comments, but I'm not quite following how that lends itself to a discussion regarding my exposition of the passage.
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